Redesigning a church

Washngton Post - Unlike many pastors in America today, the Rev. David Lose doesn't have a numbers problem at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. With about 16,500 baptized members, his congregation is the largest it has been in its 106-year history. Mount Olivet has grown so much that it now qualifies as a megachurch.

"But when you're here, we're as different from a megachurch as you can imagine," Lose said. "Our worship is pretty much the same as we've been doing since 1940."

The setting is urban. The sanctuary is Gothic. The music is classical.

But people are lonely, with many working from home and still socially isolated after the covid pandemic shutdowns….

To help, Lose wants to turn Mount Olivet's original chapel, which sits barely used across the street from the main church, into a community gathering space where people of all faiths - or no faith - can gather over a cup of coffee or pint of beer.

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church's aging Lynnhurst chapel. (Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) Lose said the idea builds on the community connections formed by the church's longtime pastor, the Rev. Reuben Youngdahl, who was later succeeded by his son, Paul.

"Can we create a place where people come together and actually get to know each other and find common cause?" he said. The proposed new space, reported on by the Minnesota Star Tribune, has been approved by local officials but still has some rezoning and other hurdles to clear. It would involve tearing down the existing chapel and replacing it with a new building that, among other things, would serve freshly roasted coffee, lunch fare and local beers.

Big open spaces and a patio would allow community groups to meet. Smaller spaces could host tutoring sessions. The church’s choirs would have a place to unwind after evening practices. Bulletin boards would connect people with neighborhood groups and volunteer opportunities. Proceeds would flow to community-oriented organizations.