A Brooklyn Park church shaped by Swedish roots and a multi-ethnic future
Brooklyn Park is a suburb about twenty minutes northwest of downtown Minneapolis, and at the corner of Brooklyn Boulevard and Douglas Drive stands a church that has quietly shaped faith in the northwest suburbs for more than six decades. Redeemer Covenant Church gathers each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. as a multi-generational, multi-ethnic congregation whose members speak a dozen accents, share a dozen family stories, and sing from the same songbook. Their shared motto is "Growing Together, Going Together," and the congregation describes itself as "a joyful Christ-centered, diverse community united by God's redeeming love." The mission is to join God's work by reaching, discipling, and equipping people to courageously and authentically live out God's Word in Brooklyn Park and beyond.
From Camden Place to Brooklyn Park
The story of Redeemer Covenant Church stretches back further than most newcomers expect. The congregation's earliest roots are in November 1899, when twenty-two Swedish immigrants signed the charter establishing the Swedish Evangelical Mission Church of Camden Place in northern Minneapolis. That church eventually outgrew its building on 42nd and Emerson Avenues North, and its members relocated to the Brooklyn Center area at the intersection of Highway 100 and Osseo Road, where in 1955 they broke ground for what became Brookdale Covenant Church.
As Brookdale grew, its leaders authorized a daughter work to begin in Brooklyn Park. Property was purchased at the corner of Osseo Road (now Brooklyn Boulevard) and Douglas Drive, and a Sunday school outreach was launched at nearby Park Brook Elementary School. On February 28, 1961, twenty-five members from Brookdale were commissioned for the new effort. Less than thirteen months later, on Sunday, March 4, 1962, in the middle of a severe winter blizzard, forty-four enthusiastic people gathered to sign the charter establishing Redeemer Covenant Church. The first worship service in the new building followed on Sunday, August 26, 1962.
The years since have been marked by a long series of building programs. The original 1962 structure included the sanctuary, fellowship hall, pastor's study, kitchen, and east wing. A 1966 expansion added the Memorial Room and basement; the 1970s brought an east overflow area, classrooms, and a new sanctuary. The 1978 Christian education unit added confirmation rooms and bathrooms. Subsequent decades added a multipurpose room and Sunday school complex in 1983, a central hallway connecting the sanctuary to the multipurpose area in 1986, a refurbished sound system and classrooms in the late 1990s, a digital church sign on Brooklyn Boulevard in 2007, a garage unit in 2013, and a new parking lot and sidewalk in 2018.
In 1987, one hundred members of Redeemer were commissioned to begin a daughter congregation in Maple Grove. A series of signature ministries took root: AWANA in 1976, Stephen Ministry in 1990, the first Homecoming in 1989, two distinct Sunday morning services (8:30 traditional and 11:00 contemporary) introduced in 1994, the Summer Children's Ministry Program in 1998, Disciple U (Sunday school) in 2000, and the HIP Club in May 2001 as an outreach to junior high students in the neighborhood. The 40th anniversary brought a banquet in 2002, and the 50th anniversary was celebrated all year long in 2012 with glimpses of the church's heritage and special recognitions.
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021 was, paradoxically, an opportunity. While the building stood quieter than usual, the technical team learned to livestream on Facebook and YouTube, and the congregation launched Zoom meetings, outdoor drive-in services, and regular email updates. Pastor Dan Thompson came on board in August 2022, and the church moved to one united worship service at 9:30 a.m. (later 10 a.m.), with an emphasis on contemporary music led by the worship band. The sanctuary choir sings occasionally, and some hymns are incorporated in various ways and styles. In 2022 the congregation added the word "joyful" to its vision to underscore that the people of Redeemer are a joyful group of believers who joyfully engage with their community.
A Sunday morning at 7801 Brooklyn Boulevard
Sunday at Redeemer begins quietly in the Meeting Room with a pre-service prayer gathering at 9:15 a.m. From 9:30 to 10 a.m. the RCC Cafe opens with free coffee and treats, and conversation fills the lobby. The worship service begins at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary and is followed by an adult formation class at 11:15 a.m. in the Meeting Room from September through May.
The worship style is contemporary at its core. The worship band leads with current worship songs, employing acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and other instruments. Hymns appear occasionally in fresh arrangements, and a sanctuary choir sings from time to time. The goal, the worship team writes, is not entertainment but "helping others encounter the living God in a meaningful way through the best of current worship music and traditional hymns." A large lobby monitor keeps everyone oriented, and a glass wall between the sanctuary and the lobby keeps the space feeling open.
For first-time visitors, the message is simple: come as you are. Styles of dress in the service range from jeans to casual wear to sweaters and dresses. A Welcome Desk in the sanctuary lobby offers information about ministries and a free gift. The building is fully accessible, with reserved parking spaces near the entrances for cars displaying handicap license plates or permits, and hearing assistance devices are available from the ushers in the sanctuary.
Services are also offered online. The Sunday worship is livestreamed at redeemercov.online.church, and an archive of past services is available on YouTube and through the church's online library. The broadcast technology that began as a pandemic necessity has become a permanent ministry, allowing members and friends who cannot attend in person to keep worshiping together.
Children, youth, and the next generation
Redeemer takes seriously the care of its youngest members. During the 10 a.m. service, the Sunshine Room is open for early childhood children from birth through age four, with trained volunteers who sign children in and out at the Kids Receiving Desk. Older children, ages five through fifth grade, participate in Bible Blast, a children's worship time that meets during the sermon; the children rejoin their families on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of each month. Families with active little ones may use the Family Room just outside the sanctuary doors, where a livestream of the service plays and parents supervise their own children.
Outside of Sunday mornings, Redeemer Kids takes its ministry into the neighborhood. The Summer Soccer Camp, held in July on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, welcomes boys and girls ages three through seventeen and up. The youngest players (ages three to five) meet at 5:30 p.m., ages six to eight at 6 p.m., ages nine to sixteen at 7 p.m., and ages seventeen and up at 8 p.m. The cost is minimal and scholarships are available on request. Coaches and hospitality volunteers come from Redeemer's congregation, and each evening includes a short devotional.
For youth in middle school and high school, the calendar is full. Youth Group meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The youth program emphasizes teaching and growth, leadership development (including a Camp Junior Staff track), service and mission (mission trips, Feed My Starving Children, the RCC Cafe), fellowship and community, and special events like retreats. MEA weekend each fall brings the junior high (grades six through eight, Wednesday through Friday) and senior high (grades nine through twelve, Friday through Sunday) to Covenant Pines Bible Camp, and winter retreats are added to the schedule as well. Annual registration is required for both children and youth and includes a photo release and a toileting policy for little ones.
The Covenant's broader camping ministry, at Covenant Pines Bible Camp in McGregor, Minnesota, anchors the church's year-round calendar. Family Camp draws families in July and August, with programming for ages three through sixth grade and nursery care for children three and under. Redeemer offers scholarships so that children who would not otherwise be able to attend can join their peers at camp. Adults can join in through Family Camp, Men's Retreats, Women's Retreats, and the annual November Man Camp. A Wilderness experience for older youth and adults, Adventurous Christians, runs in northern Minnesota near Grand Marais.
The Covenant's broader camping ministry, at Covenant Pines Bible Camp in McGregor, Minnesota, anchors the church's year-round calendar. Family Camp draws families in July and August, with programming for ages three through sixth grade and nursery care for children three and under. Redeemer offers scholarships so that children who would not otherwise be able to attend can join their peers at camp.
Adults in community: classes, groups, and gatherings
Redeemer's adult ministry is intentionally broad. Adult Sunday Classes meet at 11:15 a.m. from September through May, with no sign-up required. Recent offerings have included a three-week study titled "Preparing for the Harvest: The Journey Home," led by Rex.
For women, the calendar includes a Thursday morning Bible study at 9:30 a.m. in the Meeting Room, led by Jeanne Wagner, and a monthly "Come to the Table" gathering on the first Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in Cafe Commons. Come to the Table runs from October through May and welcomes women and their friends for conversation and a favorite hot drink.
For men, the week begins early. Men's Prayer meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m., and Men's Breakfast gathers at the Osseo Perkins on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. Men's Coffee and Conversation convenes at the RCC Cafe on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. (using the west entrance near the sanctuary). Summer adds co-ed golf on Tuesdays, with 4:20 p.m. tee times at Centerbrook Golf Course in Brooklyn Center. A weekend retreat called Man Camp is held at Covenant Pines Bible Camp each November.
For young adults, post-high-school through their thirties, a twice-monthly Bible study meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Cafe Commons. Ashley and Santi lead the current study, "Essentials of Faith," and newcomers can join anytime.
For seniors, the Grandparents Prayer and Share (GPS) group gathers on the third Monday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Meeting Room during the school year. Seniors also gather for Bible study and prayer, an annual Christmas luncheon, and regular outings, and they staff many of the volunteer ministry teams.
Community Groups for all adults, both daytime and evening, both in-person and online, meet in homes, restaurants, and coffee shops around the metro for study, service, and friendship. Kathy Turgeon helps newcomers find a group that fits their stage of life. The Care Ministry Team walks alongside members through hospitalizations, bereavement, and other transitions; funeral lunches are served in the building when needed, and Stephen Ministers offer one-to-one care to those facing life challenges. A Prayer Chain accepts requests, Sunday morning pre-service prayer gathers at 9:15 a.m., and a Prayer Raid convenes in the church on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m.
Reaching Brooklyn Park and the world
The congregation's vision is to grow and go together, and "going" shows up in everything from the parking lot to the mission field. Since 2021 Redeemer has partnered intentionally with neighboring Park Brook Elementary School, supporting its students and staff with prayer, a winter clothing drive, teacher encouragement, and on-site meals for teachers during parent-teacher conferences. CarePortal, a care-sharing platform connecting child-serving professionals with local churches, links Redeemer's Response Team with families who need a bed, a meal, or a ride to an appointment. All-church service projects include Feed My Starving Children packing sessions (open to ages five and up) and Operation Christmas Child shoebox packing, with an online donation option for those who cannot attend a packing session.
For several years until 2019 Redeemer partnered with Second Harvest and nearby Revive Brooklyn Park Church to distribute free food to anyone who needed it, serving over 350 families each month. The church has also, for a time, hosted homeless families through Families Moving Forward, hosting them for a week at a time several times each year. CEAP (Community Emergency Assistance Programs) in Brooklyn Park receives ongoing food drives, clothes drives, and volunteer hours from the congregation.
The annual Taste of Africa worship service and meal celebrates the church's African heritage with colorful dress, a concert of praise music led by members of the African community, an inspiring message from Scripture, and a full meal of ethnic dishes in the multipurpose room. Several African nations are represented in the congregation, with the largest community coming from Liberia. The annual Corn Boil feast, held in August, draws the broader Brooklyn Park neighborhood. The Annual Meeting Celebration of the Northwest Conference was hosted at Redeemer in April 2024, drawing pastors, ministry staff, and delegates from the five-state region for worship, prayer, inspiration, and learning.
Mission trips have taken Redeemer teams to Jamaica (most recently in February 2024), to Alaska Christian College in Soldotna, where teams have done construction, maintenance, painting, and sewing, and to Lake Traverse in South Dakota, where a Redeemer Youth Mission Team served the Native American community with YouthWorks. The 2026 mission trip returns to Alaska Christian College, August 1 to 8, with construction, maintenance, painting, cleaning, devotions, and the surrounding scenery as the draw.
Internationally, Redeemer supports eight missionary families. Randy and Cheryl Bevis consult in food sustainability and fish farming with the Evangelical Covenant Church in DR Congo, Haiti, and Honduras. Keith and Debbie Hamilton serve at Alaska Christian College. Tom and Joy Harriger serve with Cru's worldwide high school ministry. Julio and Katie Isaza work in theological education and leadership development with the ECC in Colombia. David and Linda Koblish lead the "Under His Wings" music ministry. Jim and Beth Luebe serve through Oaks International in Boulder, working primarily with NYPD officers. Karl and Susan Peterson serve in congregational vitality, leadership training, and holistic care in Mexico. James and Nyaluak Gai Tang serve in Sudanese ministries, Christian formation, and community development in South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Through its denominational family, Redeemer also supports Covenant World Relief and Development, which reduces human suffering for the most vulnerable people through local partners; Friends of World Mission projects; the Serve Globally initiative; and the Serve Globally Prayer Calendar.
What they believe
Redeemer is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church, a multi-ethnic denomination founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants and today ministering on five continents. The ECC values the Bible as God's Word, the gift of God's grace, the spiritual life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God's love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength that comes from unity within diversity.
Redeemer's essential beliefs are summed up in what the Evangelical Covenant Church calls its Affirmations: the centrality of the Word of God, the necessity of the new birth, a commitment to the whole mission of the church, the church as a fellowship of believers, a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit, and the reality of freedom in Christ. Membership in a Covenant church is by confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ and is open to all believers.
The congregation observes two sacraments. Baptism, open to both infants and believers, is a public declaration of faith and an identification with Christ's death and resurrection; Pastor Dan welcomes conversations with anyone considering baptism. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, and children are welcome to participate when they can describe what it means that Jesus is their Savior and Lord.
Beyond the Affirmations, Redeemer holds a set of values that guide day-to-day decisions: engaging worship, active prayer, diversity and unity, honoring the whole person, serving together, flexibility and creativity, effective communication, developing leaders, and purposeful stewardship. The congregation has adopted a set of Holy Manners as guidelines for relationships: listen well and hold private information in confidence, deal directly with one another from a biblical base of truth, build up rather than tear down, care without judging, choose a humble temperament that is willing to forgive, and participate freely in the body of Christ.
The building and the Cafe Commons
The most recent transformation of the Redeemer campus came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when reduced building use opened a window for a long-anticipated remodel. Completed in 2021, the project added the Cafe Commons, a centralized gathering space that connects the sanctuary, adult formation classrooms, secure children's classrooms, and administrative offices. New restrooms, a glass wall on the sanctuary, an enlarged lobby, and a remodeled office reception area all came together. A Family Room with a livestream of the service sits just outside the sanctuary doors for parents of active little ones. From a seat at a cafe table, visitors can see where adult formation classes will happen, where parents bring kids for check-in, and the entrance to the worship service.
The Cafe Commons is the social center of the building. A multi-generational team of volunteers, the Cafe Crew, keeps the espresso machine humming on Sundays, and the cafe is open from 9 to 11 a.m. Pickleball plays in the Redeemer gym on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. A free RightNow Media subscription is available to anyone in the congregation through Redeemer's group account, providing access to thousands of Bible studies and video resources. Family Movie Nights stream at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. CT on Fridays and Sundays through a partnership with Catalyst Christian Family Movies, with additional children's programming on Saturday mornings.
Giving is available online through the church's Breeze account system, by mail, in person at the office, or in the collection plate during worship. Designated funds include the General Fund, regular giving to Missions, and special funds for Benevolent, Building, Camp, Retreats, and the Sign Project. The Church Treasurer oversees stock or mutual fund transfers, legacy giving through wills and estates, and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs.
Leadership, staff, and how to get connected
Redeemer is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Dan Thompson, who began his ministry with the church in August 2022 alongside his wife, Debi. Pastor Dan grew up in the Evangelical Covenant Church and has pastored several Twin Cities congregations. Over the past sixteen years he has helped twelve churches navigate pastoral transitions. The church also calls Pastor Juan Lopez to serve alongside him.
Ministry leadership is shared through a number of teams. Tom Trautman leads Worship, Music and Fine Arts. Karen Attia leads Adult Formation and Community Life. Traci Petersen leads both Communications and Outreach and Missions. Mary Johnson leads the Prayer Ministry Action Team. Mark Turgeon and Henason Kollie lead the African Integration Ministry Team. The Care Ministry Team, Children Youth and Family Ministry Team, Redeemer Cafe Ministry Team, Property Ministry Team, Finance Ministry Team, and Elders Ministry Team each have their own focus and contact.
Two lay-led bodies oversee the church's life. The Leadership Team, chaired by Rob Anderson, oversees the welfare of the church body and staff, ministry teams, and major business decisions. Members serve two-year terms and include Bob Rau (Vice Chair), Traci Petersen (Corporate Secretary and Communication), Paul Adejuyigbe (Treasurer and Finance), Karen Attia, Ashley Bearl, Francais Kollie-Ross, Rex Stromquist, and Pat Trautman (Senior Elder). The Elder Board is responsible for the spiritual health of the church and the care of the leadership. Pat Trautman serves as Senior Elder, with Tim Anderson, Linda Bearl, Lansana Hindolo, Joan Negley, and Doug Vigoren serving alongside Pastor Dan.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the ministry. The Children Youth and Family team invites teachers, assistants, nursery caregivers, Kids Welcome Desk volunteers, coaches, and hospitality help. The Care team organizes homebound and hospitalized visitation, funeral lunches, and prayer chains. The Property team maintains the building and grounds. The Communications team produces the weekly bulletin, mid-week email, Sunday slides, social media posts, the picture directory, and the annual report. Volunteers eleven and older are welcome in children's and youth ministry, with adult volunteers completing a background check and child protection training.
For anyone who wants to explore faith for the first time, Redeemer's staff is ready to talk. Steps to Peace with God and the Four Spiritual Laws are both available as starting points, and conversations with Pastor Dan are welcomed. For those ready to be baptized, baptism services are open to anyone who has not yet been baptized, has confessed their sin, and has put their living faith in Jesus Christ. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month. Prayer requests can be submitted through the Prayer Chain, and Stephen Ministers walk alongside members through difficult life transitions.
A first-time visitor to Redeemer can expect to find a friendly welcome desk in the sanctuary lobby, a free gift, free coffee at the RCC Cafe, a worship service that is contemporary at heart but seasoned with hymns, a sermon rooted in Scripture, a building designed so that adult classes, children's ministries, and fellowship are visible from a single cafe table, and a congregation whose name, Redeemer, points to the work of Christ in their lives and in their neighborhood. They are growing together and going together, and there is room at the table for another.