A Reconciling in Christ Congregation on France Avenue
Transfiguration Lutheran Church stands at 11000 France Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota, a long-serving congregation in the heart of the south metro. The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and to the Minneapolis Area Synod, its regional body. It has been publicly recognized as a Reconciling in Christ congregation through ReconcilingWorks, a designation that affirms the full welcome of people of every race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, and relationship status.
The church's own vision statement sets the tone for who it is: "Transfiguration is a welcoming and diverse intergenerational community of faith committed to following the way of Jesus by pursuing spiritual growth, love of neighbor, justice for all." Sunday worship is the anchor of the week, and a full calendar of formation, music, service, and care fills the rest of life together.
Worship in Word, Sacrament, and Song
Worship is offered every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., both in person and via livestream on YouTube. The service follows the Lutheran pattern of Word and Sacrament, with the proclaimed scriptures, sermon, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion as its center. All are welcome at the table, and those joining from home are invited to share communion with their own bread and wine or juice.
Children belong in the sanctuary here. Sunday School for ages three through fourth grade meets at 9:30 a.m. in Classroom #8, where teachers engage young people with scripture through story, song, small groups, and crafts before the children rejoin the sanctuary during the sharing of the peace. A Pray Ground at the back of the sanctuary offers a family-friendly worship space, and a professionally staffed nursery is available for children five and under during both Sunday worship and Wednesday evening programs. Wireless hearing devices are available for those who need them, and seasonal services mark Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
Worship is shaped by many hands. Roles from Lector and Usher to Greeter, Communion Assistant, Hospitality, Altar Guild, and Pew Crew are family-friendly, and newcomers are invited to step into service at their own pace.
Music That Proclaims
Music is treated as proclamation at Transfiguration, working alongside scripture to bear the gospel into the room. The Chancel Choir leads the congregation in the classic hymns and choral anthems of the Lutheran tradition, while a Handbell Choir adds a distinctive voice to services and seasons. A Praise and Worship Team brings a contemporary sound.
Pianist Phetsamone Ekholm has accompanied the church since 1997, when she began playing for the Imago Dei youth choir. Organist Christine Walberg, who holds a particular passion for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and for improvisation, rounds out the keyboard staff. Mary George coordinates both the Bell Choir and the Praise and Worship Team. Instrumentalists of all ages and skill levels are invited to share their gifts.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministry
The Children, Youth, and Family ministry at TLC is led by Deacon Erica Larson and supports families from preschool through high school with programs designed to grow faith, build friendships, and mark meaningful milestones.
Alongside Sunday School, the church runs Club 5/6 for fifth and sixth graders, a Confirmation program that walks youth through their own profession of faith, and Peer Ministry that invites high schoolers into leadership. Summer brings Vacation Bible School, and the Faith Milestone Ministry marks moments such as First Communion and Graduation with intentional celebration.
Older students have opportunities to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering, participate in service-learning trips, and spend time at Camp Ministry through Wilderness Canoe Base on Lake Wapogasset. A TLC Fan Club turns out to support students at their sports, concerts, and performances. College students and those in military service stay connected through the College and Military Ministry, and monthly Parents Night Out events give caregivers a break while children preschool through fourth grade enjoy supervised fun.
Wednesday evenings during the program year pair a community dinner in Fellowship Hall from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. with youth ministry for students in fifth through ninth grade from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m., built around community building, games, Bible study, small groups, service projects, and prayer. The congregation's Family Covenant asks families to respect one another, follow the requests of leaders, respect property, and refrain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and weapons at TLC events.
Stephen Ministry and the Art of Listening
Transfiguration is a Stephen Ministry congregation, part of a lay caring ministry that equips church members to walk alongside others through difficult seasons of life. The Stephen Ministry logo, a broken person made whole through the cross of Jesus, reminds caregivers and receivers alike of the program's center.
The work began in 1975 when Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk, a young pastor and clinical psychologist in St. Louis, equipped nine parishioners as the first Stephen Ministers. Today Stephen Ministry operates in more than 14,000 congregations across 190 Christian denominations in the United States, Canada, and 30 other countries.
At TLC the ministry is shaped by the Caregiver's Compass, which names four essential qualities of a Stephen Minister: compassion, a strong faith foundation, skilled listening, and trustworthiness. At the center of the compass is a Christ-centered focus, a reminder that Christ guides every action, conversation, and decision. Mary Weber leads the program, and the church welcomes those seeking care as well as those considering becoming a Stephen Minister.
Care and Support for Every Season
Beyond Stephen Ministry, TLC offers a constellation of lay Care and Support ministries that provide compassion, prayer, and practical help.
The Addiction Awareness Team provides a safe, confidential environment for those seeking restoration and hope from addiction and co-dependency. Members are available to talk with newcomers, attend recovery meetings with them, and connect them to resources. The team maintains a current list of local Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings, treatment programs through Hazelden, Fairview Behavioral Health, and the Retreat at Wayzata, eating disorder resources, gambling support through Minnesota Gamblers Anonymous, sexual behavior recovery groups, and debt counseling through Lutheran Social Services and Prepare + Prosper.
Care Mail Crafters keep isolated members connected through handwritten correspondence. Homebound Communion Ministers bring the sacrament to those unable to attend in person. Memory Bears, made from meaningful fabric, are crafted as keepsakes for the bereaved. A Prayer Team lifts up particular concerns, and the Prayer Shawl Ministry, called K3P3, knits and prays over shawls given to those in need of comfort. A TLC Garden Team tends the church's grounds, and a TLC Senior Group offers fellowship for older adults.
Mission and Outreach
Missions and Outreach at Transfiguration invites the congregation to live out faith through service, partnership, and compassion locally and globally. TLC's benevolence giving supports eleven named mission partners.
Wilderness Canoe Base hosts summer camp on Lake Wapogasset. Every Meal fights child hunger in Minnesota. Tapestry Lutheran serves the Richfield community. Meals on Wheels of Bloomington delivers food to homebound neighbors. VEAP, Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People, addresses poverty across the county. Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative works for housing justice. Oasis for Youth supports young people experiencing homelessness. Exodus Lending offers alternatives to predatory lending. Feed My Starving Children packs meals for malnourished children around the world. NEON, the Northside Economic Opportunity Network, builds economic opportunity in North Minneapolis. The TLC Early Learning Center, housed on the church's own campus, completes the list.
Fellowship and Service Groups offer more ways to serve. Global Health Ministry connects members with international health initiatives, the Men's Golf League combines fellowship with fundraising, and TLC Walkers brings together those who like to move.
Adult Faith Formation
Adults at TLC have several ongoing opportunities to study scripture together. The 1st and 3rd Tuesday Bible Study is called Faith, Fact, and Fiction. A Gib Lee Men's Bible Study and a Women's Bible Study both meet regularly, and a Pastor-Led Bible Study offers another small-group option. Meeting times are posted on the TLC calendar.
Justice, Advocacy, and Reconciliation
Justice and Advocacy at Transfiguration works toward equity, inclusion, and dignity for all people. The congregation maintains Racial Justice Liaisons to the Minneapolis Area Synod and a RIC Ally Team that supports the Reconciling in Christ identity of the church through education, awareness, and support for justice-centered initiatives within the congregation and broader community.
TLC Early Learning Center
Since 1989, the TLC Early Learning Center has provided faith-based care and education for young children on the church campus. Director Barb Wigstadt has led the center from its early years, and Assistant Director Karen Wenge has served since 1991, having started as the school-age and Kindergarten teacher. The center's chapel program is led by Deacon Erica Larson, and the play area is open to church families when the center is closed.
The TLC Foundation
The TLC Foundation is a separate not-for-profit corporation dedicated to, but legally distinct from, Transfiguration Lutheran Church. Gifts to the Foundation sit above and beyond regular pledging and tithing and fund ministries that fall outside the regular church budget.
The Foundation has underwritten the sanctuary microphone and livestream hardware, Fellowship Hall flooring and new tables, the Wi-Fi system upgrade, LED lighting across the campus, parking lot lights, paint and carpet for the Early Learning Center, transportation for the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, and Stephen Ministry training. Grants have also gone to mission partners such as the Center for Changing Lives in Liberia.
The Foundation accepts cash, checks, annuities, real estate, stocks, bonds, and estate designations. Members may also direct Thrivent Choice Dollars to the Foundation. The board is led by President Terry Bonertz, Treasurer Baron Broschat, and Secretary Karen Jorschumb.
Leadership
Lead Pastor Elise Pokel joined TLC after serving Trinity Lutheran and First Presbyterian in Crookston, Minnesota, and Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Minneapolis. A graduate of Concordia College and Luther Seminary, she was ordained in 2017. She is married to Andy Pokel, who serves as worship and music director at Spirit Garage, and they have two sons.
Deacon Erica Larson oversees Intergenerational Events and Specialized Support Ministries. She holds a master's degree in Congregational Ministries and Leadership from Luther Seminary and has been on the TLC staff since September 2022. In 2025 her role expanded to emphasize intergenerational ministry and faith formation, with a particular focus on Milestone Ministry and outreach to young adults.
The TLC Church Council, led by President Michael Johnson, Vice President Sophie Werner, Treasurer Mary Kelly, and Secretary Janice Millford, together with council members MaryAnne Lofstrom, Nadine Grabanski, Carol Olson, Jenn Gauwitz, and Eric Midthun, guides the congregation's governance and ministry.
Visiting Transfiguration
The church building at 11000 France Avenue South welcomes visitors throughout the week. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; the office is closed on Saturday. The phone number is (952) 884-2364 and the office email is office@tlcmn.com.
Worship is at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, both in person and on YouTube. Greeters hand out bulletins and invite newcomers in at the door. Children belong in worship here. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m., the Pray Ground at the back of the sanctuary offers space for wiggles, and a professionally staffed nursery is available for the youngest among us.
Membership at TLC is framed as relationship rather than formal registration. New members are welcomed each spring, and anyone can join at any time by attending a new member class or speaking with the pastor. An associate membership option is available for those who worship in more than one congregation or primarily join via livestream. Members are invited to worship regularly, support the ministry in a way that is meaningful to them, and share their time, talents, and energy through service.