Vinje Lutheran Church, Willmar, Minnesota

To make a prayer request, contact Pastor Steve Knudson or the Vinje Office

The Mission of Vinje’s Spiritual Care and Prayer Ministries is to care for the spiritual needs of individuals, teach and encourage the spiritual health and well being of the congregation, and to reach out with compassion in our community as an act of Christian witness.

Pastoral Visitation & Home Communion Vinje has many members who are unable to participate in worship regularly due to special needs or illness. The Pastors provide communion for members who are homebound or living in care centers in Willmar and New London.

Communion Visitation Minister , Gretta Kray is a Synodically Authorized Minister who serves Vinje members who are homebound or living in multi-resident homes, bringing the sacrament of Holy Communion to those who aren’t otherwise able to worship on Sunday mornings.

Lay Communion Visitation Vinje members, trained in the service of Holy Communion for those in special circumstances, are matched with homebound members, and bring the sacrament of Holy Communion immediately following Sunday morning worship once a month. Contact the Vinje Office to request a Lay Communion Visitor or to volunteer as a LC Visitor.

Parish Nurse Ministry Susan Krogstad RN, and Carolyn Jorgenson RN, CNP are Parish Nurses trained in Parish Nurse Ministry through the ELCA. Parish Nurses draw on their spiritual and medical training to provide a variety of resources in the church and community. Parish Nurses are often called upon to provide prayer and spiritual support, health-related consultations for youth and adults, and assistance to individuals and families with health concerns. They can help those with personal concerns connect to community resources, counseling services and at times, medical intervention.

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Befrienders walk with people in distress through life transitions or times of crisis. After several hours of volunteer training, Befrienders continue to build on their skills for listening, discernment and healthy care-giving. To be connected with a Vinje Befriender, contact the Vinje Office .

Bereavement Team members gather monthly to write notes of care to those who are grieving after the death of a loved one. At times, they will deliver a book about grief or a rose on the first anniversary of death of a close loved one. They also write notes of support and encouragement to men and women serving in the US Armed Forces. Coordinators are Phyllis Coleman, Cordy Jeremiason and Sonja Westre.

Friendly Visitors provide caring conversation and companionship to nearly 50 Vinje members at home or in long term care facilities. Coordinators are Lorna Bahl and Maxine Anfinson.

Helping Hands provide assistance for short-term or one-time needs. Volunteers respond to requests for rides to appointments & shopping, home cooked meals, and occasional minor home repairs for the elderly. Coordinator Sharon Deitschman.

Hospital Visitation Ministers visit Rice Hospital daily to bring a greeting and a flower to hospitalized members. They also deliver bulletins to members living in nursing homes. Over 40 women and men volunteer for one or two weeks a year. Coordinator Susan Thorson

Prayer Chainparticipants pray daily for those who request to be prayed for on the prayer chain list. Prayer Chain participants communicate via phone or via email with one another to receive and pass along prayer concerns that are expressed through the Pastors, Parish Nurses or the church office. Coordinators are Mary Jo Patton and Ruth Sanders.

Prayer Shawl Ministry More than 20 people knit and crochet their prayers into beautiful shawls and scarves that are given to people who are bereaved, ill, homebound or simply in need of care and prayer. Karen Rousseau and Kay McLane are coordinators.

Prayers of the Congregation Every Vinje household is prayed for on a specific day of the year. They are identified alphabetically and listed in the monthly Prayer Calendar in the Vinje Witness.

Prayer Teams are now being formed. A Prayer Team is a small group of people who gather regularly to pray for individual concerns, congregational ministries as well as concerns of the local community and the world. To connect with an existing Prayer Team or to form a new one, contact the Vinje Office.

To participate in one of these Spiritual Care and Prayer ministries, or to request support from one of these ministries, contact the coordinators directly or the Vinje Office.