Investing in Our Shared Calling
Church | Camp | Ministry Partnership
We hope you’ve had a chance to learn more about our 50th Anniversary appeal over the past few weeks. The vision of Faith That Welcomes. Love That Reaches. includes three connected areas that support our congregation and the communities we serve: church, camp, and Ministry Partnership. Today, we look beyond our Eden Prairie church campus to focus on Spirit in the Pines and Ministry Partnership – two areas that help us extend our faith to others, and ensure that all of God’s children have the opportunity to feel God’s love.
Camp: Forming a Welcoming Faith at Spirit in the Pines
Spirit in the Pines is one of St. Andrew’s most powerful settings for faith formation. It is where children, youth and families of all ages encounter God in community, build lasting relationships, and grow into servant leaders wherever life leads them. This appeal invests in facilities and infrastructure that allow Spirit in the Pines to welcome all people to camp. Examples of this work include:
Goal: Approx. $1.1 Million
- Replacing three of the five oldest cabins, which were built in 1937.
- Constructing a multifunctional, unheated pole barn to address the growing need for additional dining and gathering space, and provide shelter during inclement weather.
- Improving critical infrastructure, including septic systems and shoreline stabilization.
- Investing in essential equipment including kitchen appliance replacements and a kitchen renovation
- Replacing aging operational assets such as our camp truck and trailer, one pontoon and two wooden docks
Ministry Partnership: Love That Reaches into Our Community
St. Andrew has consistently answered the call to reach beyond its own walls. This appeal intentionally focuses our attention and our resources toward pressing needs in our
community. St. Andrew’s growing ministry, Church Anew, will lead us forward as we continue to drive change for the greater good. Examples of this work include:
Goal: Approx. $600,000
- Helping to alleviate hunger in the Phillips neighborhood, one of the most diverse pockets of Minneapolis.
- Deepening partnerships with Northside neighbors to provide hope and healing to communities experiencing violence.
- Nurturing the faith of young adults at the University of Minnesota by building scalable models for ministry.
- Launching an annual preaching festival that will encourage hundreds of preachers and fortify communities of faith across the country.
These efforts strengthen the physical, operational, staff and programmatic foundations that carry the heart of St. Andrew forward—so people continue to experience a church where they matter, they belong, and they are cared for.
Learn more about our Anniversary Appeal
Meet Rachel and Paul Lareau. They joined St. Andrew
three years ago and recently began looking ways to reach
out and support our broader community. What began as a onetime holiday sign-up at Messiah Lutheran Church has now transformed into so much more. Their story is one of an unexpected, but incredibly fulfilling journey – filled with love, faith, and personal connections.
An excerpt from Denise Holtz’s story in the Faith and Generosity booklet
“[Our family has] experienced God at work through a wide range of programs, including Ryan’s first overnight camp experience at Spirit in the Pines. We still remember the smile on his (tired) face when he returned, and his determined declaration that he would be “a staff” when he grew up. The program directors, teachers, volunteers, and parents in the community celebrated his enthusiasm and further inspired him. In fact, following through on his Grade 2 dream job declaration, Ryan is returning to Spirit in the Pines as a staff member for a second summer in 2026, after serving as a CIT and Counselor for three summers in high school.”
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
–John 13:34–35