Picnic food, a summer breeze and a big red barn are not the typical elements of a church service.
But each Wednesday evening in the summer, six Lutheran churches gather at Bruentrup Heritage Farm in Maplewood to worship at a site steeped in history. The farm setting builds community in an environment that is more accessible than a church, said Scott Costello, who chairs the worship and music committee at Redeemer Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake.
"There's a lot of socialization, you get to meet people from other congregations, which is a lot of fun," Costello said. "You find out what everyone has in common."
It helps that the summer service is in a neutral place where people can easily bring friends and family who may not attend the participating churches.
"It's often quite difficult to get people to come to your church," Costello said.
The weekly worship starts with food outside at picnic tables near the barn, with an alternating weekly menu: brats and beans or tacos and rice. After dinner, participants head inside the barn for a short service delivered by a different pastor each week, with a changing cast of musicians, Costello said.
Every piece of the night is a community effort — and has the benefit of drawing visitors to the historic site. Volunteers from the Maplewood Area Historical Society, which operates the barn, serve the meal.
"As religion is changing in America, congregations are aging, we're finding the need to work together a lot more. And this has been a really great way for these churches to work together," Costello said.
The Worship on the Farm event was born after former Redeemer Pastor Pam Stofferahn had a creative idea to perform the Christmas story over at the barn in December 2013, Costello said.
That event was an instant hit, and they decided to return to the barn for services the following summer.
Each year, more churches signed on. Also involved this year are House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Oakdale, Christ the King Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, Lakeview Lutheran Church in Maplewood, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Paul and St. Mark's Lutheran Church in North St. Paul.
About 100 people attend each week, said the Rev. Dan Streeper of House of Prayer Lutheran Church.
"This is just a wonderful way to see a glimpse of the bigger church and how it's at work in the world," Streeper said. "People in our congregations are making friends and look forward to seeing each other on Wednesday nights."
The meal and service is $8 for adults; children under 12 are free. Nearly all funds raised go to various charities, though a small portion is put away for the following summer.
In addition to the service, there are games and historic exhibits for families to enjoy in the barn.
"We hope it's an opportunity for people to get a little taste of church," Streeper said. "Church is about the people, and that's exactly what this is about."
Zoë Jackson • 612-673-7112
