April 1st 2009 Lyndale Church moved from our building at 31st & Aldrich Ave. S to Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave S. We are in a partnership with Salem Lutheran Church and First Christian Disciples of Christ and hope by December of 2011 to move into the old Salem sanctuary at 610 W 28th Street. The newly renovated building will be home to the three congregations. This renovated green building would be Gold Leeds (if we applied for the designation). For a longer history of the partnership click HERE.
In 2005 the pastors and congregations of Lyndale and Salem Lutheran Church (28th & Lyndale) began discussing their similar buildings, issues and desire to be more green friendly and sustainable congregations. A partnership began officially in January of 2006 which led to Salem closing up their even bigger costlier building (45,000 sq. ft) and on Sunday, November 5, 2006, Salem began worshiping and focusing its ministry from the building of Lyndale United Church of Christ at 31st and Aldrich.
Faced with the steep and rising costs of keeping up an extremely large (25,000 sq. ft) city building, Lyndale Church held our final worship service in the building that housed us for 85 years at 31st & Aldrich Ave. S. It is now home to New Wine Church, now located just east of 280 and University Ave. But that decision was all part of a much larger plan.
This building sale allowed Lyndale some of the resources necessary to fully partner with Salem in the redevelopment of a shared ministry center at 28th and Garfield in Salem's old sanctuary, now being renovated to accommodate not two, but three congregations. 1st Christian Church, Disciples of Christ joined the partnership in January of 2011 and share in the ownership of the Center. Anticipated completion of the project is December 2011.
Lyndale Church and Salem Lutheran Church moved to interim space at Intermedia Arts at 2822 Lyndale Avenue South on April 1, 2009. The real estate closing for our old building at 31st and Aldrich was on March 31, 2009. Lyndale and Salem are excited by the opportunity to be tenants at Intermedia Arts, a strong and vibrant arts organization. The churches use Intermedia Arts space for Sunday worship, activities, and offices. A parking lot is accessible from Lyndale Avenue to the north of the building as well as parking west of the building on Sundays.
An interim partnership agreement guides the two congregations. This partnership is not a merger, but a way for both congregations to be better stewards of their resources while still celebrating their individual history and identity and living within this ecumenical agreement. Sunday School, Youth Group, some staffing, and many ministry programs are shared between the two congregations. We worship together approximately four times each year.
