Kathleen Clark

The Health Commons, which has been open for 22 years and is free to visitors, provides medical and nutritional consultations and services as well as connections to other health care resources.

The focus of care at the Health Commons is communication and hospitality, even though–unfortunately–this approach has become less common in traditional medical settings.

Central Health Commons is funded by Augsburg College, Central Lutheran Church, and other private donations.

To , visit the MPR News site.

The story also was picked up by the Associated Press and since has run in:

• The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. — Augsburg College nurses put hospitality first
• The State of Columbia, S.C. — Nurses at Augsburg College center put hospitality first

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From this first service, Advent Vespers grew to four services. Last year, more than 10,000 people attended, making this Augsburg’s largest event of the year.

This year, as Advent Vespers celebrates its 30th anniversary, a fifth service has been added, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, offering a daytime service to more easily accommodate larger groups of visitors.

Augsburg’s partnership with Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis, with its majestic sanctuary and stained-glass windows, allows Advent Vespers to be unique.

“We can create the essence of a Christmas concert and transform it into not just a concert but a spiritual experience,” says Peter Hendrickson ’76, Advent Vespers artistic director and director of choral activities. “The liturgical elements transform the music to a deeper level.”

Over the years the Advent Vespers services have stayed the same more than they have changed, says Pastor Dave Wold, campus pastor and director of ministries. “My fascination is with Advent Vespers as a service, and we work hard to keep it close to a theme and give a message of hope for the season.”

While the liturgical party that carry bells, banners, the cross, and the Gospel has grown in numbers, and four choirs now feature more than 250 singers, the experience has remained constant. The liturgical journey begins in darkness with “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” moves to recognition and joyful celebration of Christ’s birth, and ends with quiet reflection in the warm candlelight of “Silent Night.”

Music professor and organist Stephen Gabrielsen ’63, who has played for all but one Advent Vespers service when he was on sabbatical, recalls that the weather has also been constant—there has never been a service cancelled on this first weekend of December because of winter weather.

In 2004, to mark Advent Vespers’ 25th anniversary, TPT-2 public television made a recording of the service, which continues to be shown each year on public television, and received a regional Emmy for its technical production. Recordings in both DVD and CD format are available through Augsburg’s Music Department.

Article by Betsey Norgard, Augsburg Now, Fall 2009

2009 Advent Vespers Schedule

Friday, December 4 at 5 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 5 at 2, 5, and 8 p.m.

Central Lutheran Church

333 S. 12th Street, Minneapolis

For seating information, call 612-330-1444 or go to .

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This event takes place in the remarkable neo-Gothic sanctuary of Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis, with a ceiling that soars 65 feet and large stained glass windows similar to those of London’s Westminster Abbey. More than 350 musicians, liturgists and banner carriers will participate in this dramatic and uplifting event.

Seating envelopes are required for the service and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested donations, received at the door, are $10 per person or $25 per family. Non-perishable food donations will be collected before each service for distribution to community food banks. For more information, call 612-330-1444 or visit .

Meanwhile, join us on Nov. 30 for Velkommen Jul, a Scandinavian celebration of the start of the Christmas season. A special Velkommen Jul chapel service will be held that day at 10:20 a.m. in the Hoversten Chapel. Afterwards, enjoy Scandinavian treats and gifts hosted by the Augsburg Associates in the Christensen Center from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

For more information on Velkommen Jul, check out this article.

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Erik Hinderlie ’07, Ted Fabel ’07, Brett Cease ’07, and David DeBlock ’08 (left to right) are guides at Camp Amnicon, an outreach of Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis.

“What makes Amnicon so unique is its strong commitment to getting the majority of its campers from at-risk groups throughout the states, whether from inner-city,

reservation, or foster agency programs,” says Cease. “Many of these kids have never had the opportunity to spend a week of their lives outside before … I have never seen such profound change and positive growth come out of a week of a young person’s life than the work I get to take part in at Amnicon.”

The groups visit sites including Voyageur’s National Park, the Sylvania Wilderness, and the Apostle Islands. “Being canoe guides in undoubtedly one of the most inspirational havens in our lives,” says Cease of the experience he and the others have had. “It is because of places like Amnicon that I am continually reminded of the importance of building an intentional and caring, supportive community, like that which was modeled at Augsburg.”

To read more about Camp Amnicon, visit .

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