Karibuni sana – You are warmly welcome to Bega Kwa Bega’s annual Fall Festival, 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, September 19, at Augustana Lutheran in West St Paul.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. with refreshments and an opportunity to meet leaders of our affiliate organizations. Our BKB Scholarship & Education team will also have student letters to distribute and will display photos of current progress on our science lab construction projects at Ipalamwa and Bomalang’ombe secondary schools.
Tanzanian handcrafts are also on display, and you can take items home with a donation to the BKB Parish Equity Fund, which provides matching grants to unpartnered parishes. Those parishes may need a pikipiki or may be roofing a chapel, and your contributions go a long way to sending the message that the whole Iringa Diocese is included in this Bega Kwa Bega companionship.
The keynote session features a conversation between Iringa Diocese Bishop Blastone Gavile and Saint Paul Area Synod Bishop Justin Grimm.
Breakout sessions lean into the theme of the day, Rise Up and Build. We hope to inspire you to rise up and build relationships, intercultural competence, an understanding of a neighboring companion synod relationship, and best practices for sharing God’s abundant gifts through projects with our congregational and affiliate partners.
- Kathy Chatelaine, assistant to the bishop for global ministry in the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, will share experiences from their companion relationship with the Central Diocese of Tanzania.
- Pastor Amy Mihelich Smith of Prince of Peace, Roseville, will equip travelers to deepen relationships across cultures with practical ways to listen well, ask thoughtful questions, navigate differences, and build meaningful connections.
- Ginny Rudolph and Marie Liberda from the BKB Scholarship and Education Team, along with Frank Mkocha by video, will introduce you to a new initiative that provides opportunities to all through education.
- General Secretary Shadrack Nyaulingo, Pastor Lusungu Msigwa, and Kirsten Levorson will share best practices for congregations and affiliate organizations when sharing God’s abundant gifts through mutual projects.
The morning concludes with festive worship led by our hosts at Augustana Lutheran. Bishop Justin Grimm will preach and Bishop Blastone Gavile will bring greetings from Iringa. We’ll continue our tradition of praying for companion parishes and congregations by name, while lighting candles.
There is just one piece of news that deflates our joy for this day. Unfortunately, Bishop Gavile and General Secretary Shadrack Nyaulingo were unable to obtain visas for their travel and will not be with us in person. They will still be with us in spirit and their voices will be heard through several video greetings.
We trust they will be with us on another day in the future, God willing.
Even so, it will be a morning you won’t want to miss – please register now!
Tupo Pamoja!
Kirsten Levorson
Director of Bega Kwa Bega
P.S. There’s no charge to attend, but please let us know if you’re coming! (The registration process will ask you which affiliate update and breakout session you wish to attend.)
