Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church

1948 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126

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Holy Redeemer Lutheran has a sister parish in Rwanda.

     The Rwandan Lutheran Church (RLC) is a sister synod of the Sierra Pacific Synod with close bonds being established and maintained between both leadership and congregations.

Background Information on Rwanda

     Holy Redeemer's sister parish is the Nyagatare Parish, in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The Nyagatare Parish covers the entire Nyagatare District, which is the district at the top right of the district map below.

     Pastor David Ntidendeza is the pastor of the Nyagatare parish.

Click here to see pictures of Pastor David, his congregation and their church in our Picture Gallery.

Click here to read an email from Pastor David, written in 2009, to Holy Redeemer and our co-sponsoring congregation, American Lutheran in Woodland, CA.

Click here to read a letter from Pastor David, written in 2008.

     The Sierra Pacific Synod (Northern California and Northern Nevada) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has established a companion relationship with the Lutheran Church of Rwanda (LCR). SPS congregations are invited to form relationships with specific parishes in Rwanda, sharing their ministries with them through photos, letters, e-mails, video conferencing, as well as lifting up their partners in prayer. SPS congregations send funds quarterly to their partner parish in Rwanda to assist with costs related to ministries of the particular parish. There are currently 14 congregations in Northern Nevada, Northern California and one in Phoenix, Arizona with a sister parish relationship. The two way communication and sharing are a blessing to both Rwandan and ELCA churches as they walk together sharing the good news of Christ in our world.

     Several of the LCR congregations are working on unique community development ministries (such as, a dispensary, school, day care center, hair salon, worship center, etc.) under the leadership of LCR Pastor John Rutsindintwarane. In addition, several ELCA members and congregations are sponsoring individual Rwandans who are furthering their education or orphaned.

     Go to Rwanda Projects.org for more information about projects in our sister parish and in the Lutheran Church of Rwanda (LCR).

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Rwanda Sister Parish Task Force

     While attending the 2006 Synod Assembly, the Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church Assembly Members decided that this would be a fantastic project for us to embark upon. Our congregation memebers agreed and American Lutheran Church in Woodland decided to co-sponsor the Nyagatare Parish with us. Co-sponsorship of a sister parish entails:

• praying for the needs of our sister parish, both individually and corporately;
• sharing stories of ministry and photos;
• sending $720 per year to support the family of the pastor of the sister parish (from HRLC, matched by $720 from American Lutheran Church in Woodland).

     The Rwanda Sister Parish Task Force facilitator is Lisa Paulsen.