Posts by Rev. Paul Calvin (Page 5)

Edward was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He graduated with a degree in chemistry from Queen’s University in 1962, and moved to Manchester University (England) to the dental school as a junior faculty member in Dental Biomaterials. He spent some 30 years there, acquiring two research doctorates, and had two spells as a visiting faculty member at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is married to Isobel, whom he met in Manchester. They have two daughters and two grandchildren…

We asked Andy about his background, his family, his favorite books, and what he loves about teaching. I was born in South Carolina but moved to Senegal when I was a year and a half old and lived there as a missionary kid through my junior year of high school. In addition to Senegal and Minnesota, I have lived in Iowa, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana and have spent a couple of months each in Egypt and Mali.…

David Stewart is originally from British Columbia and grew up ​in a little town​, White Rock,​ on the ​Pacific​, just north of the U.S. border. He’s been in the States for 17 years and retains his Canadian citizenship. He and his wife, Liz, have just marked 34 years of marriage. They have four children: Laura is married and lives in the U.K.; Julia, Greg, and Claire all live here in the metro area. David is the Director of Libraries at…

Hi, I’m David Gifford. It means so much to me to be able to preach; it’s the best side gig, ever. In my regular job, I get to be outside everyday (except when the ground’s frozen), designing, installing and maintaining landscapes. I love the outdoors, both for work and for play (year ’round), and I love tending all kinds of growing things, so a degree in horticulture was a natural fit for me. Over the years, though, the more my…

Vacation Bible School is fast-approaching for Church of the Redeemer. It’s a week full of activity, and we pray that it’s a week full of joy and love. In this week’s post, Anne Calvin shares her childhood memories of VBS. Vacation Bible School and I have a history together. It began many years ago in my small Southern Baptist church: 5-year-old Anne lining up and processing into the sanctuary for the opening worship time, doing a craft involving glue and…

Those of you who know Dan Leafblad have likely heard him speak fondly of his dad. He tells us that he has all sweet memories of him, and not because time has erased any bitter ones. He stresses that his dad wasn’t perfect — but a man of Godly character who was full of fun. For Father’s Day, we asked Dan to tell about his dad, Paul Everette Leafblad. Dan wrote not just about his dad, but also about the…

Elisabeth Elliot, a missionary pioneer, prolific author and radio speaker, died this morning at age 88. She had been ill with dementia and out of the public eye for years, but her books and radio teachings endure in many hearts. In today’s post, Andy Bramsen shares this tribute to Elliot and describes her influence on his own life. Andy is a professor of political science at Bethel University. He and his wife, Sara, and their two daughters have been part…

When I first moved to Minnesota, it was supposed to be for just one summer internship. Almost daily, my co-workers would remind me that summer was beautiful — and fleeting: “Get out there and enjoy it!” I had never been much of an outdoor person, but that summer, I fell in love with the park system and learned to appreciate the season that much more. I’ve since taken up cycling (wobbily), ice skating (clumsily), and gardening and round-the-lake walking (wholeheartedly).…