OUR HISTORY
Members from both Messiah (Nampa) and Cross of Christ (Boise) have sponsored numerous Vietnamese families, beginning in December 1992. Weekly Bible classes were held from 1992-1995 using a Vietnamese interpreter, Mr. Robert Vinh Phan, who is one of the most highly respected men in the Boise Vietnamese community and very supportive of our work.
In September 1996, Vicar Daniel Kramer began a one-year exploratory of this Vietnamese field. This exploratory has uncovered useful ministry “tools” and “inroads” into the Vietnamese culture including many useful contacts in the Boise area, the U.S., and Vietnam. Other ministries reaching out to Vietnamese in other areas agree that we are asking important questions. Kramer returned to Sem in 1997. During that year, several calls were issued for a full-time missionary to this Vietnamese Exploratory, all were returned. May of 1998, Kramer was assigned to the Boise Vietnamese Exploratory.
On August 2, 1998, Daniel Kramer was ordained into the public ministry in a special service at Messiah in Nampa. Mr. Vinh translated the ordination rite for the 25+ Vietnamese people present at the service. “Peace In Jesus” Lutheran Church was dedicated on March 23, 1999. The current facility is a storefront rental at the SW corner of Curtis and Franklin in Boise (between a Vietnamese restaurant and Oriental Market owned by a Vietnamese man).
The current ministry includes: BIC courses (in both English and Vietnamese languages), Sunday morning Bible Class (bi-lingual) and worship services (in Vietnamese). Worship attendance has hit a high of 132 (Christmas 2006) but usually hovers around 30 (all but 3-4 of whom are adults). Most of the ministry is to families. Our ministry is reaching three distinct adult generations, the elder two almost exclusively in the Vietnamese language. Examples of our ministry among children and kids include VBS, Easter for Kids, Teen Class, and Catechism Class. Most of the contact with the kids is through the parents.
This ministry also includes: “concrete helps” (ways we strive to help people in their day-to-day lives) to establish and maintain trust with individuals and the community (e.g. help with INS papers, translation help with doctors, etc.), English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and Citizenship classes.
Finally, other important aspects of this ministry include social occasions(weddings, 1st-year birthdays, housewarmings), Vietnamese language and culture study, and frequent visitation to members and contacts.