Lutheran congregations join forces for faith and football before Vikings-Packers game

Two rural Lutheran congregations, united by football faith, came together Sunday for a post-service tailgating event a few hours before the day's Vikings-Packers game.

Festivities kicked off in the sanctuary of Spring Lake Lutheran in North Branch, Minn., after the morning worship service. Parishioners started blowing up balloons amid music from the church band. Decorations included an arch of purple, green, yellow and white balloons at the front of the church.

Jana Engdahl has been a member of the Spring Lake church for 42 years and does not recall any previous tailgating events.

"Nothing like this. Nothing this wild," Engdahl said. "This is a fun way to have everyone have a good time together."

An outside observer might hesitate to call the low-key church gathering "wild." But football jerseys and balloons are not standard on Sunday mornings.

Attendees were invited to wear the jersey of their choice, but Vikings purple dominated the day.

Spring Lake Lutheran and Calvary Lutheran in nearby Rush Point are part of the same Evangelical Lutheran Church in America parish. Vicki VanderVegt serves as pastor for both churches, and the two congregations periodically come together for joint services. She estimated that each church has about 400 members.

On Sunday, the pastor wore a Vikings jersey with number 19. The team logo was painted on her left cheek.

The temperature outside was 30 degrees, so there was no outdoor tailgating. Congregants instead gathered in the fellowship hall downstairs over a potluck and a pot of coffee, not a keg of beer.

Wearing a referee's shirt, Steve Berggren stood out in the crowd.

"I wanted to throw my flag after the sermon and call Pastor VanderVegt for a delay of game," he joked.

Berggren serves as musical coordinator and plays guitar in the Spring Lake Praise Band. During its set, the band played "Dropkick Me Jesus," a mid-1970s country-and-western hit that Berggren said VanderVegt had requested.

"My husband is a Packers fan, but he had to work today," she said.

Many attendees said the tailgating event was meaningful because it brought the two congregations together. VanderVegt said about 65 people got together for the event.

"We're sister churches because we share a pastor," said Dallas Olson, clad in a Vikings jersey and wearing a necklace of purple beads. "We have events like this where the churches gather together for special occasions. ... I think it's wonderful."

The Vikings have enjoyed an improbably high number of narrow, last-minute victories this season. Is it possible that divine intervention has been a factor in their fortunes?

"I think there is a possibility," said Olson. "It's remarkable."