St. Paul's Rejoicing Spirits Presentation on Tanzania

Rejoicing Spirits (RS) is an inclusive ministry that enriches the spiritual lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their families, friends, and local communities. RS offers meaningful, adapted Christian worship services followed by a time of fellowship.

There are many opportunities for worshipers of all faiths to participate, serve, lead, and learn. Every gift is welcomed and celebrated. Worship features joyful singing, Bible readings by worshipers, individual prayers, interactive participation, and a brief, meaningful message—all in a welcoming, “no-shushing” environment.

The Rejoicing Spirits Ministry was founded at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Exton in 2003. Over the next 10 years, the St. Paul’s founding team helped 33 churches across the United States start their own Rejoicing Spirits ministries. The team eventually reached out for help from Mosaic, a Nebraska-headquartered Lutheran provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mosaic now leads the Rejoicing Spirits ministry, providing support to both new and established RS host churches.

Mosaic International is an arm of Mosaic. It currently partners with Building a Caring Community (BCC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) to provide services to more than 300 children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Moshi and Hai regions of Tanzania.

In July, Mosaic International invited St. Paul's members Tammy Swink and Susan Crawford Romano to Tanzania as part of its semiannual “Discovery Trip.” The purpose of the trip was to learn about and experience the life-changing work being done by BCC in partnership with Mosaic International. This trip was especially exciting because the first international Rejoicing Spirits ministry was being launched during the visit!

Tammy and Susan gratefully accepted the invitation and were deeply moved by the work of BCC. They were honored to be part of the inaugural Rejoicing Spirits worship service at the Moshi Cathedral. The service was conducted in both Swahili and English and was an amazing experience. We could truly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit!

There is so much more to share about what they experienced during their 12 days in Tanzania. Please join them for a presentation and pizza dinner at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Sunday, September 13. The presentation will begin at 5:00pm, immediately following the monthly Rejoicing Spirits worship service at 4:00pm. To sign up, please go to this link: Sign Up Here and register so we can plan for your attendance and make sure we have plenty of pizza!

In addition to sharing the story of the Rejoicing Spirits launch in Tanzania, two members of the Mosaic International team will share more about their partnership with Building a Caring Community.