Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Bloomington has received the 2026 Servant of Christ Award, one of six such honors handed out this year by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota on behalf of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — one from each of the state's six ELCA synods, according to the Sun Current.
The nomination came from a Lutheran Social Service staffer who works with foster and kinship families, who pointed to the church's holiday giving as the reason for putting Transfiguration forward, per the Sun Current.
The church's outreach goes beyond the holidays. During the season, it distributes winter gear, toys and creative supplies to more than 150 children. It also hosts the Martin Luther Manor adult day program, which offers dementia support and respite care for families, and partners with Bloomington's local "buy nothing" community group to get free essential items to hundreds of families around the city.
The recognition puts a Bloomington congregation on a short statewide list this year — one of just six churches across Minnesota's ELCA synods to get the award.