Our synod is helping in the fight against this treatable and preventable disease! In conjunction with the Northeastern Minnesota Synod Women of the ELCA, Sunday, April 21, 2013 has been appointed as Malaria Awareness Sunday.
          Many of our congregations, youth groups, Sunday schools and WELCA groups have already been working in the fight against malaria ... those efforts have been creative and amazing! 

          What are you doing in your congregation to highlight the ELCA Malaria Campaign? Special worship litanies, prayers, and worship resources are available - just click here! Also available on the ELCA website are free bulletin insert, offering envelopes, reproducible stories, facts about malaria, and much more. If you are looking for ideas to use in your congregation's malaria efforts, feel free to email Brenda Wagner at [email protected] for fundraising activities, Sunday school and youth group participation ideas and much more.

            And be sure to take pictures of your activities as your congregation joins the global fight against malaria. Email your best pictures and ideas to Brenda Wagner for a compilation of our synod's efforts!

Aitkin residents, Pastor Bob and Darlene Munneke, participated in the Lutheran Immigration Leadership Summit in Washington DC on April 15-16. The Summit, organized by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), brought together national Lutheran officials, synod Bishops and staff members, and advocates from throughout the nation.

            "There has never been a more critical time for the Lutheran leaders to engage with their elected officials in Washington," said LIRS President and CEO, Linda Hartke. "We count on their faith perspective, leadership and lived experiences to help guide the immigrant reform debate towards a humane and welcoming conclusion."

            After joining with the other participants in information gathering and strategy planning sessions, the Munnekes visited the offices of Representative Rick Nolan and Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken to express support for comprehensive immigration reform. "We want to encourage reform that includes a safe and dignified way to enter the United States, protection from separation of families, a legal status for the undocumented who are already in the country, and a path to citizenship," reported the Munnekes.

            Pastor Bob and Darlene have been involved in immigration and refugee issues for a number of years, and presently serve as chair and secretary, respectively, of our synod Task Force on Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum Seekers Justice and is visitation pastor at First Lutheran in Aitkin. Anyone who would like more information about immigration reform is encouraged to call the Munnekes at 218.927.3615. 

The opportunity for all of us to earn a 2% discount on our 2012 ELCA health contributions ends April 30. Plan members and spouses with ELCA-primary health coverage, do your part by taking the confidential Mayo Clinic Health Assessment today!

       Remember, if we achieve 65% synod-wide health assessment participation by April 30, we'll all save 2% off the cost of our ELCA health contributions this year - a collective savings of $27,000. As of March 30, we are at 46.63%. This means we need 30 more participants to reach 65%. 

Click here to take the assessment today.

Learn more about the health assessment.