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Southwestern Minnesota Synod
News & Events - November 8, 2013
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 Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota
Planned Giving Coordinator
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
We are excited to announce that Ron Bervig has been called to serve as our ELCA planned giving coordinator. Ron began his service on Nov. 1st.
In the past, Ron Bervig has served as the Executive Director at River Pointe of Moorhead - a senior care living facility. In that role he rehabilitated a financially frail facility into one with a significant waiting list today. Prior to that he served as Director of Planned Giving for the Northern Division of the Salvation Army covering the same territory that he now assumes for the Foundation. Ron's father was an ELCA pastor and Ron currently services as the Vice President of Grace Lutheran Church in Ada, MN. Ron also had lived and worked in the SW MN Synod earlier in his career.
Ron brings a wealth of experience working with donors to create estate plans and other gifting strategies. He is ready to help you, your congregation, your conference and our synod in this important work of planning generosity.
In the coming days we will be seeking to introduce you to Ron and help him get to know our synod. We will be in a partnership with the Eastern North Dakota Synod and Northwestern Minnesota. This partnership between the synods has the synods covering the expenses for our planned giving coordinator. Our churchwide expression's Mission Advancement Unit covers his salary. We are thankful to have partners. We are thankful to have Ron available to help people live out their calling to be generous and support ministries in this way.
Ron's contact information:
Ron Bervig
ron.bervig@elca.org
701-367-8389
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Yours Gifts at Work
Here is a Thank you we received from Luther Seminary for your assembly offering:
Dear people of God in the SW MN Synod,
Thank You!! Your extra mile gift to Luther Seminary is helping us prepare rooms in Bockman Hall to home our growing M.Div DL students who will be here for intensive classes in January.
God Bless,
Rick Foss, Interim PresidentLuther Seminary
During January and June students in the Doctor of Ministry; Children, Youth and Family Distributed Learning; and Master of Divinity Distributed Learning (M.Div DL) programs join residential students at Luther Seminary for their intensive classes.Your assembly offering to Luther Seminary allows them to reopen Bockman Hall temporarily to help these students have housing at a reasonable cost. While accommodations will be modest, the location provides those students convenient access to classrooms, the library and services in Olson Campus Center. |
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Youth & Family Workshop
Thursday, November 14, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
SW MN Synod Office, 175 E. Bridge St, Redwood Falls
Youth ministers have a unique opportunity to attend a workshop on the brain and ministry. On November 14, Mark Schoepp will be coming to the synod office in Redwood Falls to do a workshop for youth ministers and conference deans.
Mark Schoepp will be presenting two workshops, "Brain - Gain not Drain" is focused on three simple but powerful concepts for being good stewards of our bodies, and especially our brains.
And "The Brain and Planning in the Church" shares how current brain research informs our planning for education, community service, outreach and worship.
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Veteran's Day - Mission Minute Video
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
As Veteran's Day approaches, Chris Kiewel Communications Staff at Bethlehem Lutheran in St. Cloud is working with ELCA Chief Chaplain Wester, together they created a short mission minute video interpreting our church body's support of military chaplains and military families.
The video is less than two minutes in length and intended to be used for Mission Minutes in announcements or during offering.
Video Introduction:
"Mission Minute: Supporting Military Families
Through offerings to your congregation you are connected with the many people you see in the photos around the globe, in combat settings now, working at the Pentagon, and praying at bedsides with our wounded. The ELCA Federal Chaplaincy Office supports pastors in uniform in every branch of the military."
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Congregational Constitutional Hygiene
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
There are certain things that are not so exciting and fun, but are very important. For example, brushing your teeth is not so exciting, it takes time but it is very important. The 2013 Churchwide Assembly approved several mandatory provisions for the Model Constitution for Congregations. What does this mean? These provisions need to be added to your congregation's constitutions. This work would begin with a task force or your church council. The council would recommend the action for your upcoming congregational meeting or another legally called meeting. Amendments adopted by the churchwide assembly are easier to adopt than normal constitutional changes. You do not need presentation and action at two meetings. Here is the reference that tells you how to do this - look up C17.04 in your congregation's constitution or the ELCA Model Constitution for direction about the process. Click here to download the 2013 Amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations (DOC). Those marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be included in your constitution as they are written and with the identical numbering. The web page also allows you to check to make sure that previous updates to the constitution have been integrated. Keeping your constitution up to date is not exciting work. It takes time. It is also very important. If you have a version of a constitution that has not been brought up to date with the ELCA models, please touch base with Pr. Andrea DeGroot Nesdahl on our staff she is a member of the Policy and Procedure Committee of our synod council. David Leitzman chairs the committee.
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Become a YAGM (Young Adults in Global Mission) Youth Group
If your youth group would like to learn about the life and work of a Young Adult in Global Mission, the Hand in Hand Blog Digest has a great article on how to become a YAGM Youth Group. Click here for more information.
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MAP: Framing Our Unique Ministry - SAVE THE DATE
The Multiple Area Parishes (MAP) of SW MN Synod of the ELCA are gathering for a day of learning, sharing and growing.
Saturday, January 18, 2014St Matthew Lutheran Church, Wabasso, MN.
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NW & SW MN Clergy Spouse Retreat
The retreat was last week. 24 people attended, 7 from SW MN Synod. The picture is of the whole group. Pr Laurie Natwick (NW MN Synod staff) was the keynote speaker on the theme "Radical Hospitality". Pr Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl (SW MN Synod staff) was the retreat Chaplain. Participants also gave an offering designated for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Future plans are for another retreat Nov 7-9, 2014, at Luthercrest. Any clergy spouse from the two synods is invited to join the Facebook page: NW/SW Clergy Spouse Group to keep up on information and connect with other spouses in your synod.
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Hats of Love
Vivian Rickford, a member of First English Lutheran in Tyler. Vivian is homebound. She has trouble walking and cannot make it to worship. However, this doesn't stop Vivian from serving. Here she is pictured in front of the 190 hats she has knitted just this year. This batch is going to the Marie Sandvik Center in Minneapolis, but her hats have gone to may other places as well.
God calls us to serve in many ways and we give thanks for Vivian's mission. |
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175 East Bridge St. PO Box 499
507-637-3904
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