Treat yourself to a day focused on Global and Local Mission emphasis. Hear Sunitha Mortha, ELCA's Director for Mission Formation, and Bishop Jon Anderson speak about out church's mission outreach around the world and in our communities. Attend two workshop from a list of about 20 opportunities and grow your awareness of mission ministry. Enjoy global music too! 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!  

(if you are a voting member you do not need to register for this day, 

it is included in your assembly registration) 

Have you done any work on planning for your estate? If you have done some work is the plan up to date?

It is hard to know where to start. This video, A Family's Plan, shares one person's story about their process and planning. Take seven minutes. It will help you start thinking about your plan so that your family could lose you without losing one another. Jim Schade shares in the video how his father taught them how to act through his dying and what to do with what he left behind.

Jim Schade shared this video at our recent PIE Event at Bethel in Willmar.


As our youngest reached twenty one, Robyn and I have been digging into this subject and talking with our children and others about building a plan that fits this chapter of our life. I am sure it will change as we and our children grow older. Let me share some of the resources I have found that are helpful.

First, there are many different ways to structure your estate. Here is a simple book that is a great place to start thinking and working on this.

• Will and Trust Workbook (a helpful guide for planning you estate)

Second, here is a simple booklet that would gather all your important information for your family if you would die. It would be a gift to them to have it gathered in one place.

• Important Notes about My Estate (a helpful guide for my family and friends)

Third, estate plans take many forms. Here are some ideas of how some people have shaped their estate gifts.

• Impact Stories - Growing in faith. Growing in giving.

All of these and many more resources are found online at www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-Foundation.

Finally, thanks to Bethel in Willmar for hosting the PIE Event about sharing our stories and planning for our estate. Our goal is that no families will lose one another when they lose a loved one. Planning for your estate is a stewardship matter. Let us know if you or your congregation needs help.

Thanks to the nine congregations who completed their Annual Reports last week. Also Thanks to all of you have completed this earlier.

If you want to know if your church's forms have been completed click here. This chart will show you congregations who have completed their forms and who have not. The pdf is sorted alphabetically by church name. If there is not a date in the Congregation Confirmed On box, your congregation's report is not complete.

We are interested in what obstacles you are running into so that we can help people complete these at a higher percentage in the future. Share your questions.

• Click here for general Instructions of Form A & C

Click here to submit Form A/C report. If you do not know your congregation's id number or password please call our synod office at 507.637.3904.

These were due earlier in the year, but the data can still be entered until May 31 and utilized for our synod and your congregational statistical reports.

This report helps us see into the life of our congregations and mission field more deeply. Call committees and candidates for call find this data important and it is used in many other ways as well.

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
On Palm Sunday weekend we had a gathering of leaders from our area parishes in the synod.
Dr. Scott Frederickson led our conversation along with a large number of workshop leaders. We had Around 50 people from 6 of the MAP's and some guests.
We want to express a belated thank you to Pr. Julie Anderson and the folks at St. Matthew's in Wabasso and the Redwood Central parish who hosted us.
Our areas parishes shared strategies, struggles, successes and the story of what God is up to on their mission field. This is one of the mission redevelopment strategies happening in our synod. We are thankful that this group of people who are the descendants of pioneers now are pioneering a way to be and do church in a mission field that is changing along with rural Minnesota.

There are a couple of things that you need to know. The official website for the gathering goes live on May 15th at www.elca.org/gathering at that time you can do two important things: you can register adult volunteers who want to help at the gathering (these are not the leaders who will help your group, but rather additional volunteers. Requirements: they have to be 19 years old and out of school for at least a year) and you can also register for financial aid for students who need it. The financial aid is given based on availability and time of registration so I ask you to think if you have youth who need it now.

If you have any questions about what the youth gathering is, please e-mail me at pastortim77@gmail.com. Whether you are a long time ELCA Youth gathering church or this would be your first time, I am available to help you make this trip a safe and good one.

Blessings,
Pastor Tim Wheatley

First Lutheran Church in Pipestone, MN is seeking a part time Youth Director.
Requirements: Planning Faith based activities and chaperone trips.
Part time, could lead to full time in 2014. Salary based on experience. Please send resume to: First Lutheran Church, Attn: Cristy A, 401 7th Ave. SW, Pipestone, MN 56164. 

175 East Bridge St. PO Box 499

 507-637-3904