Synod News & Events 
October 29, 2014
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Synod Events 
Below is a list of all the upcoming synod events.

OCTOBER 
Bishop's Gatherings
October 20, 2014
Peace, Cold Spring
and 
October 21, 2014
Our Savior's, Montevideo

Training Worship Leaders
October 23, 2014
Gloria Dei Lutheran, Redwood Falls 

Elderberry Retreat
October 23-24, 2014
Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, Spicer

NOVEMBER 
PIE - A Recipe for Generosity
November 1, 2014
Atonement, St Cloud

NW & SW MN Synod Clergy Spouse Retreat
November 7-9, 2014
Luther Crest Bible Camp, Alexandria

Boundaries Workshop
November 13, 2014
Faith, Spicer

We Are Church Together
Region 3 ELCA Networks for Mission Event 
November 13-15, 2014
St Cloud

Jr High Youth Gathering
November 21-23, 2014
Willmar

SAVE THE DATE 
All Conference Assemblies
February 8, 2015
Semper Reformada - Always Reforming
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
On this Reformation Weekend Martin Luther showed up at First in St. James to encourage people to remember we are a Good News (Evangelical) Church focused on always reforming to serve the Gospel of Jesus in our many contexts.
How does the Lutheran movement and our reformation heritage move us forward in mission with a clarity sharing the good news we know in Christ Jesus and most deeply in the cross? Let's keep working on that question.
Next year's Fall Theological Conference will focus on this theme, "Formed by Our Heritage: Idolatry, Nostalgia or Apostolic Fuel" on Sept. 27-29 at the Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center, Okoboji, Iowa.
Inviting Congregational Leaders to Look Forward and Develop Leaders
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
This month's article in The Lutheran Magazine the "Get set for clergy retirement wave: Age, perspectives will change the face of the ELCA" has provoked quite a response. One of the better responses is by Emmy Kegler and Eric Worringer written in Emmy Kegler's Blog - "The Under-35 Theses."
Our former bishop President Stan Olson of Wartburg seminary shared with me on Facebook something he did with his leaders. They shared both articles online and then had a conversation about leadership online as the board of Wartburg Seminary. I wonder if a similar conversation in local congregations would be helpful.

Don't only focus on the issue of leadership transitions among the clergy, even though that is the focus of the articles. Focus on the many gifts waiting to be shared by both generations in this season of life of God's Church. With gratitude, note the gifts of all generations. Finding ways to have deep conversation, imagine ways to engage and act to open your congregation to the gifts and ideas of the young adults in the life of your congregation will bear fruit. At the same time invite the community to see the gifts and challenges of each generation. Facing our local demographic realities is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Congregations would do well to treasure the gifts and insights and capacity of all generations. In the coming decade there will be challenges and great opportunities to engage the mission field that is and will be.

 

Click here for subscription information for The Lutheran, the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter
Give to the Max Day 2014 - Our Strategy
What is Your Congregation's Strategy?
+ Pr. Linda Pedersen
Give MN has become a popular way to give to your favorite charity or organization. We would welcome your gifts to your Southwestern Minnesota Synod. But we want you to know, because of the fees charged for these credit card gifts, the way for us to receive the greatest percentage of your gift is with a check or direct withdrawal earmarked for your synod. Click here for the Synod's online giving webpage. We believe the future of our synod's financial strength will depend on multiple streams of support, but continue to be based primarily on congregational mission support.
We will be offering you a chance to give through our annual Advent Appeal with a matching gift from two donor sources. Watch for more details soon.
But if you would like to give through Give MN on November 13 click here, we would be happy to receive your gift and the hope of receiving additional prize rewards for gifts given on that day.
Either way your personal gift will be used to move forward the work of your synod in our mission field.
Congregations Equipping to Prevent Sexual Abuse
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
We are thankful to see an increasing number of congregations providing their children and youth ministry staff and volunteers with background checks and annual training to prevent, recognize and respond to abuse in their community of faith.
Sarah Hausken, who is our synod staff's champion for preventing abuse, points out that we are motivated more by our love and care for our children than we are by our fears.
The graphic below is from the pastors who have answered this question on their Annual Report to the Bishop, we know that number is growing. 

 

Our goal is to not have anyone hurt in our congregations by sexual abuse. We want to encourage you to think about how you might enhance your prevention training and protocols. 


Resources for your congregation:

We will share more stories about congregations work and our four steps in coming weeks.

Spruce up our Spiritual House
+Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's November Column
In her November column for The Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton urges us to "spruce up our spiritual house." We've become religious, not spiritual. But we can be both-our rich tradition as Lutherans says so. 
Click here to read the column. 
Composing Music for the Congregation
November 8, 2014
Join Susan Palo Cherwien, Ken Medema (via live video conference), Larry Olson, and Jay Beech for this day-long workshop at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. These four distinctly different composers will explore various aspects of creating music for congregational singing. At the end of the day, some participants will have an opportunity to share their own pre-selected compositions with the group. Click here to Download the brochure for more information. Registration is now open! Sponsored by South Dakota Synod-ELCA, Augustana College Campus Ministry, and The Center for Worship & Music Studies.

 

Also don't forget to purchase your ticket for the Nov. 2 Fundraiser Concert for the newly-formed Center for Worship & Music Studies!

Featuring Agape, Rachel Kurtz, Jonathan Rundman, John Kerns from the Spirit Garage, and the director of The Center, Jay Beech.

This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this very eclectic "super-group." The concert will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2nd, 2014, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Brooklyn Park. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and can be purchased online by clicking here.

Registration for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering is now open! 
The ELCA Youth Gathering for high school-age youth takes place every three years and is about faith formation, worship, study, fellowship, service and play.
It is an opportunity for youth to engage with peers from across the United States and the world who share a common commitment and faith in Christ. The Gathering will be held July 15-19, 2015, in Detroit, Mich. Click here to learn more about the Rise Up Together theme. 


The link above will bring you to the ELCA gathering registration webpage. There you will find all the registration details including resources to help you plan your trip. 
Pr. Timothy Wheatley is your National Youth Gathering Coordinator for the SW MN Synod. He is available to help with any questions. Please click here to download a letter in regards to the SW MN Synod participants.
This letter will explain Ferry information and the Google Plus spreadsheet to help facilitate useful conversation about sharing our travel plans.

Pastor Timothy Wheatley 
PO Box 448, Cokato, MN
612-756-4633
We Are Church Together
Region 3 ELCA Networks for Mission Event
Are you looking for new ways to connect or reconnect with the
ELCA and deepen your networks and ministry? Do you want to
learn more about the ministries of the ELCA, and how you and
your congregation can get involved? Are you interested in
meeting others from your region and synod who are passionate
about bearing witness to Jesus Christ in word and deed, ending
hunger, responding to disasters, global engagement,
communicating and sharing the story of the ELCA?

If these questions speak to you, register now for the upcoming
Region 3 ELCA Networks for Mission Event. 

The event is Thursday, November 13th - Saturday, November 15th.
Programming for the event will be held in two locations:
- Thursday & Friday: Holiday Inn & Suites, St. Cloud
- Saturday: Bethlehem Lutheran, St. Cloud

Registration will close on Monday, October 20th.
Registrations will be accepted until Friday, November 7th, but there will be
no guarantee of hotel availability after October 20th.

Special guest speaker will be ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.

Workshop Titles
- Cultural Competency
- Fundraising & Stewardship Tools
- Promotion & Marketing Tools
- How to Talk to a Pastor/Congregation to Gain Support for Your Ministry
- Social Networking Tools
- Recruiting: Getting People to Your Table
- Storytelling & Accompaniment
- Unlocking People's Passions through Community Organizing