Synod News and Events - February 10, 2015
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Synod Events
Below is a list of all the upcoming synod events. Visit the synod events webpage for more information.


FEBRUARY 

No Man Left Behind Essential Leadership Training
February 6-7 -Our Savior's, New Ulm
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All Conference Assemblies 
February 8 

Crow River & Lakeland Conference Immanuel Lutheran, Atwater

Glacial Ridge Conference
Trinity Lutheran, Alberta 

Great River Conference
Atonement Lutheran, St Cloud

Lac Qui Parle Conference
Granite Falls Lutheran, Granite Falls

Minnesota Valley Conference
Christ Lutheran, Glencoe

Prairie Conference
First Lutheran, Marshall

Scenic Valley Conference
Cross of Calvary Lutheran, Olivia

Shetek Conference
Zion Lutheran, Adrian 

Watonwan River Conference
First Lutheran, St James
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Equipping Congregations Day
February 28 - Willmar 

MARCH
Sr. High Youth Gathering 
March 6-7 - Mankato
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LMM Retreat 
March 14 -  New London

APRIL
PSST Retreat
April 16-17 - Spicer
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Proclaim Detroitapalooza
April 18 - Danube
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First Call Retreat
April 27-29 - Location TBA

JUNE
SW MN Synod Assembly
June 12-14 - St. Peter 
Congregation Events
Other Events 

Advocate with LSS and

Lutheran Advocacy - MN

On Thursday, February 19, 

Lutheran Social Service of MN and Lutheran Advocacy - Minnesota are hosting an advocacy gathering for pastors and church leaders. At 10:30 a.m., we'll meet at Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill for a policy briefing and brunch. Then we'll walk over to the Capitol for a 12 noon press conference focusing on shared priorities, such as the Homeless Youth Act and Homes for All. We'd love to have you stand with us on this day. Please e-mail cate.anderson@lssmn.org

 if you are able to attend. Thank you for your ongoing partnership!

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Luther Seminary 
Lay School Classes
Register now for 2014-2015 classes. The Lay School curriculum includes a wide variety of courses on biblical topics from both the Old and New Testaments, ecology, the Middle East and more. This year we are also introducing a series on Lutheran Theology and the Lutheran church designed to prepare you for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Classes in this series will be noted with a 500 following the title.

Lay School Courses
Winter:  Jan 26 - Feb 23, 2015
(noon)
Spring: Mar 30 - April 27, 2015

Conference Assemblies Postponed

All conferences Assemblies scheduled for February 8 were postponed due to icy weather conditions in Prairie Conference. 
All Conferences will meet Sunday, February 22, 2015 - same time, same church. 

 

All voting members must be registered & signed in 30 minutes prior to the election in order to vote. 

Please visit the 2015 Bishop Election webpage for information regarding the process of nomination by conference assemblies.

 

Bishop recommendations that were received by December 15, 2014. To read Bishop Nomination Bio Information please click on their names below. 

Synod Mission Starts: Being Church Together! 

By Pr. Larry Strenge, Director for Evangelical Mission, SW MN Synod, ELCA

This past weekend (Feb 8-9, 2015) Celebration Lutheran Church (CLC) in Sartell-a mission start in 1984--invited our SW MN synod's two newest "mission starts" to be present for worship by inviting Pastors Laura Aase (Saturday) and Kimberly Buffie (Sunday), the mission developers at River of Hope/Hutchinson and House of Grace/Montrose, to be their guest preachers.  As your Director for Evangelical mission I attended the services. I'm so glad I did!

What I witnessed was a powerful connection of Christ's Body. It was marvelous!  Pastor Elizabeth Strenge had invited each of the "mission developers" to tell a brief part of her story before preaching on the text for the day. Both did it very well, weaving the way the Spirit had called them to ministry! As those stories were told I watched as people connected life in the Spirit in new ways!  As they did they connected what God had done at Celebration some 30 years ago and was continuing to do today. When Roger Farley, a "charter member" of CLC back in 1984, made his presentation of a "support check" from the congregation, it included briefly telling how a small member congregation had supported CLC in its early days and given them a boost.  When he handed the check from CLC's  "mission fund" it was evident that the past and present were coming together. The Spirit was at work. I watched as applause erupted.  But it didn't stop there. Click here to read more.

Check List Update

The last few weeks we have sent emails with detailed information on these tasks below. Click here if you missed it. We will continually update and remind you about these important tasks. Any questions on forms, links or passwords please call the synod office at 507-637-3904. We are happy to help!! 

 

Mission Support Intents

Below is a graph of how many congregations have submitted their mission support intents. If your congregation still needs to share your intent amount click here. 

Forms A & C (Parochial Reports)

Below is a graph of how many congregations have completed Forms A & C. If your congregation still needs to fill out these forms please click here. 

 

Rostered Leader Reports

Health Assessment (HA)

Click here!

AFTER you take the HA click here to enter into a $100 drawing. 
Proclaim Detroitapalooza
April 18, 2015, 9:45 am - 1:30 pm

Danube School, Danube

Proclaim Detroitapalooza is for all youth and adults going to the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit.

At this event, youth and adults going to the ELCA Youth Gathering will experience an interactive activity on Detroit's history of struggle and triumph. Youth and adults will get to know each other in preparation for the gathering. We'll train adult leaders for the ELCA youth gathering, giving them the info they need to navigate the gathering well. Plus, we'll kick off the 2015 SW MN Synod 30 Hour Famine focusing on urban hunger. 

Cost: $3 donation for food.

Click here to register!

Position Opening:

Praise and Worship Director 

(8-10 hours per week)

First Lutheran Church in Litchfield, MN 
is seeking a Praise and Worship Director. Please click here for a full job description.