SYNOD NEWS AND EVENTS - June 23, 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. 

JUNE
Discovering Hope
June 27
Live Event - Concordia College
Virtual locations throughout the SW MN Synod:
-Bethlehem, Lakefield
-Faith, Madelia
-First English,Tyler
-Good Shepherd, Lake Wilson
-Kerkhoven, Kerkhoven
-St. Paul, Hector
-St. Paul's, Lowry
-St. Matthew, Wabasso
-Trinity, Boyd

JULY
ELCA Youth Gathering 
July 15-19 - Detroit, MI
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Lutheran Men in Mission
Golf Tournament
July 24 - Redwood Falls 

AUGUST 
Building a Stewardship House: Learning the Craft
August 20 - St. Cloud Area
August 27 - Gustavus Adolphus

SEPTEMBER 
God's Work. Our Hands.
September 13
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Church Staff Workers Retreat
September 15
Gloria Dei Lutheran, Redwood Falls 
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Fall Theological Conference
September 27-29
Arrowwood Resort, Okoboji, IA

Other Events & Resources

 

Blessing of the Bikes 

Shetek Lutheran Campus Ministries and Sillerud Lutheran are teaming up to offer a special "Blessing of the Bikes" event on June 28, 2015 at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Bible Camp. Short outdoor worship includes a song, a prayer, a short message and the blessing. Participants will receive a Sillerud Rally patch with a Saint John Hospitaller Cross.

Event is free and open to the riding public.

 

 

The Center for Worship & Music Studies Announces Fall Classes!

The Center for Worship and Music launches its Certificate in Worship and Music Leadership program in the fall of 2015.

With a great variety of courses, the Center will offer a certification program in five areas of study for those deeply engaged in congregational worship and music ministry; individuals can also take single classes of special interest. All classes will be taught face-to-face, but many will also have a distance-learning option for interested students.

 

Registration for the first set of courses will open July 1.
A detailed class list is already available by clicking here.

Job Opening: Children/Family Ministry Coordinator

American Lutheran Church, Worthington, is seeking to fill a new position as a Children/Family Ministry Coordinator. This part-time position is 15 hours per week to coordinate year round opportunities for children through grade five and their families. We are highly invested in our children and their families. Coordination with Pastoral staff and Council to carry out responsibilities is a requirement. Complete job description available upon request from Pastor Gary Andersen at:  pastorga@frontier.com. Deadline for applications is June 30, 2015. Resumes may be emailed to Pastor Gary Andersen or mailed to: American Lutheran Church 915 Winifred, Worthington, MN  56187

 

 

Interested in the latest
ELCA news headlines?

 

Click here to explore ELCA News. 

- "ELCA Youth Gathering brings thousands to Detroit"

- "ELCA leaders express grief over shooting in South Carolina"

- "ELCA issues statement on Pope Francis' encyclical on climate change"


 - "Lutheran, Episcopal leaders ask for modernization of Columbia River Treaty"


- "New grant process supports ELCA youth, young adult ministries"
 

Repair, Rebuild, Restore
 With the theme, "Repair, Rebuild, Restore", 180 SW MN Synod Women of the ELCA attended the 28th Annual Convention on the UMM campus.  The convention began with an opening worship service featuring Ren Fuglestad, a potter from Moorhead.  With a worship theme of  "He Didn't Throw the Clay Away" Ren crafted his pottery throughout the service and shared the message.  Featured speaker for the convention was Dennis Herschbach, an author from Sartell.  He is the author of several fiction books.  Dennis featured his book, "A River Through Two Harbors", which is about the real life tragedy of human trafficking.  An array of workshops were provided on Saturday featuring the Heartland Girls' Ranch, Laughter Yoga, Healing Oils of Ancient Scripture, Church Kitchen protocol, The American Indian School at Morris: A Complicated Legacy, Recharge Your Batteries, and Campus Ministry.  Attendees had the opportunity to see displays from various groups, Shetek Ministries, RUSC Kinship, Heartland Girls' Ranch,  Companion Synod, Shalom Hills Farm and Treasured Times Book Store.  SW MN Women of the ELCA collected and sent off to LWR 3,296 quilts, 1,157 personal care kits, 544 Layettes, and 50 fabric kits.  Officers elected by the convention voting members were: Vice President, Ruth Ann Anderson (Scenic Valley); Secretary, Diane Fredin (MN Valley); Board Members at Large, Coral Ackman (Crow River), Marcella Chapman (Shetek), 

Sonja Farmer (Lac Qui Parle), Bonnie Jaeger (Glacial Ridge), and Sara Larson (Prairie).
Mother Emanuel AME Church, Charleston - Our Calling
+Bishop Jon V. Anderson 

I am thankful for however you recognized and joined in the lament and mourning of our nation this past week about the murders at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

I want to challenge you to constructively engage personally and communally in the conversation about race and violence in our culture. We all share vocations from God to love our neighbors and build a better future together for all. 

Sunday, I had the privilege to listen to Pr. Mike Vinson preach as part of Trinity of Alberta's celebration of its 100th Anniversary.  I was thankful that Pr. Mike spoke directly to the text and saw the connections of the disciples fear in the boat and our fears today.  He also heard the law and Gospel in the words of Jesus "Peace! Be still!"  

I will write more later, but for today I want to share some resources I have found helpful as I think about these events and seek to understand my callings more clearly.


Helpful Links: 

This video: Civil Rights Ride 2013 explains more about Mother Emmanuel and the person sharing is Pr. Pinckney. I found it helpful. 

Click here for Presiding Bishop Eaton's letter on the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting. It shares the hard news that the shooter is a member of one of our congregations. 
 
Bishop Jim Mauney's message last week was powerful, click here to read. He names the fact that one of our own took the lives people who are also our own in Christ and in other ways. 

How am I called to love my neighbors....all my neighbors?  I invite you to join me in chewing on that question and then moving to action.  

Prayers for Kenneth Lutheran Church

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

This Sunday at 10: 30 a.m. Kenneth Lutheran Church of Kenneth will close.  We give thanks to God for their witness and remember the whole parish on this day including Zion Lutheran of Adrian and Hadley Lutheran of Hadley.  We also remember Pr. Kerry Boese on this day. 

Assembly Offerings

Many thanks to you and your congregation for these generous assembly offerings. Your gift will make a difference in these ministries. 

 

Assembly Offering: $29,581.13

This offering will help continue our financial support to our six Southwestern Minnesota Synod shared ministry partners.

  • ELCA Colleges - Regions 3 and 5
  • Luther Seminary
  • Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota
  • Lutheran Campus Ministry
  • Minnesota Council of Churches
  • Shalom Hill Farm

Annual World Hunger Offering: $14,355.18


If you need to mail a check to the synod office for either of these offerings, please send your donations by July 31, 2015, so that the gifts may be disbursed in a timely manner. Note in the memo line Assembly Offering or World Hunger. Your generosity for these ministries is truly appreciated.
Discovering Hope Virtual Event
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Today, June 23 is the last day to register for the discounted rate of $50!
Click here to register!
Click here to download event flyer.
Click here to watch promotional and
informational video.
Virtual Locations:
Event facilitator will help lead group conversation.
- Bethlehem, Lakefield
- Faith, Madelia
- First English,Tyler
- Good Shepherd, Lake Wilson
- Kerkhoven, Kerkhoven
- St. Paul, Hector
- St. Paul's, Lowry
- St. Matthew, Wabasso
- Trinity, Boyd
Lutheran Men in Mission
Golf Tournament 

Friday, July 24, 2015

Redwood Falls Golf Club, Redwood Falls MN 
Registration: 2:30 pm
Shotgun Start: 3:00 pm
PRICE: $65.00 per golfer

Includes GOLF CART, green fees, meal, prizes and
a donation to LMM.


Registration Deadline: Monday, July 20

 

Rural Ministry Scholarships
During 2014-15, the synod's Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) provided $8,500 for seminary tuition scholarships; $9,730 is available for 2015-16. Recipients will have an openness and commitment to future service in rural settings. The profit from the LMM golf tournament goes into the LMM Rural Ministry Fund to help grow leaders. Besides the proceeds from the golf tournament, LMM also has an ELCA Fund for Leaders Endowment Fund which generates investment income for the scholarships. Since its inception, this endowment has awarded scholarships of $77,825 for seminary tuition. 

Donations to the Rural Ministry Fund are appreciated even if you are not able to participate in the Golf Tournament.