SYNOD NEWS AND EVENTS - July 22, 2015


 

Stay Connected. 
Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  Visit our blog
Synod Events
Below is a list of all the upcoming synod events. Visit the synod events webpage for more information. 

Click here for a list of WELCA Fall Conference Gatherings.

JULY
Lutheran Men in Mission
Golf Tournament
July 24 - Redwood Falls 

AUGUST 
Building a Stewardship House: Tools for a Strong Foundation of Generosity
August 20 - St. Cloud Area
August 27 - Gustavus Adolphus
August 27 - Live Stream 

SEPTEMBER 
SW MN Synod WELCA
Leadership Event
September 12
Vinje Lutheran, Willmar
------------------
SW MN Synod LMM Fall Retreat
September 12
Shalom Hill Farm, Rural Windom
------------------
God's Work. Our Hands.
September 13
------------------
Church Staff Workers Retreat
September 15
Gloria Dei Lutheran, Redwood Falls 
------------------
Fall Theological Conference
September 27-29
Arrowwood Resort, Okoboji, IA

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER 
Awareness of Boundaries Workshop
November 5
Faith Lutheran, Spicer
------------------
Jr. High Youth Gathering
November 20-21
November 21-22
Willmar Conference Center, Willmar

Other Events & Resources


Presiding bishop's July column- 

We don't like to talk about it. 

In her July 2015 column for The Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton talks about money-an unglamorous but vital part of the church. She says we are conflicted about money, but our relationship with it is really "a profoundly spiritual issue." click here to read her column.

 -----------------------------

 

 Aging Faithfully Conference

Augustana College Elmen Center

Sioux Falls, SD
July 30, 2015
8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Spirituality and well-being in the second half of life
Featured speaker: Kathleen Norris
Our lives and faith look different in the second chapter of life. There are new opportunities, and many experiences behind us, too.

You may find yourself asking:
What is God's purpose for me in this stage of life?
What does faithfulness look like now?
How do I trust Him and have courage as seasons change?
How can my faith remain vibrant and strong?
How can I help others who find themselves in this stage of life?

 Join us as we bring together some of the best voices across religious traditions to discuss how spirituality and well-being are different in the second half of life and how that can be celebrated in daily living. Whether you are an older adult, you work or care for an older adult, or you are simply interested in the topic, we invite you to take part in this day of reflection and discussion featuring author Kathleen Norris. We invite guests of all faiths.


 Click here for more information and registration.


-----------------------------

 

Bishop Jon is attending the ELCA Worship Jubilee gathering. Here is an article about the gathering:  

Gathering under the theme "Called to be a Living Voice," members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will meet in Atlanta July 19-23 for the ELCA Worship Jubilee and the biennial conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.
     "One of the gifts of this event is it offers an opportunity for people to truly share their voice, to share who they are as a Lutheran Christian in their own specific way. But to do it by collaborating with brothers and sisters you have never even met," said the Rev. Kevin L. Strickland, ELCA director for worship.
     According to Scott Weidler, ELCA program director for worship, the event theme includes three components that will help shape the week's events: vocation, reformation and mission. He said the first focuses on "Martin Luther's understanding of vocation, especially because it's the part of the week that's specifically designed for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, which is about the vocation of the church musician."
     Weidler said the focus on reformation is two-fold, helping members prepare for the observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, as well as providing avenues to consider the ongoing reformation and explore how God is calling the church today.
     "One of the underlying goals is to help congregations start thinking now about appropriate ways to observe that anniversary in their congregations and in their synods and areas," Click here to read more.
Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook
Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM)
+By Pastor Linda Pedersen
Congregations in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod are generous in their support for Global Missions, every year sharing about a quarter of a million dollars ($250,000) in ELCA missionary support.

We are also sharing our young adults with the world. Seventy young adults (age 19-21) are preparing for a full year of service in 10 different countries. Four of these youth will come from congregations in our Southwestern Minnesota Synod.

Gracia Johnson from Salem, St. Cloud is going to Mexico. Kirsten Larsen from First, St. Peter will work in Hungary. Chad Nelsen from Christ, Cottonwood is going to Rwanda and Laura Wood from Litchfield will serve in the United Kingdom.

Because of your generous support our synod has sent $550 for each of these young adults toward the $11,000 that is raised throughout the ELCA to sponsor this year of Global Service.

This global mission program allows young adults to learn, live and grow among new (and often marginalized) communities. The program operates under a model of accompaniment, which means for us in the ELCA, "walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality."
Each young adult has a "placement site" and usually work 35-40 hours a week. They do a wide and fascinating variety of jobs in their year overseas. They might work in a church, school, a local community organization, a recreational center, daycare, an environmental organization and countless other types of settings. The year is challenging, enriching and unpredictable. This ministry is a total venture of faith and experiencing God in self and others.

Your prayers are important for these young adults and the others who host and support them. If you would like to follow their year by seeing their blog or receiving their email newsletters here are their email addresses:

Gracia Johnson - joh09155@umn.edu
Kirsten Larsen - Kirstenlarsen 285@gmail.com 
Laura Wood - lwood1@cord.edu
SW MN Endowment Grant Funds
Synod Detroit Youth Gathering Proclaim Story DayA grant from our Southwestern Minnesota Synod Endowment fund enhanced the Proclaim Story Day for 900 youth and adults from SW MN Synod who were at the Detroit Youth Gathering last week. Thanks to our Synod General Endowment Fund our synod young musicians were equipped to celebrate with their gifts of music and proclaim God's story and our story, along with Bishop Jon Anderson.
Grants of over $30,000 are given annually to a variety of ministries, including this one for the Detroit Youth Gathering. Other grants include helping the Equipping Congregations Day, Seminary scholarship, Seminary debt reduction, Pension Equity and more. You can make a gift or leave a legacy gift to our Synod Endowment funds. Give online by clicking here or contact our gift planner Amy Bigot at amy.bigot@elca.org or 763-443-3750.

2015 Church Staff Workers'
Association Retreat
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
301 N. Lincoln St. Redwood Falls
$25 per person if registered by September 1. 
$30 after September 1.

This event is for all church staff workers!

Click here for more information.

Register now!
ELCA Youth Gathering
Click below to read a couple of articles that recap the week. Click here to view Bishop Jon's Facebook page for photos and posts while he attended the gathering. 
2015 Youth Gathering Media 

SW MN Synod Communications

The weekly online newsletter is the synod's only regular communication tool. We no longer send regular mail to the rostered leaders and members of your synod through the USPS, so we depend on this weekly "online newsletter" to communicate with you - and you with your congregations.

Click here to subscribe - Add your congregation council!

 

Though roster leaders are automatically subscribed to the online newsletter, we hope you will not unsubscribe, as this will cut you off from our line of communication with you. It is how you will find out about all events, registrations, scholarships, and important messages from Bishop Jon Anderson.

 

August through September our online newsletter will be short and sweet! Kristin Bakeberg, our communications staff person, will be on parental leave. Please check out our blog at swmnelca.wordpress.com for more synod news and resources.

 

Events coming up in August and September are the Building a Stewardship House, Church Staff Workers Retreat and Fall Theological Conference so please visit the events webpage for registration and event details.