SYNOD NEWS AND EVENTS - MARCH 11, 2016

Stay Connected.

Campus Ministry

You have a partner in ministry called Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM). Through your Southwestern Minnesota Synod your congregation provides financial support for Lutheran ministries on public college campuses throughout Minnesota, but particularly at St. Cloud State University, the University of Minnesota-Morris, and Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall. Thank you for being
"Church Together."

We know that congregations like to lift up designated ministries for special offerings especially during Easter or through noisy offerings. We invite you to include LCM in your prayers and with a special financial gift. LCM provides spiritual inspiration and even physical care with programs like "Dollar Suppers" for young adults who may be away from home for the first time in their lives.

Riley is one of these students who attend your LCM in Marshall. She is a big-time leader and head cook for a program called "Dinner and Discussion." She has been on two of our mission trips and has recently applied to be a Young Adult in Global Mission, which is another fantastic ministry of the ELCA for young adults.

And from LCM in St. Cloud, we can celebrate students sharing Bible study together. They can find their Lutheran campus pastor carrying her bright green backpack, leading students to spiritual care and faith formation conversations.

Your LCM in Morris is helping students in outreach to the community, demonstrated through a food-packing event. Working with other Christian student groups on campus, the hope is that students will carry them into the communities where they live and work, serving their neighbors. You can learn more this 90-second video about your LCM.

Lutheran Campus Ministry

"We Are Church Together"

We want to continue to provide the $121,197 our synod has budgeted for LCM from your regular mission support in 2016. But we would like to increase our financial support and grow this valuable ministry with your additional gifts. Your generosity will make a difference for young adults and LCM. Send your gifts to Southwestern
Minnesota Synod designated for LCM Appeal or directly to the LCM sites listed on the back of this letter.

Thanks for your support every day and in this special appeal,

as we practice being Church Together.

Intruder Preparation and Policy

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

I asked Tim to share about an experience that became regional news and ended well. But it also got their attention and ours.

I am Pastor Timothy Wittwer. On February 7th, my congregation, Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran in Foley, Minnesota had a scare. Before the service began a troubled man who was off of his meds came into our worship service and proceeded to accuse us all of doing something to him. His language was offensive and his tone of voice was scary. Because the service had not started yet people were visiting and didn't perceive the man as an intruder immediately. As he came down the center aisle toward me however the "we need to do something button" clicked in a number of people's heads. A couple of teacher's families told their children to run immediately toward the exit and continue outside. As they were running out four or five parishioners closed in on the man and gently prevented him from coming into the sanctuary any further. Simultaneously another teacher snuck up from behind the intruder and snatched the bag he was holding in his hand. Many people were following the children's lead at this point and going outside also. Slowly the group escorted the man outside to an eventual Sheriff's squad car. He was put in the vehicle and then the Sheriff's squad car drove off. This was a wake-up call for our congregation and our council is currently looking into establishing an Intruder policy.

There are many places that you can learn more like talking to your school leaders and other places where they have probably thought about this. Law enforcement could be helpful to just think through your preparation for such a frightening moment.

Here is a document on security from our church body that addresses several forms of security concerns.

ELCA's Security Procedures

Another resource would be your insurance company. Most have resources to prepare and prevent difficulty. Here is one example.

Safety Resources

There is an upcoming webinar on this subject coming.

Church Safety and Security: Establishing a Security Mindset

StewardCast: A broadcast worth watching!

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

On Saturday, February 27th, our ELCA Churchwide used a model of presentation for a Stewardship event that is worth checking out. They called it stewardCast. It uses the idea of a "live-stream" and "webinar" to offer shorter presentations-about 15-18 minutes or what I've come to call "TED talk style"-to present some great resources, images and ideas. In this case the topic of Stewardship.

Click here to watch the stewardCast.

Helpful Tips!

Below are times and brief description of the speaker and his/her topic:

Keith Mundy, Director of ELCA Stewardship, offers an opening devotion on "What it means to be a faithful Steward." (0-3:00)
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, tells stories and addressed the question, "Why do I give?" Section includes Biblical stories of giving and her excellent sense of humor! (3:00-19:00)
Bob Davis, Holy Cross Lutheran, Libertyville, IL. I serve with Bob on the ELCA Churchwide Stewardship Table. He has good information about a project called "The Macedonia Project." Macedonia created SEVERAL resources in our ELCA. Bob highlights a couple. (19:00-36:00)
Steve Oeschlager, Stewardship Program Coordinator, ELCA Churchwide. Steve is a brilliant guy! He shares the ways electronic giving can be accessed and utilized in a congregation (36:00-49:00)
Chick Lane and Grace Pomroy. Chick and Grace are authors of "Embracing Stewardship," a new book on practical things a congregation can do to grow its stewardship ministry. Together they offer several insights from the book and ways to connect with people of different ages. (49:00-1:07)
Stephen Bouman, Stephen is an excellent Bible teacher and storyteller. Here he talks about where "Faith and Finances collide" using a Biblical story to offer insights (1:07-1:20)
Questions follow from 1:20-1:30

TIM TEAM

+ Loren Teig, Executive Director
Green Lake Lutheran Ministries

TIM is short for Timothy. In Paul's letter to Timothy he tells him "Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
- I Timothy 4:12

It also stands for Teens in Mission or Teens in Ministry. The basic goal of TIM Team is to get four or more high school youth from a congregation or community to be involved in mission in their home congregation or community.
Please watch and share this video with your congregation to learn about the TIM Team Program and its benefits! Contact Green Lake Lutheran Ministries at 320-796-2181 for more information.

What is TIM Team?

Check List Update

The check list is back! 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!!

Annual Meeting Resources

These resources are to help you plan for your annual congregation meeting.

	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.
	Update Your Congregational Leadership Data The synod office uses this information for the call process, giving statements, and getting helpful resources to the correct person. Click here to update now.
	Forms A & C (Parochial Reports) Please fill out your 2015 ELCA congregation report forms A & C by clicking here. If you do not know your congregation ID or password please call the synod office at 507-637-3904. Forms A & C should be completed by February 15, 2016. NEW THIS YEAR! - Parochial Report Discussion Guide Click here to download the Parochial Report Discussion Guide. This document is to help your congregation complete Form A's questions TOGETHER. Below is a graph of how many congregations have completed Forms A & C.
	Health Assessment (HA) Portico health plan members and eligible spouses, simply sign in to myPortico to access the new Mayo Clinic Healthy Living online and take your health assessment. ELCA-Primary members, start earning wellness dollars by taking the Health Assessment by clicking here.
	Rostered Leaders Report to the Bishop Forms in which to complete your annual ministry report to the bishop are included here. Click the form that pertains to your ministry. The online form below will be submitted electronically to Bishop Jon Anderson. - Rostered Leader Under Call from a Congregation - Rostered Leader Not Under a Call - Rostered Leader Retired - Specialized Call

Healthy Congregations Workshop

Saturday, May 7, 2016; 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Shalom Hill Farm, rural Windom

Cost: $15/person, including lunch

Click here to register!

You are invited to join others from neighboring congregations for a day of learning about "healthy congregations." You'll learn some tools that will help improve communication in your parish, and ways to respond to conflict in constructive ways! It can help a congregation move toward greater healing and a positive future. These workshops have been appreciated throughout our Synod.

Congregations in pastoral transition might find this workshop to be especially helpful as they prepare for a new start with a new pastor.

Pastor Andy Hermodson-Olsen of Grace Lutheran, Brownton will be our presenter. He will use a variety of teaching styles, including a PowerPoint presentation, some video vignettes, and table conversation. The videos will help illustrate an unhealthy response to congregational conflict, and also some more healthy responses.
Click here to download a event PDF to share with your congregation.

Synod Events

Below is a list of all the upcoming synod events. Visit the synod events webpage for more information.

MARCH

Sr. High Youth Gathering

March 4-5, 2016
Courtyard by Marriott, Mankato

Lutheran Men in Mission Retreat
March 11-12, 2016
Green Lake Bible Camp, Spicer

Click here

APRIL

First-Call Retreat

April 4-6, 2016

Grace-based Evangelizing: Living and Telling the Story of Jesus Today

April 14, 2016
Gustavus, St Peter
& Live-stream

PSST Retreat
April 14-15, 2016
Green Lake Bible Camp, Spicer