Ordination of Mandy France

The ordination of Many France is this Friday, September 22 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 1063 243rd Ave NE, East Bethel, MN at 6:30 p.m.  We extend our congratulations and pray God's blessings upon Mandy, who has been called to serve at Our Savior's of Bird Island, MN.

You are invited to attend. Clergy please wear youvestments and arrive 15 minutes early for the procession. The color of the day is red.

TEEM Interns/Vicars

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

In a recent article we named the interns in our synod who are leaving and arriving.  We failed to name the congregations and parishes that are hosting interns or who have recently hosted them in the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) way of forming pastors.  I want to correct that and note all these leaders being formed.  Thanks to their supervising pastors and the congregations for their support of their ongoing growth.  These folks are serving in synodically authorized ministries while they are doing their work to earn a TEEM certificate and then become a pastor after approval by our synod's Candidacy Committee.

Deacon Mindy Czycalla finished her internship a few months ago and was recently called to serve the two-point parish where she has been serving during her formation.

She serves at  First in rural Cosmos and  Beckville in rural Litchfield.

Pr. Marlaine Doidge serves as her supervisor.  Thanks, also, to her parish at Peace in Cosmos and Trinity of rural Hector.

Vicar Marco Curriel is preparing for his approval interview in December. He serves at  Paz y Esperanza in Willmar.

Pr. Harvey Nelson serves as his supervisor.

Vicar Linda Estling is approaching the end of her formation and will also be having her approval interview in December. She serves Watson and  Immanuel of rural Watson.

Pr. Matt Philaya from Salem in Montevideo serves as her supervisor.

Vicar Michelle Kleene is approaching the end of her internship at the ACT Parish made up of  Bethesda of Murdock,  Hope of Sunburg,  Monson Lake of Kerkhoven,  Buffalo Lake of DeGraff,  St. John's of Pennock and  Mamrelund, Pennock.

Pr. Dan Croonquist serves as her supervisor.

Vicar Jeff Greathouse is serving his internship at the  Lutheran Campus Ministry of Marshall and  Grace First Parish of Russell, an ecumenical parish.

Pr. Eric Natwick of Tracy Lutheran  serves as his supervisor.

Vicar Matthew Danielson serves at  Saron, Montevideo and  Our Saviour's, Baxter

Pr. Lori Wold of Trinity, Boyd  serves as his supervisor.

Vicar Heidi Hagstrom serves at Fields of Grace Parish ( Swan Lake, Klossner, F irst, Lafayette and  Bernadotte, Lafayette)

Pr. Andrew Hermodson-Olsen from Grace of Brownton Serves as her supervisor.

We are thankful for each of these congregations and the pastors who supervise interns in this new way we are preparing pastors in the midst of their service through our TEEM program in a synodically authorized ministry. 

Ministerial Excellence Grant - Lilly Endowment Grants

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

At this weekend's council meeting, we discussed my proposal to have future gifts to our Ministerial Excellence Fund be allocated as our grant applicants are indicating interest. The council was supportive of this for future gifts. We have a proposal in our Lilly grant that we will distribute resources according to certain percentages. Our applications are not matching up with our planning a couple of years ago. We can ask Lilly and likely will to reallocate dollars in the days to come so we have freedom to address challenges best where we are seeing applications.

From our fund-raising we need to get resources to the areas we are seeing the strongest number of grants. We will allocate dollars from this point forward into the Ministerial Excellence Fund in general to distribute under the oversight of the Lilly implementation team. We are not yet seeing the number of people applying for the retirement incentives we had imagined. The issues of educational cost reimbursement and medical crisis are both generating many requests. 

Thanks to all who have contributed to this important work of addressing the economic challenges.

Disaster Funds

Your Synod Council has approved gifts to the following synods to move forward their life and work in light of disasters.

Thanks for your generosity in the past to our Disaster Fund so that we can make these gifts. Some of the gifts are made possible from resources allocated in the past when our income exceeded our expenses in a particular year. You can contribute directly through Lutheran Disaster Response or through your synod.  

Constitutional Hygiene - When Was the Last Time You Updated Your Constitution?

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

The best time to update your constitution is when your congregation has time and is not in some matter that requires constitutional guidance.  If you start now, you will have a good shot at being ready for your annual meeting in January.

Your synod's Policies and Procedures Committee of the Synod Council and staff member Carla Klawitter are ready to help you.  Here is a link to help you look into this. https://swmnelca.org/for-congregations/constitution-resources/   If you go down the page you will see two tabs; click on the updating your constitution tab.

If you updated since 2013 but not after our 2016 Churchwide Assembly, the path is simpler. You will click on the amendments tab.  If you have not updated your constitution before that date, the process requires two steps to bring the constitution up to date with the model constitution.  It is worth the exercise.  It is like brushing your teeth in that it prevents trouble.

If you are going to start this journey, touch base with Carla in our office so she is aware you are working on this.  She will communicate with our synod council committee.