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SYNOD NEWS AND EVENTS - April 6, 2017
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Attention Pastors and Congregation Presidents!
THANK YOU to those who have submitted their Annual Congregational Reports (Parochial Report/Form A & C) online, or mailed them to the synod office! To date, 161 Forms A and C have been submitted. We still need 80 congregations to complete the forms to be at 100% completion.
These forms are due by February 15, every year. However, it is better late than never so please complete your congregation's annual report for 2016 now! Click here to submit your congregation's Form A & C. If you need your congregation ID (stays the same every year) or your password (unique every year) contact the synod office, we would be happy to give them to you.
Also, a big THANK YOU to the 180 congregations that have submitted a Mission Support Intent for 2017. We still need to hear from 61 congregations. Click here to submit your congregation's mission support intent now!
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 Church in rural America
As she was on her way to her first worship service of the morning, Jess Felici, a pastor of Mountain Lutheran Parish, received a phone call from a member saying worship was canceled. Why? It was skunk mating season and the sanctuary fell way to the animals' unfortunate fumes, making it too smelly to be in the church for worship.
After she stopped by the church to attest to the circumstances herself, Felici decided to use the extra time to visit the home of some members. She had planned on sharing a cup of coffee and conversation in their living room, but instead found them all in their chicken house dealing with a rooster feed situation.
What Felici thought would be a typical morning worship service turned into coffee in a chicken house picking eggs. "If that doesn't give a good description of rural ministry!" she said.
Felici serves a five-point parish in rural West Virginia, the heart of Appalachia, with her husband, Jason. They spend their time going back and forth between Mount Hope in Upper Tract, Faith in Franklin, St. John in Moyers, Calvary in Brandywine and New Hope in Minnehaha Springs.
"We have all sorts of wonderful experiences here that you don't have the opportunity to do outside of rural ministry," she said. "You could be spending Saturday at a farm meeting baby lambs, worship on Sunday and hospital visits that evening. There is no set schedule and every day is a wild adventure."
A changing landscape
The ELCA has a long history of ministry in rural areas. Rural congregations rank as the highest percentage (28.1) of ELCA churches compared to other population demographic segments.
Alvin Luedke is a professor of rural ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., who has served as a pastor in a rural setting. He's witnessed the changes occurring in rural America over the past few decades, and while rural congregations are still the majority of ELCA churches, he says they've been affected by challenges brought on by this changing context.
"We have some congregations that are in very economically distressed regions-the towns are declining," he said. "Some of our agricultural areas are declining because of consolidation of farms and becoming more commercialized. Click here to read more.
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Welcome Stephen Hilding
The SW MN Synod received three new candidates for call during the churchwide assignment process. We are grateful for Lisa Meshke, Megan Preston, and Stephen Hilding who will come to serve in your synod. Each week we will share a little something about each assignee.
Meet Stephen:
Stephen Hilding is excited to join the Southwestern Minnesota Synod. Stephen is originally from Hudson, WI and his wife, Annie grew up on the other side of the St. Croix River in Woodbury, MN. While in college, they met while serving as camp counselors at Green Lake Lutheran Ministries, particularly at Shores of Saint Andrew. Stephen completed his undergraduate education at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. His studies have allowed him to serve in various worship leading communities, including: Union Presbyterian Church (St. Peter, MN), Rosemount United Methodist Church (Rosemount, MN), Resurrection Lutheran Church (Oro Valley, AZ), and St. Philip's Lutheran Church (Hastings, MN). Stephen will graduate from Luther Seminary in May of 2017. Stephen and Annie share a deep passion for the gift of music, they enjoy many forms of outdoor exercise and they have a spoiled dog named George.
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Ordination of Kelly France
The ordination of Kelly France is Saturday, May 6 at American Lutheran Church in Gothenburg, NE at 3:00 p.m. We extend our congratulations and pray God's blessings upon Kelly, who has been called to serve in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Atwater, MN. |
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Synod Assembly Registration Open!
The 2017 Synod Assembly registration is now open!
Click here to register!
Click here to visit the synod assembly webpage, here you will find materials that will assist you in registering members of your congregation for the assembly.
Important Assembly Dates:
Assembly Resolution Deadline -
April 10
Assembly Display Request Closes -
May 1
Last Day of Early Assembly Registration - May 19
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Synod Events
Below is a list of all the upcoming synod events. Visit the synod events webpage for more information.
APRIL
April 22, 2017
Gustavus Adolphus College & Livestream
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MAY
May 6, 2017
Gloria Dei Lutheran, Redwood Falls
JUNE
June 9-10, 2017
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter
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Other great events!
- Boundaries Workshop
Thursday, May 11, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, May 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Crookston, MN
Visit the Northwestern Minnesota Synod's website for more information.
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Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
PO Box 499, Redwood Falls, MN 56283
Phone: 507-637-3904
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