November 19, 2019
Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA Enews
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St. Philip's Disaster Relief comes back when a disaster’s impact is long-lasting
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"Hurricane Harvey struck parts of Texas and Louisiana in 2017, and over the past two years, St. Philip’s Disaster Relief has made five trips to Conrow, Texas, to assist in long-term recovery. Mike Anderson and Renee Johnson, the relief program’s two coordinators, and 12 other volunteers embarked on the team’s 76th overall trip on November 9, 2019, arriving in Conrow on the afternoon of November 10."
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ELCA Region 3 Archivist Paul Daniels shares valuable suggestions for congregations celebrating an anniversary. Projects related to such festivals should receive careful forethought about the story congregations want to tell about their church and its history.
For instance, he says, "You will need to think about who the intended audience for the history is. Will be predeominantly an 'in-house' narraitive, ... or will it place churhc's story within th larger community around it?" This article is part of an ongoing and occasional series.
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ELCA Advent Resources 2019
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Celebrate the excitement, anticipation, and wonder of Christ’s birth with ELCA World Hunger this Advent. ELCA World Hunger’s new resource packet includes samples of the newest and most popular resources to share with congregations. Included is an
Advent study
full of new weekly devotions,
Advent calendars
to brighten up your home or congregation with a daily reminder of the reason for the season, and an
Action Guide for Congregations
with ideas and activities.
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As a synod, we are whole when we celebrate together. So as we approach the end of the year, we celebrate with churches that had milestone anniversaries in 2019!
Since its inception, Westwood Lutheran Church (1944-present) has had a legacy of “pushing the envelope.” It has made itself known for being a space of gathering, for being committed to global outreach, and for the large impact of its music ministry program. This legacy is still present in the church today; Pastor Tania Haber describes Westwood presently as having “a commitment to people living out their vocations in their daily lives.”
Westwood has used the Prayer of Good Courage (from Kent Gustavson’s
Mountain Vespers
) as thematic material for its 75
th
year. The church focused on text from the prayer “Led forward by God’s hand” during its formal celebration on November 9 and 10. During the two day event, Westwood held a program called “Westwood Then & Now,” a festival worship on Sunday morning, and a concert featuring all of the church’s music ensembles. Pastor Haber reflects, “[The weekend] was a time to ponder with newer members, youth, and children what Westwood means to them today and how God is leading us into the next 75 years of mission and ministry.” To watch a video from the celebration, visit
https://www.westwood.church/75th-anniversary
.
Stay tuned in upcoming weeks for celebration with the following churches: Tapestry, Our Saviour’s, Bethlehem, and Central Lutheran.
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Where is the synod staff in upcoming weeks?
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- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be preaching at the Fall Joint Ministerium at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, on Thursday, November 21.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be attending the farewell of Pastor Christine Carlson at Christ Church Lutheran, Minneapolis, on Sunday, November 24.
- Ms. Brenda Blackhawk will be preaching a dialogue sermon with Pastor Lee Hallstrom at Cross of Glory Lutheran, Brooklyn Center, on Sunday, November 24.
- Mr. John Mai will be preaching at Maple Grove Lutheran, Maple Grove, on Wednesday, November 27.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be preaching at Our Redeemer Oromo Lutheran, Minneapolis, on Sunday, December 1.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be engaging in a Ministry Site Profile at First Lutheran Church, Crystal, on Tuesday, December 3.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be offering a greating at the 150th Anniversary Celebration Worship at Our Saviour's Lutheran, Minneapolis, on Sunday, December 8.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be engaging in a Ministry Site Profile at St. Barnabas Lutheran, Plymouth, on Tuesday, December 10.
- Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be preaching at Cross of Hope Lutheran, Ramsey, on Sunday, December 15.
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- Fall Joint Ministerium with Saint Paul Area Synod, November 21
- Our Saviour's 150th Anniversary Celebration, December 8
- National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival: Gloria!, December 13-14
- Tool Kit and Conference Assemblies, February 22, 2020
- Allies and Friends, February 29, 2020
- Spring Ministerium, March 26, 2020
- Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly, April 24-25, 2020
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