By action of the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA pledged to remember the June 17, 2015, hateful murder of nine persons at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston as they gathered for an evening Bible Study. This commemoration of the lives and witness of Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton; Mrs. Cynthia Graham Hurd; Mrs. Susie J. Jackson; Mrs. Ethel Lee Lance; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor; Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney; Mr. Tywanza Kibwe Diop Sanders; Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, Sr.; and Mrs. Myra Singleton Quarles Thompson takes many forms across our church body as we strive to address the deep-rooted history of racism within our churches and our culture.

This year, in the Saint Paul Area Synod, the Commemoration of the Emanuel Nine comes as an

alignment with an urgent witness against street violence in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Rather than gathering for a specific worship service, you are invited to join the 21 Days for Peace, led by the historic black churches in the Twin Cities, including the AME congregations in Minnesota.

Details for participation in the 21 Days for Peace are outlined in this letter from Presiding Elder Stacy Smith, President of the Minnesota Council of Churches Board, and Curtiss DeYoung, CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches.

Not every congregation may be ready to send a team to witness in the streets. However, I urge every congregation in the synod to include specific prayers or liturgies of repentance and commitment to address racism in their worship service on June 13 or June 20, the Sundays bracketing the June 17 observance. Resources for prayers and liturgies are found at https://www.elca.org/emanuelnine.

In addition, I invite individuals to commitment themselves to arduous, daily work to address racist attitudes, actions and policies in our own lives and institutions. To date, 215 persons have publicly pledged themselves to do so by signing a formal commitment. Read more about The Road Toward Racial Justice initiative and that personal pledge.

Six years ago, nine Christian saints were murdered in a church fellowship hall by a young white supremacist, who used their precious lives to make his own racist statement. In the days following, many family members of those who died stepped forward to witness to the redemptive and reconciling power of God. As a person of faith in Jesus Christ, I am not able to walk away from the impact of that contrast of welcoming strangers into our lives and the brutality of murder because of one’s race. I doubt that you can either. This June our actions and prayers, our worship and our witness announce to others where we stand. They also reaffirm the life-transforming impact of Christ at work in us amid the real challenges of this day.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Bishop Patricia Lull

Easter Lutheran Church in Eagan received a mental health mini-grant through our synod. The congregation used the funds to create a three-part series that gave people tools to express their sadness, grief, loss, depression and exhaustion, as well as tips for self-care and development of resilience for life during and beyond COVID.

Rabbi Lynn Liberman, BCC, and Tara Burns, MA, from the Jewish Family Service of St. Paul created a safe space for us to name our losses, from physical touch to a sense of stability and security. We also learned the signs of grief, including tension in the body, low energy or fatigue, frustration, shock, appetite increase or decrease, anxiety, sadness, and more. The speakers gave us a few helpful tips for how to build resilience and adapt during these times:

Read Pastor Brandon Newton's full post with more tips. NOTE: To learn more about the synod's mental health grants, visit https://spas-elca.org/resources/for-leaders/mental-health-grants/.

Shobi's Table, the food truck ministry supported by the Saint Paul Area Synod, is adding a third serving day starting this week! Starting tomorrow (June 8), the big blue food truck will be serving delicious, nutritious lunches on Tuesdays in the parking lot at Christ on Capitol Hill (105 University Ave. W.) in the Capitol /Rice neighborhood. That means this ministry will be serving three neighborhoods in St. Paul each week! Meals will continue to be served from 12 noon until 1 p.m. (or until food is gone) at Faith Lutheran in Frogtown on Thursdays and Bethlehem in the Midway on Fridays. You can support this important ministry by sharing their updates on Facebook, or visit the website to make a donation or to volunteer! Adding the Tuesday serving day means adding another food prep day on Mondays so more volunteers are welcome and needed.

There's a fun and special opportunity for youth and young adults in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area Synods…please share with your young people!

The ELCA Youth Gathering is looking for a diverse group of youth and young adults (ages 14-22) to be part of the music video being produced for the 2022 Gathering theme song. Participants will be needed on Monday, July 19, 2021, for one to two hours in downtown Minneapolis in the late afternoon or early evening. All participants need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 19. Further details will be provided in the week leading up to the video shoot. A t-shirt will be provided to all who participate. Participants will also need to sign a media waiver and a COVID-19 travel waiver which will be provided in early July. Those interested and available should indicate their interest by filling out this form by June 30. Gathering staff will select individuals in early July and send notifications to all. 

Volunteer applications are now being accepted for the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering in Minneapolis! There are three categories of volunteers:

For a detailed list of responsibilities and requirements or to apply, visit https://elca.org/Gathering/Volunteer. Applications close when they’ve hit capacity—so don’t wait!

It's not too early to start thinking about “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday on Sept. 12! This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Congregations all across the ELCA are invited to create service project opportunities that support their community, from food drives to letter writing, neighborhood clean-ups to inspirational lawn signs. Learn more at https://www.elca.org/dayofservice and find links to project and promotional resources. Check out this video that shows projects in action last year!

Portico’s New Podcast: Being Here

Being Here is a podcast that explores real world issues and topics important to professionals in the faith community. Hosted by the Rev. Melissa Pohlman, Being Here invites us to learn together, listen to each other, grow together, and move forward together — stronger, more resilient as a unique community. Check out the three new episodes.

Our Learn to Live mental health benefit partner has created these quick half-hour sessions for employers. Learn to recognize the signs of mental distress in others, and how to talk about mental health, create a culture of well-being, and lift the stigma about mental health in the workplace. Register and attend together as a leadership group:

The access code is: PORTICO

Fidelity has partnered with Portico to offer a virtual webinar series – exclusively for ELCA Retirement Plan members – that addresses the question, “What does it take to be retirement ready?”. These workshops, hosted by a Fidelity Virtual Education Consultant, will be attended by a Portico Financial Planner who can answer member questions related to clergy housing allowance exclusion, the ELCA Participating Annuity, and other ELCA Retirement Plan benefit-specific topics. Based on member feedback, these workshops are kept to an hour long and will be available for viewing (or re-viewing) on myPortico following each live virtual event. Click on the workshop title below for details:

With summer blooming and the country beginning to open up, we understand that benefits may not be top of mind. To help you and other decision-makers get oriented and then prepare to make your benefit selection this fall, we’re offering a few shareable resources this summer – with a focus on the Silver+ A health benefit option. Reminder: Starting last year, the ELCA recommends both the Silver+ A and Gold+ health benefit options.

Portico's regional representative, Deacon Terri Endres, can be reached at 952-221-2000 or tendres@porticobenefits.org.

Galilee Lutheran in Roseville will be walking in a Peace Walk on June 13 to encourage the City of St. Paul to close the Lamplighter Lounge. You are invited to join this family friendly, three-mile peace walk in solidarity with Mothers Against Community Gun Violence (MACGV). Volunteers are also needed to help pass out hotdogs, chips and water at the end of the walk. Contact Pastor Dana Nelson (651-488-6769) of Galilee Lutheran Church, which is located four blocks north of the Lamplighter, a strip club that profits off of the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young people in the community. Please join them to bring positive change and show support to the families who have lost their children and siblings to violence here. You are welcome to wear baby-blue color clothes on the peace walk. Learn more.

Head out solo or with friends and family to run or walk at a location you choose, enlisting others to sponsor your 5K. Learn more and sign up for this free event at cherishallchildren.org/race. You'll receive a Cherish All Children 5K race t-shirt as an important member of the fundraising team. If you’re unable to participate and would like to make a gift to support the work, visit donate.lssmn.org/Cherish5K. Thank you! Questions? Contact Joy McElroy at joy.mcelroy@cherishallchildren.org.

The Community Video Hymn Sing has been a virtual ministry offered by Elizabeth and Paul Damico-Carper since the start of the pandemic. Many of us have been comforted, encouraged and entertained by Elizabeth and Paul and their occasional guest musicians and we thank them for their online ministry over these many months. The daily livestream on Facebook helped people sing together when the COVID-19 pandemic kept us from physically singing together. To celebrate our society's collective emergence from the depths of the crisis and the return of some measure of communal singing, they are gathering outside to sing hymns and songs together on Raspberry Island in St. Paul.

Bring a blanket and a lawn chair, a hat, and some sunscreen. They'll provide a hymn-sing booklet, a dessert made by Shobi's Table and an afternoon of vibrant singing, prayer, and sharing. Donations can be made through the Eventbrite site or in person at the event (recommended donation of $10/person). Once administrative costs are met, all proceeds will benefit the ongoing food ministry of Shobi's Table. Register and/or make your donation. 

This retreat for women clergy and women working on staff in churches around the theme, "Women's Leadership in the Church: Ongoing Challenges and Unspoken Joys." Based on her books, SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Ministry and EMBODY: Five Keys to Leading With Integrity, the Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis will guide participants in discussing the opportunities and obstacles faced by women church leaders. How can we navigate lingering sexism and patriarchy as we return to a new normal? How can we be replenished and empowered for ministry? This retreat will focus on theological issues and practical strategies to embolden authentic and embodied leadership in the church today.

Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary and an ELCA pastor. An accomplished author and widely-sought-after preacher and teacher, she also is the host of Working Preacher. Single occupancy cost: $500, double occupancy cost: $450, dorm room cost: $375. Fee includes two overnight stays, six meals, programming and activities, complimentary book, EMBODY: Five Keys to Leading with Integrity, use of amenities, and tax. Register here.

www.spas-elca.org | 651-224-4313