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A Planting Hope Announcement
We are excited to announce that a location has been selected for the Planting Hope funded therapeutic preschool from Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS)! And we're thrilled that it's one of our synod congregations: Grace Lutheran, located at I-94 and White Bear Ave. on the East Side of St. Paul. Take a moment to watch the video below to learn more from Bishop Patricia Lull, Pastor Karen Williams from Grace and Alexis Orberdorfer from LSS.
The synod's three-year $2.75 million Planting Hope campaign is well under way with these four initiatives:
- invite neighbors into life in Christ
- renew the congregations of the synod
- raise up the next generations of leaders
- invest in a transformative project on the East Side of St. Paul
Learn more about Planting Hope here.
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We're Hiring: Summer Internship Program Coordinator
The Saint Paul Area Synod seeks to hire a program coordinator to oversee a summer internship program, funded by The Planting Hope Campaign. This is a contract position, as detailed in the job description. Interested persons may send a cover letter and resume to rachel.holsten@spas-elca.org. Review of applications will begin on Nov. 23 and will continue until the position is filled. Please share this opportunity with anyone you feel might be qualified and interested!
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Tool Kit for Congregational Leaders & Conference Assemblies
Tool Kit for Congregational Leaders is an annual event designed to equip lay leaders with new resources, ideas and connections. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at Shepherd of the Valley in Apple Valley. A variety of workshops will cover a wide range of areas relevant to both church staff and lay leaders. Conference assemblies will also be held on Feb. 25 as part of the day's agenda. The six conferences of the synod will meet separately and the agenda may include elections, proposed resolutions or other matters. This event will run from 8:30 a.m. through 2:45 p.m. Watch for more details in the coming weeks!
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Mental Health Grants
There are funds remaining in a grant the synod received from the ELCA to promote mental health learning events in the synod. We know that youth and their families in particular are struggling with many concerns. How could your congregation use a small grant to share tools for navigating life in these unsettled times?
Click here for full grant details.
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Children's Ministry Gathering
Monday, Nov. 14 - 1 p.m. | Online
Children's ministry staff and key volunteers are invited to hop on Zoom for a discussion about family worship and activities. Bring your experiences, ideas and wonderings! Our hosts are Rachelle Gill (Easter, Eagan) and Julie Vagle (Trinity, Long Lake). Click here for the Zoom link. Questions? Contact Rachelle at rgill@easter.org.
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Suicide: Guns, Grief and Grace
Thursday, Nov. 17 - 7-8:30 p.m. | Online
Nearly 70% of gun deaths in Minnesota are suicides, mostly in rural areas. Nationally, about 60% of gun deaths are suicides. Guns are the preferred suicide instrument. ENGAGE, the gun violence prevention work group of our synod, is hosting an online conversation to create awareness of the relationship between guns and suicide, and to propose aids for prevention. Data will keep us honest, guests will share their stories, scripture will be our guide, and all of us our support. Register to receive the Zoom link.
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Bega Kwa Bega Fall Festival
Saturday, Nov. 19 - 8 a.m.-12 Noon | King of Kings, Woodbury + Online
Bega Kwa Bega invites you to its 2022 Fall Festival where we will celebrate our "shoulder to shoulder" synod companionship with the Iringa Diocese of Tanzania. Special guests include the Rev. Askali Mgeyekwa, dean/assistant to the bishop of the Iringa Diocese, and the Rev. Jiskaka Lwila, district pastor and former BKB DIRA coordinator. The morning includes affiliate presentations, a keynote, breakout sessions and worship. Learn more and register. Can't attend in person? It will be live streamed on Facebook too!
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A Deeper Dive: Leadership Conversations for Congregation Presidents & VPs
Thursday, Dec. 1 - 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Online
For congregation presidents and vice presidents
Congregation presidents and vice presidents are invited to take part is a series of monthly discussions. In the next session, the main content will focus on the role of the lay leader during times of pastoral and/or staff transitions. Each month also includes devotions, introductions and Q&A. The Zoom gatherings are hosted by Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer (assistant to the bishop for lay leadership) and Dr. Dave Webb (retired school superintendent and council president at Shepherd of the Hills). Additional sessions are scheduled for Jan. 26, March 30 and on Feb. 25 as part of the synod's Tool Kit for Congregational Leaders. Register here for Dec. 1!
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Lutheran Social Service:
Youth Holiday Gifts
LSS Metro Homeless Youth Services invites you to assist in brightening the lives of youth and children by participating in its annual Youth Holiday Gifts.
Gifts received during the holidays allow youth to celebrate, feel recognized and loved at a time when they may be disconnected from their families. It means the world to know there are folks in the community who want to support them in their journey.
You may participate as an individual, a family, or as a church group in purchasing gifts. Please indicate your participation by Nov. 20 by visiting Youth Holiday Gifts and completing the sign-up form. Gift drop-off dates will be Dec. 9-10. Questions? Contact metrohomelessyouth@lssmn.org. Thank you for your generosity!
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Courageous Leadership Series
Wednesdays - 1 p.m. | Online
ELCA Coaching offers a weekly online gathering for ministry leaders. Each week this series features a new topic and presenters. On Nov. 16, the presenter is Pastor Myron Herzberg from Grinnell, Iowa. Our congregations, our communities, and our institutions are having trouble making fruitful decisions. Bound by old patterns, paralyzed in binaries, and lacking space for creativity, we are a people who are aching for reconciliation, shared purpose, and a way forward together. The people of The Way have a model of communal discernment to share with world. This presentation will introduce the components of a contemplative decision-making process for congregation councils, congregational meetings, and gatherings for mission direction. Recordings are posted by the next day. Learn more.
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Become a Time Boss
Tuesday, Jan. 10 - 2-3:30 p.m. | Online
For church leaders. Do you have way too much on your plate? Join Rev. Nicole Havelka, a leadership coach and mindful meditation teacher, in a workshop that will help you step back, name your self-care needs and priorities, empower you to manage your time for work-life balance, and introduce you to mindfulness practices that will sustain you through stress-filled times and spark transformation. Learn more.
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Discerning Whiteness:
The Unacknowledged Barrier
Thursdays, Jan. 19 & Feb. 2 - 9 a.m.-12 noon | Online
Join Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles (ASDIC) and The Leadership Center for Social Justice for two clergy specific trainings on "Discerning Whiteness: The Unacknowledged Barrier."
Each three-hour session will take place over Zoom so participants can engage from anywhere. The sessions count towards six continuing education hours for clergy members. The cost is $90. Learn more and register.
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Festival of Homiletics
May 15-18, 2023 | Minneapolis
For rostered ministers. "Shared trauma" might be a good term to describe the last few years. Since there's no going back to life before the storm, what does our preaching need to accomplish going forward? How will our leadership in this century be altered because of the pandemic? How have you changed? With a theme of "Preaching Hope for a Weary World," the 2023 Festival of Homiletics will create space for learning and conversation that honors what we have been through...and what kind of leaders we want to be as survivors of the storm. Registration is open for in-person and digital access. Learn more.
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SYNOD STAFF IN CONGREGATIONS | |
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Rev. Justin Grimm
- Nov. 20 - Trinity, Lindstrom (preaching)
Deacon Krista Lind
- Nov. 20 - Grace, Apple Valley (installation of Pastor Sarah Rohde)
- Nov. 27 - Crossroads Parish | Atonement, New Brighton & Cross of Glory, Mounds View (installation of Deacon Brad Mills)
Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer
- Nov. 19-20 - Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley (installation of Pastor Julie Wright)
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The Saint Paul Area Synod, which includes 107 congregations and new mission starts,
is one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
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