Each year at Synod Assembly we welcome a representative from the ELCA. This year, that representative will be the Rev. Amy Reumann, who serves as ELCA's Senior Director for Witness in Society.

Based in Washington, D.C., she leads the church’s advocacy in federal public policy, through the state public policy network, at the United Nations and through the Corporate Social Responsibility program. Rev. Reumann is an ELCA pastor who has served congregations in New Jersey and Wisconsin and as Assistant to the Bishop for urban coalition ministry in Milwaukee, Wis. She previously led Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania, equipping advocates in seven synods to address food security and justice issues through education, organizing and policy change.

The Synod Assembly will be held Friday, May 13 (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Saturday, May 14 (9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) at St. Andrew's in Mahtomedi. Pre-registration is open through April 29. During this time, the registration fee is $65 per person. If you miss this window, you may register on-site at a cost of $75 per person. Questions? Contact the synod office at 651-224-4313.

The NE MN Ecofaith Network and our synod's Care of Creation Work Group invite you to "Holy Ground, Holy Table: Regenerative Practices for the Wholeness of the Earth." This summit over Zoom features keynote speakers George and Annaliese Walker, Minnesota farmers and leaders in the international regenerative agriculture movement. A remarkable and diverse group of seven storytellers will also share their experiences in a full range of regenerative food practices.

Throughout the morning, there will also be small group "table talk" breakout sessions and original music videos featuring Susan Palo Cherwien's and Robert Buckley Farlee’s hymn, In Sacred Manner, with the paintings of Robyn Sands Anderson and Charlotte Schuld.

Partners for the 2022 EcoFaith Summit include: Luther Seminary, Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota, Lutherans Restoring Creation, Minneapolis Synod EcoFaith Network, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, The Land Stewardship Project, and Together Here Ministries. Learn more and register.

Join the synod's Advocates for Racial Equity (ARE) work group on Zoom as we learn about the Saint Paul Industrial School, which operated at one time as an Indian Boarding School in Clontarf, Minnesota. This will be a chance to get a closer look into what led this small town to build and operate such a program. We'll examine the ongoing impact of Indian Boarding Schools and discuss the ways in which suppression keeps us from rumbling with our past. Presenters include:

Jesus calls us to “Go and make disciples….” How are you doing at that? What does that look like in your context? How has the pandemic changed the way to respond to that call? Many faith communities are wondering how to do the work of invitation today. The days are gone when people just show up to church because it’s expected. Truth is, people need to be invited.

We tend to be good at welcoming once they enter our doors, but how do we get them there in the first place? In this interactive workshop, the synod’s Vitality Team will redefine what evangelism means for today. There's no cost to attend, but please register! Learn more. To download a flyer, click here.

I am one of those people who still prefer to get their news in print from a daily newspaper with occasional forays into TV news and online newspapers. No matter your source of the day’s happenings today, you cannot avoid reading/seeing about the struggles of the people of Ukraine. Our hearts are heavy and our prayers for them continue.

As I see pictures, in print and on screen, of people fleeing their homes and homeland with only a suitcase or two, it makes me sad—and I think of hunger, too. There is no extra hand to carry a lunch bag, especially when many of the women are clutching the hand(s) of their children. How important and lifegiving it must be for these people to reach relative safety and find a welcome smile and perhaps a sandwich or bowl of hot soup.

All refugees experience hunger. Ukrainian refugees are not only hungry, but cold and certainly frightened. Many have left behind loved ones, especially husbands and fathers, to face what war will bring. Many know that their homes, places of work, and even places of worship have been destroyed. Even if and when they can return to their homes, not only places of employment, homes, and churches will need rebuilding but food will continue to be scarce.

As people of faith and Lutheran Christians, we know we are called to bind up the brokenhearted and feed the hungry. We can help the refugees by helping the communities of faith in the countries in which they seek refuge. Lutheran Disaster Response is already at work in Poland, Romania, and Moldova. Through cooperation with the Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches as well as local organizations, people are being fed today. We can do our part of help feed the bodily hunger as well as the emotional and spiritual hunger of our Ukrainian siblings.

As people who know the ending of the sadness of Holy Week and the joy that Easter brings, we are called and empowered to share. Please be generous and share your God-given gifts today.

Vernita Kennen (Incarnation, Shoreview) writes the monthly Addressing Hunger blog post. View her other posts here.

In her March column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that “over and over again humankind has betrayed the hope God has for us.” She suggests that it's time for a reset.

We are in a storm. In no way would I minimize nor silence the real pain experienced by our people. But I want to hold out the truth and the promise of God’s ultimate reset—the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this act of redemption, God has brought about the reconciliation of all people and of all creation. This reset, though not completely realized, gives us a way to speak and hear truth from one another.

Read Bishop Eaton's full message in English or Spanish.

"Abide" is the ELCA Young Adult online community open to young adults ages 18-35. Registration is now open for the spring series of a small group, six-week, online study designed to build community and to talk about what it means to abide in this moment. Groups will begin meeting on April 25. Learn more.

This event is open to rostered ministers of the Saint Paul Area Synod. All rostered ministers in the synod (active and retired, seminarians, candidates and interns) are invited to attend this gathering as a time of reflection and personal refreshment during a busy Holy Week. The morning will include a service of Holy Communion, during which there will be a blessing of vocation for leaders. There will be an opportunity to renew the vows made at ordination, consecration and baptism. Please register by April 10. Masks are optional, per the current policy of our host congregation. Register here.

As part of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Area Synods' efforts to create understanding, learning and dialogue between Native and non-Native peoples, sacred site tours provide an opportunity to immerse ourselves in Minnesota history from a Native perspective. Our time together aims to create greater awareness and understanding of the Dakota people, the original people of this area, who too often are invisible in their homeland.

Join us as we experience Dakota history, culture and sacred sites through storytelling and are present to one another through silence/meditation/reflection and sharing. The Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs will lead us on extended walks at multiple sites. The tours begin at the Church of St. Peter in St. Paul. Learn more.

The South Central Conference of the Saint Paul Area Synod has voted to change its name to the City Conference to better reflect its representation in serving congregations located in the City of St. Paul (plus one in Lauderdale). Click here to view our color-coded map of the congregations and conferences of the synod!

Registration for ELCA World Hunger's 2023 Domestic Hunger Grants is now open! Organizations applying for a grant for the first time must register by creating an account in ELCA GrantMaker to access the application once the window opens on April 18. If your organization is already registered in ELCA Grantmaker, now would be a great time to log back in and confirm that your contact information is still accurate. Learn more.

Informational Webinar - ELCA World Hunger will host a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 6, at 12 p.m. to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying. Register here for the Zoom link. The webinar will be recorded and accessible via the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.

Congregations with feeding ministries should also watch for the next round of Daily Bread Matching Grants in the coming months! ELCA World Hunger Daily Bread Matching Grants support congregations and their partners as they work toward a just world where all are fed. All ELCA congregations with feeding ministries are eligible to participate. These grants provide daily bread for neighbors experiencing hunger while also serving as a tool for ministry fundraising and capacity building. Registration and applications for the 2023 Daily Bread Matching Grant will open April 25, 2022. Learn more.

ICF-certified Grief Coach and End of Life Coach Jason O'Neill will share skills to deal with the personal and collective losses we experience on a daily basis, yes still. Learn ways to support the healthy processing of loss and grief for yourself and for those you care about. You are invited to bring authenticity and vulnerability into this gathering as we learn together and are reminded we do not have to journey alone. Jason is part of the support team for ELCA Coaching, as well as the Synod Communicator and

Assembly Planner for the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod. Learn more.

Following the darkness of winter, the National Lutheran Choir sings to the promise of life in its second virtual program of the season, O Blessed Spring. The program will draw musical inspiration from the seasons of nature, the seasons of life, and life in God with hymns and other works by hymn writers and composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, Ruth Duck, Hall Johnson, Susan Palo Cherwien and Robert Hobby. Both the choir and viewers will sing as we look toward a brighter future more connected to the world than ever before. The program is free to watch at https://nlca.com/.

Organist Jacob Benda takes the 1921 Moller organ at St. Paul Reformation for a spin! Dr. Benda received his doctorate from the University of Louisiana studying under Herndon Spillman. He serves as director of sacred music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Minneapolis. He has been featured on American Public Media's Pipedreams. A simple lunch follows the recital.

A free recorded Earth Day worship service will soon be available, thanks to a collaboration between the Ministry Lab at United Theological Seminary and Lutherans Restoring Creation. The service has stunning imagery, beautiful music and a powerful call to listen to creation. The Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos preaches and music will be provided by Vance Blackfox and friends, Tom Witt and Mary Preus, along with Baird Linke. The service will be available on YouTube and Facebook Live starting April 22. Those who wish to integrate the service in their own worship offerings are encouraged to request the material to download ahead of time. Files should be available no later than April 9. Learn more.

Church Anew, a ministry of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, offers a two-day event featuring the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. She founded a community of faith in Denver, Colo., called House for All Sinners and Saints, as a haven for a diverse community seeking affirmation and acceptance. She is an author and hosts a podcast, The Confessional. The conference also features Dr. Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains, who will discuss leadership practices and tools; preaching from the Rev. Jenny Sung; and an artistic response with nationally touring poet Joe Davis. The cost is $249 to attend in person; virtual access is $75. For group rates, email support@churchanew.org. Learn more.

Read through new seasonal music, attend workshops, participate in a hymn festival and more at the Augsburg Fortress summer music clinics. Featured clinicians include Jan Kraybill (organ) and Tom Trenney (choral) and Amy Maakestad (handbells). Learn more.

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