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Dear Saints of the NWIM Synod,

We made it! We have turned the seasonal corner towards Spring, passing through the festival of Candlemas (Feb 2). Halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, Candlemas is a time when some Christians mark this passage by blessing all the candles in their homes and worship spaces. Do you have a favorite candle that marks a holy space?

In baptism, there is a way that each of us is a candle in the world. "Let your light so shine before others..." goes the charge at the font. We give the newly baptized person a candle to help them remember and kindle this flame for their whole lives. February is Black History Month in the US, and so this kindling of faith for us is also a call to learning, repentance, and bold change. We are blessed to have a resource to help us stoke this fire in our hearts for ending racism: the ELCA YouTube series called Talks at the Desk. Check out the trailer here:

As your DEM, I urge you to engage this series as an educational and faith formational offering. Watch the episodes with a group from your church or with friends. Light a candle as you discuss the episode and ponder what it kindles in you. 

Soon (very soon in this liturgical year), we will trace a cross of ash upon each other's brows, a fire having been kindled and then burnt out to make this ash for our entry into Lent. Remember, we say. You are earth. You will die.

In other work as your DEM, I am learning about the movement throughout the church to think ethically about land and buildings. Times when death comes for a community and it is painful, or hopeful, or both. In the foreword to a book called Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition, Willie James Jennings writes about resurrection promise even in tough circumstances. "Death the wall has now become death the door." That sentence jumped off the page for me. 

We will honor death as a door when we walk through Lent together. What might we shed, or let be burned away, so that we can meet the gift of new life on the other side of this season? I believe Talks at the Desk, and it's commission to the church, can help us discern how to renounce racism in order to dream, build, and live into the beloved community that Jesus offers all creation. 

Light your candles, church. Kindle the flame and be courageous. Thanks be to God for the gifts of warmth and light, of truth and justice. 

Liv Larson Andrews

Link for Talks at the Desk

https://youtu.be/Ji2QOv2O1wY?si=0GfAY4MCG6hI_AMC

Please keep our siblings at Peace Lutheran, Otis Orchards in your prayers. In mid-January, a pipe froze and broke in the church, and it flooded the whole building. Recovery work began with heaters, fans, and dehumidifiers. Remediation will be extensive. Pastor Dave Olson has kept the synod staff up to date and neighboring ELCA congregations have reached out. During the remediation time, Peace Lutheran will worship in the neighboring Seventh Day Adventist Church building.

Please remember in prayer:,

• Deacon Cheri Nelson (Spokane). Cheri’s husband Paul Nelson died Jan 17, 2024.
• Rev. Karl Schmidt (Coeur d’Alene) Pastor Karl passed January 30th. A service is planned for him on February 17th at 2pm at Lutheran Church of the Master in Coeur d’Alene.

Almighty God, your love never fails, and you can turn the shadow of death into daybreak.

Help us to receive your word with believing hearts, so that, confident in your promises, we may have hope and be lifted out of sorrow into the joy and peace of your presence; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.

SHARE Fund Application Available

SHARE is an acronym for “Synodical Help and Response Endowment” Fund

The Synod’s SHARE Fund was created to assist in the follow areas.

• New Mission Starts
• Refocus, Reenergize Mission Opportunities in Struggling Congregations
• Assisting in providing educational/sabbatical opportunities for rostered leadership
• Support for congregations whose rostered leader, due to unforeseen circumstances, needs assistance
• Provide for ministries in specialized settings

To request a grant application and guidelines contact the Synod Office or download one here.

The application deadline is March 15, 2024

See more at nwimsynod.org/share

Congregational Insurance

Is your congregation’s insurance up-to-date? When was the last time your church council looked at the policy? Synod Treasurer Tami McHugh reported at the January synod council meeting that congregations around the country are being dropped because many buildings are aging. We write this only to encourage due diligence in looking at your policy regularly and, when still possible, maintaining a relationship with a local agent. Check out this document on the ELCA’s website: Guidelines for Purchasing Insurance. 

Another resource is a bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders. It addresses common, practical issues including finance, governance, risk management, tax, legal concerns and topics of interest about day to day operations and management in church settings.

Administration Matters

Northwest Intermountain Synod

REGIONAL GATHERINGS 2024

April 27 | May 4 | May 18

Funding Forward:

Stewarship for Today and Tomorrow

A place to belong. A welcoming and affirming community. An opportunity to serve. If these values are important to you, consider joining the Urban Servant Corps community in Denver, CO.

At USC, we believe that service is transformational -- it creates the opportunity for shared humanity and to faithfully respond to one another's needs. We also believe that in community, we are able to live more faithful, simple lives that are in service to one another. Our full-time volunteers live in an intentional community house in downtown Denver with others who are committed to social justice, racial justice, and accompanying vulnerable populations. Food, housing, health insurance, a monthly stipend, student loan debt reduction (up to $7000) and an annual "growth and development" allotment are provided. Additionally, Spiritual Direction, alumni mentorship, and professional development opportunities are offered as part of this experience.

Are you a young adult dedicated to social justice and a simpler way of life? Are you someone who hopes to explore or deepen your faith? Are you seeking experience in the non-profit/social service field? Priority deadline for applications is March 1.

Your Local Extension Office - a Potential Partner

My mom and dad depended on the South Dakota Extension Office in Custer County a lot when we first moved to the Black Hills. There were new weeds and plants to learn about and who better to help than the Extension Office? During my six years as a pastor in rural Iowa I sat on a team for the Monona County Extension that reviewed 4-H projects and I was immersed in the fun (and occasional politics) of county fairs.

When I took the call to serve at Trinity in Nampa, ID I fell into a strong church-Extension relationship. Trinity had long hosted a Victory Garden series taught by an Extension horticulturist. This led to us applying for an ELCA domestic hunger grant to teach people hands-on food preservation and create a recipe book for produce grown in Southwest Idaho. The Extension nutritionists were our partners every step of the way.

Ours is a synod full of agriculture and the Extension Offices are on the frontlines of working with small farms and sometimes big ag too. Further, so many of the congregations in the Northwest Intermountain Synod are doing food ministry. Have you connected with your local Extension Office?

Here are the links:

Washington State Extension

University of Idaho Extension

Oregon State Extension

University of Wyoming Extension