The registration deadline for Synod Assembly is TOMORROW, Tuesday, Aug. 11! The Synod Assembly will be held online Sept. 25-26 and your staff is hard at work coordinating all of the unique planning for this unusual year.

Due to the online nature of this year's assembly, voting members must have access to:

If you have any questions about registration, call our office at 651-224-4313 or email michael.gold@spas-elca.org.

Bethlehem is just one of the congregations supporting our synod's Food Shelf Challenge to raise an additional $50,000 for food shelves in our area (above and beyond the norm). Before COVID, 1 in 11 Minnesotans struggled to afford food; now, 1 in 8 face hunger. Learn more at www.spas-elca.org/a-food-shelf-challenge.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota has presented Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview with its 2020 Servant of Christ Award. This award honors congregations that exemplify its shared value of neighbors serving neighbors. The award recognizes Incarnation's support for the LifeHaven transitional living services program for teen mothers through financial gifts, in-kind donations and volunteer activities. Click the image below to see a video recognizing Incarnation's contributions.

In her August column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton says, “Darkness and blackness and night are too often contrasted with lightness and whiteness and day, and found deficient.” She wants us to “consider the beautiful dark works of God.”

Darkness isn’t a symbol of emptiness, or godforsakenness. It’s not synonymous with everything that is dry and barren and lifeless. Nine chapters later in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (12:24). I think of the rich, black soil of my native Ohio. Each spring it brings abundant life. Single grains become many; individuals become community. As Sister Joan Chittister wrote: “Darkness deserves gratitude. It is the alleluia point at which we learn to understand that all growth does not take place in the sunlight.”

Read the full column in English or Spanish.

God calls everyone to do God's work in the world...How is God calling YOU? Two sessions in this three-part series have been held, with the finally one this week:

These conversations are brought to you by Region 3 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), located in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.

Worship on the Farm's third gathering of the summer will be Aug. 12 on Zoom. Register to receive the link and join in at 6:30 p.m. for fellowship and worship, hosted by Christ the King in White Bear Lake, House of Prayer in Oakdale, Lakeview in Maplewood, Our Redeemer in St. Paul, Redeemer in White Bear Lake and St. Mark's in North St. Paul. Learn more and register.

Pastor Kirsten Fryer had been just nine months into her new call at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Midway when the neighborhood that she serves was upended in the days following the death of George Floyd. Almost overnight her church building became a pop-up aid distribution center filled with hundreds of volunteers, thousands of pounds of food and supplies and tens of thousands of donations. The relief that came was immediate and temporary.

So what's next? Join a live conversation with Pastor Kirsten as she discusses:

Participants will be asked to reflect with one another on their own responses to the clear and present needs of the day in the context of COVID-19 impacts on global relationships, record numbers facing hunger and public reckonings about systemic racism. Please register by noon on Aug. 18 to receive log-in instructions. Learn more and register.

There is so much uncertainty about what the Fall will look like for our congregations. Will we be together for worship or continuing to meet virtually? Will there be any Sunday School or Confirmation or other education opportunities? Many of our churches also use the Fall season as a time to carry out stewardship campaigns and education. During this pandemic we have an opportunity to try new ways of reaching people and continuing to teach and preach generosity.

The Saint Paul Area Synod Stewardship Committee invites pastors and deacons to join a discussion about stewardship leadership and practices during this pandemic. This discussion will be a time of sharing and listening. If you have great ideas of how to reach people with a message of sharing during COVID-19, please share them with the group. If you are not yet sure what approach to take to stewardship this Fall, you are invited to come and listen, ask questions, and learn. We are all a part of God’s church, and right now we need each other. We need to share creativity, we need to listen and help one another through the isolation, and we need to continue to remind our people of the deep connection between faith and generosity.

This Zoom call is not a lecture or a sales pitch, it is a time for church leaders to gather, share, discuss,

offer ideas, provide hope, and lift one another up as we look toward what stewardship campaigns

and education will look like in the coming months. This discussion will also move us further down the

road of offering great stewardship practices in our congregations during these unusual

circumstances. Your voice is needed and valued!

Join this Zoom meeting via computer or call +1 312 626 6799.

Meeting ID: 868 5755 0428

Passcode: 487066

Join the action; get informed! The Advocates for Racial Equity (ARE) work group is hosting TWO Zoom opportunities on Aug. 26 for individuals, congregations and communities:

Attend one or both! Please register by noon on Aug. 26 to receive the Zoom link and further details.

Members of Congress will leave soon for their “August Recess” (a time to work in their home districts and states). The August recess is a great time to schedule a meeting to build a relationship, AND our colleagues at ELCA Advocacy have created a Virtual Visits resource!

So, check out the resource & potential issues, choose an issue, gather a group from your church or community, and request a virtual meeting. Make your main points early since often the meetings are very short (and sometimes once the Congressperson starts talking it can be difficult to get back to your points). Meet with your group virtually in advance to plan your strategy, talking points, and who will cover which points. [If you need help, just let me know!]

In the meeting, share why you care, give local information related to the issue, or talk about how people in your community are impacted. Putting the issue into the context of faith from the start can help set a positive tone, prevent defensiveness, and diffuse partisanship.

Tammy Walhof

Director, Lutheran Advocacy - Minnesota

651-238-6506 | tammy@lutheranadvocacymn.org

Click here for the full message from Tammy, including a list of topics and talking points based upon ELCA Advocacy priorities.

The synod office is open this summer from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. A limited number of staff will be on-site each day. You may continue to reach all staff members by phone (651-224-4313) or by email.

Rostered and lay leaders alike are invited to a weekly gathering of topical presentations designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders. This is an opportunity to be in small group discussions with an ELCA group coach facilitating the conversation. On Aug. 12, the topic is "To Be Young, Gifted and Black Servants of God" with Pastor Mary Martha Kannass with young adults from Hephatha Lutheran in Milwaukee. As context, it is recommended that you watch a short video of Nina Simone discussing and performing Young, Gifted and Black. These "Being Church" sessions are now being recorded and are available at www.elcacoaching.org/.

or by phone: +1 312 626 6799

Faith Formation Renewal Retreats through Green Lake Lutheran Ministries are meant for congregations' staff and volunteers who have a hand in faith formation. They may attend alone or with other team members for a time of renewal before entering fall ministry. The first 24 hours of this retreat will be silent, providing time to simply stop and enjoy God’s creation. There will be opportunities for hiking, swimming, kayaking/canoeing/paddle boarding, as well as crafts or you can read, sleep, or do whatever you need to feel refreshed. The hope is that you'll hear God's voice as you are able to slow down and be quiet.

After these 24 hours, there will be group devotions and a time of sharing: What does ministry look like for you right now? What has worked really well? What can we learn from each other? Could there be some helpful collaboration to make your planning feel lighter? On the final morning, there's time to develop action steps for what is next for you and your ministry so you can return feeling both renewed and prepared for the fall. The cost is $40 per person. Learn more.

Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center in Farmington is offering complimentary retreat offerings for persons leading communities of faith and non-profits whose mission focuses on dismantling racism and other forms of systemic injustice. It's also offering free meeting space and use of all amenities for daytime retreats for churches that identify as black, brown, indigenous, or immigrant and for other communities of faith and non-profit organizations whose mission centers on racial equity, justice, and reconciliation. Learn more.

The retreat center, an affiliate ministry of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, also offers these online workshops, classes and retreats:

Angst is a film-based education program designed to raise awareness around anxiety, with an emphasis on youth and families. The 55-minute film includes interviews with kids, teens, experts, and parents and is appropriate for ages 10 and up. Its purpose is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. A panel discussion will be offered promptly after the film with access to further resources and materials. There is no registration fee. Learn more.

With all the time that we are spending at home in this pandemic, simplifying our lives and living spaces has real appeal. But how do we do this well and how does it relate to our life of faith? The answer is simple: focus on the aspects of life that matter most and intentionally remove everything else. In this online workshop, we will learn about Christian Minimalism and how it connects to Christian life. Jesus came so that we could live our lives abundantly (John 10:10) and it’s clear from reading the Gospels that the abundant life Jesus calls us to live is not about accumulating possessions, making a lot of money, or receiving worldly accolades or power. Join ELCA Pastor Becca Erhlich and author of the blog, “Christian Minimalism,” for this timely and interactive online event. The cost is $20. Learn more.

How can we have meaningful, transformative dialogue across sociopolitical and ideological divides? How can we treat others with respect and uphold their humanity even when we vehemently disagree? How can we persist in advocating for social change especially racial equity and justice in our current context? In this four-part online course, participants will explore these questions and more from the perspective of compassionate (or, nonviolent) communication. This four-part series is facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Theresa Latini, Mount Olivet's executive director. The cost is $35 per person (maximum of $50 per family). Learn more.

Join the Faith Community Nurse Network of the Greater Twin Cities for a symposium on “Creating Dementia-Friendly Faith Communities.” In the first part of the program, attendees will be led through a Dementia Friends training. The second half will include a presentation on providing effective spiritual support to people with dementia and addressing a congregation's attitudes toward dementia. Attendees will receive concrete resources to get started in becoming a dementia-friendly congregation. While this program is designed to meet the continuing education needs of faith community nurses, all are welcome. Presented by Ann Dunagan, BSN, RN, PHN, faith community nurse, TRUST Inc.; Annette Sandler, MA, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis; and Carolyn Klaver, RN, faith community nurse, Lyngblomsten. The cost is $25 for FCNs and $50 for others. Learn more.

www.spas-elca.org | 651.224.4313