The Pre-Assembly Report for our 2021 Synod Assembly is now available for download here. This document includes the proposed agenda, rules of procedure and 2022 budget, as well as the Nominating Committee's report of elections taking place including bios of nominees, the Bishop's report and general information.

The discounted early bird registration deadline has now passed, but regular registration continues through April 27. All participants must be registered by April 27. Voting members may register themselves or a congregation may register its full group. Please check with your congregation to find out how this is being handled. The only registrants for Synod Assembly in 2021 will be Voting Members and Advisors. All other interested parties may view the proceedings on Facebook Live or the synod website. Learn more and register at https://spas-elca.org/events/synod-assembly/.

To help voting members prepare for Synod Assembly, we are encouraging attendance at one of two digital orientation sessions, which will be held Tuesday, May 11, 6-7 p.m. and Wednesday, May 12, 4-5 p.m. The content is the same; attend just one. The first half of each session will be focused on the basics of using the Zoom conferencing platform; experienced "Zoomers" are encouraged to join at the 30- minute mark for assembly specific skills such as voting with the Election Runner platform.

In addition, we are offering voting members an opportunity for a pre-assembly discussion on the proposed budget, any proposed resolutions and synod ministries. Two times will be available: Tuesday, May 4 and Thursday, May 6, both at 7-8 p.m. Content will be the same for both sessions. More information and Zoom links to these sessions will be emailed to assembly registrants by May 1.

Today on Zoom - you can still register! Who's coming to your church website and what are they looking at? Allen Bredeson from Brandography will explain how to use Google Analytics to gather data about the usage of your website. Google Analytics is a free tool that provides a variety of information about your website visitors, such as:

These are valuable insights that can provide important direction for your outreach and ministry! This session is for congregational communicators, rostered ministers and office administrators who have access to the administrative area of the church website. Register here for the Zoom link.

As members of the Twin Cities' community gather to seek racial justice, a group of volunteer chaplains are present to offer a listening ear, help de-escalate situations and provide a peaceful presence at George Floyd Square and the Hennepin County Courthouse. Donations are being accepted for the interfaith chaplains to distribute among those who gather: bottled water, Rubbermaid tubs w lids, snacks/granola bars, doughnut shop gift cards, coffee shop gift cards, cash donations. Donations will be accepted during specified days and times this week at St. Paul-Reformation, St. Paul, and First Covenant, Minneapolis. Click here for details.

There is no cost for this event, but we do ask that you register so that we have your up-to-date information including the Zoom link. Please also feel free to bring your own happy hour beverage (or toast!) of any kind! Register here.

In 2016 the ELCA repudiated the doctrine of discovery, calling for the worshipping communities, synods and the denomination as whole “…to acknowledge and repent from this church’s complicity in the evils of colonialism in the Americas…”(CA16.02.04). As part of this work, the Saint Paul Area Synod's Advocates for Racial Equity work group, in partnership with the Minneapolis Area Synod and the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, is offering a two-part Indian Boarding Schools presentation and discussion. Part One, "Indian Boarding Schools 101," was held this past Saturday. During Part Two on May 8, we will hear from individuals who spent time in Indian Boarding Schools. Register here.

April 20, 1999, was a tragic day at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 and wounded more than 20 others before killing themselves in one of our nation’s largest mass shootings. Rev. Dr. Rick Barger, former pastor of Abiding Hope Lutheran Church in Littleton, was one of the first upon the scene. Over the following months he was a major person in the aftermath and healing process. Prior to retirement, he had been President of Trinity Seminary in Ohio, and written and spoken extensively about the event. Rick will present his Columbine Reflections, and be part of the conversation on actions which can be taken to address gun violence prevention. To access the event, click this link: meet.google.com/ave-pewd-sms at 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21. For more information, email ronletnes@hotmail.com.

Many congregations in our synod have partnered with the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (Lutheran Church of Guatemala) over the years. Through the mutual sharing of stories, songs, prayers, and worship our lives have been enriched and our faith has deepened. This year's Guatemala Gala theme is "Partners in Education" and we're raising funds for:

Watch on the synod's Facebook page or website. Learn more at www.spas-elca.org/2021-guatemala-gala.

Open doors invite us in to gather, and open doors send us out to meet our neighbors. The ELCA is offering a new grant opportunity for congregations that are seeking support for ministries as they look at resuming in-person worships and gatherings. Applications will be accepted beginning April 21 around these questions:

Successful applications from an ELCA congregation will contain a specific and actionable idea for how its ministry might enable members to meet new people while regathering in community as COVID-19 considerations allow. Learn more and apply.

Lutheran World Relief invites your congregation to go on a world tour with a virtual adult forum. Through videos and stories, the team at Lutheran World Relief is ready to take your congregation around the world and show you how your love is at work through rooftop farming in India, quilt and kit distributions in Lebanon, keeping our neighbors safe from COVID-19 in Africa, and much more. Staff are available to visit via live Zoom or prerecorded video. Click here to let LWR know your congregation is interested.

Applications open today, April 19, for 2022 ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants! Visit www.elca.org/domestichungergrants to learn more and how to apply. Organizations applying for a grant for the first time must register by setting up an account in ELCA GrantMaker in order to access the grant application. If your organization is already registered in ELCA GrantMaker, now its a great time to log back in and confirm that the contact information in your account is up to date.

NOTE: Congregations with feeding ministries should stay tuned for the next round of Daily Bread Matching Grants in the coming months. Visit www.elca.org/dailybread to learn more.

On March 24, FEMA announced it would begin providing financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020, for deaths related to COVID-19. An applicant must meet a number of eligibility requirements related to U.S. citizenship, documented death certificate related to COVID, funeral expense documents and more. Click here for details.

The synod office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A limited number of staff are on-site each day. You may continue to reach all staff members by phone (651-224-4313) or by email.

Rostered and lay leaders are invited to a weekly gathering of topical presentations designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders. On April 21, the topic is "Growing Young: Prioritize Young People (and Families) Everywhere" led by Rachel Alley and others. Recordings of past sessions are available at www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/media. Upcoming topics and presenters may be found at www.elcacoaching.org/.

or by phone: +1 312 626 6799

For Earth Day 2021, we have the wonderful opportunity to learn with Michael Quinn Patton, one of the leaders in the field of evaluation studies, about how environmental and climate issues have a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color. He will teach us about environmental justice, which connects planetary sustainability with social justice. We will learn details about how those most vulnerable and disadvantaged will be most affected by the climate emergency, as they have been most affected by COVID-19.

Michael is working in many parts of the world on the intersection between food systems, social justice, sustainable development goals, and climate change leading up to the United Nations Global Food Systems Summit in September. He is working with The McKnight Foundation using Blue Marble Evaluation (global/local interactions) to support their agro-ecological initiatives in West Africa, Southern Africa, and the Andes and their leadership in the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.

This session is a Learning Community Event of Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul and is free and open to all. Learn more. If you would like to receive the Zoom link, please RSVP here.

Mt. Olivet Conference & Retreat Center is continuing its Living Well, Leading Well virtual workshop series with a new offering related to spiritual discernment for realistic re-entry. When this pandemic subsides, life will change, but we are not going back to how things were. As we head from one unknown into another, there will be exhilaration and there will be grief. Join Pastors Kara Root and Lisa Larges from Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis in exploring how to live with discernment, gentleness, and compassion in this transition. Together we will draw from a wellspring of spiritual gifts and practices to guide and sustain us in the months ahead. Learn more and register.

Another workshop, "Healing Collective Trauma," will be offered on Saturday, May 22, led by Professor Deborah Hunsinger of Princeton Seminary. She will share psychological and spiritual tools for increasing

resilience and finding hope and joy in our life together. Learn more and register.

Do you know a high school student with a gift for ministry? Help them begin their discernment journey by accompanying them on a virtual seminary preview on Thursday, April 27. Preview is an opportunity for pastors and other servant leaders to lean into discipleship and to accompany the high school students in whom they see ministerial gifts on a “trip” to Luther Seminary. This year, preview will take place on Zoom. The registration deadline is April 20. Learn more.

St. Andrew's in Mahtomedi is offering a “Celebration of Life Conversation” to help attendees learn more about how to make end-of-life decisions that work best for them and their families. The session is free and open to the public. St. Andrew’s staff and expert community partners will provide information on planning health care directives, estate planning and memorial options. The event, hosted by St. Andrew’s Congregational Care Ministry and The Foundation of St. Andrew’s, is also ideal for those helping parents navigate end-of-life plans. To register and for more information, call Christa Getchell, Executive Director of the Foundation of St. Andrew’s, at 651-762-9102, or visit www.saintandrews.org/foundation.

Narratives of addiction & recovery have become their own genre, with familiar shapes and forms that reflect deep cultural ideas about morality, free will, and social responsibility. Dr. Kate Gaudet will explore some of the most common stories about addiction, providing tools for understanding on a narrative and structural level. From this foundation, we will explore whether the familiarity of some stories might create barriers to recognizing different experiences of addiction or approaches to recovery, and think about where we might find more diverse accounts to inform our understanding of and response to addiction. Dr. Gaudet is on the faculty in Humanities at the U of New Hampshire. The webinar is hosted by the Center of Addiction & Faith, Tim McMahan King and Pastor Ed Treat. Register here.

World class communicator Rob Bell has been profiled in The New Yorker, toured with Oprah, and was one named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2011. He is also the author of 10 books including What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Love Wins and What is the Bible?. Church Anew is offering a two-part event with Rob:

The cost is $30 for Monday only and $69 for both days. Learn more and register.

www.spas-elca.org | 651.224.4313