April 19, 2022
Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA Enews
Synod office update
Synod staff members are splitting time between in-office and remote work; the office remains closed to public meetings. This protocol will be evaluated periodically to reflect the CDC guidelines for vaccinated persons. 
ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant applications open
Applications for ELCA World Hunger’s 2023 Domestic Hunger Grants are now open! Organizations applying for an ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant for the first time must register by creating an account in ELCA GrantMaker to access the application. If your organization has already registered in ELCA GrantMaker, now is a great time to log back in and confirm that your contact information is current.
ELCA World Hunger hosted a Zoom webinar April 6 to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying. Interested organizations can access a recording of this webinar via the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.
Christ is Risen!
So is inflation!
“The miracle of Easter was celebrated again this weekend: “Christ is Risen!” And, for the first time in two years, there was the option to worship in person with others who were seeking the joy of the open tomb. As I worshiped with my family and enjoyed the spiritual blessings of that service – the music, the flowers, the message, the beautiful (unmasked!) smiling faces of young and old – I also wondered about the challenges that our fellow worshipers were bringing with them to meet the Risen Christ on that Easter morning.”
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Effective Church Councils Workshop Series
This series of four sessions, held over five months, is designed to help congregational councils grow in their role as leaders of the congregation, as well as learn how to have more effective and efficient council meetings. Tools will be shared to help lower the anxiety of leaders so that you are freed for creativity and handling the adaptive challenges your congregation faces. 

Session Dates are: 
Mondays 
April 25, May 23, June 20, and August 22
7:30-8:30 PM
On Zoom

Sessions will be recorded so that leaders who cannot be present can still receive content and be prepared for “homework conversations” at their next council meeting. 
ELCA Church Council
meets and takes action
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met March 31–April 2. The council, which serves as the ELCA's board of directors, took action on a variety of matters before this church. Among them were preparations for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, to be held August 8-12 in Columbus, Ohio.

Noting the changing culture and demographics of this country and citing research that shows many people are searching for meaning, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton asked the council to consider how this church will share the liberating word of the gospel with others and "also receive from them the way this gospel message has impacted and changed their lives in ways that we may not have recognized because it's not the way we've always done it."
Call for small-scale youth climate justice projects in member churches
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has issued a call for small-scale climate projects initiated and led by young people. “Climate justice is a priority advocacy issue,” says Eva Christina Nilsson, Director of LWF’s Department for Theology, Mission, and Justice, announcing the new call for proposals. “Climate justice points to the calling and need for everybody to take responsibility for the care of creation, and we see it as a matter of intergenerational justice.”

The deadline for proposals is May 8. Each project should be initiated and led by young people aged 30 years or younger, and requires endorsement by an LWF member church. Projects should run from July to October.

Contact Minneapolis Area Synod Congregational Organizer for Environmental Justice Jack Hurbanis to talk through this opportunity.
Do you quality for student loan debt forgiveness?
Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a program designed to forgive the remaining balance of student debt after 120 payments have been made. Rostered Ministers and employees of nonprofits may qualify for this program. However, this is only available through October 31, 2022. Read more about this federal program. 
Through its partnership with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), Portico is offering Financial Counselors to assist those who qualify. These counselors are familiar with concerns unique to the church and able to help us navigate the process. Call (800) 528-2926 to schedule an appointment with an LSS representative.
ELCA Seminaries Joint Discernment Event
The ELCA seminaries are excited to offer a collaborative virtual discernment event! If you or someone you know is discerning a call to ministry and might like to hear from all the ELCA seminaries in one space, join the ELCA seminaries on:

Saturday, May 7,
10 a.m. — 3 p.m. CST.

The event will include time for reflection and conversation around discernment, a session facilitated by seminary faculty, opportunity to connect with current students from all 7 ELCA seminaries and hear from their experiences, informational sessions about practical questions like financial aid, contextual education, academic programs, and more!
Registration is open for "Boundless (Still)"
Looking for an alternative to the youth gathering? Register today for Boundless(Still) for youth currently enrolled in grades 8-12.

Youth will participate in worship, group activities, service projects, art, music, a field trip to Valleyfair theme park and and more! Special guests include Rachel Kurtz, Austen Hartke, Osheta Moore, and Jenny Sung. Registration fee includes programming, activities, field trips, and most meals. Lodging is an additional fee and can be arranged through your leader at the host hotel, Holiday Inn Express, which is within walking distance to our home base at Central Lutheran Church. The link below will create a reservation in the room block at a discounted rate.

If you have questions, contact Julie Heaton, event coordinator.
Where is the synod staff in upcoming weeks?
Upcoming Events
Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA www.mpls-synod.org