If your congregation has not yet registered its voting members, be sure to do so in the next few days as the discounted “early bird’ registration of $35 is honored just through Friday, April 16. After Friday, the registration fee is $50 per voting member. 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/.

The pre-assembly report for our 2021 Synod Assembly will be posted to the synod website this Wednesday, April 14. This document includes the agenda, proposed rules of procedure, the proposed 2022 budget, the Nominating Committee's report of elections taking place including bios of nominees, the Bishop's report, as well as general information.

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.

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.

According to researcher and therapist Pauline Boss, “ambiguous loss” is generally defined as “a loss without closure, social acknowledgement or ritual.”  It is a relational disorder triggered by an outside event affecting who we are in relation to others. Our Christian connection is found on Holy Saturday living as the women who weep at the foot of the cross not knowing what will come next — the women who never stop loving Jesus while they anoint his body and visit his tomb. For many people, Holy Saturday is not one day, it’s every day. The absence of life is not the end, it’s the beginning of a completely different reality and identity set aside from what should have happened.

NOTE: To learn more about the synod's mental health grants, visit https://spas-elca.org/resources/for-leaders/mental-health-grants/.

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 during the next two weeks at St. Paul-Reformation, St. Paul, and First Covenant, Minneapolis. Click here for details.

How do we re-engage families after a year of isolation? What makes our ministry more like a community when we haven’t been together? Join us as we talk about these questions and more! Questions? Contact Rachelle Gill at rgill@easter.org or Julie Vagle at juliev@trinitylonglake.org.

These children’s ministry gatherings are offered on the second Monday of every month through a partnership of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Area Synods. Notes from previous gatherings may be found in the “files” section of the Twin Cities CYF ELCA Facebook group.

With the great need we are seeing from ministries at the border with asylum-seekers entering the U.S. and needing accompaniment, ELCA AMMPARO is offering a two-part training for congregations interested in exploring congregational asylum-seeker sponsorship. To register, send an email to mary.campbell@elca.org. Congregations are encouraged to gather the names of their own participants and send names and emails by April 11.

Here are criteria to consider to help determine if this could be feasible for your congregation:

Questions? Email Mary Campbell, AMMPARO Program Director, at mary.campbell@elca.org.

The event will feature Dr. Barbara Rossing, Professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, Director of Environmental Studies Program; along with diverse storytellers. Small group breakout sessions provide the opportunity to react, dream, consider future actions and share. Along with worship, biblical and other stories, the purpose is to strengthen the grassroots movement among the people of God, to hear the cry of creation and heed God’s call to respond. All are welcome! Register (free) and learn more at http://bit.ly/ecofaithsummit21.

This event is hosted by the EcoFaith Network of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod, together with

the EcoFaith Network of the Minneapolis Area Synod, Lutheran Advocacy Minnesota, Lutherans Restoring Creation, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, the Saint Paul Area Synod Care of Creation Work Group, and Together Here Ministries - Northeastern Minnesota Synod. Download a poster here.

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.

Registration for 2022 ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants is now open. 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 once it opens on April 19. 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.

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 14, the topic is "The Eisenhower Matrix: Managing Time and Priorities in a Too-Busy World," led by the Rev. Dana Peterson, DEM for the Rocky Mountain Synod. The Eisenhower Matrix, also referred to as Urgent-Important Matrix, helps you decide on and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, sorting out less urgent and important tasks which you should either delegate or not do at all. 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

Easter Lutheran in Eagan is offering a Caregiver Support Series, presented by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. Normal conditions can be difficult to be a caregiver and pandemic conditions make this important role even more challenging. This series will provide practical knowledge to make you a better caregiver, tips on how to assist caregivers, steps to prepare you for a future caregiving role and preparation for your own aging journey.

You may be thinking “I’m not a caregiver, I’m just a son/daughter, a mother/father, a neighbor, or

friend who provides support to someone I know and love.” Well this series is for you, too! We want you to be able to rock the caregiving experience! Turn it from a burden to an opportunity...from surviving to thriving!

You must register to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Email pastorbrandon@easter.org.

The Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University extends an invitation to its April 13 seminar. Even though “alleluias” have returned to our liturgies, we continue to lament with those affected by violence, the ongoing pandemic, and ecological disasters. This seminar will look to the psalms, liturgical tradition, and current practices in order to suggest ways to incorporate more lament into our worship practices. All registrants will receive a handout and link before the seminar. Presenter Gail Ramshaw is the Professor Emerita of Religion at La Salle University in Philadelphia. The cost is $25. Learn more and register.

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.

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