Did you know we have a Synodical Women's Organization (SWO) that is affiliated with Women of the ELCA (WELCA)? This organization now has a new page on the synod's website where you can read its Bridges newsletter, find a list of SWO leaders, discover ELCA devotional resources and more. Check it out at https://spas-elca.org/synodical-womens-organization/. But wait, there's more! The Saint Paul Synodical Women's Organization also has a new Facebook page! Like it and follow it at https://www.facebook.com/spaselcaswo.

This Advent and Christmas season, the synod's Care of Creation work group invites you to join them in adding green practices that will allow us to live more gently, gratefully, and sustainably on the earth. The group has identified many ways that you can show your care for creation in your gift-giving and other activities this season.

To help you out, we have provided a list of suggestions for you to consider for environmentally-friendly gifts and donations. There are also gift cards to use when presenting gifts of time, service, and skills, and donation cards to present with gift donations in honor of the recipient.

These are also posted on the Care of Creation page of the synod webpage, along with many other resources.

Lay leaders, ministry volunteers and church staff are invited to join us for learning and networking at this event for all congregations in our synod! There will be two rounds of workshops that cover a variety of areas related to congregational life: finances; children, youth & family ministry; global partnerships; spiritual gifts; storytelling; LGBTQIA, caring faith communities for those with mental illness and more. We'll bring back our always-popular president/vice president forum too!

We are excited to be planning for an in-person Tool Kit with appropriate protocols for the ongoing pandemic, such as shortening the day and removing lunch from the schedule. Registration will open on Jan. 10, but start talking up Tool Kit with your leaders now. It's free to all!

Rostered ministers and lay voting members from the synod's 110 congregations and mission starts should plan to attend conference assemblies on Zoom according to the following schedule:

Business may include resolutions for consideration at Synod Assembly, elections or other agenda items. Check how many voting members your congregation has. Not sure which conference your congregation is in? Check our map of congregations and conferences! Registration will open on Jan. 3.

The ELCA has its 2021 annual report cover available for download. It includes a cover page, message from Presiding Bishop Eaton, a litany and a little blurb to show congregations how their generosity has made an impact. The document is available in two formats as two-page spreads or as single pages. NOTE: The synod typically provides its annual report from the Bishop right after New Year's. We'll send it off in an email to congregations, rostered ministers and communicators when it's ready.

Staff and volunteers who lead middle and/or high school youth in their congregations are invited to gather on Zoom for conversation and brainstorming! We'll discuss what programming might look like in the new year, the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering and more! Join the conversation with the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Area Synods' CYF team! Lisa Sampson from Grace in Apple Valley is the host. Questions? Contact Lisa at l.sampson@graceofav.org.

Guns are the second leading cause of death for American children and the leading cause for Black American children. As caring and compassionate Lutherans, we are called to do something about these tragic statistics. The “good news” here is that all of these deaths are 100% preventable. If we join forces, gun owners and non-gun owners together, we can learn to “Be SMART” about gun safety for children, teens and families. And we can spread this important message in our congregations and communities.

This class will feature an awareness-raising non-partisan presentation from Be SMART (www.besmartforkids.org), a national organization for promoting firearm safety for children and teens. Also included in the discussion will be information on how to access the Be SMART presentation for use in congregations. Other ideas for ways to present and discuss firearm safety and teen suicide prevention in church settings will also be discussed.

Jill Chisholm will present the Be SMART material and will lead the discussion along with Pastors Ron Letnes and Rolf Olson. Jill is a licensed parent educator and a trained Be SMART presenter. She has trained Be SMART presenters throughout the state and nation and has presented to a variety of educational and community groups. Questions? Email letnesron@gmail.com.

Staff and volunteers who lead children's ministry in their congregations are invited to gather on Zoom for conversation and brainstorming! As kids are now being vaccinated, what changes are in store for 2022 in your ministry? Join Rachelle Gill and Julie Vagle to discuss what programming might look like in the new year. Questions? Email rgill@easter.org.

Meeting ID: 850 7612 9637

Passcode: 473439

Children's ministry gatherings are offered regularly as 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.

Each year during the season of Advent, churches in the Lutheran World Federation share hymns from their congregations to show how the Lutheran communion regions prepare for Christ's coming into this world. This year, participating churches include the Lutheran Church in Singapore, Romania, the Netherlands, Malawi, Guyana, Canada, Burundi and Angola. The first hymn was shared yesterday and the last will be on Dec. 24. Learn more.

Applications are now being accepted for the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) for 2022-2023! Please share the news about this amazing opportunity for a year of international service for those ages 21 to 29. YAGMs walk alongside our global church companions in the spirit of accompaniment.

Participants form deep relationships, live in intentional community and confront issues of globalization, economic disparity, colonization, race, gender, sexuality, and more through the lens of faith. Current YAGM country programs include Argentina/Uruguay, Cambodia, Central Europe, Jerusalem/West Bank, Madagascar, Mexico, Rwanda, Senegal and United Kingdom. Learn more.

Current research on addiction and recovery reveals important facts about the important of gratitude. The roots of gratitude are found in the world's great religions but in recent decades psychologists have been studying the emotional benefits of gratitude. In even more recent years, social scientists have been studying the impact of gratitude on addiction recovery. Dr Amy Krentzman will discuss six prominent ideas from psychology that explain how gratitude supports addiction recovery. She will also discuss recommendations for a daily gratitude practice that come from her research. This webinar is free from The Center of Addiction & Faith. Register here.

The National Lutheran Choir invites you to experience its 36th annual Christmas Festival, "The Earth Adorned." The program features Aaron David Miller's Chanticleer, Paul John Rudoi's Orbit Carol and the Creation Suite by Dr. Larry Fleming. In-person performances will be held Friday, Dec. 10 (4:30 and 8 p.m.) and Saturday, Dec. 11 (8 p.m.) at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Tickets for adults and seniors are $33; students may pay what they can; 18 and under are free. If you can't make it in person to the concert, you can watch the livestream for free on https://nlca.com/ in real time on Friday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. Learn more.

The 2022 Ignite the Church Conference will be a hybrid event offering both an in-person gathering in Orlando, Florida, and an online option. The conference theme of "Seismic Shifts: Where Do We Go From Here?" is grounded in Psalm 46:1-2. Four group sessions will focus on the following shifts:

Ten 90-minute workshops will dig deeper into these shifts to offer encouragement, inspiration and challenge for church leaders. Register by Nov. 30 to access the lowest $99 in-person rate. The online option will provide live and recorded access to each large group session and the post-conference resource page. The online option is free with a suggested donation of $30 to the ELCA Fund for Leaders. Learn more.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything homiletically, it is that trauma should be a regular part of our preaching. The 2022 Festival of Homiletics will create space for learning and conversation that honors what we have been through and what kind of preachers we want to be as survivors of the storm. Christian preaching knows it can’t get to the resurrection without going through the cross. But COVID-19 revealed that we are less aware of what it means to preach resurrection with the cross remaining. Registration is open. Learn more.

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