There's still time to apply for a "Gleaning From the Harvest" Ministry Grant from the synod! These grants are meant for exploration and experimentation in the following areas:

The funds are to be used to create a new ministry or enhance an existing one that will intentionally reach out to people who are not already connected to your community. Funds may not be used to simply cover normal operating expenses already in your budget. The idea is not about church growth (although that may happen), but rather about bringing the good news of Christ into the world. We encourage creativity, fun and risk taking! The application deadline is Feb. 14.

Conference Assemblies are an opportunity for the six geographical regions of our synod to gather and caucus (which may include electing representatives, considering resolutions and hearing about synod activities). Our 2022 Conference Assemblies will be held on Zoom as follows:

African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrating Black History Month with Talks at the Desk, a new series that will explore diverse expressions of the church. Tune in each Wednesday in February at 7:30 p.m. Central Time to hear youth, young adults, rostered leaders, elders and friends of our communities share their own sacred stories.

This week, the video is "Black Boy Joy" where we'll hear about gifts, the importance of mentorship and church investment in our youth. The ELCA is preparing a discussion guide for the series, which can be found at www.elca.org/adm. For more updates, follow @ELCAADM on Twitter and Instagram or check out the ELCA African Descent Ministries Facebook page.

Tool Kit is a wonderful opportunity for lay leaders, ministry volunteers and church staff to hear from experts in a variety of areas related to congregational life. It's also a great place to hear experiences and perspectives from people in other congregations!

This year's Tool Kit features two rounds of workshops that cover a variety of areas related to congregational life: gift-oriented ministry; young adult ministry, leadership skills; storytelling, online worship production and much more. View the full list of workshops and presenters. There's no cost to attend so encourage all of your leaders to join us. Full vaccinated, mask-wearing participants are welcome!

Join Pastor Kate Reuer Welton for a conversation about young adult ministry, gleaned from her experience working with young adults over the last 10 years as Lutheran campus pastor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The workshop will explore themes of curiosity, authenticity and community as grounding practices for engaging young adults in faith formation and community praxis. Though Kate's expertise is in 18-24 year olds on a large, secular campus, the workshop will make space for questions and conversations about young adult ministry within and outside of congregational life as well.

Pastor Kate Reuer Welton (she/her) serves as the Lutheran Campus Pastor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She graduated from Harvard Divinity School (MDiv) in 2006 and Luther Seminary (MTh) in 2010, after which she was called to serve among the good people at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

The ELCA has introduced “Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent” to help congregations wrestle with the meaning of the declaration, adopted at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, and its accompanying explanation.

“Now Is the Time” stresses realism, self-examination and accountability as the church acknowledges and apologizes for the history and impact of slavery and systemic racism. The study guide focuses on deepening our understanding of this history as participants engage in often-difficult conversation and reflection to move the church toward racial healing and justice. The five-part study resource, with a guide and participant materials, is available at elca.org/resources/racial-justice.

Need is growing following evacuation of thousands of Afghan refugees to the United States, and we hear the call to bear witness to God's love with Afghan newcomers who have lost their homes and must make new beginnings. Lutheran Disaster Response, the ELCA AMMPARO network and ELCA Witness in Society are helping congregations and individuals answer the call to engage in co-sponsorship, financial support and advocacy meaningfully and effectively as we rise to show welcome in the days and years ahead. Register here.

Our next sessions for leader training for the synod's Planting Hope Campaign are in February! Participants receive a detailed leaders' manual, which walks them through the process and options for running not only this synod campaign, but future congregational stewardship or fundraising efforts. Congregations should make every attempt to have their campaign leaders attend on Feb. 8 if they didn't attend the first training opportunities. Learn more.

If you're going to the ELCA Youth Ministry Network's Extravaganza, come meet up with others from Minneapolis and Saint Paul Area Synods! We'll be COVID safe (no food) AND Spirit filled as we connect and re-connect. Our group will gather in Minneapolis Ballroom E at the Hilton. This will be led by Paul Erdmann and Josh Svenulski and the MAS/SPAS CYF Leadership Team.

The synod's Advocates for Racial Equity (ARE) will host a Zoom panel discussion examining the Saint Paul Industrial School, which operated at one time as an Indian Boarding School in Clontarf, Minn. This will be a chance to get a closer look into what led this small town to build and operate such a program. We'll examine the ongoing impact of Indian Boarding Schools and discuss the ways in which suppression keeps us from rumbling with our past. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

This event is for all Women of the ELCA! For the last several years, A Day for Making Comfort has been held on the fourth Saturday of January. This year, it will be held on Saturday, March 19, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Stillwater (1616 W. Olive St.).

Women from throughout the Saint Paul Area Synod are invited to gather to complete comforters for those in need, both locally and internationally. No experience is needed. Come for the whole time, for just an hour or for whatever amount of time works for you. Bring a lunch if you will be there around noon! Bring a friend and enjoy the fellowship while making a difference in the world.

Are you feeling called to discuss race, skin color, and equity with your children but you are not sure when or how to start? This class will discuss and practice ways to convey values of inclusion, respect, empathy and social justice to kids through everyday conversations, interactions and family activities. Books and other resources will be shared. This class is taught by licensed parenting educator Jill Chisholm, who has presented several workshops on gun safety and children for the synod's ENGAGE work group. She will be joined by other parents of young children (preschool through elementary-aged). Jill has had formal Race Equity Training through the St. Paul Public Schools and has taught on related topics at the University of Minnesota and a conference for the Minnesota Association for Early and Family Educators. This class is offered through Roseville Community Education and is $59 for the series. Learn more and register.

The importance of caring for mental health—especially after two years of a global pandemic—has never been more evident. Many of us are worn out. How do we understand experiences of mental illness within the context of Christian faith, and how do we practice patience, compassion, and boundaries for those who struggle? Join Pastor Emmy Kegler as she shares from her new book, All Who Are Weary: Easing the Burden on the Walk with Mental Illness. The book offers a pastoral and scriptural accompaniment to those facing symptoms and diagnoses of mental illness along with the families, friends, communities, pastors, and therapists who care for them.

Emmy is a pastor, author and speaker called to ministry at the margins of the church, especially among LGBTQIA+ Christians. She serves as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Her first book, One Coin Found: How God’s Love Stretches to the Margins, tells her story as a queer Christian called to ordained ministry and how it formed her relationship with scripture. All are welcome to this community event! The cost is $10 per person. Learn more and register.

Join the National Lutheran Choir in a program of music and hymns for choir and congregation celebrating creation and the call to be stewards of the earth. The concert will feature guest conductors Tom Trenney and NLC’s Tenor Section Leader Shaun Halland, alongside Artistic Director David Cherwien at the organ.Tickets are $28 for adults/seniors; ages 18 and under are free. Masks and proof of vaccination are required. Learn more.

The Christian Education Network is offering another Faith Formation webinar led by facilitators from Lifelong Faith Associates. "Formation for Christian Learning" will be held online on March 10. The cost is $12 per webinar ($10 for CENetwork members). Learn more at www.faithfulteaching.org.

This is a free, practical preaching workshop by Backstory Preaching. As preachers begin their sermon prep and open the text, the first question they often ask is "What am I going to say?" It's a question fueled by anxiety that they won't find something worthwhile to say—or worse, won't have anything to say—especially when they've seen the text a thousand times before. But what if they never had to ask that question again? This one-hour workshop will guide lay and ordained preachers through the simple process that lets them see the text with fresh eyes, allows the message to reveal itself, and draw them closer to God at the same time. This session is offered by the Rev. Dr. Lisa Cressman, founding steward of Backstory Preaching. Register here for the Zoom link.

Our times, our faith and our desire to make a sustained difference for social justice have called us to interfaith advocacy "for such a time as this." Our faith-based civic engagement has never been more important! The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) invites you to join them. The keynote speaker is Maharat Picker Neiss, executive director of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council. Learn more and register.

Bread for the World regional organizers hold quarterly regional online meetings to update and equip our members and to introduce Bread to those who are new. In these meetings, you will learn about the status of Offering of Letters and current legislative priorities, hear from and connect with Bread members in your region, and consider timely action steps you and your group can take to advocate for an end to hunger. Register here.

Augsburg University Campus Ministry invites you to participate in its 6th annual Fosdick Lecture on Preaching. "Preaching in a Time of Crisis" features Pastors Ingrid Rasmussen and Angela Khabeb from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. This webinar will be live streamed from Hoversten Chapel in the Foss Center at Augsburg University.

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, located just off of Lake Street in the 3rd Precinct, found itself at the heart of the explosive response to the brutal killing of George Floyd and the centuries of trauma that preceded his death. During the months that followed the uprising, the church responded by distributing donated food, diapers, toiletries, plywood for boarding up broken windows, cleaning supplies, and tools to the community. This remained a primary part of Holy Trinity’s work throughout the summer and fall of 2020. Pastors Rasmussen and Khabeb share their insights on preaching during this time of crisis and reflect on how these experiences continue to shape their understanding of theology and ministry. Register here.

The Faith Community Nurse Network of the Greater Twin Cities (FCNN) is an interfaith

nonprofit organization serving faith community nurses (also called "parish nurses") across Minnesota. It is offering the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course again in spring 2022 and is required for RNs seeking to practice as Faith Community Nurses (FCNs). While only RNs will receive Continuing Education Units, others such as chaplains, health ministers, faith community nursing coordinators may also enroll.

The course will be held via Zoom and includes several self-learning modules. The curriculum has been updated to include trauma-informed care to help nurses care for persons who have experienced psychological and/or spiritual trauma. Students will learn:

The course provides 38 contact hours taught by a diverse faculty of advanced degreed nurses with experience in education and faith community nursing. The cost is $425. Learn more here or contact the FCNNTC office at contact@fcnntc.org or 651-204-0904.

www.spas-elca.org | 651-224-4313