April 13, 2021
Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA Enews
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A message from Bishop Ann Svennungsen |
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God Have Mercy.
We are heartbroken as our community grieves the killing of another Black person while in the custody of the police. We mourn with Daunte Wright’s family, his community, and all who bear this incredible trauma – compounded by the heartache of witnessing the Derek Chauvin trial. The Synod is committed to work and pray for racial justice – and to address systems that oppress and diminish life.
We also pray for our synod congregations in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center as they minister in their neighborhoods. As the need for logistical or financial support continues, synod staff will keep people appraised through the synod's Facebook page.
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ELCA Churchwide Domestic Hunger Grant process open again |
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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, log back in and confirm that the contact information is up to date.
Application Timeline:
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Registration open: March 17–May 5, 2021. Applicants must be registered in ELCA GrantMaker to access the application. Allow up to two weeks for registration approval. If you have not registered by May 5, you will not be able to start a new application. If you have already registered in ELCA GrantMaker, you do not need to register again.
- Application open: April 19–May 21, 2021
- Application review: June 2021–October 2021
- Awards recommendations shared with applicants and synods: November 2021
- Final awards approved and announced: February 2022
NOTE: Congregations with feeding ministries should watch for an announcement about the next round of Daily Bread Matching Grants in the coming months. Visit www.elca.org/dailybread to learn more.
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Indian Boarding Schools 101 |
From the moment the first ship reached the shores of the Americas, the Church has been a force of colonization, causing pain and suffering for Indigenous peoples. One particular colonial endeavor that caused lasting trauma, from which Indigenous communities are still recovering, is Indian Boarding Schools. With the motto “Kill the Indian, and save the man,” these schools were the federal government’s chosen method of forced assimilation. Most of these schools were run by the Church.
Led by Vance Blackfox, this presentation will give participants a more in-depth understanding of the history and harms of Indian Boarding Schools, the role of the Church in these schools, and what steps we might take toward healing.
Saturday, April 17
3:00-5:00 p.m.
Part Two: Story-sharing event
There will be a follow-up event with a panel discussion. Individuals who spent time in Indian Boarding Schools will have a chance to share their experiences.
Saturday, May 8
9:00-11:00 a.m.
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Earth Day
worship service
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Lutherans Restoring Creation will offer a special online service in celebration of Earth Day. This service is intended for use on April 25 (Good Shepherd Sunday), but can be downloaded for use according to a congregation's needs. The service will feature preaching by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, visual journeys, musical offerings, pastoral insights, and inspiration from lay leaders.
Register now to receive a special link with download instructions at least a week beforehand.
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Congregations invited to expand imagination
through faith practices and neighboring practices
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Note that the application deadline is Thursday, April 15. Email Nick Tangen with questions! Now is the time! |
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Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices: Renewing Congregational Imagination Minneapolis Area Synod congregations are encouraged to learn how to thrive through a renewal of spiritual practices and building meaningful relationships with neighbors. Join other congregations from across the Synod in a two-year learning cohort.
Applications are due April 15 and can be completed on the synod website. Contact Nick Tangen with questions.
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Asylum-seeker sponsorship training for church teams |
ELCA ministries at the border report positive movement for asylum-seekers entering the U.S. and needing accompaniment. In response, ELCA AMMPARO is offering a two-part training for congregations interested in exploring 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.
Thursdays, April 15 and 22
2:00-3:30 p.m.
Criteria for congregations to consider:
- Approval of leadership to explore asylum-seeker sponsorship
- Team of 5-6 people committed to work for a year or more to walk with the sponsored asylees, including ability to communicate in the asylee’s language
- Capacity to raise funds to cover costs for food, clothing, shelter, housing, medical care, legal fees, immigration case expenses, transportation, and incidentals
- Cross-cultural training and racial justice experience for team and congregation
- Capacity to connect the asylees with legal services, either pro bono or paid
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Mosaics available for congregational display |
The panel “Feed the World” is our call to end world hunger. The images reflect the Three Sisters that native peoples planted together: corn, beans and squash. It is a planting that naturally calls to cooperation. As in nature, we are all one; we are all in this world together.
The panel “Love the Earth” shows native flowers of Minnesota, which attract pollinators needed for life: butterflies, bees, hummingbirds. Under the earth, you can see a different kind of pollinator: bugs and animals that help create the soil that nourishes all of us.
The middle panel was done by attendees of the 2019 synod assembly, under the direction of Pr. Luisa Cabello Hansel, Artistic Director of Semilla and co-pastor at St. Paul’s. It shows the unity of the church with our Creator, the creation, and one another.
They were created by the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts at St. Paul’s Lutheran in south Minneapolis. Semilla means seed in Spanish, and the center works to plant seeds of hope by teaching and creating public art that can help make the community healthier, safer and more beautiful.
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Now the Green Blade Rises:
Storytelling for the healing of creation
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An EcoFaith Summit, hosted by the Northeastern Minnesota Synod
Saturday, April 17
9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Caring for creation is important to everything we do as a church. The EcoFaith Summit will be a day to provide individual insight and equip congregations to integrate care of creation throughout all congregational activities, including worship, education, congregational life, building and grounds, and community engagement.
The focus this year is on the Jubilee Year of Earth Day and how the stories we hear and the ones we tell can be germinators of the healing of creation. Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, New Testament professor and director of the environmental ministry program at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, will be the guest speaker for this event.
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Can digital worship work? |
Dr. Tim Snyder is offering Designing Digital Worship: A Workshop at two times in April. In this two-hour online workshop, participants will take a deep dive into the research-based principles that shape meaningful digital worship and tackle the specific design challenges their congregations are facing. Participants will also learn how design thinking can help the solve their digital worship challenges.
Wednesday, April 14
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Attendance for each date is limited to 20 participants, so register soon if you are interested.
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Meet your Middle Eastern siblings
in April
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April is National Arab American Heritage Month. Members of the ELCA's Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH) wish to share their history, culture, values, and contributions to the larger Church in a Zoom webinar titled Let Us be a Sign to You.
Thursday, April 22
6:00 p.m., Central Time
The event will include devotions and information on the identity of Arab/Middle Eastern Christian communities; how the ELCA can gain from, welcome, and support Arab/Middle Eastern members; and how the group has related positively with our Muslim and Jewish neighbors.
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Where is the synod staff in upcoming weeks? |
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Ms. Madeline Troyer will be preaching at Maple Grove Lutheran, Maple Grove, on Sunday, April 18.
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Pastor Craig Pederson will be offering a farewell for Pastor Joel Bergeland at Mount Olivet Lutheran, Plymouth, on Sunday, April 18.
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Ms. Madeline Troyer will be leading a virtual forum at Diamond Lake Lutheran, Minneapolis, on Monday, April 19.
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Ms. Madeline Troyer will be leading a virtual forum at Immanuel Lutheran, Eden Prairie, on Wednesday, April 21.
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Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be offering a Report from the Bishop at the Minneapolis Area Synod Virtual Synod Assembly on Friday, April 23.
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Ms. Emilie Bouvier will be preaching at Hope Lutheran, Jordan, on Sunday, April 25.
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