Read Bishop Lull's full message.

Registration continues for this year's Synod Assembly. Discounted “early bird’ registration of $35 per person is in effect through April 16. 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 synod's "Addressing Hunger" blogger, Vernita Kennen, has been thinking about doors and how they relate to our work as people of faith to end hunger. This month, she invites us to ask ourselves these questions:

As more congregations and organizations across the Saint Paul Area Synod begin to make use of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) as a tool for assessing and developing their intercultural skills, there's growing demand for a network of qualified administrators (QAs) to accompany them on their developmental journeys.

If you are a licensed QA who is affiliated with a Saint Paul Area Synod congregation or partner institution and you'd like to connect with others while building a community of practice, fill out this interest form or contact the Rev. Peter Harrits in the synod office.

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 (note this change in days!) 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.

Register here.

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 ope. 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.

ELCA World Hunger will host a webinar via Zoom on Wednesday, March 24, at noon to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying. To join this virtual event, you must complete a brief registration by noon today (March 22) in order to receive the webinar link. Please note that the webinar will be recorded and accessible on the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.

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.

Looking for a special addition to your congregation’s celebration of confirmation this year? Bishop Lull will write a letter to each confirmand, welcoming them to the next chapter in their faith life. If your congregation is interested, contact Anna Marsh (anna.marsh@spas-elca.org) for more details. Please allow two to three weeks before the service of confirmation.

Lutherans Restoring Creation will present the ELCA community with 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 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. Learn more.

Augsburg University's Riverside Innovation Hub is recruiting 12 new congregations to join them in a two-year partnership exploring the call to be and become a public church. A public church is one committed to place-based vocational discernment in the public square for the common good, seeking to participate in God's promises for life and thriving for all. Applications are due April 15. Click here for the project overview.

In 2019, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) launched a study process to explore the ways our global Lutheran identities are lived out through biblical interpretation, worship and the work of justice, peace and reconciliation. As a member of the LWF, the ELCA is taking part in this unique study process. This is an opportunity to discern the ways in which we, in our own contexts, express law and gospel, faith and works, nature and grace, justification and sanctification, freedom and vocation – all parts of our common theological identity.

This Lent, you are invited to reflect on your Christian and Lutheran identities by participating in the Global Survey on Being Lutheran. We also ask that you invite others in your churches to participate. The survey will be open through March 31, and responses gathered will help to shape the 13th LWF Assembly in 2023. In addition, between now and June you are invited to take part in a larger conversation that

will transpire across the LWF communion. The LWF has produced a discussion guide titled We Believe in the Holy Spirit: Welcome to a Global Conversation on Being Lutheran. This guide will help lead your congregation’s Christian education and/or youth group on a journey of mutual discovery and learning.

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 March 31, Pastor Lucille “CeCee” Mills will draw participants into a conversation about Women in Ministry through the lens of faith, history, and the current reality. Come learn, share, and celebrate. How have women been omitted or misrepresented? How has gender identity given space and opportunity for authentic lives? How can you be an interrupter of systemic issues, offensive language, and/or offensive behavior? 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.

Learn about considerations for fire safety, medical, mental health and weather emergencies in the context of faith communities. Attendees will learn who needs to be involved in emergency preparedness, faith community nurses' role in planning, and how to work with community resources such as fire, police, and emergency services. Breakout groups will allow time for participants to share about current safety practices and how to apply presentation information to their own practice. Attendees will leave with concrete resources to create emergency plans in their faith community. The symposium is sponsored by the Faith Community Nurse Network, but this program is open to all who are interested. The cost is $25 for faith community nurses and $40 for others. Learn more and register.

www.spas-elca.org | 651.224.4313