A copy of the 2022 Pre-Assembly Report is now available on the synod website. This document includes the proposed agenda, rules of procedure and budget; the report of the Nominating Committee and information about the nominees; proposed changes to the constitution; as well as general information about our 2022 Synod Assembly. Click here to view the Pre-Assembly Report.

The Synod Assembly will be held Friday, May 13 (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Saturday, May 14 (9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) at St. Andrew's in Mahtomedi. Pre-registration is open through April 29. During this time, the registration fee is $65 per person. If you miss this window, you may register on-site at a cost of $75 per person. Questions? Contact the synod office at 651-224-4313.

"Food" or "nutrition"? You might wonder about the difference, but there certainly is one. We speak about people being hungry as we might feel when we’ve gone past a normal mealtime or skipped a lunch. But we speak of children being malnourished when they fail to gain weight as expected, fail to thrive, or when they suffer from diseases such as beriberi, pellegra, kwashiorkor and others. Children such as these may be the ones who are listed in the “stunted” category in many health reports.…

The Hunger Awareness and Advocacy group in my congregation has been reading together a book with the curious title, Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal by Mark Bittmann. We have learned much of the history of foodstuffs, especially here in our United States. We are finding discomforting realities about food growers, processors, manufacturers, and distributors to say nothing of food advertising. We are paying better attention to our own eating as well as to the kinds of food items we consider as donations to local food shelves and feeding programs.

Choose the one that meets your financial and time realities and learning goals. If you are unsure how recently you participated in a workshop, contact Michael Gold in the synod office at michael.gold@spas-elca.org or 651-224-4313. Learn more and register.

Justification for the purchase and use of guns places the Second Amendment of our Constitution in its core. The Constitution is not anti-gun. The Constitution is about “insuring domestic tranquility and promoting the general welfare.” [Preamble]

How can we balance gun rights with the call to live safely with each other? Dr. Matthew Filner, Professor of Constitutional Law at Metro State, will guide our ENGAGE-FOCUS conversation as we engage this faith-life-value question. Hosted by ENGAGE: Lutherans for Gun Violence Prevention, a work group of the Saint Paul Area Synod. Click here to register to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Contact the Rev. Dr. Ron Letnes at letnesron@gmail.com.

This camp offers daily worship and Bible studies, recreation and offsite service projects,musicians, speakers and campfires. There will be interaction with the local Native American culture, river canoe trips, swimming and paddle-boarding. Accommodations are "hotel-like." Special guests include David Scherer and Joe Davis, Jonathan Rundman Band, Rachel Kurtz and others. Registration is via youth group only for youth who have completed grade 6 and up. Space is limited; the cost is $400 per person, including four nights lodging and 11 meals. Reserve your expected group size ASAP or before Easter. Individual registrations will open on June 2 if space allows. Download a PDF. Visit the camp website.

This gathering is hosted by Humble Walk Lutheran Church in St. Paul and Pastor Jodi Houge. Registration opens April 5 for grades 8-12 for programming that includes worship, group activities, service projects, art, music, a field trip to Valleyfair and more. Special guests include Rachel Kurtz, Joe Davis, Austen Hartke, Osheta Moore and Jenny Sung. Registrants are asked to stay on-site at the host hotel, the Holiday Inn Express. Registration opens tomorrow (April 5)! The estimated cost is $200, not including lodging. Learn more.

This event is an alternative to the ELCA's Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), which was to precede the ELCA Youth Gathering. This event is for ELCA members who are Black, Indigenous, +/or People of Color (BIPOC) who will be entering grades 9-12 in the 2022-23 school year and their youth group peers who are of European Descent. European Descent youth in these grades will acquire training in allyship to BIPOC people and experience and celebrate the cultures of our BIPOC youth in unique ways. Learn more.

News headlines have been particularly dire this spring, and the investment markets have responded with nerve-rattling volatility. A newly-updated page on myPortico will give you context for the short- and long-term effects of market leaps and plunges. And a new blog post by Portico Chief Investment Officer David Quello addresses how Portico is responding to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Spring allergies? Worn out by Lent? Remember: Portico members with ELCA-Primary health coverage have 24/7 access to text-based primary care from board certified physicians through the 98point6 app – at no out-of-pocket cost, thanks to recent action by Congress. You read that right: $0 copay for all ELCA-Primary members, Apr. 1-Dec. 31, 2022. Find out more on myPortico. (And take care of yourself!)

Questions? Reach out to the Customer Care Center at 800-352-2876 or your Portico Regional Representative, Deacon Terri Endres, at tendres@porticobenefits.org or 952-221-2000.

Registration for ELCA World Hunger's 2023 Domestic Hunger Grants is now open! Organizations applying for a grant for the first time must register by creating an account in ELCA GrantMaker to access the application once the window opens on April 18. If your organization is already registered in ELCA Grantmaker, now would be a great time to log back in and confirm that your contact information is still accurate. Learn more.

Informational Webinar - ELCA World Hunger will host a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 6, at 12 p.m. to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying. Register here for the Zoom link. The webinar will be recorded and accessible via the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.

Congregations with feeding ministries should also watch for the next round of Daily Bread Matching Grants in the coming months! ELCA World Hunger Daily Bread Matching Grants support congregations and their partners as they work toward a just world where all are fed. All ELCA congregations with feeding ministries are eligible to participate. These grants provide daily bread for neighbors experiencing hunger while also serving as a tool for ministry fundraising and capacity building. Registration and applications for the 2023 Daily Bread Matching Grant will open April 25, 2022. Learn more.

The Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI) is an annual summer program for high school students (9th-12th grades) focused on theological reflection and vocational discernment connected to an annual theme. It is a collaborative effort sponsored by Augsburg University’s Christensen Center for Vocation and supported by Lilly Endowment, Inc.

With year's theme of"God's People [re]connect!," participants will ground themselves in biblical stories of connection and disconnection, and stories of theologians throughout time who can teach us about connection. Students will develop a theological understanding of connection and disconnection and seek ways to share these gifts with the world.

Students who attend AYTI take their questions and curiosity to the public square to learn, listen, pray, and play on the Augsburg campus, in the neighborhood, and in the city. Participants engage in daily reflection with a theologian, community based learning, small group relationship building, and worship. This commitment to wonder about how God is calling us to the common good for the sake of the world, is the reason why high school students leave AYTI inspired to be God’s hands and feet in the world. Registrations are due by May 1. Learn more.

Please note that guests are expected to wear masks except when eating. Dinner will be served in meal boxes, not in a buffet. This activity is open to vaccinated guests; proof of vaccination will be required. Click here to register for a Taking Heart Ramadan Iftar near you.

Deacon Tammy Devine will lead a rare opportunity - permission - to pause, listen to self, one another and God. You will be invited to consider what might be getting in the way of Being Present to the PRESENCE. It's a time to gather in a safe space, where you might name what you are hearing as you quiet yourself. Consider what you desire to let go, name an intention to support you in living into your best self, for the sake of passing on God's abundant love. Tammy Devine is a Professional Certified Coach who is passionate about health, healing and wholeness.

The Courageous Leadership Series is offered weekly on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. to hear from various leaders across the church. It usually includes small group break-out rooms. Learn more at https://www.elcacoaching.org/events/courageous-leadership. Recordings of previous sessions are available.

Tired after a lengthy Lenten journey? Join Rev. Nicole Havelka, registered yoga teacher, for a two-hour post-Easter yoga release including: gentle movement, restorative yoga (the laying around kind!) and guided meditation. Learn more.

AND

Reminder: The Ministry Lab worked with Lutherans Restoring Creation to create a beautiful Earth Day Worship Service. Free to use April 24 or anytime thereafter. Learn more here; register to receive the link here. Let your own body, mind, and soul experience a little New Life this Easter!

The National Lutheran Choir's spring concert features the world premiere of Lament of the Earth by composer Steve Heitzeg and celebrated poet Susan Palo Cherwien. Special guests include mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski and the Minnesota Boychoir. In-person admission is $35 for adults (free for 18 and under), but it will also be livestreamed at www.nlca.com and broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio. Learn more.

The upward climb of the past year has presented many challenges for young people. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) has come together to help youth build resilience and perseverance to reach the summit of their aspirations. This benefit is available via livestream. Registered guests will receive an email with instructions for joining the virtual gathering. Learn more.

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