The annual ELCA Youth Leadership is coming to the Twin Cities this fall with a Nov. 4‐7 event in Minneapolis. The synod is able to send two high schoolers and an adult advisor to this event for which all expenses are paid. Applications from a three person team from your congregation (two youth and one adult) can be submitted to Bishop Lull via email at patricia.lull@spas-elca.org by Aug. 15, 2021. Application is very simple – names of three participants, contact information for adult advisor, and a 40-word essay expressing why your team should be the one to represent the Saint Paul Area Synod. Learn more. If you want to be an insider to some of the planning for the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering, spend a great weekend in Minneapolis, and meet youth leaders from across the country don’t let the Aug. 15 deadline slip by!

- Bishop Patricia Lull

In 2019, our synod was awarded a grant through the Thriving in Ministry Initiative of the Lilly Endowment. Applications for the Second Act Cohort (Round Two) will be accepted until Aug. 1! If you are a rostered minister in this synod with between 4-10 years of public ministry experience, you are eligible to apply! You can read more about our Lilly grant, including the Executive Summary of our grant proposal here. With questions, contact Program Director Anna Marsh at anna.marsh@spas-elca.org.

This week we also remember the nine persons killed by a white supremacist at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, as they gathered for an evening Bible study: Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton; Mrs. Cynthia Graham Hurd; Mrs. Susie J. Jackson; Mrs. Ethel Lee Lance; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor; Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney; Mr. Tywanza Kibwe Diop Sanders; Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, Sr.; and Mrs. Myra Singleton Quarles Thompson.

This year, the commemoration comes as an alignment with an urgent witness against street violence in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Rather than gathering for a specific worship service, you are invited to join the 21 Days for Peace, led by the historic black churches in the Twin Cities, including the AME congregations in Minnesota. Details for participation in the 21 Days for Peace are outlined in this letter from Presiding Elder Stacy Smith, President of the Minnesota Council of Churches Board, and Curtiss DeYoung, CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches. Resources for prayers and liturgies may also be found at https://www.elca.org/emanuelnine. You may also click here for a video message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton about the Emanuel Nine commemoration.

Care-filled Worship and Sacramental Life in a Lingering Pandemic is a comprehensive update from the Ecumenical Protocols for Worship, Fellowship, and Sacramental Practices consultation. Incorporating the latest CDC guidance, this update informs decision making and basic practices of Christian worship and congregational life at this stage in the pandemic. The ELCA has been an ongoing partner in this consultation since the early days of the pandemic. The consultation included an ecumenical group of theologians, scientists, physicians, pastors, bishops and practitioners from seven church bodies. Download the guide here.

The consultation will host a roundtable discussion with public health experts and pastors in a time of progress and uncertainty concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. How will congregations minister to those who are vaccinated and those who are not vaccinated in multigenerational settings? What church activities should we continue to adapt or avoid, such as congregational singing or shaking hands?

There's a fun and special opportunity for youth and young adults in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area Synods…please share with your young people!

The ELCA Youth Gathering is looking for a diverse group of youth and young adults (ages 14-22) to be part of the music video being produced for the 2022 Gathering theme song. Participants will be needed on Monday, July 19, 2021, for one to two hours in downtown Minneapolis in the late afternoon or early evening. All participants need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 19. Further details will be provided in the week leading up to the video shoot. A t-shirt will be provided to all who participate. Participants will also need to sign a media waiver and a COVID-19 travel waiver which will be provided in early July. Those interested and available should indicate their interest by filling out this form by June 30. Gathering staff will select individuals in early July and send notifications to all. 

Volunteer applications are now being accepted for the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering in Minneapolis! There are three categories of volunteers:

For a detailed list of responsibilities and requirements or to apply, visit https://elca.org/Gathering/Volunteer. Applications close when they’ve hit capacity—so don’t wait!

It's not too early to start thinking about “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday on Sept. 12! This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Congregations all across the ELCA are invited to create service project opportunities that support their community, from food drives to letter writing, neighborhood clean-ups to inspirational lawn signs. Learn more at https://www.elca.org/dayofservice and find links to project and promotional resources. Check out this video that shows projects in action last year!

This event is sponsored by Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis and United Theological Seminary in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Hennepin History Museum. The suggested ticket price is $10, but donations of all sizes or none are accepted to ensure the event is accessible to everyone. Learn more and register.

So many of us have lost a friend, family member, or other loved one to addiction. That loss may have been slow or sudden but no matter how it happened, the sense of grief and loss is always deep. The ongoing stigma around addiction and overdose can make a difficult grieving process even harder and lonelier. Join Zoom for a panel discussion with those who have lost loved ones and learn how to support others who are grieving. Presenters are Kelli Nielsen, founder of The Grief Guru, and Gloria Englund, founder of Recovering U. The webinar is hosted by the Center of Addiction & Faith. Register.

Head out solo or with friends and family to run or walk at a location you choose, enlisting others to sponsor your 5K. Learn more and sign up for this free event at cherishallchildren.org/race. You'll receive a Cherish All Children 5K race t-shirt as an important member of the fundraising team. If you’re unable to participate and would like to make a gift to support the work, visit donate.lssmn.org/Cherish5K. Thank you! Questions? Contact Joy McElroy at joy.mcelroy@cherishallchildren.org.

The Community Video Hymn Sing has been a virtual ministry offered by Elizabeth and Paul Damico-Carper since the start of the pandemic. Many of us have been comforted, encouraged and entertained by Elizabeth and Paul and their occasional guest musicians and we thank them for their online ministry over these many months. The daily livestream on Facebook helped people sing together when the COVID-19 pandemic kept us from physically singing together. To celebrate our society's collective emergence from the depths of the crisis and the return of some measure of communal singing, they are gathering outside to sing hymns and songs together on Raspberry Island in St. Paul.

Bring a blanket and a lawn chair, a hat, and some sunscreen. They'll provide a hymn-sing booklet, a dessert made by Shobi's Table and an afternoon of vibrant singing, prayer, and sharing. Donations can be made through the Eventbrite site or in person at the event (recommended donation of $10/person). Once administrative costs are met, all proceeds will benefit the ongoing food ministry of Shobi's Table. Register and/or make your donation. 

This retreat for women clergy and women working on staff in churches around the theme, "Women's Leadership in the Church: Ongoing Challenges and Unspoken Joys." Based on her books, SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Ministry and EMBODY: Five Keys to Leading With Integrity, the Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis will guide participants in discussing the opportunities and obstacles faced by women church leaders. How can we navigate lingering sexism and patriarchy as we return to a new normal? How can we be replenished and empowered for ministry? This retreat will focus on theological issues and practical strategies to embolden authentic and embodied leadership in the church today.

Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary and an ELCA pastor. An accomplished author and widely-sought-after preacher and teacher, she also is the host of Working Preacher. Single occupancy cost: $500, double occupancy cost: $450, dorm room cost: $375. Fee includes two overnight stays, six meals, programming and activities, complimentary book, EMBODY: Five Keys to Leading with Integrity, use of amenities, and tax. Register here.

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