Enews: 'Wouldn't you like to be my neighbor'; look to the night sky; discernment opportunities; and more

January 23, 2024

Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA Enews

Draft Social Message on Gun Violence

The ELCA is developing a social message on gun violence. Social messages are ELCA teaching documents that draw from existing social teaching but throw a fuller and sharper spotlight on a particular social issue.

A draft version of this social message is now available for your feedback. Please take the time, alone or with a group, to study the message draft and share your affirmations, concerns, and suggestions via this survey form. If you have any questions, comments, or need a printable version of the survey, please email draftsocialmessage@elca.org.

Feedback is due by January 31. The draft will be revised in light of the public feedback and then considered for adoption by the ELCA Church Council in late March of 2024.

Synod staff this week

All synod staff persons are in the office during their regular hours Tuesday through Thursday this week, and most are working remotely on Friday.

The neighborhood where I grew up

“Our neighborhood is a fun, friendly, loving, caring, and simple yet happy life. It’s a neighborhood where you can go to one neighbor’s house and borrow a glass or sugar, salt, rice, etc., and pay it back whenever. It’s a neighborhood where the doors and windows are wide open. It’s a place where you can walk into other homes without appointments; the open door signifies that we are home and you are always welcome in our house.”

Read Mercy's blog

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and congregational communicators

You hear about people using AI to create graphics and content in all kinds of communications work these days. Is there benefit to using it in our church communications?

Join the conversation with other church staff, volunteers, and pastors who work with communications at the second annual Communicators Retreat. The day will include community building, networking, and the AI presentation and conversation. Presenters will be Sue Megrund from InterServe Ministries and Tyler LeClear Vachta from Augsburg University. Registration is required.

Thursday, March 7

9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.

Mount Olivet Retreat Center, Farmington

To register

Statewide ecofaith leaders

to gather in Duluth in April

The EcoFaith Network of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod is hosting its 2024 Summit for faith community members concerned about environmental stewardship. The theme for this year's summit is "Cross Currents in the Flood: Building Arcs Together for a Livable Planet."

Saturday, April 6

First Lutheran Church

1100 East Superior Street, Duluth

The climate crisis is no longer a future we are trying to avert: it is upon us like a flood, because we have become a flood. At the same time, we are being carried forward on Spirit-led cross currents toward new possibilities and new life. As we build arcs of relationship connecting generations, crossing boundaries, and healing divisions, we become the Ark necessary for a shared future, for a livable planet.

Noted Christian environmental ethicist Larry Rasmussen will be the kenynote speaker. His book, The Planet You Inherit: Letters to My Grandchildren When Uncertainty's a Sure Thing, won the 2023 Nautilus Gold Prize for books in Ecology and Environment.

Save the date. More information will soon follow.

St. Olaf College offers conference on worship, theology, and the arts

Under the theme "Nourishing Vocation," St. Olaf College is offering its 2024 Conference on Worship, Theology, and the Arts (CWTA). This year's conference will combine signature CWTA musical experiences with innovative and imaginative work being done by both the Nourishing Vocation Project and the Nourishing Vocation with Children, under the leadership of Rove. Dr. Char Rachuy Cox.

July 29 - July 31

St. Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

What to expect:

Inspiring worship ~ A pick-up choir under the direction of Dr. Anton Armstrong
Networking
Music Reading Sessions
Arts Encounters
Daily plenaries
Theology-in practice through child-attentive, arts-enriched, user-ready ministry ideas for you to take home and implement
Nourishing conversations

More information

Night Songs: The stunning projections of the night sky

An evening of music and poetry features the choirs of University Lutheran Church of Hope, Grace University Lutheran, First Congregational Church of Minnesota, University Baptist Church, Vocal U, and other metro area singers and instrumentalists. Come listen to beautiful music under stunning projections of the night sky!

Friday, February 9; 7:30 p.m.

University Lutheran Church of Hope

601 13th Avenue SE, Minneapolis

The event is free and open to the public.

More information

Grant program for sacred spaces expands

The National Fund for Sacred Places is a grant-making program that provides capital grants, as well as wrap-around support services, to congregations undertaking once-in-a-generation preservation projects.

The National Fund is now awarding a limited number of grants of up to $500,000 each year. In addition to this increase in available grant funding, Partners for Sacred Places has adjusted its matching funds requirement. Now, grantees requesting between $50,000 and $175,000 must raise a 1:1 match, while requests above $175,000 require a 2:1 match. Previously, all requests above $100,000 required a 2:1 match.

Letters of intent (LOIs) are being accepted until Thursday, February 29, at 11:59 EST. The LOI is the first step in a two-step application process. To access the LOI form, go to fundforsacredplaces.org/apply.

An information session will be held on Thursday, February 1, at 11:00 a.m.

To register

Discernment event at Wartburg Seminary

Wartburg Theological Seminary is hosting opportunities this spring for those discerning a call to ministry and interested in receiving a master’s degree at seminary. Wartburg is an ELCA seminary located in Dubuque, Iowa.

One opportunity is a discernment event titled "Considering Your Call." This in-person event will be held March 15 to March 17.

In-person Wartburg event

A second opportunity for connection to Wartburg seminary while in discernment is on online Open House on Tuesday, February 20; 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Online Wartburg event

Rev. Barbara Lundblad named 2024 Fosdick lecturer

Augsburg University Campus Ministry has announced that the Rev. Barbara Lundblad has been selected as the keynote speaker for the Seventh Annual Fosdick Lecture on Preaching. Lundblad, the Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching Emerita at Union Theological Seminary, will speak on the theme "Shall the Christian Nationalists Win?" (This title is an homage to one of Harry Emerson Fosdick's well-known sermons: "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?")

Thursday, February 29; 10:00 a.m.

Hoversten Chapel, Augsburg University

Livestream available

Lundblad is the author of two books, Transforming the Stone: Preaching through Resistance to Change (2010) and Marking Time: Reaching Biblical Stories in Present Tense (2007). She is a retired rostered minister in the ELCA and served as parish pastor in New York City for 17 years.

For more information

Where is the synod staff in upcoming weeks?

Pastor Craig Pederson will be preaching and presiding at the farewell worship services for Pastor Bob Lyndes at Crest View Senior Communities (Blaine and Columbia Heights campuses) on Wednesday, January 24.
Pastor Wondimu Sonessa will be preaching and leading an adult forum at Holy Cross Lutheran, Minneapolis, on Sunday, January 28.
Pastor John Hulden will be preaching and installing Pastor Trevor Skorburg at Zion Lutheran, Buffalo, on Sunday, January 28.
Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be leading a Ministry Site Profile review at Alleluia Lutheran, St. Michael, on Sunday, January 28.
Mr. Manuel Lewis will be leading an adult forum at Holy Trinity Lutheran, New Prague, on Sunday, February 4.
Pastor John Hulden will be preaching at Our Saviour's Lutheran, East Bethel, on Sunday, March 3.
Bishop Ann Svennungsen will be installing Pastor Chris Enstad at Bethlehem Lutheran (Minnetonka campus) on Sunday, March 10.

Upcoming Events

Courageous Leadership Webinars , Wednesdays
January 2024 Ministerium, January 25
Embodied Antiracism Practice Group for White Bodies, January 27 - February 5
Inspired Life: Mental Health Connect, January 30
Youth Group Confirmation Night at Luther Seminary, January 31
Addiction and Practical Solutions for Faith Communities, January 31
Refresher Course for Faith Community Nurses, February 1
Discipline That Connects, February 3
Night Songs, February 9
Middle School Retreat at Luther Crest, February 9-11
Conference Assemblies, February 10
Black History Month Concert with Mill City String Quartet, February 10
Children's Ministry Gathering, February 12
2024 Fosdick Lecture, February 29
Communicators Retreat, March 7
Bishop Nominee Forum, April 7
Bishop Nominee Forum, April 10
Bishop Nominee Forum, April 13
Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly, May 2 - 4, 2024
Ascension Day Breakfast, May 16

Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA www.mpls-synod.org