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January 21, 2026
EaND News and Events
| NOTE: This version has been corrected to include information on an upcoming Church Council Training on February 22. | |
Giving Hearts Day: February 12, 2026
Giving Hearts Day is February 12, 2026. We encourage you to participate in this regional day of generosity!
Leading up to February 12, we will be sharing reflections about the impact of the synod's ministry across Eastern ND. You can be a part of the work that we do across the Eastern North Dakota Synod. We hope that you will consider a gift and help us reach our goal of $80,000. We have already raised $40,000 in match dollars. Early Giving is now open!
In the spirit of generosity, we are having a Conference Giving Challenge! We are looking for 100% participation before (scheduled) or on Thursday, February 12 from all Rostered Ministers, Synod Lay Ministers, or candidates currently serving at ministry sites in your conference. This year's prize is Norwegian Heart Shaped Waffles. Pastor Brad will come to a Conference Gathering and make you fresh waffles with delicious toppings. More than one conference can win this challenge – all it takes is 100% participation!
Download the 2026 Bulletin Inserts:
Learn more about Giving Hearts Day at this link.
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Church Council Training
February 22, 2026 @ 3:00-5:00pm
Presenter: Rev. Emily Carson
This interactive workshop for congregation council members will equip council leaders to recognize and steward the power entrusted to them with wisdom, humility, and care. Together, we’ll explore the differences between authority and control, formal and informal power, and healthy versus harmful uses of power in congregational settings. Rooted in faith and grounded in practical theology, the session will offer tools for navigating conflict, building trust, and honoring boundaries in ways that support a thriving, healthy church culture. Participants will reflect on their own relationship to power, engage real-life scenarios, and consider how the wise use of power can be an expression of love and justice. This workshop will leave you more confident and clear about your role in the body of Christ.
Slides and the recording will be available after the training upon request.
Click here for the Zoom link.
This information is also available on our website.
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2026 Mission Support Intent & Annual Report Resources
Thank you for your partnership in ministry! As you finalize your congregational spending plans for 2026, we ask you to give prayerful consideration to your congregation’s mission support for 2026, knowing that your generosity not only funds our work as a synod but contributes to the impact made by our vast churchwide ministries. In addition, a number of resources are available on our website to tell about the impact of your partnership and generosity. We hope you include these in your annual reports or as part of your annual meeting, and share the story of our life together!
Find resources and learn more on our website or click on the individual resource links below.
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Stewardship Webinar:
"Church Council Treasurer 101"
February 9, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Zoom
You are invited to a practical session designed to support church treasurers in congregations of every size. Whether you are brand new to the role or have been doing it for years, this conversation will offer clarity, confidence, and community. The event is free, but pre-registration is required to help us plan well and provide materials in advance. Register By February 8th, 2026.
Click here to register.
Learn more and view previous webinars
at this link.
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Bishop Election Information
As we journey together in faith, we approach a significant moment in the life of our synod: the bishop election process. This process is both an election and a call, governed by our synod’s constitution and guided by prayerful discernment. We invite you and your congregation to hold our synod, the process, and all nominees in prayer as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
A Bishop Election Information webpage has been created on our website to share information about the election process as it becomes available from the Nominating Committee. You can also download the following documents for more information on the timeline and other details about the election.
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Boundaries Training
The Eastern North Dakota Synod is partnering with the Southeastern Minnesota Synod to offer an online Boundaries Training on February 17, 2026 from 1:00-4:00pm. Rostered ministers are required to complete a boundaries training every three years.
Click here to register.
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Joint Theological Day 2026
Save the date for Joint Theological Day: April 16, 2026 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead. Pr. Emily Harkins will be our speaker. More information coming soon!
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Youth Summer Road Trip
No youth worker? No problem! Let the staff of the Eastern North Dakota Campus Ministries organize a week of fun for youth in grades 8-12 for the 2025-2026 academic year. We will experience faith, fellowship and fun as we venture to Winston Salem, NC. This road trip, completely organized and led by campus ministry staff, offers high schoolers a chance to grow spiritually, build friendships, and serve alongside The Dwelling, a ministry dedicated to loving and learning from neighbors experiencing homelessness. Learn more and register at this link or download this flyer to learn more.
Questions? Contact Pr. Kim Adams at kim@lcmndsu.org or Pr. Aaron Bye at aaron@christus-rex.org.
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Call Process
Please pray for congregations and rostered ministers in the call process. You can find a list of congregations currently in the call process on our website.
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Notice of Rostered Minister & Family Deaths
The synod office is occasionally notified of the deaths of rostered ministers and/or their spouses who at one time served in Eastern North Dakota but are no longer on our synod's roster. We share that information in this e-newsletter when we receive it. The following information has been recently shared with us. We give thanks for the life and ministry of these individuals:
Carol Mitskog died on December 29, 2025. She was the wife of Rev. Arlington Mitskog, who served parishes in Cogswell, Sharon, Harvey, and Buxton, ND. Read her obituary here.
Rev. Nathan G. Lundgren died on January 8, 2026. He previously served Augustana Lutheran Church in Grand Forks. His obituary and service information will be available at this link.
Almighty God, source of all mercy and giver of comfort, graciously tend those who mourn, that, casting all their sorrow on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (ELW, p 281)
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CaSTLE Project Webinar:
How to Lead Change without Losing Your People
February 3, 1:00 - 2:15pm CT
Facilitator: Erin Ramirez
When change hits your congregation or synod, whether it's a pastoral transition, budget cuts, facility decisions, or shifting community needs, the technical part is rarely the hardest. It's the people part: resistance, conflicts, or members who just disappear. This 75-minute session gives you a practical framework and specific tools to lead through real change while keeping your community engaged and your own leadership grounded. Come ready to work: bring a current or upcoming change you're facing so you can apply what you learn immediately.
Who Should Attend? Synod leaders, pastors, and ministry professionals from small town and rural synods who want to lead in the face of change with steadiness, creativity, and faith.
Download this flyer to learn more.
Register at this link.
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Recent Communications from Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry
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January Mission Support Memo
Our January 2026 Mission Support memo connects us to Community Lutheran Church in Sussex County, Delaware where they are working to build-bridges for justice and love. Read about how they deeply care for their community through being a feeding hub, offering English classes and advocacy, caring for creation, and working toward dismantling racism, building equity, and empowering inclusion.
Click to download the PDF version.
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Seminary Sampler Weekend at Luther Seminary
March 20-22, 2026
Immerse yourself in the Luther Seminary community! You’ll join others interested in exploring seminary to spend time in conversation, study and discernment.
- Meet with current Luther Seminary staff, faculty, and students.
- Visit with local Twin Cities ministry leaders and hear about how they are living out their calls.
- Enjoy a weekend in Minneapolis and St. Paul as you wonder how God is calling you forward
Learn more and register at this link.
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Racial Justice and Faith Courses
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is offering a set of 6-week online asynchronous courses scheduled for 2026 on topics related to Racial Justice and Faith.
These classes are designed for anyone - clergy or lay, any age, any identity, any level of church involvement. No undergraduate degree is required. The cost is only $250 per course (with group discounts and discounts for PLTS alumni), and after four courses are completed, one will receive a Certificate in Racial Justice and Faith from PLTS.
The first class will be on the topic of Womanism and Social Justice and will begin on February 9. More information is available here.
Enroll by January 25.
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Young Clergy Women International Conference 2026
Registration for Conference 2026, “Welcome to the Table,” is now open! YCWI members from around the world will gather in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, from July 27-30th, 2026, for professional development, connection, and community. There are a variety of ways to attend conference and we invite you to learn more on the conference website.
Membership in YCWI
Members gain access to our online communities, resources, job board, and in-person opportunities for connection, along with the chance to write for Fidelia Magazine or submit a book query for publication with Chalice Press. Learn more about YCWI at this link or click here to learn about membership.
Membership in On the Road
On the Road (OTR) features the opportunity to connect with women in the ordination process. OTR members get access to our monthly newsletter, featuring opportunities for growth and additional participation. This year in particular, On the Road members are invited to attend the YCWI Conference.
| Registration is now open for the ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering. The gathering will take place July 6-9, 2026 in Indianapolis under the theme "Woven Together." Click here to learn more. | |
Reconciling in Christ Sunday 2026 - Worship Resources
Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday is an annual worship celebration created to share in the commitment our organization and partnering faith communities have in the ongoing work of welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the church. While historically this day is celebrated on the final Sunday in January, many RIC partners will celebrate on their date of affirmation, or on other days meaningful to their communities rooted in this commitment to radical hospitality. We hope you enjoy Resilient Community as we join collectively with our 1,140+ partners across the United States and Canada through this celebratory service.
Check out this year's worship resources here.
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Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering
The Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Triennial Gathering will take place July 16-19, 2026 in Des Moines, IA.
Click here to read about this year's theme, see a list of speakers, browse this year's workshops, and more!
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Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course
Concordia College Parish Nurse Ministry Program, Moorhead
The Parish Nurse Ministry Program of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN will be offering the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course March 5, 12, and 19 (on-line via ZOOM) and April 9, 10, and 11 (in-person at First Lutheran Church, 619 N. Broadway, Fargo, ND, 58102). The deadline to register is February 5, 2026. The program is open to licensed RNs who are interested in personal growth and/or starting a health and healing ministry within a faith community.
For additional information, please download this flyer or email Dr. Jean Bokinskie, PhD, RN, PNM Program Director, at bokinski@cord.edu or call/text 701-866-3063. Please visit our website for detailed information, program resources and a link to complete your registration. Parish Nurse Ministry | Concordia College
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Augustana University Buntrock Scholars Program
The Buntrock Scholars Program at Augustana University supports students who are active and engaged in ELCA congregations throughout the Midwest by covering half of the net price of attendance, up to $13,000 per year.
Applications for Fall 2026 are now open. Find more information and the application at augie.edu/BuntrockScholarship.
Congregations whose students are awarded the Buntrock Scholarship are strongly encouraged to provide some level of financial support to help the students cover the other half of net tuition. The donor’s vision for this generous scholarship program is to partner with congregations and synods to make college more accessible for young people in the Church.
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Phone: 701.232.3381
Physical Address: 1555 43rd St S, Suite 100, Fargo, ND 58103
Mailing Address: PO Box 2019 Fargo, ND 58107
Office Hours:
Monday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Tuesday: 9am-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-4pm
Thursday: by appointment; phones answered between 1-4pm
Friday: 9am-4pm
The physical office is only open by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays; however, the phone will be answered between 1pm-4pm.
We are a Reconciling in Christ Synod.
We, as the Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA, welcome all into the fullness of God's boundless love, without exception. This welcome is inclusive of people of every race, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, physical or mental ability, sex, or station in life. United in Christ, we pledge to use and celebrate our differences as gifts for our work together in all things, including racial equity, intentional invitations, and radical hospitality. Inspired by Christ, we commit to advocate for justice, working for dignity, equity, and wholeness for all people.
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