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November 19, 2025
EaND News and Events
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Professional Development Day: Anti-Racism
Date: January 15th, 2026
Time: 10am-3pm
Location: Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Hillsboro
Cost: $25
Inclement Weather Back-up Date: January 20th
Registration is now open!
The Eastern North Dakota Synod will have a Professional Development Day focused on Anti-Racism on Thursday, January 15th from 10am-3pm. Prairie Rose Seminole will be our presenter. All rostered ministers are expected to participate in Anti-Racism Training every three years. This event is also open to Synod Lay Ministers and others who wish to attend. The cost of this event is only $25, as the programming is being funded by the Vital Leaders Endowment Fund. In case of inclement weather, our backup date will be January 20. This information is also available on our website.
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January Vital Church Event:
The Church & Politics: Practicing Hard Conversations
Date: Saturday January 24th
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Registration coming soon!
Our world is wrestling with complicated realities, challenging policy divides, and global conflicts. How do we as church and congregation members talk together? How might the church be a good place to bring our worries and wonderings about politics and world realities?
Join on zoom for conversation as we explore why and how we as church can hold space for hard conversations, explore how church and politics intersect, and resources for talking together as congregations.
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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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New Synod Office Job Posting:
Synod Lay Ministry Coordinator
The Synod Lay Ministry Coordinator for the Eastern North Dakota Synod tends to the care of current and future Synod Lay Ministers and the application process. The ideal candidate is both organized and relational, allowing the synod lay ministers to feel cared for both through the process they engage in as well as through intentional connections made by the coordinator.
Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to Deacon Laura Carson at deaconlaura@eandsynod.org. Applications will be received until the position is filled.
Download the position description here.
View other regional job postings on our website.
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What is your response to hunger in your community?
Over the last month, church-driven ministries assisting neighbors who experience food insecurity have been responding to the need in both innovative and steadfast ways due to the government shutdown. The synod is posting on Facebook to lift up and bear witness to the efforts of congregations as they work, often in deep partnership, to make sure people have access to food. See posts with #throughthickandthin and #untilallarefed to see what congregations are up to! if you have a story to tell, please send it to jen@wndsynod.org. We would love to learn more about every single effort across the synod so we can celebrate our shared work and collaborate based on what we have learned from our neighbors.
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Grace Upon Grace: Cultivating your Congregation's Stewardship Story
Grace Upon Grace: Cultivating your Congregation's Stewardship Story is a devotional and discussion guide created specifically for councils, teams, and congregations in the Eastern North Dakota Synod. This resource invites you to explore the stories of generosity that have shaped you as an individual and as a community and to wonder together about what new stories might be emerging.
As a synod, we will be focusing on understanding, cultivating, and sharing our individual and communal stories as God’s people and Christ’s Church. This story guide is one way to explore your stories-specifically your stories of stewardship and generosity. Our prayer is that the questions and conversations will be a gift to your congregation, strengthening your mission and shared story.
Download this free resource at this link.
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Campus Ministry Sunday
Your congregation is encouraged to have a Campus Ministry Sunday to celebrate and support campus ministry in Eastern North Dakota! Campus ministry staff have created several resources to use for a Campus Ministry Sunday, including an order of worship, video sermon, bulletin inserts, and a campus ministry video. Click here to view these resources to learn more!
Questions? Please contact Pr. Aaron Bye: aaron@christus-rex.org
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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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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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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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Mental Health First Aid Trainings
Quality Health Associates of North Dakota is offering online Mental Health First Aid Trainings. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. Training will be ongoing with multiple trainings offered each month. The class is hosted virtually via Zoom. Training requires 2 hours pre-work plus a post-test and evaluation. This course is valued at $170. Thanks to a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), learners living or working in North Dakota may attend at no charge.
Register and view class dates: www.qualityhealthnd.org/contracts/mhfa
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International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is designated by the United States Congress as a day when the friends and family of those who have died by suicide can join together for healing and support. Every year, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a program that unites survivors of suicide loss across the world. These events help survivors cope with the tragedy of losing someone to suicide. This year, the AFSP North Dakota Chapter will host activities for you to safely connect, support one another, and share stories on Saturday, November 22 and on other dates. Learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in ND at this link.
Download flyers for events happening in the following cities across Eastern ND:
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Lutheran Men in Mission: Fall 2025 Ambassador Gram
Lutheran Men in Mission has released their Fall Ambassador Gram! Click this link to view it electronically or download this PDF. You can learn more about Lutheran Men in Mission at this link.
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Rethinking Addiction:
A Faith Leader’s Guide
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 @ 12pm CST
The Center of Addiction & Faith is hosting a free webinar featuring Rachel Bowling, Director of SAFE Communities at SAFE Project. Faith leaders are often called upon to support individuals and families navigating the complexities of substance use, addiction, and recovery. Yet even with the best intentions, our responses are shaped by deeply held beliefs, theological frameworks, and personal experiences that may go unexamined.
This session invites participants into a reflective exploration of those underlying paradigms. Using a guided survey tool, we’ll examine the moral, medical, and social lenses that influence how we understand and respond to substance use. We’ll also share insights and themes from using this tool with professionals and recovery advocates across the country, highlighting opportunities for healing, inclusion, and informed pastoral care.
Register here!
| The ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering will take place July 6-9, 2026 in Indianapolis. The theme is "Woven Together." Click here to learn more. | |
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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Youth Musicians Invited to Lutheran Summer Music 2026
Nominate Students for Lutheran Summer Music
You’re invited to nominate a student for LSM 2026! Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students (grades 8-12) who come together from all over the country to immerse themselves in musical excellence and build an intentional, supportive, and FUN community. LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN from June 21-July 19 (Full Session) or June 21-July 3 (Half Session). Priority Enrollment is open now through December 1. Nominate students at LSMacademy.org/nominate, and watch and share this LSM Experience Video to learn more!
Share this Facebook post from LSM. Share this Instagram post from LSM.
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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
Tuesday: 9am-4pm
Wednesday: 9am-4pm
Thursday: by appointment
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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