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February 18, 2026
EaND News and Events
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Bishop Election Updates:
Congregation Nominations Open Until February 25
- Each congregation may submit up to three names of Ministers of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA (pastors) for consideration as bishop.
- Nominations must be the result of official congregational action (e.g., council or annual meeting).
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Nominations are to be submitted via an online form, which will be available by February 5, 2026.
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Deadline for nominations: February 25, 2026.
Further information, including the nomination form and timeline, are available on the Bishop Election page of our synod website: www.eandsynod.org/bishop-election
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Giving Hearts Day: Thank you!
Thank you for your generosity this Giving Hearts Day! We are excited to share that we exceeded our goal and raised a total of $126,023. We are grateful for your generosity and for the impact it will have across our synod.
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We're Hiring: Endowment Manager
The EaND Synod is hiring an Endowment Manager. The Endowment Manager is a part-time contract position. Compensation is based on an average of 30 hours per month, while noting variation in the month-to-month workflow. This position is remote and requires one to be self-motivated and independent while also connecting appropriately with bishop, synod staff, and synod constituents. This contracted position is an extension of the Office of the Bishop, works strategically with the priorities of the synod, and reports directly to the bishop.
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 job description here. View this posting on our website.
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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.
Congregations are encouraged to share one or more of the resources below as part of worship, annual meetings, and annual reports. Let us know how you helped tell our shared story by sending in copies of your reports, emailing your reports, or just sharing via email what you did! All congregations who report back how they shared our stories and resources will receive a prize at Synod Assembly!
Find resources and learn more on our website or click on the individual resource links below.
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"When Healing Hurts" Text Study
How do look at stories in healing in scripture? How might we consider these stories in ways that are affirming of folks with disabilities? You are invited to join the EaND Disability Ministry Team for next month's text studies!
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March 10, 2026: John 9: 1-41 (Sight to the Blind Man)
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March 17, 2026: John 11:1-45 (Jesus Raises Lazarus)
Registration Required. Cost: $10; registration fee will provide a stipend to text study leaders. Click here to register.
Click here to learn more about the Healing Hurts text study series.
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Grey Area Thinking
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 10am - 1pm
Location: St. John Lutheran Church, 1710 5th St. S., Fargo
Facilitator: Ellie Klug
What does the phrase “diversity and inclusion” actually mean? How can we move beyond grouping and labeling of other humans to make an organization-- or even our personal lives--more diverse and inclusive?
This training provides an easy-to-understand toolset on how to be more welcoming of anyone who is “Other” in our society.
There is no cost to this event, but pre-registration is required. Register here!
Sponsored By: St. John Lutheran Church, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, & Eastern North Dakota Synod Advocacy & Action Team
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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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Ordination of Bryce Bommersbach
Bryce Bommersbach will be ordained to the Ministry of Word & Sacrament on March 28, 2026 at 3pm at Sharon Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND. Ministers are invited to vest and process, and the color of the day is red. Join us (and the whole Church) in celebration! Bryce has been called as Associate Pastor of Children's Ministries at Servant of Christ Lutheran Church in Champlin, MN.
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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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Palm Sunday Path
You are invited to participate in the Palm Sunday Path, an ecumenical and interfaith worship and a processional walk in Bismarck and Fargo. Palm Sunday Path has centered on our call to love those who are hungry or vulnerable (including those who are ill) and the stranger, and to bear public witness to that call, and people from more than 15 states will be participating. Download the flyers below to learn more.
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Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort
ELCA Rostered Ministers are invited to apply for the 2026-2027 Prairie Fire Preaching Cohort. The Prairie Fire Preaching Community is born out of Continuous Growth Pathway, a program created through a partnership between SW MN and SE MN ELCA Synods and Gustavus Adolphus College. This program consists of four in-person retreats at Mt. Olivet Retreat and Conference Center in Farmington, MN as well as online cohort meetings. The cost of participation is $600.
Learn more and apply at this link. Please contact Pr. Laura Aase with questions: aase@gustavus.edu
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ELCA Coaching Ministry: Wayfinding in the Commons
Faith leaders are invited to join ELCA Coaching Ministry for "Wayfinding in the Commons," a new monthly supportive gathering beginning February 4 at 1pm.
What to Expect (the short version): We will be gathering together online the first Wednesday of each month for Community, Learning, Clarity (which creates Agency), and at least one Actionable Step. We will be meeting for about 45 minutes, starting at 11am Pacific | 12noon Mountain | 1pm Central | 2pm Eastern.
Learn more and register at this link.
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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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National Lutheran Choir Concert in Moorhead
Sacred Refuge: From Light to Light: Join the National Lutheran Choir under Artistic Director Jennaya Robison for Sacred Refuge: From Light to Light at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minnesota on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Presented in partnership with the Concordia Choir, this moving winter-to-spring concert traces the arc from winter's stillness to spring's awakening, featuring movements from Fanny Hensel's Lobgesang, Shavon Lloyd's So Breaks the Sun, Jake Runestad's Under This Tree and Nada te Turbe, and Aaron McDermid's From Light to Light, commissioned by NLC in 2008.
Date & Location:
3:00 pm, Saturday, March 21, 2026
Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 8th Street S., Moorhead, MN 56560
Tickets: Youth 18 and younger, FREE | Adults/Senior, $20 | Students pay what you will with valid ID
Tickets may be purchased online at NLCA.com or at the door on the day of the concert.
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Understanding the Neurodivergent Brain: Using Knowledge and Compassion to Show God's Love
You are invited to join the Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association for this continuing education opportunity on February 26 from 6-8pm via Zoom. This interactive presentation will help participants gain an understanding and appreciation for persons living with a neurodivergent brain due to conditions such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Using an unfolding, real-life case study based on the presenter's personal experience with a neurodivergent child, the audience will learn strategies to address common challenging behaviors, social difficulties, and communication issues. Practical ways to show God's love to persons and families struggling with the complexities of neurological differences will be discussed.
Learn more and register at this link.
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Lutheran Men in Mission Winter Ambassador-Gram
The Lutheran Men in Mission 2026 Winter Ambassador-Gram is now available. Check it out online at this link or download a PDF here. Learn more about Lutheran Men in Mission here.
| 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." The Rev. Leila Ortiz, former bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, will serve as the event’s theologian-in-residence, working in tandem with the Rev. Lori Kochanski, a fiber artist, ELCA rostered minister and the event’s artist-in-residence. 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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Lutheran Student Music Enrollment Deadline
Youth musicians from across the country are headed to St. Olaf College this year for the 2026 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival (LSM). Students in grades 8-12 will be immersed in a supportive community that nurtures their musical growth, and invites them to share their musical gifts in performance and in worship. The Standard Enrollment deadline is March 1, and spots are filling fast. Do you know young musicians who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate, or remind them to submit a free application by March 1 at LSMacademy.org/apply.
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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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