News & Events: CYF Welcome Back Event

September 28, 2026

This Thursday's Welcome (Back) event includes a devotion, a mixer or two, coffee and treats. All CYF leaders are invited to enjoy community-building time and share resources with others in similar ministry settings! Register here.

National Day of Remembrance

Wednesday, Sept. 30 - 6 p.m. | Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis

At our 2025 Synod Assembly, the Saint Paul Area Synod passed a memorial and the ELCA Churchwide Assembly subsequently resolved, for all churches to recognize the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, on Sept. 30 of every year.

Following on its memorial in support of this movement, our synod is a Community Sponsor for this year’s Day of Remembrance, hosted by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. A candlelight vigil on Wednesday, Sept. 30 in Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis will honor Indian boarding school survivors and those who never returned home. It is a remembrance walk recognizing the strength, resilience, and enduring spirit of those who attended boarding school. There will be remarks from guest speakers, survivors, and community leaders. Together, we honor survivors, remember those whose lives were forever changed, and reaffirm our commitment to truth, justice, and healing. Learn more.

How else can you get involved? The Truth Seeking and Truth Telling Initiative within the ELCA is a grassroots movement to account for our parent denominations’ involvement in the Indian Boarding Schools era, and to educate our congregations on this legacy. Visit the resources page.

Spiritual Gifts Retreat

Saturday, Oct. 10 - 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Lutheran Church of Peace, Maplewood

Who has God created me to be? This retreat will provide you with an opportunity to look deeply at who you are and how God has uniquely blessed you with certain gifts. Using spiritual gift inventories, conversation and other tools, you’ll go home with a better sense of who you are and how you might best serve your faith community and the world! Retreat leaders include Pastor Kirsten Fryer of the Saint Paul Area Synod, Deacon Nina Joygaard (Faith, Forest Lake) and Pastor Wendy Steger (All Saints, Eagan). The cost is $30 per person and includes lunch. Register here.

Safer Together: Beyond
the Gun Control Debate

Tuesday, Oct. 27 - 6:30-8:45 p.m. | Transfiguration Lutheran Church, Bloomington & Online

Minnesota and the U.S. continue to face an epidemic of violence and harm involving guns. Too often, public debates around firearms devolve into a standoff between personal rights and government control. This pattern fails to address the many ways that each of us can act to reduce gun-related violence and trauma in our homes, workplaces, schools and communities. As Lutherans, how do we respond to this ongoing reality? What does our social teaching say? How might we foster the kind of moral deliberation and call to action that can lead to meaningful change?

The Region 3 ELCA synods of Minnesota and North Dakota are offering a time of shared learning, discernment, and collective action toward solutions to the harms of gun misuse. We hope to move beyond the gun rights-gun control debate and to promote safer communities with the conviction that we are safer together. This event is for lay leaders and rostered ministers.

The presentation and conversation will be led by Dr. Jillian Pederson, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Hamline University and the executive director of The Violence Prevention Project. Dr. Pederson will reflect on her research into mass shootings as a public health concern. Following her presentation, participants will discuss the ELCA’s Social Message on Gun-Related Violence and Trauma and the unique ways their own communities are impacted by gun violence.

Congregations may wish to organize local gatherings and individuals are welcome to attend in person or online. We hope that this event can be part of a movement across our region for moral deliberation and collective action that will reduce gun violence in our communities and contribute to communal healing and the common good. Register here.

Portico Final Enrollment Webinar

Thursday, Oct. 8 - 1 p.m. | Online

Join the Portico regional representatives for a webinar covering annual enrollment and helpful contextual information about the Portico bundle of benefits (health insurance, retirement plan, disability insurance and survivor benefits). This webinar is designed for both plan members and sponsoring organizations (employers). This webinar will not be recorded. Register here.

Fall Joint Ministerium

Thursday, Oct. 29 - 9 a.m. | Christ Lutheran, Blaine

Rostered leaders from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Area synods are invited to gather for community, learning, and worship at this year's Joint Ministerium, Heaven Opened: Dreams for the Church. The Rev. Kenneth Wheeler, the featured speaker, will reflect on scripture, challenge us to confront white Christian nationalism, and look toward the dream of a new heaven and a new earth where all God’s people are seen, known, and loved. Rev. Wheeler, a retired ELCA pastor, is a guest lecturer on pastoral leadership in the 21st century at Wartburg Theological Seminary, where he received a Doctor of Divinity Degree honoris causa. He is also the author of US: The Resurrection of American Terror (2022). Register here.

Opportunities for Discernment

If you or someone you know is considering a call toward ministry, there are several upcoming opportunities to help with that discernment:

Luther Seminary is holding a Seminary Sampler Weekend Oct. 9-11. Visit with seminary staff, faculty and students as you explore if Luther Seminary is right for you. Learn more.
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is holding a discernment weekend Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Berkeley, Cal. PLTS covers lodging and meals and can offer travel assistance for those who need it. Learn more.
The ELCA synods of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota are hosting "Discerning Your Call: Exploring Your Next Faithful Step" on Nov. 7 to help you discern what's next and what God might be calling you to. Bring a conversation partner or come on your own. It's offered in six locations on the same day including Mankato and Rogers. Download the flyer.

Reminder: Checks to the Synod Office

Please mail any checks for the Saint Paul Area Synod to this address:

Saint Paul Area Synod

105 University Ave. W.

St. Paul, MN 55103

If you have a P.O. box for us in your records, please remove it from any of your processes as we are discontinuing its use. Instead, we have transitioned to scanning deposits of our checks directly from the synod office, which saves us the cost of both the lockbox and the postage of mailing checks to the bank.

Giving USA 2026 Unpacked:

What the Data Means for the ELCA and

Your Fundraising Strategy

Wednesday, Nov. 11 - 12 noon | Online

Charitable giving in the United States has reached a record high, but what does that mean for ELCA congregations, ministries and synods? The ELCA Foundation's Regional Gift Planning team invites you to learn about the new giving trends from Lynn M. Gaumer, J.D., CAP®, Senior Gift Planning Consultant, and Amber Moore, Strategist for the Religion Subsector at The Stelter Company. They will interpret the latest Giving USA data, highlight emerging trends in charitable giving, and share practical insights to help guide your fundraising strategy in the year ahead. Whether you serve as a pastor, bishop, development professional or ministry leader, this session will provide valuable context for understanding donor behavior and strengthening support for your mission. Register here.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

Let the Children Come Initiative

With support from the Lilly Endowment©, Duke Divinity School is exploring how congregational worship can help nurture children’s faith. Through its Let the Children Come Initiative, they are looking to partner with congregations that are interested in welcoming young people more fully into the worshiping community. Together, we hope to learn from one another and discover ways to support children as they grow in faith through praise, prayer, and life together before God. Applications are accepted for this cohort through Oct. 16; participants begin meeting via Zoom in January. Learn more.

Why We're Always Working Upstream:

A New Story of Drugs for Faith Communities

Wednesday, Sept. 30 - 12-1 p.m. | Online

If you've spent years helping people in crisis, fighting apathy, and combating stigma, but feel like you are always fighting an uphill battle, you're not alone. Presenter Rev. Timothy McMahan King will make the case that faith communities have developed powerful resources for responding to addiction but have been missing the foundation that makes that work sustainable: a theology of what drugs are actually for. He is the author of What Are Drugs For? An Exploration of Stolen Fire, which is being released this month. This webinar is for clergy, counselors and people of faith who are already doing the work and want to know why it keeps feeling so hard and what a different starting point might make possible. Register here.

Free Community Naloxone Training

Addiction is in our neighborhoods, our pews, our families. Be ready to save a life! Naloxone can quickly reverse an opioid overdose and provide critical time for help to arrive. Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose, how and when to administer naloxone, what to do until help arrives and how to store naloxone and keep it accessible. Those who register in advance will receive a free naloxone kit. Free training is available:

Saturday, Oct. 10 - 9:30 a.m. at Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia
Thursday, Nov. 12 - 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian in Stillwater

Lutheran Campus Ministry Gathering + Fundraiser

Thursday, Oct. 8 - 5:30-7 p.m. | Campus Club at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Join LCM for a fun evening of hearty appetizers, a cash bar and inspiring stories from students and alumni. Together, we'll celebrate the transformational work of Lutheran Campus Ministry-Twin Cities and invest in its future through this special evening of community and generosity. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. Learn more and register by this Wednesday.

Spiritual First Aid for Intergenerational Trauma

Tuesday, Oct. 13 - 6-8 p.m. | Online

For faith community nurses, clergy, lay leaders and others. Learn the core Spiritual First Aid approach of Triage, Care, and Refer while exploring how the effects of trauma can sometimes extend across generations. Participants will learn to recognize whole person primary needs, offer compassionate and practical support, strengthen coping, connection, meaning, and hope, and help people take a next step toward additional care when needed. Presenter Jamie Aten, PhD, is co-founder of Spiritual First Aid, author/editor of nine books, and co-host of The Better Samaritan podcast. The cost is $40 for LFCNA members and $50 for nonmembers. Learn more.

Community Singing Workshop

Saturday, Oct. 17 - 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | Saint Anne's Episcopal Church, St. Paul

Music that Makes Community invites all who love to sing, lay and skilled, to a one-day workshop to learn a way of singing together that can enliven worship in small and rural congregations and strengthen our commitments to welcome all people. Explore the riches of paperless singing and experience leadership practices and songs that build and strengthen the community! Learn more and register.

PREACH Conference

Oct. 18-21 | St. Andrew, Eden Prairie & Online

For rostered ministers. The world isn't waiting for the church to find its footing. Our communities are experiencing real strain, and leaders need spaces not just to be inspired, but to be equipped and sustained. PREACH 2026 is gathering pastors, deacons, lay preachers, and worship leaders for a multi-layered learning experience. Move beyond passive listening and step into interactive tracks on digital engagement, storytelling, and collaborative sermon planning with a phenomenal lineup of speakers. Brought to you in collaboration with Convergence and Church Anew. Among the impactful voices at the conference will be Winnie Varghese, Paul Drees, Eric Barreto, Michael Chan, Brian Evans, Mariah Tollgaard and many more. Learn more.

Stories That Heal

Sunday, Oct. 18 - 6:30-8:30 p.m. | St. Andrew, Eden Prairie & Online

Note: this public event will be held the evening prior to the PREACH Conference. Many call this time a "season of moral injury" with communities living in fear and uncertainty. We've also witnessed collective resistance, shared song and mutual aid with people of faith standing together to support neighbors. This evening event is a time of interfaith storytelling from local leaders, moments of music and reflection and a liturgy for healing led by New York Times bestselling author and poet Cole Arthur Riley. Learn more and register.

Neurodivergent Clergy+ Gathering

Wednesday, Oct. 21 - 9:30-11 a.m. | St. Clement's Episcopal Church, St. Paul

Join others to meet, connect, and talk over coffee and treats about the challenges and gifts of doing ministry while being Neurodivergent. "Clergy+" means open to all clergy, chaplains, youth ministers, church musicians, seminarians, and church leaders who are Neurodivergent or have Neurodivergent families. Register here. Contact Craig in advance with any food allergies, accommodation requests or accessibility needs. Note: another gathering will be offered on Nov. 18.

Baseball Retreat

March 16-20 - Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, Carefree, Ariz.

Back by popular demand, Play Ball & Connect features morning activities: spirituality and sport dugout conversation and in the afternoons, spring training games. Evenings are devoted to classic baseball movies. Enjoy warm days, delicious food, fun and fellowship by the pool. All are welcome. Spaces are limited; register here.