Synod News - Feb. 6, 2025

‍‍As members of the ELCA, we believe that we are freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. God uses our hands, through our direct service work and our voices. Here is a list of helpful messages and action items to share out:

• ELCA Action Alert: Help End Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance
• ELCA Advocacy Network: Sign up to get Action Alerts and updates
• ELCA News: Recent Messages from the Presiding Bishop Eaton
• ELCA responds to false accusations on X 02-02-2025
• Global Refuge: Latest email message from Deacon Sarah Kretschmann
• Global Refuge: Act Now! End the refugee ban-- ask your lawmakers to speak out
• A Pastoral Message from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Bishops in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota

2025 Conference Assembly Dates

Conference, Date, Time & Location

Great River - February 2 - Zoom

Minnesota Valley - February 16 - 12:30pm at Scandian Grove, St. Peter

Scenic Valley - February 16 - 1:30pm registration, 2pm meeting at St. Matthews, Wabasso

Shetek - February 16 - 2pm at First, Worthington

Crow River - February 23 - 2pm at Gethsemane, Dassel

Lakeland - February 23 - 4:30pm meal followed by meeting and worship at Vinje, Willmar.

Lac Qui Parle - February 23 - 2pm Kviteseid, Milan

Watonwan River - February 23 - 2pm at Zion Lutheran, Hanska

Prairie - March 2 - 12:30pm lunch, 1pm worship, 1:30pm meeting at First, Marshall

Glacial Ridge - March 9 - 3pm Glenwood Lutheran, Glenwood

Deadline for 2025 Memorials and Resolutions

DEADLINE for submitting memorials/resolutions is April 7, 2025.

Click here to view and download the 2025 Guidelines for Memorials and Resolutions.

Submit resolutions by April 7, 2025, in order to be considered by the 2025 Synod Assembly:

By email: tammy.schacher@swmnelca.org

By mail: Southwestern Minnesota Synod

Attn: Tammy Schacher

PO Box 499

Redwood Falls, MN 56283

Synod Assembly Registration is Open!

Similar to last year, the Assembly will tentatively begin Friday evening at 6 pm with hors d’ oeuvres, networking, anniversary celebrations, and more! We are currently working on service projects with our mission partners, Global Refuge and Lutheran Social Service of MN, that would begin around 1 pm on Friday. We will keep you updated on that! Saturday morning will open with worship at 9 am. A full day of business will follow. All attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Bible Study Leader, Karoline Lewis, Marbury Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary and Executive for Worship, ELCA, John Weit. Onsite attendance is limited and will be based on a first-come basis so please register early! There is unlimited space for attending online.

BEFORE registering online, please read the registration information letter.

Take advantage of the early rate by registering prior to April 1, 2025.

ELCA Congregation Reports / Forms A 

Each year, every congregation, synod-authorized worshiping community (SAWC) and new start is asked to provide information about its people, finances, and resources through the Annual Congregation Report. This provides the churchwide organization and synods with a record of the congregations and worshiping communities that make up the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Form A provides crucial data that assist in assessing the success of existing programs and in preparation of new resources. This data is also shared on your congregation’s full trend report on the ELCA’s website. (To view a congregation’s trend report on the ELCA website, click Find a Congregation and type in the zip code, click on the congregation name.)

To fill out these forms you must have your congregation ID number and password. Your congregation should have received a packet in the mail mid-January 2024 from churchwide that includes the password. Passwords change from year to year.

The ELCA has updated resources including videos!

Click here to find FAQs and to access your Form A online.

Senior High Youth Gathering Registration is Open!

All 9th-12th students are invited to the Synod’s annual Senior High Youth Gathering. It will be held April 4-5, 2025 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls. Lodging will be at Redwood Lodge. This event is coordinated and planned by the SW MN Synod Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO).

The theme this year is “Strengthened by Faith” based on Isaiah 41:10.

COST: $65 per person (payment due with your registration). Cost will increase to $80 after February 28th. Includes programming, a gathering t-shirt, snacks, and Saturday lunch.

REGISTRATION: Closes March 4th @ 6:00pm.

SCHEDULE: The gathering will begin with check-in on Friday @ 4:30-6:30, and will end on Saturday @ 5:00pm. A full schedule will be provided in the gathering packet.

Gathering packet is available to download!

Calling all youth musicians!

The SW MN Synod youth band is accepting auditions for new members (voice and/or instruments). This is a great opportunity for youth to tap into their musical gifts while developing leadership skills and growing in faith. The youth band leads music at various events around the Synod. Auditions are open until April 11. For more information contact Pastor Hans Peterson (952-452-4988) or fill out the audition form below.

Do you know a young adult who wants to add valuable experience to their resume? 

Then encourage them to serve at one of our Synod’s camps. These are a few of the valuable skills they will learn while serving.  

• Oral Communication Skills
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
• Interpersonal and Leadership Skills
• Collaborative Skills
• Creativity

These skills are ones that employers are looking for, sometimes called the “soft skills” or “people skills”. Employers can train folks to do certain tasks but they want to hire people to will “play well with others” and are good communicators.  

The camp environment is one where these and other skills are developed and camp staff can emphasize these skills on their resume when they are looking for careers. We hear from former staff, who are in a variety of different careers, that their camp experience was invaluable for them in their current profession.  

Shetek Lutheran Ministries is looking for 20-25 young adults to serve in a variety of positions this summer. They would be part of a fun, small Christian community and also be able to grow in their faith. Our summer salaries have increased to where they are more competitive with other options, especially since room and board is included. Applications are online here - https://shetek.org/work-at-shetek/ 

EcoFaith Summit 2025

Earth's Cries, Earth's Call: 

Becoming Midwives of Hope for the Healing of Creation

April 5, 2025 - 8:30am-5:00pm

In Person at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN and via Livestream

Registration Opens January 31, 2025

Livestream Registration - Free

Save the Dates:

• Ethics and Boundaries for Ministers Training will be Thursday, May 8th – 9:00am-3:00pm. In person at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St Cloud. 
• The 2025 Southwestern Minnesota Synod Assembly will be once again be hybrid and tentatively begin around 6 pm on Friday, June 6 and tentatively end around 5 pm on Saturday, June 7. Onsite location: Gustavus Adolphus College, St Peter Online: Zoom
• The 2025 Fall Theological Conference will be Oct. 5-7, 2025. The conference will start Sunday evening.