Synod News - Feb. 20, 2025

Presiding Bishop Eaton Responds to Executive Orders on Immigration 

In this video message, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton responds to the executive order on immigration that rolled back guidance to immigration authorities in protected areas such as places of worship, schools and hospitals. Click here for more ELCA news.

Hospitality Zoom Training for Congregations

Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. 

Hospitality is a part of our Christian lives and a significant part of the life of our congregation's worship experience. We all want our congregation to be the most hospitable, but what makes us welcoming? How do we prepare to welcome guest worship leaders and preachers? How can we welcome people new to church? Come and learn about the Biblical foundations of hospitality. Consider how to show intentional hospitality in our congregations and in worship. Learn about a basic checklist you can use to welcome guest, worship leaders and preachers who come to keep your worship life going strong.

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

Synod Assembly Display Request Form in Open!

The 2025 Southwestern Minnesota Assembly will be held June 6-7, 2025, at Gustavus Adolphus College. The Assembly begins at 1 pm with a couple service projects, display fair, and workshops, until around 5 pm. This is all in the planning stages. Saturday will begin with worship in Christ Chapel followed by the Assembly business sessions in Alumni Hall. The display area will be located just below Alumni Hall, same as last year, alongside the onsite check-in for all voting members. Come! We invite your ministry to participate! If you are new to SW MN and would like to bring a display, please contact Kristin or Tammy before registering your display. Click here for more information and to register your display.

ELCA Seeds Monthly 

Seeds Monthly is the resource email of the ELCA. Each issue contains articles that provide congregational leaders with insights, ideas and tools to assist them in a variety of ministries including worship, Christian education, stewardship, evangelism, youth ministries, social ministries, leadership and more.

• To subscribe to the Seeds Monthly email, click here.
• Click here to view the latest Seeds Monthly E-mail.

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 (Form A). 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).

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. Form A deadline is March 1st.

The ELCA has updated resources including videos!

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

Get books by authors featured at the ELCA’s National Day of Racial Healing event. 

Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the publishing ministry of the ELCA, provided several authors to lead sessions for the ELCA National Day of Racial Healing event and is offering a 20% discount and free shipping on select books through Feb. 28. Use promotion code NDRH25. Click here to view and order books.

The ELCA’s National Day of Racial Healing event happened on Jan. 21st but resources and recorded sessions are still available. Click here to check it out.

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!

The Everflowing Stream Webinar Series: Advocacy Workshops for Weighty Concerns

+Lutheran Advocacy - Minnesota

Amos 5:24 - Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

In a time of great division and uncertainty, hope seems to be in short supply. Every day we see harm being done to our neighbors both here and abroad, our planet, and our trust in one another. Join Lutheran Advocacy - Minnesota and our partners in our new webinar series to stay informed and take meaningful action toward a more just future.

Tuesday, February 25, 7:00-8:30pm

Minnesota's Session: Electronic Waste Recycling, Affordable Housing, & Effective Advocacy

Tuesday, March 4, 7:00-8:30pm

Immigration: Executive Orders, Deportations, & Refugee (De)settlement

Tuesday, March 11, 7:00-8:30pm

Care of Creation: Climate, Clean Energy, & Cut Funding

Tuesday, March 18, 7:00-8:30pm

International Disruption: USAID, Poverty-Focused Assistance, & the Palestinian Crisis

Tuesday, March 25, 7:00-8:30pm

Poverty & Hunger: Nutrition Programs, Housing, Medicaid, & Other Safety-Net Cuts

What to Expect

• Non-partisan presentations from trusted LA-MN/ELCA staff or partner organizations
• Review of the ELCA's theological stance (Why do Lutheran's care about this topic?)
• Question & Answer time with panelists

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.