A letter to the Congregations of the Minnesota North District outlining responsibilities for the upcoming District Convention is in the mail. We are ready to begin registering delegates, guests and exhibitors and other preparations have begun! Things to think about:

CIRCUIT FORUMS

Your Circuit Visitor will schedule a Circuit Forum to elect the Circuit Visitor this fall. Each congregation is encouraged to send a pastor and lay person to participate. Circuit visitor nominating ballots can be found at the Convention Website.

CONVENTION DELEGATES

Each parish should elect one pastoral and one lay voting delegate for the convention. Delegates are invited to register for the convention using the links below. A unique email address is required for each registrant to assist us with continued convention related communication. You are encouraged to elect and alternate delegate as well. If it becomes necessary to register your alternate, please contact the District Office.

OVERTURES

Congregations, circuit forums, District and school boards may submit overtures to the convention. Please use the Formulation of an Overture document found at the Convention Website for guidelines on formatting and submission.

NOMINATIONS

Pastors and Congregations can nominate candidates for President, Vice President and Lay Members of the District Board of Directors. The nominating ballot can be found at the Convention Website. You are also encouraged to offer suggestions of candidates for other district offices (secretary, treasurer, lay and ordained members of the Lutheran Island Camp board) to the District Nominating Committee. Send names with contact information to the committee via email to mnndist@mnnlcsm.org

LODGING RESERVATIONS

The 2025 Convention Registration fee includes 3 meals as well as beverages and snacks, but attendees are on their own for lodging and a few meals. Review the lodging information document for information on blocks of rooms at the convention venue and nearby properties.

The links below provide guidance to help you prepare for convention:

Rev. Steven Frank (left) was installed at St. John, Vergas and St. Paul, Loon Lake on August 25, 2024. Pictured are: Rev. Del Stohs, Rev. Gary Rehborg, Rev. Bruce Noennig, Rev. Dr. Mark Buchhop, Rev. John Christensen, Rev. Andrew Ratcliffe, Rev. Frank, Rev. Ed Borchardt, Rev. Brady Finnern, Rev. Matthew Meyer and Rev. Justin Whitmore.

Rev. Matthew Lorenz (right) was installed as Senior Pastor at Zion in Alexandria on August 24, 2024. He has served Zion as Associate Pastor sin 2021.

Good Shepherd in Alexandria recently held our Vacation Bible School Program! “Put on the Full Armor of God.” Ephesians 6:10-18. We had 85 kids registered. The kids enjoy themselves during recreation, music, drama, crafts and lots of good food. The kids were able to create a full armor of protection for themselves! We had 54+ volunteers who kept everything on track during VBS, and many more helped us prepare for the week. Our mission project for donations was the local “Veterans Memorial Honor Guard.” The Veterans from the Honor Guard demonstrated the presenting of colors, playing taps and folding of the flag things that they do to honor our fallen veterans. We raised $1,548.51!

A team of eight from Faith Community Lutheran Church in Zimmerman embarked upon missionary exercises above the arctic circle in Kiana, Alaska with Alaska Mission for Christ in early June. The team put on a Bible Camp for children in the village and had Bible Study with adults in the evening. The Spirit of God is moving!

Church Worker Recruitment Funds Available



One of the best ways to encourage members of your congregation to consider a career in church work is through a visit to one of our Concordia Universities.  We would like to encourage these visits by helping with a portion of the expense. The Campus Visit Expense  reimbursement form is available on the forms section of our website. Prospective students can be reimbursed for up to $300 in travel expenses when they visit a Concordia campus. This is a great way to begin the conversation with someone you believe has the skills and gifts to serve the church!

District President "hacked" and "cloned" communications

There have been several instances of individuals impersonating President Finnern via email and text message over the last few months. These communications often indicate that the recipient should reply via email or text because he is currently in a meeting or unavailable to talk. President Finnern will never reach out to you via email or text message with requests for help, money or gift cards. Email communication from him will only come from his district email address. Please take care in discerning questionable email or text communication and discard these messages without responding.

Lent Preparation

January 6-8, 2025

At St. Andrew Lutheran, West Fargo

A Lenten Series on:

The Book of Job:

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Presenter: Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing

Ash Wed is March 5, 2025

Easter is April 20, 2025

Time to Rest, Reflect, and Re-create.

LEARN MORE >>

Can you think of a youth in your congregation that would make a great church worker? Please encourage them to attend Concordia University, Nebraska’s church work visit event “A Life Called” on October 13-14 2024. At this event, youth will:



- learn about Concordia’s church work programs and scholarship opportunities

- attend church work classes and connect with current faculty and students

- connect with other high school students interested in church work

- tour campus and stay overnight in our residence halls with meals and activities free

If you bring a group of 3 or more, your mileage will be reimbursed! Please visit cune.edu/called for more information and to register. Contact Olivia Johnson at Olivia.johnson@cune.edu for any questions you may have.  

PROCLAIMING CHRIST 2024: LET US SING OF JESUS

St. James Lutheran Church would like to invite you to join them for a conference celebrating 500 years of the first Lutheran hymnals and the Lutheran chorale. Entitled “Proclaiming Christ 2024: Let Us Sing of Jesus,” the conference will begin at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 25 with A Hymn Festival of Reformation Hymns. On Saturday, October 26 presentations will be offered from 9:00-3:00 PM on various aspects of the Lutheran chorale by Dr. Martin Dicke, Rev. Kantor Richard C. Resch, Rev. Dr. Lowell Sorenson, and Rev. Kantor Timothy Frank of David’s Harp. A special choir is being convened for the hymn festival. Singers from partner churches, schools, and the community are invited to join. The conference will be held at St. James Lutheran Church, 460 Annapolis St. W., West St. Paul, MN 55118. For more information and a Registration Form, please call (651) 457-9232, write to us at stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com or visit www.saintjameslutheran.com.

News from the Mission Field:

Does your congregation have news to share? Send your photos and stories to our Lutheran Witness Editor, Rev. Travis Lauterbach at: the.lutheran.witness@mnnlcms.org

SAS School Resource Kit

(Of Course) It Happened on Pentecost

ON THE BLOG

MN North District | PO Box 604, Brainerd, MN 56401 | 218-829-1781 | mnndist@mnnlcms.org | www.mnnlcms.org