You can help us see into the many communities and lives in your Southwestern Minnesota Synod. We want to invite you to share your input and invite the input of your congregation.
ELCA Research has created a survey for distribution among our congregations as we prepare for a bishop election and plan for the future. It will also provide a significant way for us to discover more about each other across our territory. The survey is accessed online, using the link below. The goal is that this survey will be distributed as broadly as possible to congregational leadership, staff, committees, teams, worshipers, current participants, ministries – as many people as possible through email or online. The link will be active until Wednesday, March 17th. When submitted, surveys will be processed by our partners at ELCA Research and Evaluation, with a report available by April 1.
Click here to give your Feedback.
Survey will close March 17th.
Thanks for finding ways to invite people in your leadership and congregation to give input to our survey and deepen our understanding of people’s lives and faith in our mission field of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod.
[clear-line]When we focus on the data, we learn about congregations that are different from ours and more about our shared mission. For example, we know that the Southwestern Minnesota Synod includes 233 congregations walking together in God’s mission. We know that our territory covers 18,944 sq. miles – the third largest synod in MN. Reports tell us that in 2019 there were nearly 105,000 baptized ELCA Lutherans here. Reports also tell us that 71% of the congregations in the synod had 100 people or fewer attending during an average week in 2019, while 41% of people in the pews are in congregations worshiping more than 200 people per week. And in a pandemic, we know that all of this is shifting and rapidly changing.
Statistics and reports tell a lot, but they cannot report what you think!
They cannot give a picture of the challenges, opportunities, and dreams you see for your
congregation or our synod. That’s why your input is vital.
As our Synod Mission Statement says, “By God’s grace, together we have what we need.” Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts!
