Service of Thanksgiving: 37 Years of our Synod Home

Milestones mark important moments in our lives. Right now, many of our young people and parents are getting ready for the milestone of beginning a new school year. There are milestones of welcoming a new child in a family, getting a driver’s license, first job, graduation, moving, and retirement. We celebrate the milestones of baptism, first Communion, confirmation, and marriage. And we grieve and give thanks for the lives of those dear to us when life on this earth ends. Many of these milestones involve changes in relationships, where we live, or how we spend our daily callings. As people of faith, we mark these milestones with prayer.

On April 16, 1989, the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA marked the milestone of moving its offices to Redwood Falls and the site of a new office building. On August 20, 2025, staff and previous synod staff marked the milestone of vacating a portion of 175 E. Bridge Street and moving to the west side of the building. This transition comes, thanks to the opportunity to be even better stewards of synod resources and lease the east half of the building to Anfinson Thompson, Inc., trusted ELCA partners, beginning September 1. Those gathered gave thanks for all who have served here, and all the ministry accomplished during the past 37 years. It was a time for singing, Scripture, prayer, tears, laughter, and storytelling, of course. You view and download the liturgy that marked this significant milestone for the Southwestern Minnesota Synod.