On Saturday, May 21, the Synod Council voted to cancel the 2022 Synod Assembly due to the inability to attain quorum. This was a very difficult decision and a disappointment. The Synod Assembly Planning Committee, your Synod Staff, and many others have done a tremendous amount of work getting us to this point. Reflecting on […]
Location: Redwood Falls Golf Club, Redwood Falls, MN Registration: 2:30pm Shotgun Start: 3:00pm Registration Deadline: July 18th Registrations, payments and donations should be mailed to LMM Treasurer, Reynold Dittbenner at 24533 State Hwy 4, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085. Price: $70 per golfer - Includes golf cart, green fees, meal, prizes and a donation to LMM.
The EcoFaith Leadership Retreat is coming soon at which area synods will gather and start building a regional Creation Care Network. This will be a leadership retreat sponsored by the NE MN Synod EcoFaith Network and will be held August 14 – 16 at Camp Onamia, Onamia, MN. This year the NE MN Synod has […]
Is your congregation ready to respond to a security threat during the week or in worship? Attend this Ministry Basics Zoom Workshop to learn how one congregation developed and implemented a Safety & Security Plan that can be adapted for use in your congregation. Presenters: LaNae Cobb & Lon Enerson, Safety & Security Team from Bethlehem […]
This Zoom gathering is especially for Congregation Councils, Personnel Committees, and Rostered Ministers. Come hear an overview of the 2023 Synod Compensation Guidelines and how Portico Benefits figure into the definition of compensation for Rostered Ministers. Presenters: Tammy Schacher, Pr. Janel Kuester, Pr. Heather Culuris, and Deacon Terri Endres This gathering will NOT be recorded […]
Calling all Congregation Presidents! We know the past few years have been challenging for all church leaders! We also recognize that Presidents of congregations carry unique responsibilities often not anticipated when you began to serve. Bishop Pederson and Synod Pastoral Staff are here to walk with you and will be holding a Zoom gathering planned […]
@ Luther Crest Bible Camp, Alexandria MN Welcome to this year’s Fall Theological Conference planned especially for Pastors, Deacons, TEEM Students, Interns, Synodically Authorized Lay Ministers, and paid staff youth coordinators. We are looking forward to all being together in person! Check in starts at 4:30 p.m. with the welcome and the conference beginning at […]
2022 SW MN Synod Equipping Congregations Roadshow The equipping workshops are hitting the road! The former Equipping Congregations Day is taking a new format. This Roadshow will offer three different dates and three different locations. Thursday Evening, Nov. 3rd @ Faith Lutheran, Spicer Saturday, Nov. 5th @ First Lutheran, Marshall Monday Evening, Nov. 7th @ […]
2022 SW MN Synod Equipping Congregations Roadshow The equipping workshops are hitting the road! The former Equipping Congregations Day is taking a new format. This Roadshow will offer three different dates and three different locations. Thursday Evening, Nov. 3rd @ Faith Lutheran, Spicer Saturday, Nov. 5th @ First Lutheran, Marshall Monday Evening, Nov. 7th @ […]
2022 SW MN Synod Equipping Congregations Roadshow The equipping workshops are hitting the road! The former Equipping Congregations Day is taking a new format. This Roadshow will offer three different dates and three different locations. Thursday Evening, Nov. 3rd @ Faith Lutheran, Spicer Saturday, Nov. 5th @ First Lutheran, Marshall Monday Evening, Nov. 7th @ […]
Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training by Leaderwise Wednesday and Thursday, November 9 and 10, 2022 Zoom Meeting 9:00 a.m. – Noon (each day) Cost: $50 Presenters: Leaderwise & Bishop Dee Pederson Click here to register Registration Deadline: Nov. 1st It’s our experience that pastors, church staff, and other leaders who transgress boundaries by-and-large are not predators. In […]
The LYO Board is incredibly excited to have the gathering materials ready! This is a YOUTH LED event that is planned by the Southwestern Minnesota Synod Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) Board. This year, there is only ONE option for the JH Gathering: Friday Nov 18th-Saturday Nov 19th 2022. Because this is a year of transition […]
Congregation Lay Leaders Zoom Gathering “Annual Meetings: A Time to Give Thanks and Look Ahead” Wednesday, Nov. 30 @ 7:00 p.m. via Zoom This Zoom gathering is especially for Congregation Councils and Rostered Ministers. The agenda will include: -Word and Prayer – Dwelling in Advent -Staffing updates, welcome to and introduction of new Synod Minister […]
Location: Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar Are you looking for a safe and brave space to address racism, but you’re not sure where to start? Are you looking to get away from the church office and talk about hard things that matter to you? Are you looking to avoid blaming or shaming, but work with […]
Save the Date! Registration will be available soon. As youth workers, whether paid or volunteer, you have the opportunity to impact the next generation. This is a sacred and significant role. Having healthy boundaries when working with students is crucial and that responsibility lies squarely on your shoulders. Join us as we discuss ways to […]
Location: SW MN Synod Office, 175 E Bridge St., Redwood Falls, MN 56283 We are here to support you and your ministry with children, youth, and families in a wide variety of ways and are so excited for this new offering… Our gathering is open to all lay and rostered leaders who work with children and […]
The LYO board is overjoyed to be sharing registration materials for the Synod’s annual Senior High Youth Gathering! All 9th-12th grade students are invited to this event, which is coordinated and planned by the SW MN Synod Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO). It will be held March 10-11, 2023 at Luther Crest Bible Camp, Alexandria, MN. […]
Money. Stewardship. These topics tend to fall to the bottom of many rostered leaders' to-do lists. Leaders can easily see them as necessary evils. Yet to quote Henri Nouwen, "Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission." […]
Expanding ministry! Just think of the lives your congregation could impact if your members grew their giving by 10%-15% next year! This is exactly the goal of Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS), a two-year, comprehensive process. SAS congregations move embrace an impactful annual appeal and move into other vital realms of a culture of generosity: […]
This gathering is supported by the Gifts of Grace program. The SW MN Synod has a partnership with GSB Fundraising, Pete Reuss and Paul Marsh to help consult rostered ministers and congregations in stewardship. The Zoom link will come to you in an email AFTER you RSVP. Online Form - Congregation Lay Leaders RSVP Powered […]
“Faith and Trust in God in Our Lives” Click here for the event flyer with the schedule. Click here for the registration form.
For many congregations, church-as-we-know-it is struggling and may soon vanish. When LeaderWise, as church consultants, work with congregations we often hear the same FIVE THEMES; however, these FIVE THEMES hinder congregations from stepping into the future. Read a recent article by Rev. Cindy Halvorson, a staff associate with LeaderWise about the FIVE THEMES and Why They […]
For many congregations, church-as-we-know-it is struggling and may soon vanish. When LeaderWise, as church consultants, work with congregations we often hear the same FIVE THEMES; however, these FIVE THEMES hinder congregations from stepping into the future. Read a recent article by Rev. Cindy Halvorson, a staff associate with LeaderWise about the FIVE THEMES and Why They […]
There will be three Zoom Meetings prior to the actual Assembly. They will take place the week of May 22-25. All voting members are encouraged to attend all three hearings. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions regarding the 2025 Proposed Budget and 2024 Proposed Compensation Guidelines. The Assembly Orientation will provide directions for […]
There will be three Zoom Meetings prior to the actual Assembly. They will take place the week of May 22-25. All voting members are encouraged to attend all three hearings. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions regarding the 2025 Proposed Budget and 2024 Proposed Compensation Guidelines. The Assembly Orientation will provide directions for […]
There will be three Zoom Meetings prior to the actual Assembly. They will take place the week of May 22-25. All voting members are encouraged to attend all three hearings. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions regarding the 2025 Proposed Budget and 2024 Proposed Compensation Guidelines. The Assembly Orientation will provide directions for […]
SAVE THE DATES. June 9-10, 2023, in person, at Gustavus Adolphus College. View all information about the event.
Get ready for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering! Join Pr. Jon Wendt, the SW MN Synod Gathering Champion, for an informational Zoom meeting about the upcoming 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA. Sunday, August 13th @ 3pm Monday, August 14th @ 7pm Both Zoom gatherings will be the same presentation and will be […]
Get ready for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering! Join Pr. Jon Wendt, the SW MN Synod Gathering Champion, for an informational Zoom meeting about the upcoming 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA. Sunday, August 13th @ 3pm Monday, August 14th @ 7pm Both Zoom gatherings will be the same presentation and will be […]
A Stewardship Zoom Training for Rostered Ministers led by GSB Fundraising What if your congregation told stories of the way that the people’s lives are impacted by your ministry? What if the people who generously give of their time and resources to your congregation knew that their giving made a difference? Rev. Pete Reuss will […]
A Stewardship Zoom Training for all congregation leaders led by GSB Fundraising Most church communications focus on WHAT the congregation does. We talk about the number of people fed at a dinner, or the number of kids in Sunday School, or the number of homebound visits the congregations makes. This information is nice but doesn’t […]
Location: Holiday Inn & Suites Airport, 2040 W. Russell St., Sioux Falls, SD. The 2023 Fall Theological Conference is planned especially for Pastors, Deacons, TEEM Students, Interns, Synod Authorized Lay Ministers currently serving a congregation, and paid staff youth coordinators. In the liturgy of ordination, those called to rostered ministry commit, and ask God’s help, […]
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will join congregations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota on Oct. 17 at 12 p.m. Central time for a regional conversation on God’s Love Made Real. The Rev. Craig Schweitzer, bishop of the ELCA Western North Dakota Synod, will host […]
