Synod Assembly

Click here to register!

Below is registration information for voting participants and non-voting participants.
To download and print the following information click here.

Registration Information for Voting Assembly Participants

The following persons are eligible to serve as voting members of the assembly:

• Pastors on the roster of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod who are under call.
• Deacons on the roster of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod who are under call.
• Two retired pastors elected by their peers to represent the retired pastors on the roster of the SW MN Synod.
• Lay members of the Synod Council.
• Lay voting members from congregations of the synod.
• Lay conference chairpersons who are not congregational voting members.
• Retired pastors on the synod roster serving as interim pastors in congregations of the synod during the Synod Assembly.
• Retired or on-leave-from-call deacons elected by their congregation as voting members.
• Persons serving in a Synodically Authorized Ministry (more than half time) in congregations of the synod during the Synod Assembly.

Congregation Size*		Voting Member #	Gender
0 – 174		1 or 2	If only one registers, either a male or a female.
			If two register, it must be one male and one female.
175 – 500		2	1 male, 1 female
501 – 1,000		3	1 male, 1 female + 1 either male or female
1,001 – 1,500		4	2 male, 2 female
1,501 – 2,000		5	2 male, 2 female + 1 either male or female
2,001 – 2,500		6	3 male, 3 female
2,501 – 3,000		7	3 male, 3 female + 1 either male or female
3,001 – 3,500		8	4 male, 4 female

*Numbers represent BAPTIZED membership.
More than 3,500 baptized members, add one voting member for every additional 500 baptized members.

Registration Information for Non-Voting Assembly Participants

Advisory members of the assembly have voice but not vote during business sessions. Such persons must register and pay the appropriate fee, which entitles them to all activities and meals. Those wanting the materials printed for them should add $25 to the registration fee. Persons who may register as advisory members include: ELCA churchwide staff, representatives of synodical shared ministries, retired rostered persons (with the exception of the two retired pastors elected to vote), and rostered persons not currently under call. Advisory members may attend all days of the assembly.

Visitors for the assembly have neither voice nor vote during business sessions. Any interested members of congregations of the Synod may register as visitors and pay the appropriate fee, which entitles them to all the activities and meals.  Visitors must sit in a separate designated area during the business session.

If you have questions about the 2018 Synod Assembly, please call
Tammy Sather in the Synod Office at
507.627.9041 or email her at tammy.sather@swmnelca.org.

Registration Procedures and Costs

Registration is online only. Please register each person attending the assembly prior to Friday, May 18, to take advantage of the early bird rate.

	BY 5/18/2018	AFTER 5/18/2018
Voting Member	$180.00 (facilities/meals)*	$230.00 (facilities/meals)*
Voting Member Under 35 (LAY only)	$130.00 (facilities/meals)*	$180.00 (facilities/meals)*
Advisory/Visitor	$95.00 (facilities/meals)*	$145.00 (facilities/meals)*
Retired Reverend (visitor/advisory)	$45.00 (facilities/meals)*

* If printed materials are needed, $25 will be added to the registration fee.

Refunds
Refund Policy:
Cancellations by June 3:  100% Refund
Cancellations after June 3 or Non-Attendance without Cancellation:  No Refund

Housing
You are responsible for making your own housing arrangements this year. Please see the tab for more information.

This year’s assembly will kick off with learning opportunities and workshops. We are asking all participates to sign-up for the activities you wish to attend. These workshops are open to the community! Therefore, if you invite others to attend, please sign-up online. This is to give us a general idea how many people may be attending each workshop.

Lunch for $9 per person will be available on-site from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Assembly voting members have the option to purchase a lunch ticket on their assembly registration. There will be a limited number of tickets available for purchase on-site.

Workshop times, descriptions and sign-up will be posted soon!

Housing Information

Many synod assembly voting members will commute to the assembly in Redwood Falls. Others will want to stay in a nearby hotel or campsite. Redwood Falls is a beautiful city and there is a lot going on in the area that weekend! If you are interested in staying in the greater Redwood Falls area, here is some valuable information:

1. Rooms have been reserved at various hotels around the area. However, the synod does not promote, recommend, or endorse any of them. It is the responsibility of the congregation/individual to determine an acceptable place to stay.
2. The Synod Assembly registration fee does not include housing. This is completely separate. Congregations/individuals can decide if they want to book rooms at 2 or 4 people per room.
3. Availability of rooms is a first-come/first-serve basis. Make your reservations now if you plan to stay in the area. There are many big events happening in the Redwood Falls Area that weekend.
4. All rooms are held for June 7-8, 2018. However, you do not have to stay both nights.
5. When you call to make reservations, please reference the SW MN Synod Assembly.
6. All hotel rooms have a release date. Therefore, make your reservations early!

 Click here for the online display request form

If you would like to have a display at the assembly, you must complete the online display request form.

Because we feel our displays play a vital role in our Synod Assemblies, we ask you to adhere to our policies if you choose to request a display. Our Synod Assembly Planning Team may refuse any display request that doesn’t support our synod’s mission.

*All displays will be set up Friday, June 8 before 10 a.m.
The RACC will be open for you to set up on Thursday, June 7 until 8 p.m. and again on Friday morning at 8 a.m.

*All displays may be taken down no sooner than Saturday, June 9 at 2 p.m.

*All displays will be staffed at all times throughout the assembly.

Early bird Display rate:	After May 18:
Waived for Synod Boards/Committees/Teams	$25   Synod Boards/Committees/Teams
$15   Shared Ministries	$40   *Shared Ministries
$25   Mission Partners	$50    Mission Partners
$75   Other	$100   Other

*Our shared ministries (according to our budget): Lutheran Campus Ministries (Marshall, Morris, St. Cloud), Shalom Hill Farm, Minnesota Council of Churches, Luther Seminary and Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota

Each display includes an 8-foot table, folding chair, and a tablecloth.

Meals are not provided free of charge for people who bring a display. Meals are included with the registration fee for all who register as voting members, advisory or visitors for the Synod Assembly. If you wish to add meals, there is an additional cost of $30. This will include three meals: Friday lunch and dinner and Saturday lunch in addition to all the items offered during breaks.

Please be sure to call or email Carla Klawitter in our office if you have any questions. Her email address is carla.klawitter@swmnelca.org.
The early bird rate ends May 18. All requests must be in by May 31.

Thank you for your interest!

Below is a brief draft schedule to help you plan. Closer to the assembly we will be posting a full detailed schedule.

Friday, June 8
8:00 a.m.	Registration: located in The Link
10:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.	Service Projects: various locations
10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.	Workshops #1: various locations
11:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.	Workshops #2: various locations
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.	Lunch (on-site if reserved)
1:00 p.m.	Orientation: Field House
1:30 p.m.	Opening Worship: Performing Arts Center (PAC)
2:45 p.m.	Sliding into Plenary: Field House
6:05 p.m.	Dinner: Field House
7:30 p.m.	Banquet: Glocal Musician-Educators
Saturday, June 9
7:00 – 7:30 a.m.	Taize Worship: Performing Arts Center (PAC)
8:30 a.m.	Sliding into Plenary: Field House
11:45 a.m.	Lunch: Field House
2:45 p.m.	Closing Worship: Performing Arts Center (PAC)

The Pre-Assembly Reports and Proposals to the Congregations book will be available for download here, on our website and via our Guidebook to rostered persons and lay voting members who are registered for the assembly the week of May 1 or thereafter for late registrants. If you would like this information printed out and sent to you, please check the additional printed materials box upon registration and we will do that for an additional charge of $25. Thank you.

We encourage taking advantage of the early bird registration fee. Registering by May 18 not only means that you pay a considerably lower registration rate, but it also assures that your voting members will have ample time to review the Pre-Assembly Reports and Proposals to the Congregations. These reports and resolutions will form the basis for discussion and decisions at the assembly.

We will be posting reports as we receive them. 
Reports Received:

Staff Reports: 
Bishop Jon. V. Anderson
Rev. Linda Pedersen, Synod Minister
Rev. Kathryn Skoglund, Synod Minister
Rev. Larry Strenge, Director for Evangelical Mission 
Deacon Sarah Hausken, Youth Ministry Coordinator
Rev. Andrew Hermodson-Olsen, Lilly Coordinator

Committee Reports:
Synod Council and Executive Committee 

Mission Partners Reports:
-Concordia College
-Carthage College
-ELCA REgion 3 Archives
-ELCA Region 3 Candidacy and Leadership Manager
-Luther Seminary
-MN Council of Churches
-Mission Investment Fund
-Portico Benefit Services
-Wartburg College 

The following online biographical data form is for persons elected for a synod-related position or a churchwide assembly voting member. All biographical data collected will be available in the Nominating Report included in the PRE-Assembly Reports. 

Click here for the online Bio Data Form