Synod News

While Advent is a season of hope and Christmas is a season of joy, we know all too well that not everyone feels hopeful or like celebrating right now. The pandemic, grief, illness, aging, depression, loneliness, unemployment, and loss are magnified. Those who are not struggling with losses may feel the stress of changed preparations and expectations […]

The Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA, gratefully announces the award of an ELCA COVID-19 grant for $10,000.00. As part of an ELCA COVID-19 response, the ELCA Church Council authorized a new fund to receive revenue to directly support ministries of the ELCA. This summer our synod received a grant of $7,500.00. These new, additional funds are

Gospel, Government and the Common Good in the Southwestern Minnesota  If you missed this Ministry Basics event, don’t worry! You can register to get the Zoom recording. Click here for the Zoom Recording! Recorded the panel discussion: Thinking together about faithful witness and ministry in this polarized moment. Panelists: State Rep Paul Torkelson – Taskforce

At the last congregational Lay Leaders Zoom meeting, Bp. Jon and the synod staff talked about planning for the winter and moving into 2021. There are two very important details we want to share with everyone! Pr. Dee and Pr. Steve re-recorded their presentations to help answer questions that might arise during your congregational fall

Give to the Max day is November 19th, 2020! Money and Ministry The Southwestern Minnesota Synod is taking bold action to ensure vital sustainable ministry into the future. We believe that healthy ministry needs healthy leadership, this is especially true when it comes to financial health. With Gifts of Grace we are actively working to

+Rev. Dee Pederson, D.Min., Director for Evangelical Mission One of the powerful ways this truth has been lived out in the COVID-19 crisis is: “generosity.” As unemployment soared and demands on food pantries increased, generous donors across the ELCA contributed $1.6 million to the ELCA COVID-19 Response Fund. This generosity has come to our synod

[clear-line] The Pastor in a Secular Age Being a pastor is no easy task in our time. Institutions are weaker, budgets are in decline, people are uninterested, and commitment is wavering.  But these are only symptoms of a bigger issue (and this was all before the pandemic).  These presentations will seek to peer beneath the

The Southwestern Minnesota Synod Endowment Fund will once again make grants to support the mission of Congregations in their local communities in 2020-2022. The Fund Committee is looking for projects proposals in the following areas: Community Outreach Youth Activities Special Mission Projects In addition, the Committee encourages proposals in response to the mission challenges of

Over the last few decades, the cost of educating rostered leaders was increasingly placed upon the person called to serve.  Although taking out loans to pursue education is normal, tuition and cost of living increases over the last few decades were primarily shouldered by students. This resulted in some of our rostered ministers starting their

+Rev. Dr. Pederson, Director for Evangelical Mission Many of us remember asking our parents on the way to Grandma’s house, “When will we get there?!” In the midst of Stay-at-Home 2020, all of us wondered when things would get back to normal for daily life and for church life. And if someone had told you