eNewsletter - June 10, 2024

JUSTmove - A message from Joe and Dave

Western N Dakota Synod! Thank you so much for your openness to the Spirit of God this weekend and for welcoming us with open arms. It was truly a blessing to spend time with you and see how God is using each of you to build beloved community in each of your churches and communities.

 We would love to continue to partner with you! Perhaps we could come to your church some time and lead a worship service or “edutainment” event for your people? We will be “in the area” September 6th and 7th. Have your people talk with our people. Click our Booking Form if you are interested. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers and we will do the same.  And please don’t ever forget:

YOU ARE A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD!!

Move with grace. Move with courage. JUSTmove!

Synod Summer Hours

The WND Synod is now operating under our summer hours.  Through Labor Day, the Synod office will close at noon on Fridays.

The Sweet Deal for C.A.R. Fundraiser

The sweet deal for C.A.R fundraiser is back!! During worship, your congregation may distribute a tube of M&M’s to each family to enjoy, inviting them to return the tube with a check inside made out to the church, or some bills or quarters as they are inspired to give. If you have plenty of tubes, it may also be a fun Sunday School project.

You may want to set a financial goal such as a Good Gifts item, a Display with details, and attach a Label to each tube as a reminder.

Check out the synod’s C.A.R. page for more information on our partnership, videos to show, and other resources. Contact Matthew to reserve your M&M tubes, for more details, or to brainstorm. Thanks to a grant from the endowment of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Bismarck, a quantity of tubes will be available for distribution at Assembly.

June Western Whirlwind from WND Synodical Women of the ELCA

The June Western Whirlwind is now available! This edition contains registration information for the Synodical Convention in Bismarck on June 21-22. Also included is the form for submitting resolutions.

Read the June Western Whirlwind

Calling All Incoming MSU Freshman

You have a chance to WIN FREE TEXTBOOKS for Spring 2025 semester! One chance to win by following LCM on Instagram (@LCM.MSU) and a second chance to win by signing up to LCM's e-Newsletter (email Paster Rachel at Rachel.Simonson@MinotStateU.edu)

Come have free supper at Olive Garden and meet other incoming freshmen from our area ELCA congregations!

Save the Date: Monday, August 26, 2024 at 6PM. Please let Rachel know if you plan to come so she knows what sized table to get (same email as above). This will be an easy way to meet people as school begins!

Luther Seminary Opportunities

Luther Seminary has special upcoming opportunities for both high school and college students in our synod. Please pass this along to your young adults!

High School

The Confluence at Augsburg University - June 23-28

The Confluence is an opportunity for high schoolers to explore their vocation – the life they live at the intersections of God’s story, the world’s story and their own personal story. Participants are invited to tap into their own God-given sacredness and power to participate in God’s vision of a more just and sustainable world for all. Held on the campus of Augsburg University in Minneapolis, the Confluence offers youth a chance to experience college life by living in the dorms, working with Augsburg professors, students and staff and getting a taste of life in the city. 

Study with Augsburg professor, Dr. Jeremy Myers, Christensen Chair of Religion and Vocation to explore the arc of God’s biblical story, using that story as a lens to evaluate the past, inform the present and direct the future. Youth will come away from their time at The Confluence empowered, energized and equipped to live lives of purpose and meaning, ready to actively engage their neighbors and communities. Learn more about The Confluence at https://www.augsburg.edu/confluence/ or email confluence@augsburg.edu 

 Application deadline extended to May 31!

College Students

Seminary Immersion at Luther - August 18-21

The Young Adult Summer Seminary Immersion is 4-day experience of conversation and study with current Luther Seminary staff, students, faculty and alumni as well as exploration of an incredible ministry sites around the Twin Cities. 

Participants will live on campus, share in meals and experiences with current students, mentors and ministry folks, and be given holy space to explore their own call as they discern next steps in their journey. Costs are covered by our generous donors for all accepted participants (some limited financial support available for travel expenses). 

Applicants are asked to apply by June 1! 

Wage and Hour Rule Revision

An Update from Synod Attorney, Murray Sagsveen

On Apr. 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor published its Overtime Final Rule designed to update and revise overtime protections for workers employed by nonprofits, for-profits, and governments. The final rule, set to start going into effect on July 1, 2024, increases the minimum salary level that white-collar employees must be paid to exempt them from overtime pay of time and half of wages for hours worked in excess of 40 in any week. Additional information is available at this National Council of Nonprofits website.

Footsteps of Paul Tour

The Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA's Bishop Tessa Moon Leiseth and our own Bishop Craig Schweitzer are leading a tour of Greece and Turkey in October 2024. We invite you to join us on this journey in the footsteps of Paul.

On this life-changing adventure, we will explore the land of Greece and Turkey as the history of the New Testament comes alive. We will retrace the voyages of Paul and learn about the early church and the spread of the Gospel. Our journey will begin in Athens and Corinth, then into Ephesus, as we make our way to Patmos.

CLICK HERE for more info and to reserve your spot!

JUSTmove: Becoming God's Breach Repairers in a Polarized World

How do we invite people into God’s Breach Repairing work of justice in a way that does not alienate them? While many diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts can utilize “guilt, blame, and shame”, there is a way to graciously invite people into a new vision of humanity that makes space for all people.

In these engaging educational modules, JUSTmove (David Scherer and Joe Davis) will give us tools and resources to start courageous conversations that bring us closer to Gospel inclusion (Every other Thursday @ 12pm Noon CST).

Meeting Link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83032013471?pwd=cmJkZTNuaGVVMGMrV3ZQZ2JzZ1JwUT09

“Not being but becoming” (Jun 13) Many of us allow our own perfection to get in the way of starting important conversations with our neighbors. This session will give us tools to utilize compassionate curiosity and learn about the “differences that make a difference”.

“Same Spirit and Different Gifts” (Jun 27) In order for us to move from the “Golden Rule” (treat others how you want to be treated) to the “Platinum Rule” (treat others how they want to be treated), we need to be able to understand other cultural patterns. This session will help us understand some of our micro and macro cultural differences and give us tools to bridge those differences.

“Christ’s Dance of Power” (Jul 11) “Power” has often been a dirty word in the church, but it is important that we understand how it functions in scripture, in our world, and in our own lives. This session will help us understand how power dynamics shape our interactions and how we can follow Christ’s model of power sharing rather than power hoarding.

“Confession and Repentance” (Jul 25) While we confess our own complicity in human suffering every week in church (“by what we have done and by what we have undone”), we often allow shame to paralyze us in anti-racism efforts. How do we move our understanding of racism beyond and individualistic “bad people trying to hurt others on purpose” toward a more communal understanding of racism that we can recognize and repair? This session will help us do this important work.

“Wounded Healers” (Aug 8) How do we metabolize the racialized trauma that each of us carry in our bodies? If we know so much about the system of oppression that harms people in our minds, why have our bodies not gotten the memo? This session will give practical tools and a methodology that can help us re member the body of Christ that we are a part of to create the change that we wish to see.

“Go and Do …” (Aug 22) As Martin Luther points out, our faith is active and living. How do we remain faithful to the next step toward God’s preferred and promised future? This last session together will help us deter mine our next faithful steps and create a plan for operationalizing the compassionate justice about which we are learning.

Join LSM in Person or Online!

Lutheran Summer Music announces its 42nd season, offering over 30 free and open-to-the-public concerts and recitals. All events take place this July at Valparaiso University, and most will be livestreamed. Performances and services are shared by over 250 students, faculty, fellows, worship staff, and guest artists who come together to create a vibrant community of music-makers. The LSM 2024 season will culminate during Festival Week (July 21-28), featuring the LSM Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra, a Festival of Hymns, and closing each day with sung Evening Prayer. Of special note, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) will join this year’s LSM community and offer an intergenerational performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion.

Visit LSMacademy.org/2024 for a complete listing of events and to access the livestream.

ELCA Announces Young Adults in Global Mission

We are thrilled to share that the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission has recently called 25 young adults to serve starting in September. Among the 25 newly-called YAGM volunteers, two have named a congregation, campus ministry, ELCA outdoor ministry, or ELCA college/university as a faith home within the Western North Dakota Synod. They are Emily Wenning and Elise Whitehead.

We invite your prayers as they prepare for their journey and as they continue to discern God's call in their lives. Your continued encouragement and support are deeply appreciated.

CLICK TO VIEW a video to learn more about the impact these YAGM volunteers are making around the world.