Mpls Area Synod ELCA

Blue Christmas Worship Service
2021-12-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 202 Coulter Blvd., Chanhassen, MN, United States
Join us for a holy pause in this season’s noisy merriment. This worship service is quietly reflective with dimmed lights and candlelight; a calming gift to those who experience grief, loss, or someone who would appreciate a more meditative worship in the midst of a busy Christmastime. Stay afterwards for some meditative peace and quiet.

Hope... In The Darkness
2021-12-16 19:00 | Virtual
One of the most celebrated occasions of the year occurs in the midst of the longest, darkest, coldest time of year. During this season when even nature is lifeless, we look for–and find–the light of hope.
Please join us for an interfaith worship service on Thursday, December 16 at 7 p.m. CT All participants are asked to bring to the service a candle to light. This is a free offering of the Center of Addiction & Faith.All are welcome.

Children’s Ministry Zoom
2021-12-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
New Year! New programming? Kids are being vaccinated, 2022 will be different. Join Julie Vagle and Rachelle Gill as we talk about what will change for us in 2022. What will change for you? Join us on zoom. Questions? Email Rachelle at rgill@easter.orgJoin Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/85076129637?pwd=[REDACTED] ID: 850 7612 9637Passcode: [REDACTED]

The National Lutheran Choir: Christmas Festival
2021-12-10 20:00 - 22:00 | Virtual
Join the NLC this holiday season online for their 36th annual Christmas Festival, The Earth Adorned. A livestream of the concert will be available for free to all on the NLCA.com website at 8pm CT on Dec. 10th.
During The Earth Adorned, we will view the birth of Christ alongside the beauty of this world through works for choir and instruments including Aaron David Miller’s Chanticleer, Paul John Rudoi’s Orbit Carol, and the Creation Suite by Dr. Larry Fleming. The Earth Adorned will include singing of carols, recitations of poetry, and more from the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, MN.
Christmas Festival: The Earth Adorned Livestream
Friday, Dec. 10th – 8pm
Free to all | Visit NLCA.com to watch
For more information, visit NLCA.com or call 612-722-2301.

The Earth Adorned
2021-12-10 - 2021-12-11 | MN
National Lutheran Choir presents “The Earth Adorned”
December 10 & 11: Live Concerts
The 36th annual NLC Christmas concert, The Earth Adorned, will allow us to bask in the beauty and hope of the holiday season.
Buy tickets

From Suffering to Hope Retreat
2021-12-06 - 2021-12-08 | MN
From Suffering to Hope Retreat
Lakeshore Center at Okoboji, Milford, IA
Dec 6-8
(details to come; please email LeaderWise if you’d like to be notified when registration opens)

Half Day Retreat for Clergy Women
2021-12-04 09:00 - 12:30 | Cardonlet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55105
In this tumultuous time, when people are carrying extraordinary levels of anxiety, grief, and suffering in our communities, there are additional stresses for clergy. Hybrid worship services, the difficulties inherent in providing pastoral care in a pandemic, and the changing nature of gatherings because of it, are placing huge demands on leaders.
Our national heartache and polarization impact our faith communities too, and they are not easily bridged. Astonishing global events and the crisis of climate change challenge our worldview, and influence our evolving sense of God.
This half-fay retreat will include:
-Guided listening experiences
-Time for conversation and connection
-Option for time for writing or artistic expression
-Help with emotional roadblocks
-Short readings and poem
The cost of attendance is $80.Use Zelle or Venmo, or mail a check to Julie Neraas. To get her contact info or to learn more details you can reach her at 612-381-4026.

Youth Ministry Connect and Chat
2021-12-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Staff and volunteers who lead Middle and/or High School Youth in their congregations are invited to gather on Zoom for conversation and brainstorming! Join Lisa Sampson and others to discuss what programming might look like in the new year, Gathering news, and more!
Zoom Details – Meeting ID: 416 478 3219Passcode: [REDACTED]

Addiction & The Science of Gratitude
2021-11-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Current research on addiction and recovery reveals important facts about the importance of gratitude. The roots of gratitude are found in the world’s great religions, but in recent decades, psychologists have been studying the benefits of gratitude and the impact of gratitude on addiction recovery. Guest speaker Dr. Amy Krentzman studies spirituality, religiousness, forgiveness, and practices such as prayer and meditation as they function in the context of addiction recovery. Her recent work focuses on gratitude in addiction recovery. Tim King and Pastor Ed Treat will co-host.

For more information, or with any questions, please reach out to Louise Olson at glolro@comcast.net.

Wade in the Water: A Water & Faith Education Event
2021-11-18 10:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
This 2.5 hour online workshop and ecumenical worship is designed for our community to connect and gain faith/science resources specific to water quality. Our time together will be spent exploring water and faith education including…
* FREE eco-theology curriculum called ‘Wade in the Water’
* FUN enviroSTEM activities,
* FAITHFUL spiritual practices
* FRUITFUL water justice discussion
Please register using this link. Prior to the event handouts and Zoom information will be sent to the name and email used to register.
Special thanks to Luther Seminary, The Ministry Lab, Capitol Region Watershed District and Growing Green Hearts.

Journey Towards Justice Featuring Thorne and Wakinyan Lapointe
2021-11-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Diamond Lake Lutheran Church, 5760 Portland Ave, Minneapolis, MN, United States
All are welcome to join the Journey Toward Justice group at Diamond Lake Lutheran as we will be joined by Thorne and Wakinyan Lapointe on Wednesday, November 17 at 6:30-8:00 pm in the Lakeview Room. This will be offered hybrid so you can join us in person or via zoom. Brothers, Thorne and Wakinyan Lapointe are Sicangu Lakota and live in Minneapolis. They are indigenous human rights advocates and are co-conveners of Mni Ki Waken: Indigenous Water Decade, which focuses on water justice. They will be with us to share their own stories, speak about the indigenous world view and lead us in conversation. We are very happy to have them joining us. You won’t want to miss this!

Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training
2021-11-17 10:00 - 2021-11-18 12:30 | Virtual
LeaderWise’s online boundaries training workshop is lively and interactive, full of reflection and conversation. Attendees have given us feedback that our boundaries training was a great experience, AND caused them to re-evaluate some of their own practices.
This live online boundaries training is 5 total hours split over 2 consecutive days (2.5 hours each day). Following the first session, participants are asked to engage in a bit of reflection work in preparation for the second session. This online boundaries training will be conducted via secure Zoom video conferencing.

LeaderWise can also bring a Boundaries Training session to your judicatory tailored to your specific schedule and needs. Please contact Mary Kay for more information.

Faith Partners Leadership Training
2021-11-13 09:00 - 16:00 | Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, Prior Lake MN, 3611 N Berens Rd NW, Prior Lake, MN, 55379, United States
Faith Partners has established a national presence resulting in over 1000 trained congregational teams in 29 states from 23 different faith traditions. These team members have ministered to thousands of individuals and families by offering tools and supports to make healthier choices and effectively meet people in their brokenness. Faith Partners Leadership Training is for congregational leaders who can help initiate this ministry in their congregation. It will provide an overview of this proven model to build congregational support for this lay team ministry. It will be a hybrid training event (in-person and virtual combination). Cost is $250/congregation. Register using the provided link.

Addiction & Our Military – A Special Veterans Day Webinar
2021-11-11 11:00 - 12:00 | virtual
A one-hour free webinar, Addiction & Our Military, will be presented on Zoom, Nov. 11, 2021, 11AM-12Noon CT, hosted by Center of Addiction & Faith. The featured guest will be Retired U.S. Army Major John Donovan. John has 40 years of sobriety and speaks and lectures to audiences on substance use disorder and recovery.
Veterans are more likely to report both general use and heavy use of alcohol than their non-veteran counterparts. Of veterans who enter a treatment program, 65% report alcohol as the substance they most frequently misuse. That’s almost double that of the general population. Veterans also have higher risk of suicide than their peers who have not served. Retired U.S. Major John Donovan is determined to improve these deadly statics. He will teach members of faith communities what they can do to help our veterans find their task and purpose again. Honor a veteran on Veteran’s Day by learning about Major John Donovan’s work.

Songs for Healing: Teaching Session, POSTPONED
2021-11-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
This event has been postponed. Watch here for further information.
Join songwriter Bret Hesla and chaplain Bill Dexheimer Pharris to sing through and learn about Bret’s recently-released songbook Lake of Mercy: Songs for Healing. This event is for spiritual caregivers and others who use singing in their work for healing to explore the book and share ideas about how to do and use each song. For more information contact Bret Hesla at bret.hesla@gmail.com.
Sponsored by Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Mpls.

Synod office closed for staff retreat
2021-11-09 - 2021-11-10 | MN

The Shape of Leadership
2021-11-08 - 2021-11-10 | MN
The Shape of Leadership is for ministers who want to make a signiﬁcant impact on the future of the church through their own bold leadership. In this ecumenical program, participants gather for one year to develop their leadership—through experimenting with innovative practices; deepening self-awareness; developing a support system; and learning to navigate power, change, conﬂict, and the daily challenges of leadership. Participants integrate their personal theological and Biblical commitments with leadership concepts and practices from a variety of disciplines, especially the adaptive leadership framework. Core to the program is deepening self-awareness around leadership gifts and leading. The program is highly experiential and collaborative and offers the opportunity to develop long-lasting relationships among other exceptional leaders in the church.
Shape facilitators take seriously the adaptive challenge of creating a leadership development experience that sticks. We work hard. We ask you to work hard. You will be rewarded for your hard work through transforming your leadership—so you can help transform your corner of the world.
The adaptive leadership framework is an ever-present component of the year-long program. All gatherings also include spiritual practice/worship and reflection time. Additional topics are inserted along the way, depending on the needs of the group.
More information can be found at the LeaderWise website

White Privilege: A Production of Chain Reaction Theatre Project
2021-11-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Edina Community Lutheran Church, 4113 West 54th Street , Edina, MN, 55424, United States
White Privilege, a powerful play exploring a wide range of different issues, including micro-aggressions and cultural appropriation, hosted by several ELCA and other congregations Oct 22-Nov 7.

All Saints: We Remember and Requiem Aeternam
2021-11-05 - 2021-11-07 | MN
National Lutheran Choir presents “All Saints: We Remember and Requiem Aeternam”
November 5-7: Live Concerts and Virtual Program
With these programs, we remember the loss of human life with awareness that our physical bodies come from and return to the sustaining earth.
Buy tickets

Organ Soup at St. Paul Reformation
2021-11-04 12:00 - 13:00 | St. Paul – Reformation Lutheran, 100 Oxford St N, St. Paul, MN, United States
Organist Kraig Windschitl presents a noontime organ recital to celebrate a century since the installation of St. Paul-Reformation’s Moller organ. An acclaimed performer and crowd favorite, Windschitl is the Assistant Director of Music at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, and holds and MM in music from Indiana University. A simple lunch will follow.

Formula Missae of 1523
2021-10-31 17:00 - 19:00 | St. Paul – Reformation Lutheran, 100 Oxford St N, St. Paul, MN, United States
St. Paul-Reformation (100 Oxford Street North, Saint Paul) will commemorate Reformation Sunday with Luther’s first revision of the medieval mass, his Formula Missae of 1523, on Sunday October 31 at 5:00 p.m. Period music will be included in this setting of the mass as it would have been celebrated at St. Mary’s Church (the City Church) of Wittenberg in the 1520’s.

ELCA Youth Leadership Summit
2021-10-31 - 2021-11-03 | Lutheridge Conference Center, Arden, NC, United States
The ELCA Youth Leadership Summit is an annual gathering for high school youth identified as leaders and an adult representative from each synod. The 2019 Summit will Equip the youth leaders through Peer Ministry Leadership. They will learn to welcome and include others in all situations promoting diversity and acceptance. They will learn to share God’s love and grace through their daily connections, becoming aware of the hurts and needs of those around them and living out the Good Samaritan story. Through the peer ministry training the participants will learn how to be careful listeners, to guide healthy and purposeful conversations, to clarify concerns and values, to ask open-ended questions and make observations, and know when a task is to large and how to ask for help.

THEME VERSE: EPHESIANS 4:11-13

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Youth will be challenged to take home what they have learned and to inspire action and teach others what they learned in their own synods and youth groups. For more details and information visit www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Youth-Ministry/Youth-Leadership-Summit.
The Youth Leadership Summit is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and partners with the Domestic Mission Unit, the Faith Formation Team, the SYMBOL Network, the ELCA Youth Gathering, 65 Synods across the United States, ELCA Disability Ministries, and ELCA Ethnic Specific Ministries.

Come Together for Racial Justice
2021-10-28 19:00 - 20:30 | online
How do we build true relationships across differences? That is a common question these days. Increasingly, people know that trust must be established. But, how is that done? How is it maintained? What moves BIPOC folks to risk potential harm for the sake of community? How do white folks acknowledge the systems that don’t merit trust from BIPOC communities? These are questions that will focus the discussion for this event, under the name “Come Together for Racial Justice,” and facilitated by the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement.

Thursday, October 28
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Online

There has been some important collective learning over the past few years. This event will provide a space for brave conversations to explore the above questions and to live into the answers.

Panelists for the event will be Pastor Kelly Chatman, Pastor Paul Slack, and Commissioner Jodi Harpstead.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/come-together-tickets-190694842407
To join Zoom call: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86715166527?pwd=[REDACTED]

Ballots Beyond Bars: Remember, Restore, Reconnect
2021-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Advent Lutheran Church, 9475 Jefferson Hwy, Maple Grove, MN, 55369, United States
Ballots Beyond Bars: Remember, Restore, Reconnect
Twenty-one states restore full voting rights once a felon completes a prison term, but not Minnesota. People who have left prison but are still on parole or probation do not regain the franchise until they are “off paper.” Some Lutherans, based on ELCA social teaching, don’t think this is fair, wise, or faithful.
Learn about voting rights in Minnesota, hear stories from real people with lived experience of disenfranchisement, and lend yhour voice to a growing movement to Restore the Vote! There will even be treats and music for those who attend in person.
Thursday, October 28
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Advent Lutheran Church
8475 Jefferson Highway, Maple Grove
If you cannot attend in person, be sure to register so you can attend online: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScfBEZS1…/viewform
The event is sponsored by Word of Peace Lutheran Church in Rogers, Advent Lutheran Church in Maple Grove, and the Minneapolis Area Synod.

Joint Ministerium with Saint Paul Area Synod
2021-10-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Incarnation Lutheran Church Shoreview, 4880 Hodgson Road, Shoreview, MN, 55126
Near the end of 2020, Martin Luther’s words on how to respond to a pandemic as a person of faith went viral. His Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague didn’t feel nearly 500 years old. Just as he spoke to his community during an outbreak of the bubonic plague in Wittenburg in 1527, his writing hits close to home today as we attempt to serve the church faithfully during this COVID-19 pandemic.
While much uncertainty still colors our daily lives and our comings and goings, we are grateful for the gifts of vaccination and public health guidance that provide opportunities for us to come together for a ministerium this fall, to learn more deeply about what our tradition and its founder have to offer us as leaders. We will gather for worship and learning. The Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza, a theologian with a deep knowledge of Martin Luther, will be our guide. He is an Associate Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College.

9:00 a.m. – Worship
9:45 a.m. – Keynote & Conversation

Masks will be required indoors; physical distancing is encouraged; no food or drink will be served.
REGISTER NOW >

Confidence in Conflict: Navigating the Struggle
2021-10-21 13:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
When you hear the word conflict, what reaction happens in your body? Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with conflict? How do you develop the capacity to enter into conflict well? These are some burning questions that we’ll explore with you in this online conflict workshop on October 21 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm (Central time).
Conflict is everywhere in our world today. Join us and feel more confident when you find yourself in conflict. Learn more and register here.

Bold Gathering (Lutheran Men in Mission)
2021-10-16 11:00 - 14:00 | MN
“You Give What None of Us Can!”
Rev. Dr. Sean L. Forde will share about the give and take in servant leadership. Leaders give and serve, but they also receive great gifts from those they lead and serve. LMM’s Young Men’s Ministry Team was a special time with servant leaders who served and blessed the Lord in ways we did not imagine.
Sean is a pastor, teacher, and author who likes to engage the living Word of God and relate it to everyday life. He has served alongside Lutheran Men in Mission on the local, regional, and national levels helping men of all ages become bold, daring followers of Jesus Christ. He is a proud husband and father of three with two sons involved in leadership in men’s ministry. He serves joyfully at Christ Church and Preschool in Coral Springs, FL.
Registration will open soon

2021 National CROP Hunger Walk
2021-10-16 | Wherever you choose!
Join us for the 2021 National CROP Hunger Walk on World Food Day, October 16th and end hunger in the U.S. and around the world! Walk on your treadmill, in your neighborhood, in a park with friends – you choose the location and the experience. Walk one day – 3.7 miles (the average distance a woman walks for water) or take the Weekend Challenge and walk 11.1 miles (3.7 miles for 3 days).Every step you take, every dollar you raise makes the walk shorter for neighbors in need by providing clean water, emergency food as well as livelihoods and access to education. Sign-up and start raising funds TODAY at www.crophungerwalk.org/usa ! Contact info@cwsglobal.org for more info.

A People of Hope: Until All Are Fed
2021-10-14 19:30 | Virtual
A People of Hope: Until All Are Fed
An online benefit for ELCA World Hunger
When: Thursday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. Central time
Where: Zoom webinar

This online benefit for ELCA World Hunger will feature interviews hosted by Rick Steves, with people on the ground who are doing the dynamic work of fighting hunger around the world. Special guests include the Rev. David Beckmann, who is being honored for his lifelong service to end hunger; the Rev. Rebel Hurd; Willie and Anne Langdji; and the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla. There will also be special performances by Rachel Kurtz, Peter Mayer and the St. Olaf Choir. As a vital supporter of the church, we would love for you to join us as we hear compelling stories, listen to wonderful music and gather in fellowship to invest in this life-giving work.
Register Now

A Pilgrimage to Remember and Reflect
2021-10-09 | MN
Why this Social Action Pilgrimage?
People go on pilgrimage for many reasons. Some common ones are: to visit a sacred space; to seek healing; to give thanks; to heed an inner sense of call; to reclaim a lost or abandoned part of oneself. This pilgrimage offers the chance to connect the soul of our communities through intentional engagement with one community, whose pain captured the attention of the global community.
George Floyd’s death will forever be imprinted on our consciousness. Living forward, how will we connect with community through collaborative social action? This pilgrimage is an opportunity to reconnect with the soul of your community, bringing together prosocial leaders committed to addressing systemic issues that block life-giving change.
We live in a crucial season where our choices will have impact for generations to come. How are you being called to participate in the flow of energy across your community toward generative leadership and impactful social action? Our acts of love and social action reflect an understanding that our individual and collective flourishing are inter-dependent.
We thrive together or not at all!
More information can be found at the LeaderWise website.
