Mpls Area Synod ELCA

Partnership Trip to Palestine
2025-11-03 - 2025-11-12
Attention to news from Gaza and the West Bank leaves many feeling that words are not enough. When there is grief and hunger, dispossession and death, when words fail, it is our presence that counts. Walking alongside those who are suffering is what God’s Holy Spirit does for us. Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, is planning a trip to Palestine November 3 – 12 to accompany their mission partners, Bright Stars of Bethlehem and Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem. You are invited to lend your presence and support to their Palestinian siblings and join their group. Participants will sit with students and faculty at Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and will help with olive harvesting at Augusta Victoria. As much as the presence and encouragement may bless those they are visiting, surely attendees will be blessed and encouraged, too, as they are able to share their experiences with their own congregations and friends when they return. For information about this opportunity, please consult the tour brochure and be in touch with Judy Hinck at judyhinck@gmail.com.

Discerning Your Call: Exploring the Next Faithful Step
2025-11-02 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Faith Lutheran, Forest Lake, 886 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN, 55025, United States
A discernment retreat hosted by the ELCA synods of Region 3 in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Wondering what’s next?
Wondering if God is calling you to something different?
Wondering if there’s “something more”?
Explore these and other questions in the context of our faith, with other wonderers through storytelling, introspection, and studying of Scripture. We strongly encourage you to bring a conversation partner (your pastor, a colleague, family member, friend, etc who will continue this conversation with you). The event costs $10 per person, which includes an evening meal.
Choose the date and location that works best for you. Each retreat is 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 2
Faith Lutheran, Forest Lake
Register by October 26
Sunday, February 22
Oak Knoll Lutheran, Minnetonka
Register by February 15
Register now >

Faith After High School
2025-11-02 12:00 - 14:00 | Calvary Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, 3901 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Join Calvary Lutheran Church Sunday, November 2, at noon for pizza and salad, followed by a panel with faith leaders from U of M Lutheran Campus Ministries, and Augsburg Lutheran Campus Ministries. They will share about their faith after high school. This is a great event for students thinking about attending these colleges or wondering what happens to your faith after high school.

Come join the conversation. Register by clicking the link below https://forms.gle/C2UR91jGETXzaqp19

National Lutheran Choir Concert
2025-11-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina, MN, United States
Lead Me Home
A Concert of Remembrance
A journey of remembrance and hope, this concert honors the beauty and fragility of life while offering a glimpse of the eternal home that awaits. Through music and movement, we explore the thin places between heaven and earth.
Featured works include Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s In Thee, O Lord, Thomas LaVoy’s O Great Beyond (with texts by Rabindranath Tagore), and Stephen Paulus’ beloved The Road Home. Additional selections by Minnesota composers Linda Kachelmeier and Marí Esabel Valverde round out the program.
Presented in collaboration with dance artist Eve Schulte, the concert will be performed in the Twin Cities and in St. Peter, Minnesota in partnership with Brandon Dean and the Gustavus Choir as NLC goes on the road.
Saturday, November 1, 7:00 p.m.
Normandale Lutheran Church, Edina
Sunday, November 2, 4:00 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi
More information and tickets >

Game Night Fundraiser Benefitting Cristo Obrero
2025-11-01 15:00 - 20:00 | Immanuel Lutheran Church, 16515 Luther Way, Eden Prairie, MN, 55346, United States
Join Immanuel, Eden Prairie, and Cristo Obrero, Chaska, (one of the Synod’s strategic ministries) for a game night!

There will be games of all sorts- card games, board games and yard games (weather permitting)! Come play your favorite games with new friends or try out a game you’ve never played before. There will be options for all ages. While you’re there, learn about Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)!

**Contribute any amount to play – donations will be matched up to $3,000 by Immanuel!**

FOOD this year: Hot dogs & chips, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and the Lions beer truck

and join Immanuel for Trunk or Treat just before!

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Discernment Weekend
2025-10-31 - 2025-11-02 | Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, 2000 Center St Suite 200, Berkeley, CA, 94704, United States
Are you wondering if seminary might be right for you? Consider joining Signs Along the Way at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, California, to connect with others in discernment, get to know PLTS faculty, and explore what it’s like to be an online student in the MDiv, MA in Spirituality and Social Change, or Lutheran Year programs. PLTS is transitioning to only offer online study with in-person intensives, so this weekend is designed for those interested in online learning. PLTS covers lodging and meals during the event and can offer travel assistance for those who need it. Visit plts.edu/signs to learn more and sign up.

Gathering Expedition Retreats
2025-10-31 - 2025-11-02 | Lutherdale, N7891 US-12, Elkhorn, WI, 53121, United States
This fall, the ELCA Youth Gathering is hitting the road with Gathering Expedition, a regional retreat experience for 8th – 12th grade youth and the adults who lead them. It’s designed to be simple, meaningful, and full of movement — because ministry doesn’t just happen every three years. It happens in the in-between too.
Over the course of the weekend, your group will worship together, dive into deep questions, serve with purpose, and connect with others in your region. It’s a chance for young people to explore where God might be calling them — and for you to walk alongside them without the pressure of planning it all yourself.
Whether your group is new to ELCA events or Gathering veterans, Gathering Expedition is a powerful space to pause, listen, grow, and move.
Let’s keep Faith in Motion.

Dates and locations:
📍 Cross Roads (Port Murray, N.J.) — September 26 – 28
📍 Lutherhill (La Grange, Texas) — October 3 – 5
📍 Lutherdale (Elkhorn, Wis.) — October 31 – November 2
More information >

Fall 2025 Joint Ministerium
2025-10-30 08:00 - 12:00 | Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 3115 Victoria Street North, Roseville, MN, 55113, United States
Rostered ministers in the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Area Synods are invited to gather for worship, fellowship, and reflection on Semper Reformanda (“always reforming”). Augsburg University President Dr. Paul Pribbenow, an esteemed leader in higher education, will be the featured presenter. He will speak about recent executive orders and changing demographics that impact all colleges and universities and reflect on what it means to be a church that is always reforming.
There’s no fee to attend, but please register in advance >
Agenda:

8:30 a.m. Check-in
9:00 a.m. Worship
10:15 a.m. Fellowship & Refreshments
11:00 a.m. Presentation by Dr. Paul Pribbenow
11:55 a.m. Adjourn

Public Policy & Civic Engagement 101 Training
2025-10-27 09:00 - 15:30 | Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, St. Paul, MN, 55155, United States
One of the most powerful tools we can leverage to bring more resources and opportunities to our communities and create positive change is by championing our causes.
Who Should Attend
This training is open to individuals who attend a faith community within Hennepin County and are interested in learning how to engage with the legislative process on issues they care about. Community members, social workers and other social services providers are invited to attend this in-depth training all about the legislative process. Attendees will hear from experts and leave with the skills and confidence they need to successfully advocate on the issues they care about.
Public Policy & Civic Engagement 101 includes:
• Guest speakers from the legislature
• A behind the scenes of the Capitol
• A primer on how an idea becomes a law
• Tips for successful legislative meetings
• How to effectively engage yourself and others in speaking about the issues important to you.
Register Here: https://forms.office.com/r/BsRaQRGuCM
This continuing education workshop can be attended virtually (3 CEUs) or in-person (5.5 CEUs).

Trunk or Treat at All Saints Minnetonka
2025-10-25 14:00 - 16:00 | All Saints Lutheran Church, 15915 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, 55345
Join All Saints Lutheran Church of Minnetonka in their west parking lot for this free family-friendly Halloween event! Kids get to go trick-or-treat around the parking lot by visiting each of the decorated cars. After visiting the cars, kids can grab a cup of hot chocolate, enjoy yard games, get an airbrush tattoo, or play Halloween bingo.
Trunk or Treat is open to all families, so invite your neighbors, friends, and relatives to join you. Costumes are encouraged.

Securing Sacred Spaces: Houses of Worship Security Summit
2025-10-25 08:00 - 15:30 | Westwood Community Church, Bloomington
This free community event is designed to equip faith leaders and congregations with strategies to strengthen safety and security. Expert speakers will cover grant funding, legal trends, liability, and building sustainable safety teams. The program is offered by Kingswood Security Consulting and sponsored by Langer Construction. Learn more and register.

Awakening the Church to Address Addiction
2025-10-23 10:00 - 18:00 | Online
Awakening the Church to Address Addiction, is a virtual conference presented by the Center of Addiction & Faith. Addiction is everywhere, and yet many churches feel unprepared to face it. This conference will give you the insight and tools to change that. Come and learn how your faith community can start addressing the addiction crisis in a meaningful way. By the end of the day you will walk away with a deeper understanding, renewed hope, and concrete steps to may your congregation a safe, welcoming, and recovery-friendly community. Cost: $50.
More information >
Register >

MAS Retired Rostered Leaders Gathering
2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:30
Retired Rostered Leaders of the Minneapolis Area Synod are invited you to gather the afternoon of Thursday, October 23, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
More details and RSVP coming soon.

United Theological Seminary "United Days"
2025-10-23 - 2025-10-24
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is hosting their annual United Days event on October 23 – 24, 2025. Titled “Interpreting Texts for the Liberation and Flourishing of Our World,” the event will feature three accomplished theologians: Dr. Jen Maidrand, Dr. Kenneth Ngwa, and Dr. Pamela (Ayo) Yetunde.

More information >

Overdose Response Training - NEW DATE
2025-10-22 18:30 - 20:30 | Calvary Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, 3901 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, United States
“Community Overdose Response Training” hosted by Calvary Lutheran Church.
The training will be led by harm reductionist Izzy McLaughlin and homelessness advocate Kevin Nye. The conversation will cover basic Narcan administration, trends in local substance use, as well as a baseline of community harm reduction practices that keep us all safe.
Register here or email pastor Jenny if you have any questions at pastorjennifer@clchurch.org.
This event was previously scheduled for October 23, but is now taking place on October 22.

Becoming Real: Creating Genuine Relationships in a Tricky World
2025-10-22 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
A Cherish All Children event for Confirmation classes and youth! Pastor Angela Denker will talk about the messages many young people are receiving – especially online – about the Gospel story and about God. We will emphasize that all people (and creation) are created in God’s image, to help form identity and purpose for teenagers, grounded in God’s love. We will also talk about Jesus’ example of an empathetic masculinity, grounded in the stories of his friendships with women in the Bible, and his open grieving after the death of his friend, Lazarus. Discussion time for Confirmation groups will be provided.
Contact joy.mcelroy@cherishallchildren.org for the Zoom link.

Ice Cream Social-Justice with Gather Twin Cities
2025-10-19 19:00 - 21:00 | University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, United States
From growing up with prosperity gospel-influenced theologies to spending young adulthood jumping from one national/global financial crisis to the next, talking about money can SUCK and fill our bodies with the physical manifestation of dread. And yet—as people of faith—we know that we are created to live in community, which includes talking together about how we want to spend our money.
Join Kayla Zopfi and Gather Twin Cities on October 19, at 7:00 p.m. at University Lutheran Church of Hope to continue to reconstruct abundance-rooted ethics about our roles, autonomy, and generosity in systems of capitalism that we didn’t choose to live under, and yet still do!

Colby Martin Event "Not an Oxymoron: Why LGBTQ Affirming Christianity Makes Sense"
2025-10-19 15:30 - 17:00 | Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park, MN, 55426, United States
The event explores how faith and LGBTQ+ inclusion flourish together through stories, reflection, and imagination. In a world of division, may faith unite us in love and grace. All are welcome!

More information >

Monthly Youth Ministry Gathering – October
2025-10-14 15:00 - 17:00
October Youth Ministry Gathering
Summer Plans: Trips and VBS
Location TBD

Synod Senior Band Concert
2025-10-12 16:00 - 17:00 | Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Hopkins, 715 Minnetonka Mills Rd, Hopkins, MN, 55343, United States
The Synod Senior Band is a community band made up of seniors playing for seniors. They welcome players of any band instrument to join them for camaraderie and making great music. The 2025 theme is “The Promise of Living.” Enjoy one of their concerts throughout the year!

safeTALK Suicide Prevention Class
2025-10-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Twin Cities, Minneapolis Campus, Minneapolis Campus, 4100 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Learn how to recognize warning signs of suicide, identify people who are at risk, and connect a person to suicide first aid resources.

More information >

Grose Lecture: The Role of Religion and Faith in LGBTQIA+ Culture and Community
2025-10-10 08:00 - 17:00
2025 Grose Lecture featuring Pastor Hierald Osorto (San Pablo/St. Paul’s).
Bishop Jen Nagel is on of the panelists.
Livestream available here: https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?e=5250

Stories The Land Holds Series: Earth and Story
2025-10-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 France Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55410, United States
Introducing “Stories the Land Holds” – A Community Invitation to Listen, Reflect, and Connect

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd is beginning a new initiative that invites the community into a deeper relationship with the land we inhabit and the stories it holds. “Stories the Land Holds” is a multi-session project beginning October 9 at 7:00 p.m. Rooted in the belief that the land beneath us speaks—through its history, its people, and its enduring presence.

Hosted by Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Minneapolis, and supported by a generous foundation grant, this series explores the layered histories of the neighborhood lands between the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. Through storytelling, reflection, and dialogue, participants will ask:

– What has the land absorbed?
– Who has lived here, been welcomed, excluded, or expelled?
– How have these histories shaped our present?
– And how can listening to the land guide us away from division and racism and towards justice and harmony?

More information >

LCM Fall Gathering + Fundraiser
2025-10-09 17:00 - 19:00 | The Campus Club on the U of M Campus, 403 Coffman Memorial Union, 300 WAshington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, United States
5:00 p.m. Cocktails and Appetizers (cash bar)
6:00 p.m. Program
6:30 p.m. Jam Session and Singing around the fire (bring your instruments!)
Tickets: $35

Join Lutheran Campus Ministry-Twin Cities for a fun, in-person gathering at the beautiful Campus Club Terrace overlooking the campus. Attendees will gather around hearty appetizers, a cash bar, good music, inspirational stories from students and alumni, and a chance to raise some money for the transformational work happening at Lutheran Campus Ministry – Twin Cities! Weather permitting, the event will take place both outdoors on the terrace and inside the lounge.
You are invited to become a LCM Maroon or Gold Event Host! Bring your friends and/or family to celebrate and share the good news about this vibrant young adult ministry.

$300 LCM Maroon Event Host – entitles you and four friends (5 total) to receive appetizers and one free drink or a God Loves Everyone, No Exceptions mug.
$600 LCM Gold Event Host – entitles you and nine friends (10 total) to receive appetizers and one free drink or a God Loves Everyone, No Exceptions mug.

More information >

Learn Together Over Lunch Series: Digital Ministry
2025-10-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
For better and worse, the digital space is not going anywhere. In fact, it’s only growing more complex and ubiquitous. What does this mean for churches and faith communities? How might we think critically and theologically about ministry in the digital space, and what does it mean for how we are church together?
Pastor Natalia Terfa will lead this online conversation. Pastor Natalia is an interim pastor at Edina Community Lutheran, a consultant with Church Anew, and Cafeteria Christian podcaster.
Join us live for the one-hour Zoom call or watch the recording later.
Register to receive the Zoom link >

No One Recovers Alone: Strengthening Family Engagement
2025-10-09 11:30 - 14:00 | Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Twin Cities, Minneapolis Campus, Minneapolis Campus, 4100 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN, 55409, United States
Many adults with serious mental illnesses experience loneliness. This class shares the impacts of loneliness and strategies for engaging others. Lunch is provided.
More information >

Synod Senior Band Concert
2025-10-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park, MN, 55426, United States

Welcome (Back) Event
2025-10-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN, United States
The Twin Cities CYF ELCA Team invites all people who serve in CYF ministries to the annual Welcome (Back) Event. Leaders will gather together to celebrate the coming year and share ideas, resources, and excitement!
Register >

Safeguarding our Communities from White Christian Nationalism with Angela Denker
2025-10-08 18:30 - 19:30 | First Lutheran Church of Columbia Heights, 1555 40th Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN, 55421, United States
There has been a disturbing rise in white Christian nationalist groups in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis. Including a recent flyer sent to Columbia Heights residents that was enlisting people to join a white supremacist group. In response to these racist groups, “Stories from our Neighborhood” will be hosting a storytelling night around safeguarding communities from white Christian nationalist groups like the KKK and the Proud Boys.
Rev. Angela Denker is an award-winning author, ELCA Lutheran pastor, and veteran journalist who has a column in the Minnesota Star Tribune. Her second book is Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood. Pastor Angela lives with her husband, Ben, and two sons in Minneapolis, where she is a sought-after speaker on Christian Nationalism and its theological and cultural roots. You can read more from Angela on her Substack: https://angeladenker.substack.com.
Join First Lutheran, Columbia Heights to learn what we can do as individuals, groups, and neighbors to keep our cities safe and welcoming for everyone.
More information >

Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association Education Event
2025-10-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Hope in Practice: Applying Solution-Focused Communication
Techniques in Response to Crisis
Presented by Laura Aagaard, MA, MS
Course Description: As a faith community nurse, or other professional in ministry, you are on the front lines of mental health and substance use care. It is possible that you engage with people and their families during some of their most vulnerable moments. This interactive session introduces attendees to the Solution Focused model, an evidence-informed, strengths-based approach that emphasizes hope, possibility, and patient resources over pathology, diagnosis and problems.
Rather than focusing on what’s wrong, this model guides faith community professionals in helping people move toward hope, and what is possible. Participants will learn and practice strategies such as the miracle question, scaling techniques, and exception finding, all tailored for use in time-limited, high-stress community environments.
Register >
