Weekly Blog Posts
The following blog posts are written by Bishop Jen Nagel, Synod staff members, and leaders from the Minneapolis Area Synod.
Conflict-Averse Christians
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen All things being equal, I’d rather avoid conflict. If you asked me when pastoral ministry was most challenging, I would immediately think of times when the congregations I served were most [...]
Ensuring Church as a Safe Place
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Healthy relationships matter. Human flourishing is irrevocably tied to the health of our relationships – with family, friends, co-workers, teachers, classmates. Healthy church relationships matter, too. Indeed, unhealthy church relationships can [...]
Fear and Trembling
By Rev. Deb Stehlin My first 1:1 as a church planter was with Reggie. I heard his compelling story – and then I may have let it slip out that I was kind of terrified [...]
Bus Stop Love
By Rev. John Hulden Many years ago, year after year on the day after Labor Day, I would proclaim, “Today, I’m the happiest taxpayer ever!” Why? After another raucous and free-wheelin’ summer with four kids, [...]
What Can I Do?
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Charlottesville: Did this really happen in America? In the 21st century? Does our social fabric really provide the context for children to grow into white supremacists? Are there no moral standards [...]
The Gift of Tension
By Pastor Craig Pederson C’mon, it’s summer, ... the season of relaxation and renewal for those who work hard the rest of the year. Time to let go of some of that tension that is [...]
So, I’ve been thinking
By Rev. Deb Stehlin A weird thing happened to me this month. I had time to think. For years, I’ve read books on leadership that suggest carving out “thinking time” each week. They say Monday mornings [...]
Packing Light
By Emilie Bouvier Yesterday evening in the waning heat of the day, I pulled through bundles of now-finally-clean-laundry to set aside assembled outfits. I quickly dug out my international outlet converter I haven’t used in [...]
Ahhhhhhh, Summer. Wait. What?
By Pr. John Hulden There is a 35-year-old Minneapolis Area Synod tradition of Summer Youth Programs. More than a dozen congregations see summertime as a golden opportunity to reach out to children in the city. [...]
The Critical Need for Leadership Skills
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Long before women could become pastoral leaders, my mom was a leader in our congregation. I remember her leading in lots of settings – most notably, chair of the building committee [...]