Weekly Blog Posts
The following blog posts are written by Bishop Jen Nagel, Synod staff members, and leaders from the Minneapolis Area Synod.
Stir Up Our Hearts, O God
By Bishop Jen Nagel Advent blessings, dear ones. We are smack in the middle of this season of preparation for Christ’s birth. Around our house we’ve gotten as far as putting the lights on [...]
Advent Waiting and Movie Watching
By Pastor John Hulden Have you heard of the new movie that is causing theological and historical debates? It’s a film about religion and the consequential actions that arise out of a strong belief in [...]
A Song of Thanksgiving
By Johan Baumeister One of my favorite hymns goes "Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator triumphantly raise." I like the soaring and majestic tune. I find beauty in the [...]
The Landscape of the Changing Church
By Nick Tangen A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to share a bit about the work of Faith Practices & Neighboring Practices with the Metro New York Synod at their Bishop’s Conference. The [...]
More Than Singing the Old Hymn
By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa As part of the DEM office and the Mission Table’s “Year of Partnership” project, we are glad to highlight our Amazing Grace Ministry (AGM) and invite your congregation to start partnership [...]
Shining like the sun
By Bishop Jen Nagel I write this blog in the in-between hours, the anxious times, between All Saints Day and the close of Election Day. Regardless of party or persuasion, our nation is holding [...]
I’m picking up good … ideas
By Pastor John Hulden I started out as a half-time solo pastor at church on the lower Eastside of Saint Paul. Fresh out of seminary, I kept asking, “What are the advantages to our small [...]
A call for partnership
By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa In December of 2023, leaders of our Synodically Authorized Worshipping Communities and our Strategic Ministry congregations gathered for their quarterly meeting with the chair of the synod’s Mission Table, Pastor Deanna [...]
Four stages of happiness
By Mercy Zou Taithul In remembrance of the death of India’s highest recognized civilian, Ratan Naval Tata, who passed away on October 9, 2024, I would like to share one of his beautiful stories called [...]
Living and leading faithfully in tense times
By Bishop Jen Nagel A week ago today we finished up this year’s Minneapolis Area Synod Bishop’s Theological Conference (a gathering of our synod’s pastors and deacons) with its theme “Living and Leading Faithfully in [...]