Five Zoom based gatherings hosted by the EcoFaith Network NE MN Synod Accompaniment Outreach Team. Every Thursday in March, presenters from active creation care ministries will share their experiences to help you plant, fertilize, and grow creation care in your context - in worship, education, congregational life, building and grounds, and community action. Attend with members of your congregation. Open to people and congregations in and beyond the NE MN Synod. Freewill donation in lieu of fee at the time of registration. Register here.
The Revealing of God in Christ Jesus I hope you had a meaningful and joy-filled Christmas. Family traditions, gatherings, and our worship celebrations have all been experienced very differently for the past couple of years. I understand how this season is difficult for individuals and families. Many of us have changed plans in order to keep loved ones or ourselves safe and healthy. Celebrating Christmas in new ways...See Epiphany greeting and prayer
Love your Neighbor--help slow the COVID spread and reduce demands on the health care sector
Help slow the COVID spread and reduce demands on the health care sector so the most seriously ill people get the supportive care they need. Updated guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for community and faith-based organizations can be linked to here. The Synod office is receiving frequent calls regarding protocols in response to COVID exposure after church gatherings. See new MDH recommendations .
Synod Smart Team (Look for updates from Jan 20 meeting)
The Synod COVID Smart Team hosted an Open Meeting. Click on the YouTube video to watch it. In the midst of rising new case numbers in many of our communities, this meeting may be helpful to congregations as they prepare for the fall schedule.
Annual Meetings during COVID-19? Check the Online Reflections for a video and PowerPoint by Pastor Rollie Bockbrader, Synod Secretary. Questions ? Click here to email him.
Talking Points on ELCA Social Teaching Regarding Vaccination During a Pandemic
Click here for a two-page document prepared by Dr. Roger Willer, Director for Theological Ethics, Office of the Presiding Bishop. Includes talking points on issues regarding religious objections to required vaccinations and vaccination requirements by Institutions affiliated with the ELCA.
CHICAGO (Jan. 19, 2022) — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America introduces “Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent” to help congregations wrestle with the meaning of the declaration, adopted at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, and its accompanying explanation. In the declaration, the ELCA “apologizes to people of African descent for its historical complicity in slavery and its enduring legacy of racism in the United States and globally. We lament the white church’s failure to work for the abolition of slavery and the perpetuation of racism in this church.” “Now Is the Time” stresses realism, self-examination and accountability as the church acknowledges and apologizes for the history and impact of slavery and systemic racism in the United States and globally. The study guide focuses on deepening our understanding of this history as participants engage in often-difficult conversation and reflection to move the church toward racial healing and justice. The five-part study resource, with a guide and participant materials, is available at elca.org/Resources/Racial-Justice. ELCA Introduces “Now Is the Time” Study Guide
Declaration of ELCA to American Indian and Alaskan Native People
Expanding on the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Declaration mandate: “To repudiate explicitly and clearly the European-derived doctrine of discovery as an example of the ‘improper mixing of the power of the church and the power of the sword’ (Augsburg Confession Article XXVIII, Latin text), and to acknowledge and repent from this church’s complicity in the evils of colonialism in the Americas, which continue to harm tribal governments and individual tribal members.” In the renewed 2021 statement , we humbly address three groups: ELCA American Indian and Alaska Native communities, the broader Indigenous community in the U.S., and the non-Indigenous communities of the ELCA.
Purpose Statement of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod
The purpose of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod is to nurture a Christ-centered climate conducive to healthy, mission-focused congregations and their ministries throughout the world!
