The Synod E-News is designed to keep you informed in a condensed, weekly email for rostered ministers, congregational leaders, and members of the South Dakota Synod.
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Make plans to attend Synod Assembly, June 1-3 at
Gloria Dei Lutheran
in Sioux Falls.
We'll gather together under the theme, "Always Reforming" in commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
Guest Musicians: Dakota Road Music
Churchwide Representative: The Rev. Wm. Chris Boerger, Secretary of the ELCA
Guest Speaker: Molly Beck Dean, Director of the ELCA Youth Gathering
Pre-Assembly Concert & Session: Thursday, June 1
Registration will open on April 10, 2017 and closes May 24, 2017 at 5 PM CT.
Resolutions Deadline is Friday, March 31. Please send resolutions to Crystal McCormick in the Synod Office.
If you are needing lodging during Assembly, please make arrangements as soon as you are able to. It is public high school graduation weekend in Sioux Falls. The Synod is not responsible for arranging housing during assembly. Click here for hotel information.
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Synod Assembly Youth Lock-In
Send your high school youth to Synod Assembly this year. The South Dakota Synod is encouraging congregations to send youth voting members to assembly. Not only will they be exposed to the church at work, but we are also planning a lock-in for youth that attend assembly with plenty of fun, music, and service projects along the way. Students will get to hear from Molly Beck Dean, Director of the ELCA Youth Gathering, as well as participate in assembly.
Youth Lock-In Info:
- June 2-3 starting with Assembly Worship at Gloria Dei.
- Activities and housing will happen at Our Savior's Lutheran in Sioux Falls.
- Youth Voting and Youth Non-Voting Visitors are encouraged to attend.
- Register Youth through Synod Assembly Registration (opens April 10).
- Voting Member information can be found in the Synod Constitution on page 10 by clicking here.
Questions? Contact Suzanne Hansen (shansen@sdsynod.org) or Sawyer Vanden Heuvel (svandenheuvel@sdsynod.org). More information and schedule will be released soon.
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ELCA Advocacy Days
Bishop Zellmer and over 100 Lutheran leaders have been meeting this week with congressional offices in Washington, D.C. to urge their members of Congress to protect and welcome vulnerable refugees and migrant children fleeing the endemic violence and persecution in their communities. You can contact our representatives by clicking here. Follow the conversation on social media with #ELCAAdvocacy #LutheransforWelcome.
South Sudan Response
Millions of people in South Sudan have been impacted by the ravages of civil war and famine. This situation has led to the food insecurity of more than 7 million people.
The church is working together with others for immediate famine relief. The church's long-term commitment to South Sudan is sustainable food security, livelihoods, health and sustained ministry.
Your support through Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, and ELCA Global Church Sponsorship will help bring God's hope and healing to all those affected.
Click here for congregational resources and information. Click here to make a donation to #SouthSudanNow.
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Choral Composition Competition
The South Dakota Synod is sponsoring a Choral Composition Competition in conjunction with the Lutheran Church’s worldwide commemoration of its 500th anniversary. It is intended that the winning compositions will be included in a community commemorative service that will take place on November 1, 2017, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
Click here for eligibility, prizes, and guidelines.
The deadline for submissions is July 25, 2017.
Direct questions to Dr. Paul Nesheim at pnesheim@augie.edu or (605) 274-5402.
Dr. Nesheim will also be assembling a mass choir for the worship commemoration that is open to all choral singers. More details on this will be released soon.
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Register for Spring Theological
How might we become as intentional about equipping and scattering our members into the mission field as we are gathering them together for church organized events? What might be the impact on our members, churches, and communities if this became a higher priority? Come and see!
Speakers: Rev. Dwight DuBois and Dr. Martha Helland
April 18-20, 2017
Academic and Worship Sessions held at
First Lutheran Church
Downtown Sioux Falls
Register Here - Registration Closes April 7
Open to all Active and Retired Rostered Ministers, SAMs, and Lay Professionals
Hosted by the Crossroads Conference
Administration Matters
Updated tax guides now available through Portico
Portico Benefit Services provides pastors and congregations participating in the ELCA benefit program with no-cost access to Richard R. Hammar’s annual tax guides. Members can use their Portico login.
For pastors, “Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide” gives special attention to topics most relevant to ministers. >More
For congregations, “Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches” helps congregations understand their federal tax reporting requirements. >More
Record Retention Information
It is important to know which records and information a congregation should keep and which can be discarded. Some records need to be maintained permanently and others should be discarded periodically. Congregation records retention schedule.
Looking Ahead
 Save the date for the fourth annual Aging Faithfully Conference on July 27, 2017 at the Augustana University Elmen Center. This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Scott Morris, CEO of Church Health. Church Health is the organization that provides educational and training opportunities to parish nurses making this conference an excellent opportunity for parish nurses to attend. Click here to learn more and register.
Retired Pastors Gatherings with Bishop Zellmer
All retired pastors in the South Dakota Synod are invited to have either lunch or coffee with Bishop Zellmer on the following days and locations:
- May 8, 2017 - 12:00 p.m. Lunch at Joy Ranch during the First Call Retreat
- May 10, 2017 - 10:30 a.m. Coffee at Our Savior's, Sioux Falls
- May 15, 2017 - 10:30 a.m. Coffee at Calvary, Rapid City
ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering
The ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering registration is open now through May 31st.
Join Bishop Zellmer and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in August at the first-ever ELCA Rostered Ministers gathering.
More information and details can be found here.
Save the Date - Fall Theological
The Psalms: Faith Out Loud
Fall Theological will be September 24-26 in Pierre. Special guest is Dr. Rolf Jacobson who will be speaking on the Lutheran Reformation.
Learning Opportunities
Ally-ship Answers Action
April 25, 2017, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls
Join South Dakota Faith in Public Life and clergy from across the state to explore the theme “Love Your Neighbor. No Exceptions.” We will meet and work together to find ways to apply Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves during a time when local communities and our nation are struggling with disagreements about immigration, refugee resettlement, and the experiences of minority communities. This all-day workshop (9am-3pm) will help leaders of religious communities explore what it means to engage in work as allies and good Samaritans in today’s divided world. Participants will leave the workshop with stories and experiences that will help them speak lovingly and respectfully on these difficult issues, to lead discussions in adult and youth religious education, and to consider other ways of acting as allies to vulnerable SD communities.
Travel funding (gas, lodging) is available for participants. Please RSVP to sdfaithinpubliclife@yahoo.com
National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCS) in the Twin Cities, May 1-4
The National Workshop on Christian Unity is the largest gathering of Ecumenical networks in the Country, including the Lutheran Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations Network (LEIRN). This year, the NWCU will meet in Minneapolis May 1-4, and you are invited to attend, to network, and to celebrate the ongoing work of reformation.
The workshop is open to anyone who is interested in the work of ecumenical and inter-religious dialog, and – this year – will be focused around the theme “Reform, Repent, Reconcile,” in observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
- The workshop includes a plenary by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton; St. Paul Area Synod Bishop Lull joins in a conversation with Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialog.
- On Tuesday evening (May 2, 7:00 p.m.) David Cherwien and Susan Palo Cherwein lead a Hymn Festival at St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis.
- Student/Seminarian discounts are available, as well as one-day passes.
Registration is now open online, and can be accessed at www.nwcu.org. Please join us in this important work!
ELPNA 2017 Spring Gathering
The Evangelical Lutheran Parish Nurse Association is hosting a Region 3 gathering for Parish Nurses on Monday, May 1 at Luther Seminary.
Keynote speaker is The Rev. Marian Eisenmann. Click here for more information and registration.
LOM Network Retreat: Welcomed & Included
Monday, Sept. 11 - Tuesday, Sept. 12
This retreat will guide church leaders and camp professionals in best practices for ministry with youth, young adults and their families that identify as LGBTQ. Topics surrounding gender and sexual orientation are big in society but avoided in many churches and camps. By providing a safe space to educate and create dialogue, church leaders and camp professionals can begin to wrap their heads around what the youth and young adults (and their families) need and how we can respond with welcome and inclusion. Click here for details and registration.
This Week
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Upcoming Events
March 27-29
ELCA Advocacy Days in Washington DC
April 18-20
Spring Theological
First Lutheran, Sioux Falls
April 22
Men in Mission Crossroads Conference
Brandon Lutheran
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Congregations in Transition
Ministry Site Study Scheduled
Flandreau, Our Savior’s (solo) – April 9, 2017
Herreid, Peace/Pollock, Pollock (solo) – April 25, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.
Calls Extended
Christine Hallenbeck Ask (First Call/Seminarian) – Spirit of Joy, Sioux Falls (associate)
Ordinations
Christine Hallenbeck Ask – Spirit of Joy, Sioux Falls (associate) – April 8, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
Installations Scheduled
Christine Hallenbeck Ask (First Call/Seminarian) – Spirit of Joy, Sioux Falls (associate) – April 8, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
Eric Ohrtman - Messiah New Hope, SF (solo) - May 7, 9:30 AM
Click here for a full list of "Congregations in Transition".
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Joys and Concerns
Rev. Robin Wanner-Schaunaman
Harvey Wanner, 87, father to Rev. Robin Wanner-Schaunaman, passed away on Friday, March 24th at his home in Aberdeen.
Funeral services for Harvey Wanner will be 11:00am, Friday, March 31, 2017 at Zion Lutheran Church, with Pastor Marcia Sylvester officiating.
We pray for Pastor Robin and her family as they mourn the loss of her father.
Rev. Dale R. Battleson
Pastor Dale Battleson, age 78, passed away on Monday, March 27. Funeral services will be on Tuesday, April 4th at 10 a.m. at Our Savior's in Corsica. Visitation on Monday, April 3 from 6-8 p.m. wiht a prayer service at 7 p.m., also at Our Savior's.
Please keep his wife, Kay, and their family, in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Dale.
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Congregational News
Lenten Lectures at First Lutheran, Sioux Falls
Sunday Evenings, March 19–April 9 6–7:15 p.m.
Please join South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Delta David Gier, for lectures on Bach’s monumental “B minor Mass,” during Lent. This great masterpiece represents the only time Bach, a Lutheran, set the full text of the Latin mass. Why did he do so, and at the very end of his career, at the height of his powers, with no commission nor occasion for performance? Knowing that the vast majority of Bach’s works were intended for corporate worship, how should we experience this piece today?
For more details, click here
Sweet Life! Dessert Comedy Theatre
Our Savior's Lutheran Church is hosting Sweet Life! Dessert Comedy Theatre, an outreach event with Christian comedian Scott Davis, on Friday, April 7, at 7:00 p.m. It's an evening of family-friendly comedy with an array of desserts. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Child care will be available. All are welcome! Call 336-2942 or visit oslchurch.com for more details. Our Savior's is at 33rd and Summit, Sioux Falls.
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Reformation 500
Travel Germany with Bishop Zellmer!
Consider making Germany a part of your Reformation celebration in 2017. You’ll overnight in Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Erfurt, Mainz, Nuremberg, and Munich, and you’ll visit Eisleben, Eisenach, Coburg, Worms, Rothenburg, Augsburg, and the Rhine Valley along the way.
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