Important information for registered assembly members.
Greater Milwaukee Synod Assembly
May 20-21, 2022
Information for registered members
You're receiving this email as a registered member of Synod Assembly. This is how we will communicate important information to you as you prepare for this event and for our bishop election. We plan to send you one email per week. Please take time to read each email carefully and ask questions (call us at 414.671.1212 or email us at gmsoffice@gmselca.org) if you aren't sure about the information we're sending you.
This is email #2 of 4 emails we have scheduled. Email #1 can be found here.
Pre-Assembly Zoom Meetings
We have two pre-assembly Zoom meetings scheduled that will help you prepare for the work we'll do. Both meetings will take place on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
6:30 pm - New member orientation. Bishop Erickson will guide us through the work of the assembly and why we do what we do. Please note: we will not test voting technology during this session; we'll save that for 4pm on Friday, May 20.
7:30 pm - Budget Hearing. Join our Synod Treasurer, Rev. Karen Pahl, as she explains the proposed budget for 2023 -2024 and answers your questions about the budget process.
Both meetings will take place with the same link. You may join either meeting or both meetings. The zoom link is below:
We do a lot of important work during Synod Assembly, and one of the most important things we do is worship together. This is a time to ground us in the word of God, bring us together as the body of Christ, and help us prayerfully reflect and prepare for the work ahead.
Our Synod Assembly worship service, scheduled for 7:15 pm on Friday, May 20 at the Italian Community Center Festa Ballroom, is open to everyone. You do not need to be a registered member of the assembly to attend worship.
Assembly Offering
The synod council recently voted to designate this year’s synod assembly offering to support the work of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, in recognition of their important work in resettling refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. We will be learning more about this work during the banquet presentation by LIRS President and CEO, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah on Friday, May 20.
The offering will be received at the worship service that evening, and we would like to encourage congregations and individuals to consider making a gift toward this offering, with a goal of $20,000.
Checks can be made payable and mailed to the Greater Milwaukee Synod, PO Box 341695, Milwaukee WI 53234 with “assembly offering” noted on the memo line. Gifts can be also made online through tithely or Vanco.
During this service we will be using the new All Creation Sings hymnal setting 12. This is a beautiful service of reflective, evening worship. Included in this liturgy are instrumental parts for C, B flat, E flat, F, Alto Clef, Bass Clef, Bass, Guitar and handbells. If you’d like to participate in this way, click here to share your contact information, instrument and availability for rehearsals.
Friday Keynote - Krish O'Mara Vignarajah
Our keynote speaker for our 2022 Synod Assembly dinner on Friday, May 20, will be Krish O’Mara Vignarajah.
Your registration includes this meal and keynote presentation. You may purchase additional tickets here.
Krish is the President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, overseeing a significant growth in the size and scope of the organization. She frequently appears on media outlets (CNN, MSNBC, NPR, etc.) to provide insight and analysis of current issues and challenges related to immigrants and refugees. She previously served in the Obama White House as Policy Director for First Lady Michelle Obama and at the State Department as Senior Advisor under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry.
Krish has committed her career to public service because she knows how differently life could have turned out. Krish was nine months old when she and her family escaped a country on the brink of civil war and built a life in Maryland. Her parents came to this country with no jobs and $200 in their pockets. She will speak on our assembly theme, “We Love All: Creating Communities of Welcome.”
Founded in 1939, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the United States. It is nationally recognized for its leadership advocating with refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, immigrants in detention, families fractured by migration and other vulnerable populations. Through nearly 80 years of service and advocacy, LIRS has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America.
Where can I find the latest information?
Our event website is being updated daily with information that will be helpful as you prepare for the work ahead. New information on these pages is noted by this symbol:
There are two pages you'll want to visit as you prepare. Below each page is a sample of what is included.
Our keynote speaker for our 2022 Synod Assembly dinner on Friday, May 20, will be Krish O’Mara Vignarajah.
