Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry (external link) is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. The Executive Director is responsible for all aspects of the organization and reports directly to the Board of Directors. S/He is the key spokesperson for the organization. Education: Preferably a four-year degree in a business related field or equivalent experience in a similar discipline. Experience: A minimum of 15 years in a relevant environment. Previous work in an international and/or multicultural setting is advantageous. Find more information and application instructions at www.lutheranpartners.org (external link)

Minister of Music and Worship

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a 1700 member ELCA congregation in Moorhead, MN, is seeking a 3/4 time Minister of Music and Worship to coordinate the recruiting and rehearsal of music teams to lead and support the congregation’s worship experience. This position has several areas of focus: Spirit-led worship, missional outreach, and children/youth worship participation. Preferred music degree or equivalent experience desired. For more information, contact Judy England at (218) 236- 0840 or send questions/resume to jkmengland@yahoo.com. Please include OSLC Music Position in the subject line. A job description will be posted by July 15, 2010 at www.oursaviorsmoorhead.org (external link)

Join us Friday beginning at 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm Saturday for the Glocal Mission Gathering!

What’s different about this event? The ELCA Glocal Mission Gathering brings together experts and resources on global and domestic ministry under one roof, for one weekend, in one convenient location so leadership teams can build the skills needed to be a part of God’s mission, no matter where service happens. Additionally, the dialogue initiated at this event will help ELCA Global Mission understand how to be of better service to you.

This event will feature a “God’s work. Our hands” wall displaying the past year’s mission activities of the congregations in the EaND Synod. All congregations are asked to submit a list of their mission accomplishments in the year beginning with the summer of 2009, sending them to Ruth Urdahl, 907 9th St SW, Jamestown, ND 58401-5104 or email urdahlkr@yahoo.com Identify submissions with the congregation’s name, city, and number of baptized members and sent by September 1.

More information:

• Registration (external link)
• Event Agenda (external link)
• Download brochure (download .pdf file)

Bishop Rindy outlines the current state of our synod and the need for significant changes in our mission. He also passionately outlines the “Extra Mile for Mission” challenge, a charge to each of us to be active witnesses in our congregations, synod, and world.  Video and PowerPoint resources attached.

To watch the State of the Synod Address from the beginning, select “01″ and click the play button

What is the state of our synod? If we look solely at our budget, the outlook isn’t positive. The 2011 proposed Mission plan budget is about 38% of the 1989 Mission plan, when adjusted for inflation. Because of this, there is not much left in our dwindling budget to inspire exciting evangelical imagination. I was talking to someone just the other day, he was looking at the support of our ministry partners and commented “That’s pathetic.” I replied, “Yeah it is.” And so, I thought we need to look at our mission and support a little differently.

What would it look like if our church met our previous giving 2009 goal? What would the state of the synod be if we were to get back to 1989 giving and generosity? What unites in passionate mission? God has a vision for us as individuals, as congregations, as a synod, and as a churchwide ELCA, using our gifts and talents to make a difference in God’s world. Let’s look to Jesus and heed is commission to be witnesses and bear fruit in this world. Together we are shaping the future: to go the extra mile; to do the work God has set before us!

» Download and Share:

• Video:
  These video files are compressed with .zip but still quite large.  A high speed internet connection is required.  Please contact the synod office if you would like a copy of the video mailed to you.
  .wmv (~396 MB) (download video file) | .mov (~835 MB) (download video file)
• Audio Only:
  .mp3 (~32MB) (download .mp3 file)
• PowerPoint Presentation:
  .ppt (download .ppt file) | .pdf (download .pdf file) | View online (external link)

More information:

Extra Mile for Mission

If you have trouble viewing the embedded video or downloading the files, please contact the webmaster.

» Download and Share: .wmv (download video file) | .mp4 (download video file)

“As we celebrate this outpouring of gifts and prayers, we also know that we have a long road to travel together. There is so much more to be done. This church is committed to walking with our brothers and sisters in Haiti for years to come; your continued support is needed to provide ongoing care.”

- Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Your help and support is still needed!

Find out more about the continuing Haitian relief effort, including stories, videos, and congregational resources, on the ELCA website (external link), ELCA Disaster Response (external link), and Lutheran World Relief (external link).

If you have trouble viewing the embedded video or downloading the video files, please contact the webmaster.

Last year, we made a bold commitment as a synod to increase our financial support of ministries we do together, about which we care deeply. Multiple events of the past year have contributed to our falling short of that goal. As your synod council once again was charged with the task of reducing expenditures/cutting ministries, it proved to be a painful event once more.

I began reflecting on the expectations of this synod when I was elected two years ago to serve you in this capacity. Over the past 20 years, our synod has seen a reduction of over 60% support when adjusted for inflation. Reflecting on the resolution passed last year caused me to wonder, “What would our synod mission plan (budget) look like if we achieved the 10% goal?” So I started dreaming with our mission partners in mind.

They have been experiencing reduced funding for years. What would a step forward look like? Realizing that there is a need for the people of God to pull together around the mission of God we do together, I wondered what it might look like to go the “extra mile” for the sake of mission…

I put together a draft to share with our synod council. I didn’t know if they would excitedly embrace this vision or move to have me removed from office. :) I saw excitement in their eyes. One council member stated, “Now that’s the church I want to be a part of!”

As this vision was shared with more people, it took on a life of its own. Realizing that it might actually come to life and wanting to be a good partner with our Churchwide ministries, I had a great visit with Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton. They both thought it well worth doing as a pilot program for our synod and for the whole ELCA. More tweaking and shaping took place as we lived with this exciting possibility where all members of our synod could feel good about supporting.

It’s quite simple. Each worshipper is encouraged/challenged to commit and give a minimum of $6/month or $72 for the year to make all of the changes on the other side of this sheet happen.

What am I asking you to do? Take this information to share with the people of your congregation. It’s contagious! When I shared this with a group out at Herby Lutheran, one young father said, “Make sure our congregation gets to be a part of this. I want my family to help this happen.”

Until the day when our shared mission support through the synod reaches 10%, this “Extra Mile for Mission” will help us to make these ministries happen. I look forward to next year’s assembly, when we announce all that happened because we faithfully went the “Extra Mile for Mission.”

The only question remaining is: Will you go the extra mile and encourage others to do the same?

Your co-worker in the Kingdom of God,

Pr. Bill Rindy Bishop, EaND Synod, ELCA

» Download: Going the “Extra Mile” Congregation Insert (download .pdf file)
To support the “Extra Mile for Mission,” simply write on your check’s memo line: EaND Synod – Extra Mile

Watch the website for more resources, information, and stories about the “Exta Mile for Mission!”

Watch Bishop Rindy’s State of the Synod Address for more information on the “Extra Mile”

New Life for Your Church: a Workshop with Paul Nixon

March 22-23, 2010
Quality Inn in Jamestown, ND

Nixon is the author of I Refuse to lead A Dying Church. This workshop, sponsored by the North Dakota Conference of Churches (external link), will challenge church leaders (lay and clergy) to refuse to accept the status quo for our churches and our faith, and to intentionally move to rebuild the church, its membership and its faith. Register online (external link) at or call Elisha at (701) 226-8037. Registration is $40.

Volunteer for Hospice

Hospice of the Red River Valley (external link) is in need of volunteers to visit patients in your area! Volunteering for Hospice is a powerful way to help friends and neighbors at a critical time. Volunteers would provide companionship by reminiscing and sharing stories, giving wheelchair rides, writing letters or cards, running errands, helping with a meal, and sitting with a patient so caregivers may have a break. Please consider this opportunity by contacting Muriel Leach, Volunteer Coordinator, at (701) 356-1565 or mleach@hrrv.org

“Bucks for Bags” Sandbagging for Caring for Children

Make sandbagging money for the Caring for Children program by volunteering to fill bags in Fargo (external link). The city of Fargo is currently offering $75 to registered non-profit agencies (external link) for every 100 hours a group spends filling sandbags. If you volunteer, you can choose the Caring for Children program as the agency to receive the money for your hours worked. Sandbags are being filled from 8 am-8 pm Monday through Saturday at Sandbag Central; park at the Coliseum, 807 17th Ave No, Fargo and take a bus to Sandbag Central. Buses run every half hour. Before going, groups of 5 or more should call FirstLink at (701) 476-4000 to sign up.

Caring for Children (external link) provides access to health, dental and mental health care services for eligible North Dakota children, ages birth to 19. These children are from working families who do not qualify for government funded programs but whose parents cannot afford private health insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield of ND initiated the program in 1989 and provides all administrative costs as an in kind donation. Therefore, 100% of all donations go directly to provide care for children enrolled in the program.

Lutheran Social Service Quilt and Kit Collection

Lutheran Social Service of North Dakota (external link) continues to collect quilts and kits for various programs:

• New American Services is collecting quilts for new arrivals. Contact Darci Asche or Lynette Seminole at (701) 271-1604 to make arrangements for delivery.
• Great Plains Food Bank is collecting quilts for Haiti relief. Call Joann Matthews at (701) 476-9102 for details. The Fargo Food bank is open 8-12 and 1-5 pm Monday to Friday.
• Lutheran Disaster Response is collecting quilts, health kits, school kits, sewing kits and layettes for the annual LWR drive. Pick up is at LSS, 1325 11th St S, Fargo the week of May 17-21, 2010 and at Midwest Motor Express, 2215 No Washington, Grand Forks the week of May 20-21, 2010.

Human Sexuality and Faith Dialogue

“For the Bible Tells Me So” (external link), a 90-minute documentary film addressing human sexuality with stories of real people as they have struggled with concerns in the context of their faith, is available for showing in your congregation. Discussion leaders who are members of Lutherans Concerned (external link) are available to come and lead in discussion and dialogue. All are invited to share in this educational opportunity, sponsored by the Hunger and Justice committee of the EaND Synod. If you would like this program brought to your congregation, contact Vicki Schmidt (701) 282-0480 or veschmidt45@msn.com.

» Download: Synod Opportunities: March 2010 (download .pdf file)

Over the centuries, the Church has undergone many challenges and changes. If we were all able to back out a few notches, we would have a God’s eye perspective on the transitions our world, our nation, and our church are experiencing. That perspective presents both challenge and opportunity for us. As I reflected on our synod mission plan/budget, a question came to mind: What does our mission plan say about our perspective of ministry?

I am looking forward to being with you at the synod assembly. God is both refining and redefining our mission in the world. Some parts of this mission will never change. Other ways of “being church” will have to give way to God’s renewed mission for the eastern North Dakota “US.” The question is changing from “How do we keep doing what we’ve been doing?” to “What would God have us do in this time and place to do God’s will?” These are radically different questions. The question we choose to answer will make all of the difference, not only in the world, but in the Kingdom of God.

My hope, serving as your Bishop, is to keep this part of God’s church focused on the mission God has set before us. Anytime a person/congregation/synod begins to turn its focus inward, seeking to save its life, it begins to lose it. When we are turned outward to the mission of God and love of the neighbor, losing our lives for Christ’s sake, we are renewed.

As I have spent time with President Andre Golike of our companion synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic, wondering and praying about our role as “companion”, my world view is being both challenged and changed. Last year, the C.A.R. was the 7th poorest nation on earth. This year, it is THE poorest. As I looked at our synod mission plan, there probably wouldn’t be enough evidence to convict us of being their companion synod if we were to be put on trial.

What about our brothers and sisters in the C.A.R.? They have the ability to help us gain perspective, to help turn our eyes, our lives, our sense of mission outward, where we can both lose our lives and begin to find them. Every time I have tried to give God something, God has given me more joy and purpose than I ever could have imagined in return. We have much to offer them, but I have a strong feeling that they have much more to offer us, if we are willing to live deeper into our God-given relationship.

Stay tuned in to be a part of God’s challenge and change!

» Download: Challenge and Change (download .pdf file)

Visit the ELCA Disaster Response (external link) to find resources including bulletin inserts and prayer petitions for use in your congregations. There are ways you can financially help your brothers and sisters in Haiti. If gifts are given through the ELCA Disaster Response, 100% of your gift goes to relief efforts. If your congregation wishes to donate funds through the synod office, make your check payable to Eastern North Dakota Synod with “Haiti Relief” in the memo line. We encourage individuals to give directly through the ELCA.

Other links of interest:

1. Lutheran World Federation (external link)
2. Lutheran World Relief (external link)
3. Church World Service (external link)
4. Thrivent Financial: Helping Haiti (external link)

Thank you for your continued prayers and additional gifts of financial support for the relief effort. Lutheran Disaster Relief of Lutheran Social Service, ND (external link) has compiled a list of suggestions for raising funds for Haiti relief:

Suggestions from Lutheran Disaster Response for Haiti Relief

In this early stage of response it is critical to remember that money is the most needed and the versatile resource.

Ideas for Raising Funds:

• Penny challenges between Youth Groups, Sunday School Classes and other groups or individuals.
• Spare change – empty pockets of change at the end of each day for a specified period of time
• Forego the treats – coffee, candy, movie, eating out, pop, etc.
• Hold a no-bake bake sale (donate $$ = to ingredients/time to make baked goods)
• Random acts of PAID kindness – shovel neighbor’s snow, grocery shopping for elderly neighbor, babysitting, etc.
• Grandma challenge – challenge other grandmothers to have their grandchildren do chores for $
• Give up a week’s allowance
• Holding a silent auction
• Have a pancake, chili, soup & sandwich supper, spaghetti feed, etc.
• Designate offerings or special collections
• Jeans Day
• Candy Sale
• Quilt Auction
• Rummage Sale (don’t send clothes or other items but donate the proceeds)
• Hold a special event: carnival or game night

If you have questions or other great ideas, please share them with Lutheran Disaster Response of Lutheran Social Service of ND so that we can forward them to others. Contact: Sarah Willgohs at 800-950-2901 or e-mail swillgohs@lssnd.org.

In Christ,

Bill Rindy
Bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod, ELCA

Download:

• A Word from the Bishop: Haiti Relief (download .pdf file)
• LDR Fundraising Ideas (download .pdf file)

The Central African Republic (C.A.R.), located in the heart of Africa, is one of the poorest, least developed countries in the world. It is surrounded by unstable, and sometimes violent countries. Many of its people live daily lives of struggle and bare subsistence; however, Christians in the C.A.R. have joy in worshiping their Savior and in sharing that joy with others. While visiting the C.A.R. in February of 2008, Dianne Billey observed, “I have never been in a situation where there was such joy in being Christian and absolute joy in worshiping with other Christians.” Here is an update on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic:

Joe and Debra Troester, the only American missionaries living and working in the C.A.R., were on home assignment this past summer. Now back in the C.A.R., Joe, an engineer, works with local village people on water projects and Deborah, a pastor, is teaching at the seminary. Visit Joe and Deborah’s blog http://africanwaterlog.blogspot.com (external link).  You may subscribe to their blog by email (josephtroester@earthlink.net) and will automatically receive their newsletter.

June and Phil Nelson live and work in the Cameroon serving missionaries with logistical coordination. They served for more than a decade in the C.A.R. and returned to the Central African region in 2008. Phil grew up in the Cameroon, the son of retired Pastor Ron & Ruth Nelson of Hettinger, ND. Pastor Sarah Larsen-Tade writes, “Their experience…love of the church, the people, culture and languages are gifts that serve to build up the kingdom of God in that place.” (Read a recent letter from Phil)

Through the shared action of Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry (external link), Global Health Ministry (external link), and Companion Synods (external link) (like EaND) a medical facility, the Gallo Clinic, is being built. Teresa Obaya, a Kenyan midwife and health administrator, was called to oversee the project. The cornerstone was laid in March 2009 and a shipping container full of medical supplies was sent May 30. Soon the center will be completed, and the good work will begin!

As we pray for the people, the village schools, missionaries, and for understanding we can also financially support the ministries of the C.A.R. and learn more about the Central African Republic! You are encouraged to learn more by visiting the ELCA C.A.R. page (external link) and the EaND Synod C.A.R. Global Ministry page.

We continue our journey of being the body of Christ in the world—at home, at work, near and far—and by continuing to walk hand in maboko na maboko with our synod companion, the Central African Republic.

Adapted from Rev. Sarah Larsen Tade’s Shepherd of the Prairie newsletter; the ELCA website; and the EaND Synod C.A.R. brochure

In this issue:

• Update from the Bishop
• Letter from Central African Republic Missionaries

» Download and share: November News Snippet Bulletin Insert (download .pdf file)

FAQs to the Bishop

Greetings in the name of Jesus,

I am seeking to walk a thin line between equipping the saints for the work of ministry while at the same time helping the other expressions of the ELCA (congregation and synod) find their voice. I have enjoyed being with each conference assembly, especially for the question and answer times. Those times have been good learning opportunities for me and I trust they have been for others. I have been asked to create some FAQ (frequently asked questions) videos for posting on our synod website to assist with questions you are probably encountering. My first preference would be for me, Terry, or Kari to be with you in person, but with 230 congregations we simply cannot get to all of you before annual meeting time. These video snippets are designed to help you/your people think through some of the complex questions with which we are all dealing. I’ll try to make them downloadable so that you can utilize them where you need to do so.

Pastor Bill Rindy
Serving as Bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Dry Season: a recent letter from our missionaries

Dear Friends,

Dry season arrived on Friday. It rained last Thursday but since then the sunlight changed, the wind changed, and the humidity has changed. There might be another small rain, or 2, but everything looks more like dry season. Even the dry season laughing doves, “pirtide” in Fulfulde or “kerengede” in Gbaya, have arrived.

It seems that dry season has, also, arrived in the ELCA Global Mission. From correspondence we received from Global Mission last evening, they foresee the possibility of a 30% reduction in giving to the Churchwide office. This is in protest to actions taken in Minneapolis a couple of months ago. We have been watching the news in Fargo, as well, and there have been several congregations who voted to hold back funds from Chicago in protest to ELCA General Assembly actions. We will not comment on the rightness or the wrongness of such a move even though June and I have our own opinions but we must speak of the consequences of these actions..

Global Mission Unit is now in the process of drastically cutting back funding which includes program grants, Chicago staff, and current missionary staff. The cuts will not end there but will continue as program cuts to partner churches. In about 2 weeks, they will be making some very hard decisions in Chicago as to what, and who will be cut, and what and who will remain. This means major restructuring, and reevaluation, of the work being done by Global Mission. This kind of major surgery is one of the most difficult things ever undertaken by staff in Chicago but if we are to stay alive, and stay true, to the call that we have been given by our Lord and Savior it must be done.

Please pray for strength, and above all wisdom, for those that are asked to make these decisions. We will have a leaner, Global Mission but let us all pray that we will end up with a more effective ministry of spreading the Gospel with the priority to those who have not heard the Good News.

These people, here in Cameroon, include particularly the Fulbe people such as the Imaniiya, who actively seek a relationship with Christ, and those in more remote areas of the Poli Region where there have been difficulties for many years. Just as important is the Gospel in action with our brothers, and sisters, with whom we are partners in this endeavor. This endeavor includes health work, leadership training, women’s work, support of Church growth, Church roofs and on and on.

To demonstrate the immediate consequences of these reductions, as I was writing this letter, Mme Baba Martine brought a written request from the Bible School, and Deaf School in Tcholire, asking for a loan of 1,500,000 CFA (about $3,490) to keep them running. It was signed by the Director of the Tcholire Bible School, and five teachers which includes the blind, Braille teacher who put his finger print on it. They addressed the letter to me, personally, in the hopes that I had some money lying around that I could give them to help them feed their families, and pay the electric and tax bills to keep them functioning. The Bible School is one month into the 4th quarter and they haven’t received their normal subsidy. They request that I float them a loan until the subsidy comes in. Will it? There is, also, a women’s conference taking place in this same district which starts on November 8th, at a new congregation just created, and I am unable to help them with any funds.

I can understand the need to protest decisions that we do not adhere to but we must be very careful about how we go about it so that we do not hinder the work that we have been called to by our Lord and Savior. Some people have advocated circumventing Chicago to do this but I do not.

Something must be done in order to uphold the calling that we all have, as members of the body of Christ. Make decisions about withholding funds with care, “Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6

Your Missionaries in Cameroon and CAR,
Phil and June Nelson