Synod assemblies
at work in our communities. We were invited to imagine that Jesus is knocking at our church doors, beck- oning us to go into our neighbor- hoods. We were helped to see that many traditions aren’t sustaining the church. To be vibrant and relevant, we must be responsive to a chang- ing culture. We need to continue to live out the theology of grace, be culturally savvy, and encourage one another to creatively step outside our walls. —Rena Connell
Paul Oman paints the resurrection scene during the Saturday worship service at the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin Assembly. In the foreground are some of the thousands of diapers collected for the “No Child’s Wet Behind” drive for families in need.
Theology at Chicago, who referenced Lutheranism and justification; Judith Roberts, ELCA program director for racial justice, who spoke about justice; and Heidi Hagstrom, director of the ELCA Youth Gathering, who gave an update on the event. —Robin McCants
Northeastern Ohio, May 15-17, Akron, Ohio (
www.neos-elca.org/synod_ assembly/2014/2014_synod_
assembly.htm). Ecumenical and ministry partners, rostered leaders and congregational representatives brought greetings and spoke to the assembly about relationships, activi- ties and ideas for ministry. —Judi Wise
Northwest Washington, May 16-17, Everett, Wash. (
www.lutheransnw. org/synod-assembly-2014). The theme “Joining God’s Parade” reminded us that God is already
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www.thelutheran.org
St. Paul Area, May 16-17, Burnsville, Minn. Congregations gathered under the theme “Wing Our Words.” David Lose, a professor at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., provided the keynote. The assembly’s work was grounded in song by The Fleshpots of Egypt, a bluegrass band from Luther. —Beth Helgen
Southwestern Washington, May 16-17, Tacoma, Wash. (
www.lutheranssw. org). Under the theme “Hospitality: All are Welcome!” Melanie Wallsch- laeger, synod director for evangelical mission, asked worshipers to share their congregations’ hospitality sto- ries. People wrote up their stories and emailed photos, which were hung on a clothesline strung down the center aisle. We received 97 photos and more than 170 stories of hospitality. —Alli- son Ramsey
East-Central of Wisconsin, May 16-17, Green Bay, Wis. Congregations were asked to pray for and explore other ways to support Christians who are being persecuted in South Sudan and other countries. Church members also participated in an exhibition of their art. —Paul Heykes
Northwestern Minnesota, May 16-17, Moorhead, Minn. (http://nwmnsynod. org/2014-synod-assembly-recap).
The assembly resolved to form a part- nership with Vibrant Faith Ministries as it explored the theme of “Faith at Home … At Home in Faith.” It cel- ebrated ELCA World Hunger and Malaria Campaign giving and the completion of The Hunger Ride, a 200-plus mile bicycle tour of the synod to educate about hunger and poverty. —Matthew Bishop
Oregon, May 16-18, Portland, Ore. (
http://oregonsynod.org/assembly). The assembly centered around the good work that congregations are doing and the new synod strategic initiatives of “Equipping Leaders,” “Vital and Vibrant Congregations,” and “God’s Mission in the Local Con- text.” In place of a keynote speaker, attendees heard compelling stories from synod leaders and were engaged in deep conversation and biblical work. —Ryan Marquardt
Eastern Washington-Idaho,May 16-18, Spokane, Wash.
(www.
ewaidsynod.org). The theme was “Living in Hope.” The words of Jer- emiah 29:1—“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you a future filled with hope”—were inspiring as we imple- ment recommendations from “The Way Forward” task force. This group is reshaping the synod office struc- ture to better meet needs. Heidi Torg- erson-Martinez, director for Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM), led worship, connecting us with the program through participants’ sto- ries. We connected with our own YAGM, Kevin Beebe, via blogs on Facebook. —Gib Dominguez
Northwestern Ohio, May 16-18, San- dusky, Ohio (
www.nwod-elca.org). More than 1,200 participated in “Growing as Disciples” at the Kala-
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