South Dakota Synod News Blog

Gloria Dei Carnival and Variety Show for Nicaragua

Our friends at Gloria Dei Lutheran in Sioux Falls asked that we pass the below invitation along to the Crossroards Conference:

Gloria Dei Carnival and Variety Show
2800 E 57th St
Sioux Falls, SD  57108

Friday, February 19th
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join us for a family FUNdraising event to raise money for schoolyard fencing for the Pochocuape School in Nicaragua and for musical instruments for the Nicaragua Lutheran Church-Faith and Hope. 
 
This is an event for the whole family with food, carnival games, inflatables, and a variety show featuring local talent.  Please call 605-371-3737 if you have any questions.

Mardi Gras at the Luther Center

Our friends at the Luther Center in Vermillion asked that we pass along this invitation to the Southeastern Conference:

An Opportunity for Woyatan Lutheran

"Woyatan Lutheran is a very hopeful place and provides another opportunity for Christ to be present as cultures come together."  
Pastor Bruce Thalacker -
South Canyon Lutheran, Rapid City

"Woyatan is a key Native American mission in South Dakota. About 80% of those attending are Native American. This ministry helps to develop local leadership in the Native American community."
Pastor Larry Peterson -
Current Interim Pastor at Woyatan

Dear Partners in God’s Mission,

In 2003 a bold dream began to take shape right here in South Dakota. A group of clergy and lay leaders in the Bear Butte Conference envisioned a new kind of multi-cultural outreach ministry to the very diverse, mostly Native American community in southeast Rapid City - if only an adequate facility for such a ministry could be found. At the same time that this new ministry was being envisioned, another congregation, Atonement Lutheran was contemplating a move to a fast growing neighborhood north of their church – if only a buyer for the old building could be found.

An opportunity! On behalf of the new ministry, the South Dakota Synod purchased the Atonement property with a generous grant from the Mission Investment Fund and a $375,000 loan from the South Dakota Synod Endowment Fund. Thus emerged the new ministry we have all come to know and love as “Woyatan.” Today Woyatan serves a diverse and culturally rich group of about 120 people. It’s a Word and Sacrament ministry among some of the poorest people in our state. 

Today you can help Woyatan take a huge step in its continued development. The $375,000 loan from the synod endowment fund is now down to $25,000. Through a generous encouragement gift from a good friend of our synod, Elaine Keenihan, we have an opportunity to eliminate that debt completely. Elaine, the former bookkeeper of our synod shared with me, “I wanted to see that debt paid in full before I retired. It didn’t happen quite that early, but it can happen now!”

To that end, Elaine has stepped forth with a generous $5000 gift that she hopes will become seed money that could encourage other generous people and congregations in South Dakota to complete what was started in 2003.

This letter is going to friends of Woyatan who have already generously supported that ministry, and to people of faith who by God’s grace know how important it is to support special ministries like this one in South Dakota. I hope that you will consider a gift toward the completion of this project. Consider a special offering, a Lenten appeal, a gift from an endowment fund from your congregation’s budget.  By working together, we can get this done! Please send your gift to the South Dakota Synod and mark it “Woyatan debt.” Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Yours in Christ,

Bishop David Zellmer
South Dakota Synod, ELCA

Reminder: Peer Ministry Training at Synod Office

This is a reminder to sign up for a Peer Ministry Facilitator Training event to be held at the synod office Feburary 19-20.  Information on Peer Ministry can be found on the Peer Ministry website.  The training will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 19, and conclude at noon on Saturday, February 20.

To reserve your spot or get more information, contact Suzanne Hansen, AIM, at the synod office:  605-274/4105 or shansen@sdsynod.org.  Please register prior to February 8.

Joys and Concerns (2)

Once again we are reminded that "here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come." (Hebrews 13:14)

We have been informed that Thomas Jenson, son of Retired Pastor Dale Jenson, passed away in Sioux Falls this Wednesday, January 27.  His funeral is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, January 30th, 1:00 p.m. in Fremont, NE.  The obituary for Thomas may be found here.

Please join us in prayer for Pastor Dale and his wife Charlotte, and the entire Jenson family during this difficult time.

Joys and Concerns

Once again we are reminded that "here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come." (Hebrews 13:14)

We were informed yesterday of the death of Lester Brue, father-in-law of pastor Glen Enright, Hartford.

Visitation is scheduled at Heritage Funeral Home in Sioux Falls today, January 29, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  The funeral service will be Saturday, January 30 beginning at 12:30 PM at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.  A full obituary for Lester may be found online here.

Please join us in prayer for Pastor Glen, his wife Jan, and the whole Brue family during this difficult time.

Urgent: Statement of Intent and Leadership Forms

To all of the congregations that have already mailed or e-mailed their 2010 Statement of Intent for Mission Support forms and 2010 Leadership forms, thank you very much! We appreciate your support and your assistance.

If your congregation has not yet sent its 2010 Statement of Intent or 2010 Leadership forms, we ask again that you do so as quickly as possible following your annual meeting. The Synod Council will need this information as it discusses and establishes the budget for this upcoming year.   It is also important that the synod have up-to-date leadership information so that the appropriate people receive mailings and correspondence throughout the year. Synod staff will begin contacting congregations whom we have not received information from on Tuesday, February 2nd.

You may access both forms via the synod website (choose "Congregation Leaders" from the "Forms" menu at the top of the page, then select "Year-End Forms for Congregations" from the list on the Congregations Leaders page), or you may go directly to the PDF forms by clicking here for 2010 Statement of Intent and here for 2010 Leadership Form. You may fill out the forms electronically and either e-mail it, print and mail it to the synod office (choose the appropriate button at the top of the form, then follow the on-screen prompts), or fax the forms to 605-274-4028.

Again, thank you very much for your support and encouragement, and your ongoing partnership in ministry.

Joys and Concerns

Once again we are reminded that "here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come." (Hebrews 13:14)

Over the weekend we were informed of the death of retired pastor Ralph Berggren.

The funeral service for Pastor Ralph will take place this coming Tuesday, January 26, at New Home Lutheran Church, Mitchell, at 2:00 PM.  A full obituary for Pastor Ralph is online at: http://bit.ly/8tmgdX.

Please join us in prayer for Jacqueline Berggren, their sons Roger, Richard, and Paul, and all of the Berggrens' family and friends at this difficult time.

Joys and Concerns (2)

Pastor Linda Jorgensen, Baltic, has asked for our prayers as she recuperates after knee surgery that took place earlier this month.

Please join us in prayer for Pastor Linda's continued recovery.

Joys and Concerns

We have been informed that Pastor Frezil Westerlund; pastor at First Lutheran in Midland, Our Savior Lutheran in Long Valley, and Deep Creek Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran in Midland; has recently received a diagnosis of cancer.  She will be traveling to Mayo Clinic for an assessment and possible surgery next week.  

Please join us in prayers for healing and strength for Pastor Frezil and her family at this difficult time.