South Dakota Synod News Blog

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.

Important: 2010 Health Assessment is Open

It's time again for the ELCA Board of Pensions-Mayo Clinic Health Assessment!  The assessment opened January 1, 2010, via the Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth portal and needs to be completed before April 30, 2010.

As in the past, ELCA-primary plan members and their spouses will each earn a $150 personal wellness account credit for completing the Assessment. They also will be eligible for a further $300 credit for pursuing follow-up activities.

And as before, ELCA employers (congregations and other eligible organizations) in this synod will earn a 2% discount on 2010 health benefit contribution payments if 65% or more of plan members and eligible spouses in this synod take the Assessment before April 30.

Here are more details from the ELCA Board of Pensions website. 

Please complete the Assessment early so that you and others across this synod can benefit from the incentives, discounts, and improved health!

Annual Women's Retreat

Margie Neugebauer, Chamberlain, has asked that we share with you the following invitation:

The weather forecast is good!  Don't miss out on the annual women's retreat on Friday and Saturday, January 22-23 in Kimball, SD.  

The spiritual journey of aging is a search for meaning.  It is a call to live with grace and dignity in spite of loss and limitation.  What are the developmental challenges of letting go and living on?  An exploration of the journey toward simplicity and creative aging.

Download this flyer for more information.  If you have questions, please e-mail Margie at maneugebauer@midstatesd.net or call her at 605-234-0115.

"...they shall bear fruit even into old age, remaining fresh and green..."  Psalm 92

Update: Disaster Rosponse in Haiti

The following update comes from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson:

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

The images of the despair and destruction in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti continue to overwhelm us, but they also call forth our response of prayer and generosity. 

Paul’s letter to the Romans gives us words of comfort and hope. Paul writes:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:22-27).

Thank you for continuing to hold in prayer the people in Haiti and all those who are working to bring relief. Thank you for your generous financial gifts.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is already working through long-standing partnerships with The Lutheran World Federation and Lutheran World Relief to provide emergency food, water, shelter and medical supplies.

This church is uniquely positioned to provide immediate and ongoing help. The ELCA has committed an initial $250,000 from ELCA International Disaster Response, and we’ve authorized an additional $500,000 as congregations respond both to the immediate needs and long-term rebuilding efforts.

For those of you who would like to support these relief efforts, I encourage you to visit this Web page (www.elca.org/haitiearthquake) or call 800-638-3522.

Our phones are open the entire Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. One hundred percent of all gifts made to ELCA Disaster Response, designated for Haiti Earthquake Relief, will be used for immediate relief and ongoing recovery.

This is what it means to be the church together in mission for the sake of the world.

I invite you to pray:

Merciful God, hear our cry for mercy in the wake of the earthquake. Reveal your presence in the midst of our suffering. Help us to trust in your promises of hope and life so that desperation and grief will not overtake us. Come quickly to our aid that we may know peace and joy again. Strengthen us in this time of trial with the assurance of hope we know in the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

In God's grace,

 

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

P.S. Thrivent has pledged to match $1 for every $2 their members contribute, up to a total contribution of $1 million from Thrivent. To make your matching gift (up to $250 per person), go to this Web page (www.thrivent.com/helpinghaiti).

View this message as a video
(www.elca.org/bishopstatement).

Save the Date: 2010 Spring Pastor's Conference

The 2010 Spring Pastor's Conference is scheduled for Sunday, April 11 through Thursday, April 15 in Sioux Falls.  It will begin informally at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening with a reception at Bishop Zellmer's home.  The conference will officially begin Monday with worship at 10:30 AM followed by lunch and time with Bishop Zellmer.  Social Hour will begin at 5:30 PM on Monday evening at the Ramada Inn, with dinner and entertainment to follow at 6:30 PM.

This year's Pastor's Conference is in conjunction with the Akeda Conference at Augustana College.  Information on the conference and a schedule of events can be found at  Augustana College's website.  Lunches will be arranged with special speakers for the Pastor's Conference.  You are encouraged to attend as much of the conference as your schedule allows.

Please keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for more information and feel free to e-mail Pastor Erika Lehmann with any questions you may have at elehmann@sio.midco.net.