Events

Event Listings
You can view all posted events on this page, or click on any one of the below links for different types of events. You can also view all events in a printable calendar format.

• Synod Assembly
• Concerts
• Congregational Events (suppers, sales, festivals, etc.)
• Additional Events (educational, fellowship, etc.)
• Meetings
• Youth Events

Policy
For information on what events the synod accepts for publication and how they are publicized, download the full version of the synod's publication policy.

Please follow the event submission guidelines when submitting events.

May 8, 2008 (Thur.): Synod Interim Orientation
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
1207 Prairie Ave.
Faribault, MN
Registration Deadline: April 30

A $10 donation, payable at the door, is
suggested to cover costs.

This workshop will provide pastors and congregational leaders with an overview of interim ministry, insight into the “nuts and bolts,” resources for continuing education and support of interim ministry, as well as a vision for the future of this specialized ministry.

The featured presenter will be Rev. Dr. Paul Svingen, ELCA interim consultant/educator, Minneapolis Area Synod interim pastor, adjunct faculty of Louisville Seminary.

Click here to download the brochure with registration information (PDF).

To register, contact Carolyn Goulet at the synod office at:
507-280-9457, 800-426-6376 in Minnesota, or by (updated 4/25/08)

May 8, 2008 (Thur.): Wildflower Walk
9:30 a.m. OR 1:00 p.m.
Good Earth Village
25303 Old Town Drive
Spring Valley, MN
Cost: $18 per person

Enjoy an easy hike and learn about the many Spring woodland wildflowers found at Good Earth Village. Kathy Bolin, GEV’s Land Management Director, will lead a morning or afternoon walk through the natural spring beauty of camp.

Morning hike begins at 9:30 followed by brunch. Afternoon hike begins at 1:00 followed by an afternoon tea.

Click here for more information. (added 5/6/08)

May 10, 2008 (Sat.): Oakland Lutheran WELCA Spring Luncheon
12:00 noon
Oakland Lutheran Church
22042 850th Ave.
Albert Lea, MN
Cost: $4/adults, $2.50/5-12 years, free/5 and under

Visiting speaker: Rev. Meg Sanders - "Family Life in Tanzania" (added 4/24/08)

May 10, 2008 (Sat.): All-You-Can-Eat Smelt Fry
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Byron American Legion (west of the Byron Kwik Trip & Christ Lutheran Church, on the frontage road)
Byron, MN
Cost: $8 Sr. Citizens & grades K-6, $9 Adults & grades 7 – 12, FREE for pre-school and those 90 years & up

Menu: Batter fried smelt, homemade potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, rolls & butter, beverages, bars.

Proceeds benefit Christ Lutheran Church, Byron, youth programs.

Thank you to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for providing supplemental funds. (added 4/23/08)

May 14-15, 2008 (Wed.-Thur.): Rural Churches: Ecumenical Community Service and Ministry
Additional dates: May 21-22
Sponsored by Minnesota Council of Churches
Paynesville Lutheran Church
657 Maple St.
Paynesville, MN

Pastors and church leadership are encouraged to attend a 2-day workshop designed to energize ecumenical work to meet community needs through shared service and ministry.

For more information, contact Lynne Holman at 612-230-3211 or by . More information also available online. (added 4/25/08)

May 18, 2008 (Sun.): Brad Boice Concert
2:00 p.m.
Bethel Lutheran Church
810 Third Avenue SE
Rochester, MN
Free-will offering

To begin this special benefit concert, Elvis Tribute Artist, Brad Boice, from Chatfield will perform Elvis Presley's favorite gospel and inspirational songs. After a brief intermission, Brad will return in full "Elvis-style" and sing many of Elvis' well known songs from concerts and movies. This promises to be an AMAZING CONCERT!

All proceeds go to Camp Jornada Foundation, an organization that provides kids with cancer or affected by cancer a week-long camp and a year-round support network, and Bethel Lutheran's new organ fund.

Refreshments following the concert in Bethel hall. Invite your friends to come and enjoy listening to favorite Elvis' songs a sung by Brad Boice who received the prestigious "Spirit of Elvis" award in September 2007 at LaCrosse Elvis Explosion Contest. (added 3/25/08)

June 1, 2008 (Sun.): Jim Hendricks Concert
2:00 p.m.
Bethel Lutheran Church
810 Third Avenue SE
Rochester, MN
Free-will offering

Pianist Jim Hendricks began intriguing musicians and family members as a child with the uncanny ability to play anything he heard on records and memorize any printed music that came across the piano. He continued intensive musical study and was considered a professional as a teenager.

After high school, Jim performed and taught in many professional contexts. While on tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Jim realized that he was not using his talents for God's glory. Since then, Jim has performed Christian music at the piano in hundreds of churches all over the land, made numerous recordings, performed on television networks, authored the book Challenging Arrangements for Today's Church Pianist, and been featured in Clavier piano journal. (added 4/25/08)

June 8-28, 2008 (Sun.-Sat.): Seminary Sampler
Additional Dates: July 6-26
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Columbus, OH
Application Deadline: April 15

June 14-July 6, 2008 (Sat.-Sun.): Serving Christ in the World Program
Sponsored by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Application Deadline: February 20

Serving Christ in the World is a unique chance to learn more about God, yourself and people of other cultures as you ask the question of how you are called to serve Christ in the world.

More than a week will be spent on the campus of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, one week will be spent at the Lutheran Center in Mexico City, and four days will be spent immersed in the borderland ministries of Texas with The Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest. The international component provides an opportunity to experience the broader context of sharing our faith in a global context. The program in general will challenge youth to consider issues of pluralism, race, gender and poverty through the lens of their Christian values and faith.

Applications and more information are available on the Youth in Mission website www.lstc.edu/yim. Please contact the YIM Program Coordinator at 800-635-1116 Ext. 754 or by with any questions or if you are interested in applying for the program. (added 2/5/08)

June 21, 2008 (Sat.): Good Earth Village's Women's Day
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Good Earth Village
25303 Old Town Drive
Spring Valley, MN
Cost: $25

Good Earth Village invites all women and their friends to the Annual Women’s Day program - a day of fellowship, Bible Study, worship, wagon rides, great food, and fun programs!

Introduction to the 2007-2008 Lutheran Women Today Bible Study: Pastor Linda Gunderson will be introducing the 2008-2009 study, entitled "The Hidden Hand of God; Wisdom Stories of Ruth, Daniel and Esther". Linda currently serves in the Synod Office as a Synod minister. She previously served as pastor at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, and was the director at Good Earth Village in the early 1990s.

A Spiritual journey: Joyce Abernathy, from LaCrosee, WI, will be present to share her faith story. She will include how her health issues and love of quilting have shaped her faith and who she is today.

Click here for more information. (added 5/6/08)

June 28-July 1, 2008 (Sat.-Tues.): Family Camp
Additional Dates: July 2-5 and July 25-27
Good Earth Village
25303 Old Town Drive
Spring Valley, MN

July 10-13, 2008 (Thur.-Sun.): "Come to the Waters" - Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering
Salt Palace Convention Center
Salt Lake City, UT
Early Registration Deadline: June 15 (all other registration on-site)

The largest gathering of women in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, "Come to the Waters" will teach, encourage, and challenge you to a greater understanding of your faith and what it means to live it out as together we are called to act boldly on our faith in Jesus Christ.

Click here for much more information and to register. Registration booklets can also be requested by calling 800-638-3522, ext. 2730, or by . (added 2/12/08)

Come receive the witness of international Christians, learn global music and dance, encounter new faces and challenging ideas, gain global ministry skills, equip one another to live as Christians in global relationships, and have fun!

2008 plenary speakers:

• Katrina Browne, whose film “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North,” which looks at her family’s involvement in the US slave trade, is an Official Sundance Competition Selection
• A group of women, who happen to be HIV-positive, from “Women of Hope,” part of the ministry of the Mashiah Foundation in Nigeria
• Dr. Parichart Suwanbubbha, a theologian from Mahidol University Research Center of Peace Building, Thailand
• Rev. Lisandro Orlov of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina, who serves as Latin American regional coordinator of the Lutheran World Federation HIV/AIDS campaign
• Professor Anton Tikhomirov will share his thoughts on evangelism and church mission in the former Soviet Union. His presentation will address the need to confront not only atheism, but also nationalism, and fundamentalism.

Visit www.ELCA.org/GME for more information. (added 4/24/08)

July 21, 2008 (Mon.): “Be Joyful, Always!” Skill Enhancement Workshop for Church Secretaries
and Office Staff
A Charis Ecumenical program
Concordia College
Moorhead, MN
Cost: $85.00

Go to www.charisecumenical.org for more information. (added 4/24/08)

July 27-Aug. 2, 2008 (Sun.-Sat.): Lutheran Music Program
Additional Dates: Aug. 3-8 and Aug. 12-17
Green Lake Lutheran Ministries
9916 Lake Ave South
Spicer, MN

An exciting new pilot choral camp program for youth in grades 6-8 who are interested in singing and learning more about choral music will be offered at three Lutheran camps this summer. During the week each camper will receive both small and large group musical instruction and opportunities to mentor with the LMP faculty as well as learn about the foundations of music in the Lutheran church. While this is a specially-focused camp, campers will have their own camp counselor and be able to enjoy many typical camp activities including a campfire at the end of each day. Each camp week will conclude with a very special concert for family and friends.

Click here for more information or contact Sue Olstad by or at 612-230-3291. (added 2/27/08)

Aug. 3-8, 2008 (Sun.-Fri.): Lutheran Music Program
Additional Dates: July 27-Aug. 2 and Aug. 12-17
Luther Crest Bible Camp
8231 County Road 11 NE
Alexandria, MN

An exciting new pilot choral camp program for youth in grades 6-8 who are interested in singing and learning more about choral music will be offered at three Lutheran camps this summer. During the week each camper will receive both small and large group musical instruction and opportunities to mentor with the LMP faculty as well as learn about the foundations of music in the Lutheran church. While this is a specially-focused camp, campers will have their own camp counselor and be able to enjoy many typical camp activities including a campfire at the end of each day. Each camp week will conclude with a very special concert for family and friends.

Click here for more information or contact Sue Olstad by or at 612-230-3291. (added 2/27/08)

Aug. 4, 2008 (Mon.): Good Earth Village Open Golf Tournament

Holden Village is setting the table for conversation, song and feasts of every kind. All are welcome! Presenters include Martin Wells, Susan Briehl, Dorothy Bass, Fred Niedner and Paul Hinderlie. Mary Preuss and Tom Witt (Bread for the Journey) will be leading the worship.

Register early as this program is cosponsored with the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith and will likely fill early. Deposit of $150 is due by May 1 to Good Earth Village to ensure a spot.

For more information on the program, visit www.GoodEarthVillage.org. Checks to Good Earth Village at 25303 Old Town Dr, Spring Valley, MN 55975 or call Jenni at 507-346-2494 with credit card information. (updated 4/24/08)