WE ARE CALLED 27TH ANNUAL SWO CONVENTION IN CROOKSTON, MN SEPT. 12 & 13, 2014 TRINITY LUTHERAN

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1 Type to enter text WE ARE CALLED 27TH ANNUAL SWO CONVENTION IN CROOKSTON, MN SEPT. 12 & 13, 2014 TRINITY LUTHERAN Elaine Krogstad, Jeannine Windels, Sandy Knudsvig-- Convention Coordinators Keynote Speaker Deborah Banks William, Churchwide Board, VP Vicki Heydt newly elected president Sue Ellwanger and Lois Bylund, former president and now Churchwide Board member. Sara Forsberg Betty Finkenbinder NORMA VAN HORN

2 FALL SNOW 2014 What an exciting six months this has been for me! I was fortunate to be a voting delegate from the NW MN SWO at the Church Wide Convention which was held in Charlotte NC this past July. I voted on behalf of you, my sisters in Christ, and was thrilled when Lois Bylund, our past SWO President was elected to the Church Wide Board! Fast forward to our NW SWO Convention, which was held in Crookston in September. The theme for the convention was We are Called. I felt the call to put my name in nomination for the office of President of our organization, this organization is very important to me, and I wanted to be part of leading this vibrant organization forward. The delegates put their trust in me to lead this organization. I am humbled by this support. The convention was very well organized and run by Jeannine Windels and her great team of ladies from Trinity in Crookston. The theme of We are Called ran throughout the event from the decorations on the tables, the favors at the banquet, our worship service with Bishop Larry and Bible Study by Pastor Laurie Natwick. The keynote speaker, Sara Forsberg was awesome as was the special music. We also enjoyed the Fellowship Hall Ladies from Sion in Lancaster. Thank you ladies for a great convention. A little bit about me. I grew up west of the Twin Cities and moved to the Parkers Prairie area in 1980 when I married my husband, Don. We run a pheasant hunting business. I am the clerk for our township. I attend Esther Lutheran Church in rural Parkers Prairie and am the secretary for the church. For many years, I was the secretary of our W/ELCA unit. I help with the suppers during VBS. We are so lucky at Esther to have young and old alike and we are a growing congregation. During worship, there is lots of noise and commotion and we love it! I was able to attend 6 cluster gatherings this fall and enjoyed each one. I put in a lot of windshield time and was able to see parts of synod I haven t traveled to before. I am thankful for the faithfulness of the ladies in attendance. How do we get more women involved? There is no easy or magic answer to that question. We need to be encouraging of the ladies in our congregations and find that core group of women, let them take on projects that are important to them and let them do it their way, even if it has never been done that way before! By the time this SNOW is published, our SWO Board will have met for the first time. We elected a new secretary, Sharon Mortrud and Carol Gealow as a new board member. I ask that you pray for us as we do the work of the NW MN SWO. The Board members contact information is listed in the SNOW and also on the NW MN ELCA web site. The SWO information is listed under the ministry partners tab. Please feel free to contact any of us with questions, suggestions or concerns that you have concerning the SWO. I thank you again for the trust you have put in me as President of our organization. Blessings in Christ! Sue Ellwanger NW MN SWO President

3 Pastor Greg Isaacson and Adriannne Winger We Are Called theme of the 2014 SWO convention was beautifully carried out by the ladies of Trinity with a variety of telephones on every table and at the entrance with lots of dried hydrangeas everywhere. While the delegates were meeting for the election of officers and business, others gathered around coffee and bid on a large variety of baskets. Many went to two workshops Faith and Fitness led by Betty Finkenbinder who emphasized relaxing your body, calming your mind and increasing your energy and strength through consistent exercise. We moved to music and she also taught us chair exercises to use into our nineties. Holy Doodles led by Trey Everett using art to help think more deeply about God and our faith. The banquet was held at the convention center with entertainment by the Crookston s Mens chorus led by George French and also music by Pastor Greg Isaacson and Adrianne Winger followed by a churchwide report from Deborah Banks Williams. She encouraged us to continue our support for churchwide and make good use of all the materials available in print and one line. Early registration for the next Gathering in Minneapolis ends December 31 at womenoftheelca.org website. Saturday began with worship and communion led by Bishop Wahlrabe using our theme from Galations 5:13 We are called to serve one another in love. He said the call of God in our lives is a call to freedom not for self indulgence but to be servants of one another. Second, God s call always sets us free. Jesus death and rising shook up the ancient world..starting with the Jews and than into the Roman world. It made the old guard nervous as they were trying to maintain law and order, Gentiles were faster to respond than the Jews who had Kosher laws and circumcision which caused the first big fight in the church. This could have stopped the whole Christian movement, but through Paul s writing they became free to serve others in love..a freedom from to a freedom for service. So we have a rich life of giving ourselves away. Type to enter text MARY MAGDALENE AWARD CL 1 Patricia Isaacson CL 3 Norma Jean Ross (posthumous) CL 4 Barb Kemmer CL 5 Elaine Scheer CL 6 Lois Bylund CL 7 Carolyn Kohler CL 8 Carol Gealow CL 9 Margaret Wehking CL 10 Diane Lande In their honor gifts were sent to ELCA Malaria, LWR, Bible Women of India, Katie s Fund & Lutheran Campus Ministries.

4 SWO Convention report continued: After energetic music by The Trinity Women s Chorus, new officers were installed by Deborah Williams and the Mary Magdalene Awards were announced. There was time for book signings and a coffee break. Our morning Bible study lead by Pr Laurie Natwick. She said, I have a passion for God s calling us. Looking at Galatians 5:13 Paul talked about being called to freedom...freedom to love, freedom from enslaving powers. Therefore, we are freed FOR being Christ's love to our neighbor. Galatians has been called "the Magna Carta of Christian Freedom". Luther loved Galatians; he called it "my Katie" in honor of his wife. In Galatians 5:13, Paul calls us beyond our self-centered way and beyond self-indulgence. Christ emptied his life--taking on the form of a slave and in that freed us, empowered us to serve others. In Baptism we are buried with Christ and raised up to new life in Christ. In that we are set free...new life is ours. We hear the words at baptism, "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." We are called to shine forth with the light of Christ, serving our neighbors...it is what we are called to, it is our calling, it is what we are set free for. Yes, it will be difficult because our age-old rebellion brings us back to our self-centered ways, but again and again God forgives and we are made new and set free. As Women of the ELCA think of the many ways you serve. We pray for others, provide hospitality and food, do LWR relief projects, send money, make prayer shawls, listen, and be there for someone. As women of the ELCA, you do amazing things in your church and in your community...you have answered the call to service. The Parish Hall Ladies of Sion Lutheran in Lancaster --Shirley and Janet Swenson, Crystal Peterson Mendy Coffield and Clara Strege plan an upcoming funeral during our noon luncheon. Following a wonderful noon lunch, we returned for more music and singing by the Trinity Women s chorus and our keynote speaker, Sara Forsberg who spoke on Called to Join the Team. Following worry and being afraid with an illness with different doctors making different care options, she made the decision to claim the power in Philippians 4:8 to become a member of Team Jesus. She is encouraged by Paul s writing Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don t ever stop thinking about what is truly worth-while and worthy of praise. She encouraged us to keep a thankful calendar and show gratitude before rising from bed each morning. Give someone a smile, give anonymously and not let fear stop us because God supplies all our needs at the right time. At the end of day review the gifts of the day and say thank you Jesus. Lois Bylund, Merrily Burmeister, Judy Reger, Sue Ellwanger and our Young Woman s Grant recipient, Pastor Jeanette Bidne presented a slide show and talked about the Women of the ELCA Convention and Gathering they had the privilege to attend this past summer in Charlotte, NC. They shared highlights about the elections and business that was conducted. They also talked about the speakers, workshops and the discussions that followed the films that were shown. Our convention closed with music. Thank you to every church who brought auction baskets. One option that is being talked about for the funds raised from our basket auction is possibly providing bus transportation to the 2017 Gathering in Minneapolis.

5 NW MINN SYNODICAL WOMEN CLUSTER 2 FALL GATHERING Saturday, September 27, 2014 Zion Lutheran, Thief River Falls, MN On a beautiful autumn morning, Cluster Two held their fall gathering Sept. 27th. at Zion Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls, hosting the event. The theme for the day was Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving based on 1 Thessalonians 5: Silver Creek WELCA of Thief River Falls serving morning coffee and treats. Cluster Two Coordinator, Doloris Haugen, welcomed the group, followed by a welcome from Sharon Wagner of Zion Lutheran WELCA. Pastor John Golv followed with devotions. Guest speaker, Beverly Slevin, of Mentor, MN delivered a very inspirational message. Andrea Eskeli, of Plummer, MN, presented the Back Pack program of which she is very involved at the Plummer school. Carly Lunsetter, a local high school student, followed with a presentation of her prize winning Doodling Art. Congregational hymns were song through out the gathering. Greetings and information from the SWO Board were extended by Roxanne Goulet, SWO Board Rep. She also installed new Cluster Two Officers, Judy Scramstad, Cluster Coordinator, Marjorie Iverson, Cluster Recorder, and Gloria Ness, Cluster Reporter. She recognized outgoing Cluster Coordinator, Doloris Haugen, and Cluster Recorder, Virginia Anderson. After closing comments, table grace was sung, and Zion Lutheran WELCA served a delicious noon luncheon. Roll call was taken and total attendance for the morning was 59. Virginia Anderson, Cluster #2 Recorder. CLUSTER #3 FALL GATHERING IN McINTOSH " Harvest Time was the theme of the Cluster #3 gathering September 27th at Our Savior s Lutheran Church in McIntosh, MN. Welcoming us to Our Savior s was Chairperson Ruth Carlson. Pastor Scott Morey used Isaiah 9 as the basis for his devotional meditation, citing verse 3 They rejoice before you as with joy at the Harvest, and looking ahead as Isaiah foretells the birth of a Savior. " The piano and organ duets of Diane Boucher and Candace Haaven set the tone of praise and thanksgiving throughout the Gathering. They provided accompaniment for the opening hymn sing led by Lorraine Rustad, special music during the offering, and later for Lorraine Rustad s vocal solos. Mavis Haugom of Salem Lutheran gave the offering meditation. " Cathy Forgit, a Yarn & Fabric Artisan of rural Fertile, presented a program around the ancient Norwegian art of making a Shinfell, using the wool and hide of sheep found only in Norway. Using old carved wooden stamps, the hides are decorated with meaningful designs, leaving the original wool on the reverse side. These are still used to keep people warm on cold Arctic nights. Cathy also showed pictures of other arts and crafts that she had seen while participating in a Shinfell class in Norway. Cathy also brought sweaters which she has knitted and yarns such as are used in the knitting, weaving, or embroidering of traditional garments. To begin the presentation, Cathy quoted several verses from the Bible where Christ is the Good Shepherd and we, who recognize his voice, follow him, as sheep would follow their master. " The business meeting included the election of Jeannine Windels from Trinity of Crookston as Cluster Coordinator and Sandy Knudsvig, also from Trinity, as Recorder. Judy Reger, representing the NW MN Synodical Women s Organization, brought greetings and information on the 2014 SWO Convention hosted by Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston. Judy also conducted the installation of the new Cluster Officers. " The morning coffee was hosted by Salem Lutheran Church of McIntosh. Our Savior s Lutheran Church Women provided the delicious noon luncheon and made the day inspiring and meaningful for all. " The Spring 2015 Gathering will be held at St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Crookston. The date has not yet been confirmed but is tentatively planned for Saturday, April 25. " "

6 CLUSTER 4 FALL GATHERING SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 BETHEL LUTHERAN RURAL BAGLEY, MN Pastor Steven McCaughan Keynote speaker: Pastor Laurie Natwick The Cluster 4 Fall Gathering was held on Sept 28th, 2014 at Bethel Lutheran Church, Bagley, Minnesota. It was a beautiful fall day. The program was opened by a welcome from Eileen Voderbruggen, President of Bethel WELCA. Sharon Mortrud, Cluster 4 Coordinator, greeted everyone. We all read the Purpose Statement of WELCA. Devotions by Pastor Steven McCaughan of Bethel. We are called to be Christs to one another. People will believe what you say because of what you do.. We were honored to have Pastor Laurie Natwick, Assistant to the Bishop, as our key note speaker. Radical Hospitality was her topic. We should step out of our comfort zone and reach out to others in our community that need a friend or a helping hand. Try to involve others in your activities. We should remember that there is a story as to why people act as they do, all of us can reach as a church to receive others with warmth and generosity. Pastor Steven shared his talent on his guitar and sang. Merrily Burmeister, Bemidji, SWO Board member gave an interesting report of the Triennial Convention that was held in Charlotte. The next one will be held in Minneapolis and she encouraged us to attend. She also told us about the NW Synodical Convention that was held at Trinity Lutheran, Crookston on September 12th and 13th. It was a well planned meeting with very good speakers and excellent singing groups, Sara Forsberg, Park Rapids, was one of the speakers. Her topic was Called to Join the Team. Betty Wignes, Bethany from Nevis, has agreed to be the next Coordinator for Cluster 4. We thanked Sharon Mortrud, Park Rapids for her excellent leadership. She is now Secretary for the NW MN SWO Board. Ardella Lindberg agreed to continue as recorder. The Spring Gathering will be held on Saturday April 18, 2015 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Bemidji. Thanks so much to the Bethel Lutheran WELCA for hosting the meeting and serving us such delicious food. We appreciated all you did to make it an enjoyable day. Ardella Lindberg, Recorder

7 Cluster 5 Minutes 2014 Fall Gathering Cluster 5 women gathered for their Fall Gathering at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ulen, on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. The Salem Women from Hitterdal served punch and appetizers during registration. 74 women were registered including 6 guests for a total of 80 in attendance. After the welcome and Statement of Purpose recitation by our coordinator Carol Johnson, announcements were given by Virginia Trom. Our devotions were given by Brigid Pender. Our opening hymn was Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. Our Gathering Theme was Do the Smallest Things With Great Joy. Our emphasis Scripture passage was from Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Our offering meditation given by Janet Maesse reflected the theme on Joyful Giving. Susan Green sang a vocal solo Day by Day. Jennifer Anderson, a member of Bethlehem, gave a talk about her work in adoption. She emphasized important Scripture versus that have helped her in her career. The treasurer and secretary s reports Jenny Anderson, social worker in adoption from Becker County Human Services, was our speaker. Thank you Jenny! from the Spring Gathering of 2014 were approved as printed and a motion was made and seconded to place them on file. Margaret Kragerud, a Synod board member, gave a report on the Synodical Convention held recently. We want to recognize that Elaine Sheer from our Cluster received the Mary Magdalene Award from Cluster 5. Our present treasurer Carol Engen from Gary Lutheran has served for the past three years and a nominee Renae Hoekstra from Zion Lutheran in Twin Valley was elected by a unanimous ballot to be our new treasurer. Our acting Synodical president Sue Ellwanger from Parkers Prairie, Mn proceeded with installation of officers. Sue is taking the place of our President Lois Bylund. A short discussion about whether our Cluster 5 would like to continue having two gatherings a year versus fall was tabled. Ms. Ellwanger encouraged this cluster to abide by the bylaws of the Synod Constitution leaving the final decision to this cluster. Our table grace was sung. The meal was prepared and served by the host churchwomen from Bethlehem with desserts from Salem Lutheran in Hitterdal and Living Grace Lutheran Church in Hawley. After our meal our second speaker was Dawn Kaiser from Lake Park. Dawn is employed at the Village Family Services in Fargo and has done pulpit supply in the area. Her talk was on Choosing Joy. Carol Johnson gave closing remarks and emphasized quilts to be donated for the Pathways Quilt Auction next year. After the benediction was sung, The Lord s Prayer was sung by Susan Green. Our closing song was I Have the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart. The women sang it with enthusiasm! Our Spring Gathering is set for Augustana Lutheran Church in Halstad, Mn. Carol Lockhart, Recorder Carol Engen, (left) our outgoing financial recorder is shown greeting one of our speakers for the evening, Dawn Kaiser, who spoke on Choosing Joy. Thank you Carol for your years of dedicated and faithful service. Renae Hoekstra from Twin Valley will be replacing Carol.

8 CLUSTER 6 FALL MEETING Thursday, September 25, 2014 Our Savior s Barnesville, MN The Barnesville community is quite famous for its annual Potato Days festival. We were treated to a true Potato Days feast for dinner, complete with baked potatoes and condiments, a wonderful salad, and potato pickles! Some serving dishes also were shaped in the form of potatoes! Our Savior's Lutheran Church was decorated also for another special event it held in September - its 125th Anniversary celebration. We are thankful for the efforts of our members there who then continued to provide hospitality and to serve as our hostesses at this cluster meeting. Our theme was the ELCA's theme for Rally Day: "God's Work, Our Hands!" Our educational program was on the work of the Lion's Club Leader Dog program, that provides trained leader dogs for blind persons throughout the United States. Ken Bauer, a member of the Our Speaker: Ken Bauer Savior's Lutheran Church congregation, presented this program. One interesting fact of this program's efforts is that it costs approximately $40,000 to train and equip each leader dog who will enable a blind person to thrive. This is a very high quality program that engages many hands in achieving the program's goals of training and equipping leader dogs. Our business meeting included a report by SWO President Sue Ellwanger of the recent Triennial Convention in Charlotte. Having served for two consecutive terms as Cluster Recorder, and as Cluster Coordinator, Bonnie Swenson and I retired from those respective positions. The nominating committee presented a slate of names to fill the positions of Cluster Coordinator and Recorder. Faith Meurrens, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Moorhead, was elected as Cluster Coordinator and Gayle Matz, of Faith Lutheran Church, Wolverton, was elected to serve as Recorder. Sue Ellwanger installed the officers. Respectfully submitted, Carol Johnson CLUSTER 7 FALL MEETING Saturday, September 27, 2014 Trinity Lutheran, Detroit Lakes, MN The Women of Trinity hosted 55 women at our fall cluster. The Theme was Jesus Loves You. Joan Westlake led with devotions and prayer and music was led by Judy Fankhanel. Our Bible study of John 21:15-17 by Pastor Jillene Gallatin compared this conversation between Peter and Jesus with what we know about defining the word love which can mean brotherly phelios, eros sexual love or to be in love with, agape this is the love of God or Christ for mankind or the Godlike love as in Christ laying down his life for our sins. So when Christ asked Peter do you agape love me, Peter replied I fond of you. Three times he asked him if he loved him and each time asked him to feed my lambs, shepherd my sheep, feed my sheep. But like Peter, Jesus meets us where we are even if we are not willing to lay down our lives for him. We know that through the Holy Spirit worked miracles through Peter as he preached, healed and helped the Christian Church grow. Love is different for us in our different relationships with people. Love is powerful, motivational, and comforting. Jesus says to us, Feed my sheep. The program of the church ladies was provided by Julie Aanenson and Debbie Haroldson who shared humorous stories and songs. Carolyn Nelson, SWO treasurer, gave a report from the NWMinn Synod Board and the recent convention in Crookston. Sharon Mortrud, Wadena, was elected secretary, Sue Ellwanger, Parkers Prairie, was elected president and Carol Gealow of Richville as board member. Carolyn Kohler of Bakke Lutheran was our Mary Magdalene award recipient. At the business meeting conducted by Joan Westlake, Louanne Gerdes was elected coordinator, Ardys Horner, financial reporter and Rachel Johnson stays on as recorder. Our spring meeting will be at Eskjo Lutheran at Lake Park in April. A wonderful lunch was served by the Trinity women. Pastor Jillene Gallatin of Trinity Lutheran

9 CLUSTER 8 FALL MEETING Saturday, October 25, 2014 Eagle Lake Lutheran, Battle Lake, MN Our theme was Women Defined by God. The morning began with registration and coffee; we then gathered in the sanctuary for our business meeting and program. Linda Green, president of the Eagle Lake WELCA welcomed us. The Eagle Lake Church choir entertained us with several wonderful songs. Devotions were led by Rev. Ali Haugerud of Eagle Lake Lutheran. We heard a report and saw a short video from Rev. Rod Spidahl from Lutheran Campus Ministry. He thanked us for our involvement and gave us ideas on how to get more involved. Rev. Spidahl is from the Moorhead State University Campus Ministry. Sue Ellwanger, president of the NW MN Synodical women s organization, brought us greetings and updated us on the SWO convention that was held in September in Crookston. Carol Gealow was Mary Magdalene recipient from Cluster 8. Maxine Moe Following our business meeting and election of officers, our guest speaker, Maxine Moe from Ada presented in live portrayal Voices of Biblical Women. She portrayed the Woman at the well and Bathsheba. She tells these old stories in a new way and is very interesting to listen to. Maxine s passion is giving voice to women who have been kept silent for centuries. After her presentation we all sang I Love to Tell the Story. During our offering Doris Nill and her daughter, Vonda entertained us with two beautiful piano duets. The Lord s Prayer was sung by all in attendance. After the table grace, we were served a delicious meal in the fellowship hall. It was a very inspiring morning. Our Spring Gathering will be on April 13 at Hope Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls. Carol Gealow, Cluster 8 Recorder. NW MINN SYNODICAL WOMEN CLUSTER 9 FALL GATHERING Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Good Shepherd Lutheran Henning, Minnesota Morning coffee provided by the Nidaros Lutheran Women, 102 attendees from 15 congregations joined in gathering music lead by Kay Anderson, and were welcomed by Sue Ellwanger and Rita Ellenson of the Good Shepherd W/ELCA. Pastor Steve Dahl lead in the devotions and Bible Study based on Isaiah 58: 6-12, challenging us to reach out to new-comers, to become more inclusive, and to be more sincere in our worship to God, opening ourselves up to other ways instead of empty ritual. Pastor Dahl's message ended with a communion service. Sue Ellwanger, our new SWO President, opened the Cluster 9 meeting with the reading of The Statement of Purpose. Roll call was taken by Recorder LuAnn Holt. Minutes and financial reports of the Spring gathering were approved by the assembly. Old business: Sue talked about the recent Triennial and NW MN Synodical Conventions. Margaret Wehking, Parkers Prairie, received the Mary Magdeline award for Cluster 9 at the SWO Convention. New Business: The 2015 SWO Convention will be at Trinity Lutheran in Moorhead September 11th and 12th...mark your calendars. Conversation has already begun for the 2017 Triennial to be held in Minneapolis. Early registration before Dec. 31 at womenofelca.org website will save everyone $100. Election of officers: Nancy Kjeldahl of Calvary Lutheran at Little Sauk was nominated for the Coordinator position. Diane Tiegland of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wadena was nominated for the Recorder position. Both were elected by a unanimous vote and installed as officers for Cluster 9 by SWO Treasurer Carolyn Nelson. The program, "Thoughts on the Triennial Gathering", was presented by Sue Ellwanger and Pastor Jeanette Bidne, both attendees of the event. A slide presentation was given and both shared their experiences. There was many workshops and worship opportunities for the 2400 women in attendance.

10 Cluster 9 Leaders From left to right: Recorder: Diane Teigland Coordinator: Nancy Kjeldahl Financial Reporter: Elaine Salvog Cluster 9 officers Twenty four women from our SWO attended and took part in this history making event where Bishop Eaton encouraged church first, to be bold as Lutherans, to be the church of the world, to infect our congregations with enthusiasm, and more. A $3 million budget and a focus on eliminating bullying and human trafficking was approved by the assembly. Patti Anderson was elected the new church-wide President of the W/ELCA. The days were long, but both women agreed that the 2014 Triennial was a wonderful experience and a well-run event. Pastor Bidne thanked the women of Cluster 9 for helping her financially to attend. Respectfully Submitted, LuAnn Holt, Cluster 9 Recorder NW MINN SWO CLUSTER 10 FALL GATHERING First Lutheran of Kensington, MN Saturday, September 27, 2014 Nora Lutheran Church of rural Kensington provided morning treats. Special music was provided by a Ladies Trio and Pastor Kathryn Rothman shared devotions. After a short Business Meeting, the program was presented by Rachael McCleary about Embracing Hope IN Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has adopted twin boys from an orphanage in Ethiopia to add to her family with her husband and five children. There were also items for sale made by Ethiopian women to earn some income. The Mission Statement of Embracing Hope Ethiopia states: Our mission is to partner with God, Individuals and the local church in ministering with the poor, orphans and vulnerable children (and their families) of Ethiopia using compassionate, holistic practices that promote sustainability, transformation, community, and Christian discipleship which invades all areas of life for this and future generations. Respectfully suubmitted by Karen Erickson Joyce Shuck, Cluster 10 Financial Reporter, being commended for two terms of service by Sue Ellwanger, NW MN SWO President

11 Our theme for our 2014 fall NW Synod WELCA Gathering was "We Are Called". As Christian women what are we called for and who calls us? Can we all agree that it is God who calls us? He has given us all unique talents and gifts to use as He calls us to do. He does not want us to waste what He has given each and everyone of us. In Isaiah 50:4 it says "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary, He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." How are we being taught by God? How are we listening to the weary of this world? I was just reading an article in the May 2014 Gather magazine about how 780 million people in our world do not have access to clean water, something we really take for granted. When we take a 5 minute shower, we are using more water than a person in a developing country slum uses in a day. How can we listen---make a difference in our world. 1st--Let us be mindful of all our water use (drinking, showers, lawn care, laundry, agriculture). We need to start supporting programs that bring clean water to people in desperate need. Rethink our use of bottled water. Start using a home filtration system whether it be one installed at sink or a filtered pitcher type. It's much cheaper than bottled water plus we are keeping a LOT of plastic out of garbage dumps. 2nd--Many of these struggling people don't want a hand-out, but a hand-up. Have you thought of getting involved in our ELCA's "Barnyard" program? It offers many, many ways to get involved. You might even want to make this a family project. 3rd--Our WELCA offers many opportunities to help others. From our quilts to all our different kits we can assemble These provide comfort, health, peace of mind to many who need these items. I just mentioned three global projects you may want to get involved in. There are many more out there. But don't forget the people right here in our communities. There are organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, food shelf, Salvation Army, homeless shelters, back pack programs, Stephen ministry, and many more organizations unique to each community. Giving back to our communities can be very enjoyable, I have found. Just imagine what a difference we could make n this world if we all used the gifts/talents each of us have to help others. Mary Peterson, Mission Action, SWO Board Bidding on baskets at the SWO convention...we had a nice variety to chose from and lots of bidding by all present.

12 Type to enter text Keep Quilting Ladies! Thank you for all your kits, quilts, and soap for LWR. With all the disasters in the world, we need to keep up a steady supply to meet the demand. Your work in your local communities for shelters, hospitals, homeless shelters, newborns and fire victims is also very important. Hats off to all those faithful women who quilt each week. Be sure to turn in your numbers after your fall shipments to Mary Peterson Ridgewood Circle, Fergus Falls, MN Diane Jacobson, Triennial Bible Study Leader Have you ever been in a Bible Study where everyone seemed to be looking for the right answer or at least the one that the writer had in mind? Dr. Diane Jacobson, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, has something to say about that approach. She wrote the summer Bible studies in Gather magazine, and she is the director of the Book of Faith Initiative for the ELCA. She was our Bible study leader during the Triennial in Charlotte. One evening during a break out session in the exhibit hall, she also shared informally some of her thoughts and approaches to Bible study. If you have used any Bible studies from the Book of Faith Initiative, you know that four types of questions are explored in those studies: Literary, Historical, Lutheran Theological, and Devotional. Diane s intent is to have a conversation about scripture she calls herself an extrovert Bible studier. She does NOT think that every question in a Bible study needs to be answered. Instead, she thinks we should feel free to use the questions that we find fun, interesting, challenging, and reflect on those. Particularly when working with devotional questions, we can think, reflect, and bring our own imaginations and experiences to the question. I especially liked it when she said that the text is inviting us into conversation and that if we work on that with other people and with God, God will speak to us. She also had some tips that might help all of us when preparing and participating in Bible studies. First, in response to a question about different versions of the Bible being used by the participants, she suggested that different versions can be used for different purposes. For example, if your group is talking about a literary question, you might want to have the King James version or the New Revised Standard version read to the group. If you are working with a devotional question, a translation like Eugene Peterson s The Message might be helpful. A couple of resources that she mentioned might interest you too. She suggested using enterthebible.org (from Luther Seminary) to help us think of text differently and give us some insight into historical information. She recently wrote a study of the book of Ruth (Book of Faith: Ruth), and she thinks it would be a way to discuss immigration issues in our churches. You can see more on the Augsburg Fortress website ( The tag line for the Book of Faith Initiative is Open Scripture join the conversation! Her thoughts motivated me to do that more often. Jolene Beckman, Trinity Moorhead, Gathering Attendee

13 Getting Through the Holidays When Grieving Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart. Coming up are three significant holidays and although this is a festive season, it can be difficult for someone experiencing a death of a loved one. Holidays may cause us to experience more sense of loss, sadness and grief. Family and friends may be unsure of how to act or what to say to support someone who is grieving. For some it is comforting to participate in holiday activities, while others find it too painful to do so. Here are some suggestions those who are grieving. Be tolerant and compassionate with yourself. Do what feels right for you without being overly concerned about the expectations of family and friends. Do not feel pressured to do things you are not ready to do. You might want to build on tradition. Light a candle for a loved one, prepared one of their favorite meals or dishes, create a memorial ornament to hang on the tree, go over family photos and listen to Christmas music. Change the way you celebrate by going out to eat or going on a trip instead of staying home. Do something for others by asking someone who is alone to share meals with you, volunteer by serving a local holiday charity meal, make a donation in your loved one s name or take someone to a community event or concert. Help yourself adjust by letting others know whether or not you want to participate in the usual activities and give yourself permission to back out at the last minute if you feel overwhelmed. Talk about the person who died, cry and share memories with others. Eat well, get plenty of sleep and avoid too much food and alcohol. We can help others who are grieving by being proactive about reducing stress and misunderstandings, by making clear plans and plans clear. Talk over plans and expectations for the holidays. Listen actively and be willing to compromise. Let them talk about the person who had died, be present by spending time with someone who is grieving, you are giving them an enormous gift. This allows them to adjust as they work through their grief and return to a normal life. Offer to help with specific tasks or chores as they may not be able to identify what they need done. Keep your promises, if you pledge to call do it. Don t let them feel abandoned. And most of all, don t judge them. Their needs may change from day to day, allow them to decide what they want to do and where they want to spend the holiday. The best way to help those grieving over the holidays is to let know you care. Resources: Wolfelt, A (2011) Helping Yourself to Heal During the Holidays. Meet our newest Board Members Sharon Mortrud was recently elected secretary of the SWO Board. She is a member of Calvary in Park Rapids, currently serving on the Caring and outreach Committee and is a Thrivent advocate. She is active in the women of the ELCA and served as host chair when our 25th convention was held at Calvary in She served on her church council from She is activity in her community. Her hobbies include gardening, reading, entertaining and extensive world wide travel. She attended Triennials in Salt Lake, Spokane and Charlotte. Representing clusters 8, 9 & 10 on the SWO board is Carol Gealow a member of Zion Lutheran of Richville where she serves on the church council and library committee. She is a Stephen minister and a confirmation mentor. Last year, she went on a mission trip to Jamaica with members of her church. As a past president of her Women of the ELCA unit, she has chaired the annual fall supper and many fundraising evens. In her community, Carol is secretary of the Pickeral Lake Association Board and works at the local food shelf. A special thank you to Kathy Englund, past secretary and Lois Bylund, past president who have served us so well.

14 The churchwide executive board of Women of the ELCA met October 17-18, 2014, at the Lutheran Center, Chicago, Ill., examining referrals from the Ninth Triennial Convention, making a commitment to racial justice education, and hearing reports from the triennial convention and gathering, among other things. Two referrals from the Ninth Triennial Convention call into play different aspects of the constitutions of this organization and so were sent to the board s Constitution Review Committee for consideration. The committee reported that it is engaging in further study before making recommendations to the board on those referrals. To aid this board in its leadership of the organization as it strives to have an anti-racist identity, board members committed to racial justice education at each board meeting. The board received evaluation summaries from the Ninth Triennial Convention and the 2014 Triennial Gathering, both of which were held in Charlotte, N.C., this past July. Both events received strong affirmation. Three members were elected to the executive committee of the board. Those elected are Deborah Banks-Williams, of Chicago, Ill.; Joan Iverson, of Lamberton, Minn.; and Lisa Plorin, of Upham, N.D. They join the officers in making up the executive committee. Officers for the triennium are: Patti Austin, president, of Decatur, Ga.; Jody Smiley, vice president, of Blacksburg, Va.; Becky Shurson, secretary, of Yucaipa, Ca.; and Ely Smith, treasurer, of Fircrest, Wa. Financial matters The executive board reviewed income and expenses through September 30 of Fiscal Year It also reviewed the budgets and performance of the Ninth Triennial Convention and the 2014 Triennial Gathering. Upon the recommendation of the board s Budget and Finance Committee, the board rejected a request from the Northeastern Minnesota Synodical Women s Organization that the churchwide organization become the financial repository for a synodically based project to fund solar energy for Phebe Hospital in Liberia. Upon the recommendation of the board s Budget and Finance Committee, the board also rejected a request to engage in fundraising for specific ministries not funded in the FY2015 budget approved by the Ninth Triennial Convention. Other matters Through staff reports, the board learned that the Katie s Fund endowment had grown to $1,062,674 as of August 31; applications for the seed grants program of Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls, the organization s health initiative, are being accepted through December 15, 2015; and the availability of the annual stewardship guide and Thankoffering service. Fulfilling its constitutional mandate, the board received and acted on the recommendation of the executive director review committee that conducted the annual review of Linda Post Bushkofsky, the organization s executive director. The next meeting will be in April, Lois Bylund from Trinity, Moorhead now serves on the Churchwide Board and attended this meeting. The board adopted a rank order process to be used in synodical organizations as voting members to the Tenth Triennial Convention are elected. The Tenth Triennial Convention will be held July 11-13, 2017 in Minneapolis, MN. Units are encouraged to celebrate Katie s Fund this year by making it a focus of your learning and giving. Katie s Fund-A skit features a funny and informative interview of Katie Luther herself. The program A BOLD LIFE OF FAITH makes an engaging small group program about Katie Luther. These resources can be found on line with other programs at womenoftheelca.org

15 PRESIDENT Sue Ellwanger (9) th Ave. Eagle Bend, MN CL 8 Ottertail ahhc@midwestinfo.net VICE PRESIDENT Vicki Heydt (7) South Twin Drive Frazee, MN CL 4 Headwaters vmhlake@yahoo.com SECRETARY Sharon Mortrud (4) th St. Park Rapids, MN CL 6 Moorhead mortrud@wcta.net TREASURER Carolyn Nelson (7) W Lake Ida Lane Lake Park, MN CL 5 Prairieland nelsonida@juno.com BOARD MEMBERS: MISSION GROWTH: Margaret Kragerud (5) Hobart St. Hawley, MN CL 7 White Earth krageruds@live.com MISSION: ACTION Mary Peterson (8) Ridgewood Circle Fergus Falls, MN CL 9 Pine to Prairie mapgip1944@msn.com NORTHWEST MINN SYNODICAL BOARD Front row: Sue Ellwanger, Margaret Kragerud, out going sec Kathy Englund Second: Merrily Burmeister, Carolyn Nelson, Vicki Heydt, Mary Peterson Third: RoxAnne Goulet, Carol Gealow, Judy Reger and Sharon Mortrud MISSION: GROWTH Carol Gealow (8) Ave. Richville, MN CL 10 Runestone gealow@prtel.com MISSION: ACTION RoxAnne Goulet (1) Rocky Pt. Road Roosevelt, MN CL 2 Agassi RBW13049@yahoo.com MISSION: COMMUNITY Merrily Burmeister (4) Red Pine Lane NE Bemidji, MN CL 3 Pine to Valley mburmeister@midco.net SNOW Newsletter Subscriptions: Send contact information and $5 donation to: Carolyn Nelson W. Lake Ida Lane Lake Park, MN MISSION: COMMUNITY Judy Reger (2) Spruce Ave. S Thief River Falls, MN CL 1 Laroki rjreger@mncable.net CHURCHWIDE REPRESENTATIVE Deborah Banks Williams 1447 N Massasoit Chicago, IL dlbwilliams@bcglobal.net NW MN SYNOD OFFICE Concordia College th Ave. S. Moorhead, MN WOMEN OF THE ELCA 8765 West Higgens Road Chicago, IL , ext. 2730

16 NW MN SNOW Newsletter Ardys Horner, editor E. Fox Lake Road Detroit Lakes, MN PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FERGUS FALLS, MN PERMIT NO. 210 WOMEN OF THE ELCA PURPOSE STATEMENT As a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society and the world.