Welcome to the 2023 Synod Assembly Online Workshops
Join people from across the Northern Great Lakes Synod for a fun and interesting series of short programs from Monday, May 15 – Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Enjoy time together as you explore different aspects of life in the church.
Free of charge and open to anyone who wants to take part, the workshops are 50-minutes each (with the exception of “Understanding Treaty Rights” which is two hours). Time will be allocated for questions and comments. Advance registration is not required. Zoom links will be posted prior to each program. The 2023 line-up includes:
Resources for Worship Planning
with Lucas Wickstrom, Chair of the NGLS Worship Committee
Monday, May 15 at 11 am ET / 10 am CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 843 1303 4377, Passcode: 110777)
Tuesday, May 16 at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 874 5530 8532, Passcode: 632024)
Looking for new (or old) resources and ways to plan worship? This workshop will provide you with resources and ways to plan worship that connects and inspires.
Congregational Financial Check-Up
with Pastor Terry Frankenstein, Synod Treasurer
Monday, May 15 at 5 pm ET / 4 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 873 5210 3185, Passcode: 777217)
Watch the workshop promo here
Click here to download the Financial Check-Up Worksheet
Are you interested in Financial Best Practices for your congregation? Based on the content of a recently developed Synod Financial Worksheet, NGLS Treasurer Pastor Terry Frankenstein will review topics important to church leadership, including: How are offerings handled? What process is used to approve payables? Are financial reports clear, including those covering restricted funds and investments? What about Portico and all those federal and state forms? The intent of this workshop is to help participants begin valuable conversations in their home congregations.
#NGLSYouth
with Stefanie Ehle, NGLS Youth Ministry Coordinator
Monday, May 15 at 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
Watch the workshop promo here
Stop by this workshop to learn what young people in our synod have been up to this year and how you can support and grow youth ministry in your congregations. Knowledge and use of hashtags are not required : )
Fortune Lake: Growing in Grace, Reconciling in Christ
with Fortune Lake Lutheran Bible Camp’s Total Inclusion Task Force, Amanda Rasner, Camp Director
Monday, May 15 at 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 874 8604 5355, Passcode: 202150)
Watch the workshop promo here
For the past year, Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp’s Total Inclusion Task Force has been stewarding conversations around how we operationalize inclusion of our LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) siblings, particularly in the outdoor ministry setting of Fortune Lake. Join this interactive workshop to learn more about the importance and impact of this work and where we think the Holy Spirit is nudging us today and into the future.
“Could this be the Christ?” A wellspring of scandals in John Chapter 4
with Pastor Tommy Richter of Zion, Manistique
Tuesday, May 16 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 889 6157 5958, Passcode: 221158)
Wednesday, May 17 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 889 6157 5958, Passcode: 221158)
Watch the workshop promo here
Pastor Tommy has been leading Bible Studies for the Synod’s Lifelong Faith Formation program since it was launched in 2020, applying his seminary and pastoral experiences to his teaching, along with his sense of humor. For this workshop he says, “We will take a deep-dive into the story of the woman at the well, and leave scandalized and fulfilled all at the same time.”
Faithful Innovations: What it is and how it can help your congregation in an adaptive, communal learning process
with Rev. Jim Duehring, Assistant to the Bishop
Tuesday, May 16 at 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 816 5270 2415, Passcode: 047338)
Wednesday, May 17 at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 829 0820 3203, Passcode: 465610)
Watch the workshop promo here
Seventeen Congregations from our synod have participated in the Faithful Innovations Training Process. This introductory workshop will clarify what this training experience is about and how it could benefit your congregation. After learning about Faithful Innovations, you and a team of 4 to 7 people would be invited to participate in the next training cohort which begins June 17, 2023. You may learn more at: nglsynod.org/faithful-innovations.
All Are Welcome Here?
with Pastor Jared Howard of Faith, Calumet; Vicar Melissa Salminen, Seminarian; and Pastor Bruce Thorsen of Bethany, Ishpeming
Tuesday, May 16 at 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 834 1699 9253, Passcode: 843506)
As people of God, we are called to see the divine in everyone we meet but Christians as a group has had a difficult time living into the welcome of all people. While we may say we are welcoming, we often fall short in welcoming those who are different than us because of how they look, who they love, or how they introduce themselves. Using materials from the recent Kaleidoscope Lenten Challenge and materials from Reconciling Works, this workshop will seek to help us extend welcome to our siblings who identify as LGTBQIA+ and take time to learn what these descriptors mean.
Understanding Treaty Rights
with Jerry Jondreau of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Katy Bresette of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, and Pastor Julie Belew, Holy Cross, Baraga
Wednesday, May 17 from 6-8 pm ET / 5-7 pm CT – click here to join Zoom meeting
(Meeting ID: 894 9669 2119, Passcode: 501561)
Our guests from Dynamite Hill Farms will be presenting the historical and legal aspect behind the intention of treaties and their relevance to understanding what it means to be a sovereign nation.