River Crossings

River Crossings is the monthly newsletter of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. It is mailed hard copy and available online. Subscribe to the River Crossings blog feed or sign up to receive e-mail notifications when it is posted online. Be sure to check the “River Crossings Notification” box after you submit your address.

Get past issues on the River Crossings Archives page.

Download the May 2012 River Crossings as a PDF or read it below.

Synod News – May 2012

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News and information from around the synod. Synod Assembly News If you were unable to be at the Synod Assembly, be sure to check out all the news online at semnsynod.org/assembly A two-page printable report from the assembly is also … Continue reading →

ELCA News

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For full stories and more, visit www.ELCA.org/news ELCA Disaster Response addresses food crisis in West, Central Africa The Sahel region of West and Central Africa is in a growing food crisis. Inadequate rainfall, poor harvests and rising food costs have left … Continue reading →

Connecting Abundance with Need: 2011 Hay Lift

Rev. Diane Eggemeyer (right) helps unload a shipment of hay to the farmers of Texas.

By Katie Livingood Synod Communications Director January looked hopeful in Texas. Rev. Diane Eggemeyer of Miles, Texas, says that they received as much rain in January as they did in all of 2011. But now Eggemeyer reports that it has … Continue reading →

Congregational Hospitality Includes Safe Practices for All

By Karen Gieseke Synod Children, Youth, & Family Ministry Coordinator So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 The topic and process of volunteer background checks is a topic … Continue reading →

Snippets – May 2012

News, events, tips, and tricks from your synod ministry partners Global Mission: Building  Colombian Partnerships Global Mission/Companion Synods leaders from the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, the South Carolina Synod, the churchwide organization, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia (IELCO) gathered … Continue reading →

A Generous Response

The ELCA Malaria Campaign includes promoting the use of mosquito nets to help prevent the disease.

The ELCA Malaria Campaign includes promoting the use of mosquito nets to help prevent the disease. From the 2012 issue of the ELCA’s Stories of Faith in Action www.ELCA.org/stories Mike Lindau is a lifelong ELCA member, but he had never … Continue reading →

Growing the Flock in Rural Communities

Bill Nelsen, pastor of St. Paul’s and Trinity Lutheran Churches in Gaylord, Minn., blesses a farm family with prayers for a safe harvesting season.

By Maggie Cumings From LivingLutheran.com With welcome baskets in hand, out they went two by two. Their mission? To invite their neighbors to church. For some members of the outreach teams at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, … Continue reading →

The Value of Questions

By Rev. Harold Usgaard Synod Bishop Easter day was something special! I have finally become accustomed to worshiping with my family on Easter after years of standing in front leading worship. Together, with children and grandchildren, we filled the pew. … Continue reading →

Supporting Newly-Called Leaders

By Rev. Linda Gunderson Synod Minister “Why does our new pastor need to go to educational events? She just finished school. Isn’t eight years enough?” It is and isn’t. Rostered leaders (pastors, Associates in Ministry, Deaconal Ministers and Deaconness) are … Continue reading →

Are You in Relationship with Your Neighbors?

By Rev. Peter Reuss Synod Mission Developer It’s time for some Sesame Street! Feel free to sing along! Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood? In your neighborhood? Say, who are the people in your neighborhood? … Continue reading →

Call Update – May 2012

A monthly update of congregations in the call process and changes in the synod’s roster of leaders and congregations. Call Update – Self Study: Adams, Little Cedar & Marshall – solo (2-point) (Margaret Pleiss-Sipppola, interim) Albert Lea, First – associate Austin, … Continue reading →

Building Mutual Ministry with Colombia

This Christmas tree ornament featuring a child’s name and photo was a fun craft for the Sunday school students at Root Prairie Lutheran Church, Fountain, and a way for their partners at San Marcos Lutheran Church in Colombia to get to know their partners in the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. (click on the image for a higher resolution image for use in print publications)

Nineteen years ago this synod started the process of developing a relationship with one of the most internally conflicted countries in the world. Rev. Natanael Lizarazo, then pastor at Community Lutheran Church, Geneva, Minn., encouraged the Southeastern Minnesota Synod to … Continue reading →