Stuff You’re Going to Want to Know

Greetings, God’s beloved of NWIM! I just wanted to take a moment and let you know of important dates that are happening in the life of the synod (and that could impact congregations) so that you can begin to make plans around what the fall and winter schedule might look like as we continue the “COVID Slog” throughout our synod. Please take a moment (especially rostered leaders) to jot these down, particularly if your brain is like mine right now and seemingly incapable of holding onto information for any helpful length of time. 

The timeline gets lighter the further out we go. This is a change for us in the synod office. We are normally working several months out. COVID has changed so much of how we do our work, and I know that we are far from the only ones experiencing this. 

Please note that we are continuing our “Third Sunday Sermons” from Synod Staff through the end of 2020, however there are a few dates that are “off” so you will want to make sure you’ve got them written down. We will reassess in December whether we continue this into 2021, but my hunch is: we will continue this for awhile.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out: kristen.kuempel@nwimsynod.org. 

May God’s peace surround you all!

+Bishop Kristen

September

12: Ordination of Wayne Shipman in Upstate New York.
Wayne served as the intern at Grace Wenatchee in 2018/2019 and has been called to serve our congregations in Pocatello and Blackfoot. Due to COVID, he will be ordained by his home bishop prior to moving to Idaho to begin ministry. Please pray for Wayne on his ordination day. 

18 & 19: Synod Council will meet via Zoom.
Council members please keep an eye out for council documents & further information. 

20: Third Sunday Synod Staff sermon.
Our regular rotation of a synod-provided sermon for congregations to utilize in video worship. 

30: Regional Assignments for seminarians in Chicago.
Please keep senior seminarians in prayer as this is the day they will be assigned to their Regions for First Call. Once assigned to regions, the regional bishops will assign them to synods. We are in Region 1, if you want to pray for our assignees specifically. 

October

1 & 2: Conference of Bishops
The Conference of Bishops will gather via Zoom. Bishop Kristen will be unavailable to the synod these days. (This is normally a 9-day trip for me, so having to only hold two days? Maybe COVID isn’t all bad…)

15 & 16: The NWIM Candidacy committee
The Committee will meet with current & prospective seminarians from our synod as they advance through their coursework in preparation for public ministry. 

19 - 21: BishCon2020
This event for all rostered leaders will be a virtual event this year. The theme is “For Such a Time as This” and will focus on what it means to lead the church in the current context. We will spend time with Pastor Lenny Duncan, Deacon Ross Murray, and Ryan Panzer over the course of the three-day event. Registration information will be coming soon. 

25: NWIM FULL WORSHIP SERVICE
In order to support our rostered leaders with congregational calls, we will provide a full worship service for October 25 so those leaders can relax and enjoy BishCon. This will take the place of the Third Sunday Sermon, because we figured they would rather have the Sunday after BishCon taken care of than a sermon the Sunday before. 😊 PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SERMON PREPARED FOR OCTOBER 17. 

NOVEMBER

15: Third Sunday Synod Sermon 

16 - 19: First Call Theological Education (FCTE)
For all rostered leaders in their first three years of ministry. This event will likewise be virtual this year. If you are one of the pastors or deacons who attend this event, please reserve those days. More information will be coming soon. 

DECEMBER

20: Third Sunday Synod FULL SERVICE
Merry Christmas! The Synod Staff will put together a full service for the 4th Sunday in Advent so that churches can freely prepare for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities, which will require a different level of work and energy than last year. We anticipate that many of our congregations will be continuing to meet virtually even at Christmas, and want to provide a way to support congregations in a bitter sweet time.

Synod Events

“I’m Still Here” Book Study · Tuesdays
Next Meeting: August 25, 6-7:30PM (PDT) / 7-8:30PM (MDT)

This on-line discussion group will be the first of several offerings around anti-racism, diversity, and equity that we will be engaging in in the Northwest Intermountain Synod. It will not be easy. It will be uncomfortable. Mistakes will be made. Forgiveness will be given. And learning will continue, because We Walk Together. Read More→

Weekly Check In · Thursdays
Next Meeting: August 27, 2020

Each Thursday morning at 9:30am PDT/10:30am MDT, lay and rostered leaders are invited to a Zoom meeting to check in with one another during these pandemic days. Time will be spent dwelling in the Word with one another and reflecting together on what it is to be the church during this time... and how we imagine the Holy Spirit is moving among us.
The meeting link is the same each week. Contact the synod if you would like to attend.

Additional resources & events

“Tech Talks” · ThursdayS Sept. 10; Sept. 24; Nov. 5
9:30AM PDT / 10:30AM MDT

NWIM Synod will host Ryan Panzer* for a series of learning opportunities about using digital technology for Christian ministry. 

In these sessions Ryan will focus on the basics of online worship, why go digital, digital faith formation, and have time for Q & A.  All lay, staff and rostered leaders can attend these zoom webinars. The topics at all three webinars connects, but you do not need to attend all of them to benefit. Power point slides and recordings will be available following each event.

Registration Link Coming Soon!

*Ryan Panzer (MA, Luther Seminary) is an author, instructional designer, and consultant who started his career working in digital marketing at Google… where he helped small businesses craft a digital strategy using tools like Google Analytics, YouTube, and Google Ads. His Fortress Press book, "Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture", comes out in December 2020. For more writings and resources, visit www.ryanpanzer.com. As a teacher/trainer for Faith+Lead he posts blogs at, https://faithlead.luthersem.edu/author/ryan-panzer/.

Founders’ Day · PLTS
September 16, 2020

Climate Justice, Racial Justice and Divestment: The Call of the Church Our moment in time is pivotal. Movements around the globe are aligning for powerful action toward climate justice, holding racial justice at the heart of the struggle to protect Earth’s fragile climate. Bill McKibben is recognized around the globe as a foremost leader in that struggle. His address will draw the links between racial justice, climate well-being, divestment/reinvestment, and the call of the church.
Read more here→

Caring for Creation Online Worship Service for September 20th

Lutherans Restoring Creation is busy preparing a creation-focused worship service utilizing the lectionary texts for Pentecost 16 (September 20, 2020) that congregations can download and use however they wish.  It will include participants from all over the country including Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, The Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, Rev. Lenny Duncan, Rebekah Bruesehoff, as well as numerous parish pastors and members of the Lutherans Restoring Creation Board of Directors.  Music will be provided by Marty Haugen, the Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, and Pastor John Tirro.
Click here for the details and to register.

Hunger in the Time of COVID-19 · ELCA World Hunger
September 24, 2020

Rick Steves, guidebook author and travel TV host; the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); and the Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee, bishop of the ELCA Northwest Washington Synod, invite you to an online benefit — the first of its kind — for ELCA World Hunger.
Our goal is to raise $250,000 to confront hunger in the time of COVID-19.
Read more and Register here→