Art has always been important to me. My walls are the same neutral color as when I purchased this house in 2011, but each piece of wall art and each three-dimensional piece of art has been carefully selected and placed. Many of the pieces of art speak to my faith, either because they capture a biblical story or some place in the natural world.
Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church Survey
ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering
Embracing Hope-Taking Action-Moving Forward
Houston, Texas
ELCA’s Slogan is, “Until All are Fed!” From February 1-4, 2024, synod hunger teams from over 50 ELCA synods and other key ELCA World Hunger leaders gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger at the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering.
The Gathering was a diverse assembly of Hunger Leaders with the sole purpose of reducing food insecurity at all levels and in all places.
This event invited leaders for a time of networking, idea sharing, learning and planning for the shared ministry to address hunger and its root causes in our local and global communities.
The gathering centered on 1 Peter 4:10 and the theme “Embracing Hope — Taking Action — Moving Forward.”
Sunshine Evetts from Hope Lutheran in Eagle, Idaho, Ryan Lawrence from Cameron Emmanuel in Kendrick, Idaho, and Pastor Ethan Bergman from Ellensburg, Washington represented the Northwest Intermountain Synod at the Gathering.
In addition to celebrating the work of ELCA World Hunger, Sunshine, Ryan and Ethan met with other representatives from synods in Region 1 to discuss ways of sharing resources and expertise among the Region. Region 1 is Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
ELCA World Hunger runs out of funding before we run out of ministries and hunger issues to support. In response to this need, Sunshine, Ryan, and Ethan discussed NWIM Synod World Hunger goals for the coming year.
The goals set are to increase Synod wide giving to ELCA World Hunger to over $200,000 in the coming year; to increase the number of NWIM Synod Congregations giving to ELCA World Hunger from the current 32 to over 50 congregations in the coming year; to provide ELCA World Hunger education materials directly to an identified group of ELCA Churches that do not currently give to ELCA World Hunger.
If you have questions concerning ELCA World Hunger please contact Pastor Ethan Bergman at bergmane25@gmail.com.
Welcoming the Stranger
Stewardship for All Seasons
Starting in the fall of 2022, three churches embarked together on a two-year financial stewardship journey utilizing a year-round stewardship program called Stewardship for All Seasons designed and administered by Gronlund Sayther Brunkow (GSB) Fundraising.
GSB provided the training and industry best practices to the cohort congregations’ stewardship committees that helped inspire their respective congregational members to respond in a much more meaningful and generous manner.
Diaper Banks
Regional Gathering Offering
Regional Gathering Offerings
Your gift will allow the Northwest Intermountain Synod to provide partnership grants to vital ministry sites that will allow them to train the next generation of rostered ministers.
Interns will benefit as they receive vital experience. Internship congregations will benefit as they utilize the intern’s gifts. The whole church will benefit as these interns bring their new gifts to their ministry.
Regional Gatherings - What, Why, and Who?
I have been reading instructor Grace Pomroy’s Stewardship Leaders Newsletter for at least five years. I know the word stewardship does not excite everyone as much as it does me, so let me state clearly that there has always been something unique about Pomroy’s approach to generosity and stewardship. It is holistic, includes both data and stories, creative (but not trendy), and it is always grounded in scripture and prayer. Last summer, when I read the draft of her forthcoming book, I loved the way she started with the Ezra 3:10-13 passage and also began each chapter with Dwelling in the Word (similar to Lectio Divina).