^13b Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

                            Joel 2: 13b

Discernment is faithful living…

      From Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life, Henri Nouwen

The prophets routinely called Israel back to faithful living. Luther links this constant call to our new life in Christ through the sacrament of Holy Baptism:

What then is the significance of such a baptism with water?

It signifies that the old person in us with all sins and evil desires is to be drowned and die through daily sorrow for sin and through repentance, and on the other hand that daily a new person is to come forth and rise up to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

The difficulty is knowing how to be faithful, to recognize it when we see it, when we do it, how we do it.

Some suggestions:

• Pray daily
• Worship regularly
• Study scripture regularly
• Love and serve others
• Tithe thankfully

Calling all youth! Join Bishop Suárez and youth leaders from across our synod for a special Zoom gathering on July 26^th!

We’ll spend time connecting, talking about what’s happening in our world today, and worshipping together. Bishop Pedro Suárez will lead the special time of prayer and worship.

Our youth check-in will include special guest speakers, music, and an opportunity to break into smaller groups for deeper discussion.

This gathering is intended for middle and high school students. All attendees will need to register in advance. Register on synod website.

Update regarding the 2021 ELCA Youth Gathering (July 22, 2020)

After much prayer and consideration, we have decided to postpone next summer’s ELCA Youth Gathering to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering will be held July 24-28, 2022, in Minneapolis, with the two pre-events, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble, scheduled for July 21-24, 2022. 

We give thanks for your prayers and patience as we have worked through the details with our partners in Minneapolis and across the country. We hope that by postponing the Gathering for a year, individuals and congregations will feel more comfortable and prepared to attend the Gathering in 2022. 

We will be updating our website and social media as more details become available.

We look forward to seeing you and experiencing the boundlessness of God in Minneapolis in 2022!