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Companion Synods/Global Mission

Missionary supporters in Central States Synod

By Pastor Lanny Westphal, Director, ELCA Global Church and Missionary Sponsorship

Dear friends in Christ,

I’m happy to tell you that in 2012 congregations and members of your synod provided financial gifts to support these ELCA global missionaries:

  • Meghan Bryte, Young Adults in Global Mission, Mexico
  • Bradn Buerkle, Education, Russia
  • Claire Flesch (from this synod), Young Adults in Global Mission, United Kingdom
  •  Erik Grayvold, Young Adults in Global Mission, Jerusalem/West Bank
  • Jenna Homeyer (from this synod), Young Adults in Global Mission, Jerusalem/West Bank
  • Rodney Nordby & Nancy Anderson, Development, Papua New Guinea
  • Mark & Linda Nygard, Education, Egypt
  • Erin Odgers, Education, Egypt
  • Kaleb Sutherland (from this synod), Young Adults in Global Mission, South Africa
  • Joseph & Deborah Troester, Development, CAR
  • Dorcas Wang, Evangelism, China

Download/view reports for Central States Synod:

 

The Central States Synod has designated the Epiphany Season as a Season of Global Awareness. Each year since 2003 resolutions have been passed at the Synod Assembly that encourages all congregations to nurture their relationships with our Companion Synods (the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States) during the Epiphany Season.

Congregational Resources

Resources have been revised for use by congregations in celebrating the Season of Global Awareness in 2013. Download Companion Synod Packet 2013 for updates, worship resources, recipes, prayer requests and opportunities for congregational participation. Please see below for more!

 

 Pastors from Russia to visit Central States Synod

By Pr. Gary Teske, Companion Synod Team Chair (0313)
 

Bishop Mansholt and Pr. Alexander Lapocchenko

Pastor Alexander Lapochenko, Pastor of the Lutheran Church in Arsenyev Russia together with the president of that congregation and Pastor Bradn Buerkle, an American Pastor serving in Novosibirsk with the Lutheran Church of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East will be visiting Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend, Kan. and congregations across the Central States Synod in late May and early June. They will also be in attendance at the Central States Synod Assembly in June. Pastor Lapochenko is the pastor that the Central States Synod is supporting for a three year period from 2013-2015.

Pr. Bradn Buerkle

This will be a wonderful opportunity for those Central States Synod congregations who have already committed to support Rev. Lapochenko to meet this pastor who is so important to the ministry of the Lutheran Church in the Far East due to the shortage of pastors, particularly, Russian-Lutheran pastors. It will also be a great opportunity for congregations and individuals across the synod to learn about the ministry of our Companion Church in the Far East of Russia, and to build relationships with some of the leadership of that church. If you, your congregation, Area Ministry or group would be interested in hosting Pr. Lapochenko, Mr. Evgeniy or Pr. Bradn Buerkle, please contact Pr. Jim Strasen at 620-793-7894 or at jimstrasen@sbcglobal.net, or Pr. Gary Teske at 785-843-4150 or gteske@tlclawrence.org.

We express our appreciation to Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend for funding a significant portion of their visit, but, additional funds need to be raised to cover the cost of their visit. Please consider having a special offering or making a special contribution toward the visitation expenses for these visitors from Russia. Of course, an ideal time to do this would be on the Third Sunday of Easter, April 14th which was designated at the 2012 Synod Assembly as the Sunday to remember our “Cousin Christians” in Russia.

 

Visiting Companion Synod Synods

By Pr. Janice Kibler, Bishop’s Associate (0912)

On September 15, eight representatives of the Central States Synod will start their two week journey to Russia to meet, learn, and share in relationship building with our Companion Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Bishop Mansholt, Anita Mansholt (Immanuel, Kansas City MO), Pr. Loren Mai (Bethany, Lindsborg KS), Peggy Schaefer (Trinity, Chesterfield MO), Rebecca Blocksome (Trinity, Lawrence KS), Jim Cooper (Trinity, Lawrence KS), Pr. Gary Teske (Trinity, Lawrence KS) and Kathie Walter (Holy Cross, Overland Park KS) will start the trip in Moscow where they will be introduced to the work we support in the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, as well as meet with Bp. Brauer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of European Russia (http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=10690). Traveling 5 time zones east, they will spend time in Siberia at Krasnoyarsk, where their host, Pr. Bradn Buerkle (our ELCA missionary serving in Russia, http://russiancorrespondent.blogspot.com) will introduce them to the context and ministries. Crossing another 3 time zones east, they will fly to the Russian Far East and share time with St. John Lutheran in Khabarovsk before taking the train south and visiting with St. Luke’s in Arsenyev and St. Mary’s in Ussuriysk.

St. Paul, Vladivostok

Arriving in Vladivostok in time for the grand celebration of the 20th anniversary of St. Paul’s in Vladivostok, they will meet with Bp. Schaude of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. Both Pr. Manfred Brockman and the congregation are celebrating the revival of the Lutheran Church during an event-filled festival (http://www.luthvostok.com/?a=page&id=290) which our group will attend as our ambassadors.We pray for those who are traveling, and those who will receive them as guests, that relationships may be formed that demonstrate what it means to accompany one another as the body of Christ, and we look forward to the stories they will share.Thank you to all who support our Companion Synod relationships through your offerings. We were privileged to receive Pr. Walter Tzuenzac from Papua New Guinea as our guest during the summer, and anticipate sending a group to PNG early next year to provide some training that the Kote District has requested. Because of the travel costs involved, your support is greatly appreciated.

[Ed. Note: Bishop Mansholt will be posting to a Blog during the trip to Russia — the address will be announced soon and it will be linked to the synod website and Facebook page.]

Young Adults to take The Plunge

Next spring, a group of young adults will take part in a new initiative to deepen their spirituality and global awareness through a visit to the ecumenical centers in Geneva, Switzerland, and Taizé, France.

It’s called the Plunge, and it will happen on May 29-June 9, 2013. For four days, young adults from Canada and the United States will visit the Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches in Geneva to learn how we are connected across the globe through the church. Then they will travel to the Taize community in southern France for a retreat week. There they will experience firsthand the unique style of worship and music that arises from that community as it welcomes youth from across the globe.

More information will be out soon, please direct immediate questions to Pr. Mark Anderson at andersonm@neiasynod.org or Pr. Lanny Westphal at lanny.westphal@elca.org or visit www.elca.org/localevents.

 

Additional Resources/Links

SPACER

Solidarity Sunday with Papua New Guinea — February 5, 2012

Download two options for special prayers on Solidarity Sunday: Prayer Ideas

Winter 2011/2012 Russian Correspondent Newsletter

Download the recent newsletter from missionary, Bradn Buerkle: Russian Correspondent

Christmas Greetings from Papua New Guinea

Download Christmas letter from Pr. Rod Norby and Nancy Anderson: Amamas tru

Order the new 2012 Global Mission Map Brochure now!

Filled with a panorama of photos and stories from across the globe, an overview of mission rooted in relationship.

Learn how your gifts and offerings are turned into effective ministry around the world. Perfect for Epiphany, for annual meetings, and more.

To order 10 or fewer copies, call 800/638-3522 or email ris@elca.org. To order more than 10, see http://resources.elca.org/Products-Global_Mission.html.

“Hand in Hand”

The winter 2011 issue of the Global Mission Support Quarterly Newsletter is available and may be downloaded or orders may be placed for multiple copies. Visit www.elca.org/handinhand.

Prayer Petitions

… a year’s worth of prayer petitions for our companion synods (started 05/11). Download: Petitions for 2011 (MSWord) or Petitions for 2011 (PDF).

Travel Tips

… for Travelers to Far-East Russia and report, provided by a group of travelers from Trinity, Great Bend, Kan. following their trip in Sept. 2009. Download: Russia Trip.

Images

… from visits to Russia are available:

Listen

… to songs from Papua New Guinea:

Additional information

… may be obtained by following these links:

Companion Synod Trip Update

… Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS) Written by Bishop Jerry Mansholt for the Companion Delegation — April/May 2007

Please download the following PDF files: