Companion Synods/Global Mission

From the Companion Synod Team

By Esther Winter for the Companion Synod Team (0412)

The Gospels for April remind us that whether in joy (shouting “Hosanna” and waving palms), sorrow (kneeling at the cross), or fear (cowering behind closed doors after the crucifixion), we find strength in each other.  The Central States Synod has chosen this season to again focus on our CoSyns (companion synods) on the other side of the world.  Here are some actions we can take to strengthen our neighbors.

● Remember our missionaries with prayers, email, cards, news from home.  Some of our congregations provide financial support but any kind of contact is appreciated.

    • Rev. Rod Nordby and Nancy Anderson, ELC-PNG, P O Box 2721, Lae, Morobe Province, 411, Papua New Guinea (Email: nbanderson47@gmail.com)
    • Rev. Bradn Buerkle, his wife Natasha and sons Matvey and Martin in Novosibirsk, Russia (Email: bradnbuerkle@gmail.com)

● Make an offering to support the travel of visitors among the three synods (in June from Papua New Guinea to our Synod Assembly, in September to celebrate with congregations in the far east of Russia, and to walk with the Kotte District in Papua New Guinea in 2013).

● Learn about and pray for the leaders, congregations, and countries of our CoSyns.

● Join with other congregations in Kansas and Missouri celebrating April 22 as Solidarity with Russia Sunday.

    • Perhaps use ELW 155 which is the Kyrie set to a traditional Russian tune; include LBW 462 “God the Omnipotent” to the tune known as “Russian Hymn”; sing traditional German hymns which might also be sung by the older congregants in Russia as they remember their heritage as Germans who migrated to Russia and have been ministered to by German missionaries.
    • See the Central States Synod website (http://css-elca.org/ministries/companion-synodsglobal-mission/) for the2012 Companion Synod Packet — ideas for music, food, prayer requests, and general information about our Russian CoSyn.
    • Check out Pr. Bradn Buerkle’s website (www.russiancorrespondent.blogspot.com) for interesting insights on his work there and the church in general; the post titled “20 Years of Religious Freedom” might be incorporated into a service as a modern epistle to the churches in Kansas and Missouri.
    • Visit and explore the website for the Far East Parish of Russia, www.luthvostok.com.

 

Join the Team going to Russia this Fall

By Rev. Janice Kibler, Bishop’s Associate

We are invited to a celebration!  At the end of September, Pr. Manfred Brockman and St. Paul’s in Vladivostok are hosting a celebration of 20 years of revived ministry in the Lutheran Church in the Far East of Russia.  Because we are companions with those congregations, we want to have a delegation present.  Additionally, because we have an ELCA missionary in Siberia for two years, we want to tap into his expertise and connections in discovering what God is doing in Siberia.  We are still looking for more participants who desire to visit Russia as ambassadors from the synod, with open hearts and minds as we consider how we are going to walk together with our sisters and brothers there.

We will leave Kansas City on Sept 15, flying to Moscow to bring greetings to the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of European Russia, as well as receive an orientation to the western part of Russia.  A visit with the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy (an ecumenical ministry which we support) will give us another view of ministry being done on our behalf.  MORE.

Lenten Greetings from PNG

By Nancy Anderson and Pr. Rod Nordby – March 9, 2012

We put Rev. Twila Schock, ELCA Director of ELCA Missionary Support, on the Airport bus at 4:45am on March 8 after a wonderful whirlwind two days of sharing our lives and work with her here at the national church offices in Lae.  She is off to Malaysia and Indonesia now, gathering information “from the field” to share with all of you in the future.  For as fun as it was to let her shadow us and meet our colleagues, the best part was that we had two days of being able to “talk American”—fast, furious, and non-stop.  Please understand that this is different from “talking English” which we can do with many of our PNG, German, and Australian colleagues all the time.  Language is the lubricant of the culture.  Even though the United States is a melting pot of cultures, there is no question that we, all of us who call ourselves American, share a common culture, and to be able to “talk” with someone who shares our culture is pure gift.  It is the jokes that we intuitively understand, the history we share, the common link with “place” that illicits longing, the things we “just understand” because we are one.  It indeed lubricates the relationships, regardless of the differences we may have.

We live in a land of 800 languages and I have a new understanding of language as this lubricant of culture.  When we spent ten days in the Southern Highlands over Christmas and New Years, we worshipped in three different churches on three successive days in three different indigenous languages (Imbongu, Kewabi, and Wiru)! Tok ples (the talk of the place) is bedrock to the identity of Papua New Guineans.  If you share language, you share life in a way that guides daily routines and magnifies joys and sorrows which are universal to humankind but particular to you.  It was the first time we met elders who do not know Pidgin much less English.  And, of course, we encountered many who navigated three languages with ease, but when all was said and done, tok ples prevailed.  It runs deep. MORE.

 A Brief Synopsis – January 2012 trip to Papua New Guinea

By Pr. Gary W. Teske, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lawrence, Kan.

I bring greetings to the people of the Central States Synod from Pastor Kelly Rabisang, newly elected president of the Kate District of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea and from the Kate District Council. I concluded my 2 ½ weeks in Papua New Guinea with a visit to the Kate District, however, my visit to Papua New Guinea began in the highland city of Goroka where I represented the ELCA at the National Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) which was held there from January 8 – 13. There I brought greetings from the ELCA, from Bishop Mark Hanson and from the Executive Secretary of Global Missions, Rev. Raphael Malpica Padilla to Presiding Bishop Giegere Wenge and nearly 800 delegates and visitors representing the 17 districts of the ELCPNG.

I was also able to take in the pageantry of the opening ceremony of the Assembly attended by thousands of people including the guest of honor, the honorable Peter O Neal, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and a Lutheran. I shared in their worship and listened in as they discussed and debated matters of mission and ministry. This church in Papua New Guinea is struggling to bear witness to Jesus Christ in a country that is now dealing with HIV/AIDS as well as Malaria and Dengue. They are trying to understand what the Gospel has to say to them in their country with its vast reserves of gold, silver, copper, oil and natural gas, riches that are attracting multi-national corporations like flowers attract honey bees. They are striving to be in faithful ministry in a land that is changing even more rapidly than is ours, and they very much appreciate having companions to journey with them and talk with them as they move into a future that is both promising and terrifying. MORE.

 

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 2012. Download Companion Synod Packet 2012 for updates, worship resources, recipes, prayer requests and opportunities for congregational participation. Please see below for more!

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: