Connecting With One Another ~ Rollie Bockbrader, Synod Bookkeeper

A look at best practices and resources for leadership and people handling money and responsibility for the finances of the congregations (treasurers, bookkeepers, financial secretaries, etc.). The topics will include discussion on payroll/payroll taxes/W-2 vs. 1099; recent state statute requirements (ESST and MN Paid Leave); segregation of duties related to handling of money and church finances and accountability for such matters.

Benefits Basics for Church Treasurers and Administrators ~ Pastor Shelley Cunningham, Director of Customer Outreach and Church Relations, Portico Benefit Services

Your pastor, deacons, and lay employees rely on health, retirement, disability and survivor benefits to support and protect them as they serve. As the benefits ministry of the ELCA, Portico is here to help you navigate this important investment in your team. We’ll cover using EmployerLink, billing, annual enrollment, the current health care landscape, compliance, best practices and more. 

Questions and Conversation about Portico Benefit Service ~ Pr Shelly Cunningham

Pastor Shelley Cunningham, Director of Customer Outreach and Church Relations with Portico Benefit Services will be available to answer your specific questions. 

All things Youth – All Youth Gathering 2026, LYO Updates, Needs ~ Pastor Laura Mills Anderson, Bishop’s Associate for Formation

Join Pr. Laura Mills Anderson, Bishop’s Associate for Formation and some of our fabulous LYO leadership team members for a time of focusing on all things youth ministry related across our synod. There will be updates shared on the All Youth Gathering (including a walkthrough of the brand-new registration portal!), greetings from some of our LYO youth, and a time of imagining together what youth ministry will look like in this new season in the NEMN Synod.

Getting Ready for the 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering

We are thrilled to welcome Shane Marcus, one of the Region 3 Youth Ministry Reps to Walking Together to learn more about the 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering. Shane is awaiting his first call and presently serves as a connecting point and resource for all things ELCA Youth Gathering related. Come and learn about the Gathering – what’s new, what’s staying the same, and the logistics around financial assistance, registration, SERVE, and more! Bring your questions and curiosities, along with your best tips for preparing a group, fundraising, and making the most of the ELCA Youth Gathering – while we are delighted to have Shane with us, this is also a time of curating the wisdom in the room as we look ahead to next summer in Minneapolis!

Why do we do it this way?: Worship “Why”s ~ Pastor Sarah Stadler

In the Lutheran church, we observe many and various traditions in our worship services, from a certain order of worship elements to why we take communion the way we do, from the colors and symbols on our worship cloths to why we stand for the reading of the gospel but not the other scripture readings. In this session, we will explore the theological, practical, and sometimes humorous reasons for a wide range of Lutheran worship traditions. 

Please Bring Peanut Butter: 10 Ways to Improve your Church Communications ~ Rose M. Fife, MM, MA 

Learn simple steps you can use now to update your website, simplify your social media game, and get your newsletter read.

ELCA Church Property Resource Hub ~ Rollie Bockbrader

We will look at a relatively new and growing resource from the ELCA on church properties. It is called the Church Property Resource Hub (CPRH). The Hub provides printed and webinar resources on community engagement, sharing space, and property management. Specific resources available include Taxes, Renting Well, Fundamentals of Sharing Space, Facilities Self-Assessment and Maintenance Log, Sample Cell Tower Lease and Building Use Agreement.

Synod Connected Ministries

•       Companion Churches – Learn more about our church partnerships with the South Andhra Lutheran Church of India, the Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras (ICLH), and the Russian Lutheran Church.

Postvention 101: Responding to Suicide Loss ~ Destiny Tinnes, Minnesota Suicide Prevention Regional Coordinator – North Central Region Serving: Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena Counties.

Suicide loss can have a profound impact on individuals, organizations, and communities. Postvention is a critical component of suicide prevention, providing structured support to those affected while reducing the risk of future suicides. This webinar will define postvention and explain why it is an essential component of comprehensive suicide prevention. Join Destiny for this interactive and engaging 2-hour workshop.

Let’s Talk! What questions do you have about suicide prevention, resources, and training? ~ Destiny Tinnes, Minnesota Suicide Prevention Regional Coordinator – North Central Region Serving: Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena Counties.

In this workshop, meet Destiny Tinnes, a Minnesota Suicide Prevention Regional Coordinator, who is here to listen, connect, and help. Whether you re looking for information, partnership opportunities, or support navigating resources, let’s start the conversation. You are not alone. Together, we can promote healing, hope, and community well-being.

Connecting to Care for Creation: EcoFaith Actions and Opportunities

The EcoFaith Network is all about making connections, connections with creation itself, connections between our faith and the way we relate to the rest of creation. It’s about connecting people, congregations, synods, and communities so that our care for creation is multiplied and supported. It’s about offering an antidote to a sense of isolation and powerlessness through active Gospel hope and caring connections. The Pollinator Plot, EcoFaith Actions, EcoFaith Congregation Partnership, Advocacy Circles, the EcoFaith Summit, Green Blades Rising are all about inviting congregations and their members into participation in a holy and decisively significant calling, through nurturing these connections.

Shared Ministry Panel

•       Highlighting the cooperative ministries of the SALT Parish (Dave and Beth Erdman), Kettle River Cooperative, Tri-United Parish, and LIFT (Heath Boe)