Central States Synod
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CENTRAL STATES SYNOD HOUSES OF STUDY

'CHURCHES STARTING CHURCHES'
Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe, Arizona is pleased to host this year’s ELCA “Churches Starting Churches” Conference April 13-15, 2008. The conference is intended for congregations interested in, or actively involved in, mission expansion ministry. One of the major objectives of the conference is to facilitate “nuts and bolts” discussions related to churches starting churches. Therefore, we are encouraging congregations to bring clergy, staff and lay persons who are or will be actively involved in their mission outreach efforts. For more info visit www.DesertCross.org. Download brochure: Churches Starting Churches.

Church Innovations' 2008 Spring Conference
Missional Church: Emerging Networks, Practical Resources

Church Innovations, in cooperation with a developing list of partners will present our 2008 Spring Conference around the theme: Missional Church: Emerging Networks, Practical Resources. The conference will take place April 17-19, 2008 at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. We will feature a number of resources in a new format, demonstrating practical ways to move forward in the missional conversation.

Cost: $25 for an optional pre-conference introduction to the missional church conversation
$300 for the main conference ( Registration includes all conference materials/notes, dinner on Thursday and Friday's lunch. The pre-conference fee includes Thursday's lunch.

‘BIRTHING THE SPIRIT’
CHAPLAINCY WITH A LUTHERAN EMPHASIS
2008 Chaplains’ Network Conference
As a Lutheran chaplain or as a chaplain at a Lutheran organization, we invite you to join us for two days of stimulating education and professional networking. On April 22 and 23, chaplains from across the United States will join together in St. Louis to hear keynote speaker Joel Hempel present on our theme, "BIRTHING THE SPIRIT."

For more information, contact Rev. Jim McDaniels at revjmcdaniels@aol.com or visit the website for Lutheran Services in America at www.lutheranservices.org and click on the link to the 2008 LSA Annual Conference. Download flyer: Chaplains 2008 Conference

Missional Ministry: from dry bones to life giving breath; from theory towards action!
April 23-24, 2008 -- Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Kansas.
This event will invite you into deeper conversation, but is intended to encourage movement from words to action, “my Spirit will give you breath and you will live again.”

For more info, click MissionalAction.

‘Ecumenical Music Day of Reflection’
Bishop Gilmore of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City invites you to “An Ecumenical Music Day of Reflection” for music ministers (non-musicians are also welcome) to the music ministers of your Synod and its various congregations in Central and Southwest Kansas. The “day” will be presented by The Reverend Eric H. F. Law, an Episcopal priest on two days in two locations: Saturday, April 26, 2008 in Great Bend and Sunday, April 27, 2008 in Dodge City.

Eric Law has been in this diocese and has assisted in efforts to bridge our language and ethnic communities. His style and use of music were seen as full of possibilities and warranting being the focus and not just an element of a workshop. It has been found that at times music in multicultural and multilingual gatherings is sometimes a point of division and discord. Eric Law’s approach seems to allow music to be a point of unity and harmony.

For more information: contact Mary Jane Goebel at 620-357-6466 or email mjgoebel@jetmorek12.org or download a flyer/registration: Music Day of Reflection

Growing Up in Christ
Older Adults ... Full of Sap & Green
The Missouri District – LCMS is having their first Older Adult Retreat on April 29-30, 2008 at Cross Pointe Retreat Center in Rocky Mount, Mo. (Lake Ozark area). The program includes: Community building activities; Topics and a variety of Workshops; Music and fellowship; and Opportunities to make new friends. The cost is $75 per person. Registration deadline: April 18, 2008. For more information and to download a brochure and registration materials, go to: http://mo.lcms.org/ythfam.htm#senior. Download registration brochure: Older Adults

Youth Opportunity at Heifer Ranch
Heifer International offers many excellent learning opportunities each year at Heifer Ranch near Perryville, Arkansas. Programs are available for folks of all ages, from preschool through adults. However they have tailored one of the programs for a special offering to be held this coming May. The event is called Global Gateway and it is for 6th through 12th grade youth and accompanying adults. Participants will learn about poverty and hunger in the U.S. and abroad as they face the challenges of a resource-poor family. They will spend a night in one of several places; the bamboo Thai home, Zambian hut, Guatemala house, urban slum or refugee tent. By experiencing a night in poverty, participants build problem-solving skills and move toward the desire to make changes that positively impact the environment and the world.

The dates for this event are May 17 and 18. The fee is $48 per person which includes the Global Gateway program and lunch in the dining hall on May 18. Visit www.heifer.org/ranch or contact the Ranch Events Office at ranchevents@heifer.org or 501-889-5124.

Announcing … 'CELEBRATING RURAL LIFE'
July 16 - 19, 2008 -- Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, Neb.

We are pleased to feature keynote speaker – Dr. Harry Wendt, (President and Founder of Crossways International) a renowned Bible scholar, author, and dynamic speaker. This annual gathering provides concrete models of hope –workshops are centered around this theme and include: youth ministry, transformational ministry, clergy stress and burnout, multicultural ministry, rural and small town evangelism and much, much more. [Download bulletin insert: Celebrating Rural Life]

For more information please call: 800-638-3522 ext. 6556 or email Katie.Tippins@elca.org. Co-hosted by The Nebraska Synod and the ELCA Rural Ministry Office.

Registration open for Lutheran Men's Gathering
'COMING OF AGE'
Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM), the men's ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), opened online registration for its triennial gathering with early registration through March 15. "Coming of Age" will be held in Omaha, Nebr. August 1-3, 2008. [READ MORE]

GRACE PLACE HEALTH AND WHOLENESS RETREAT FOR SINGLE LUTHERAN CLERGY
Snowmass, Colorado (just West of Aspen) -- Sept. 2-7, 2008

The focus of the retreat will be on issues facing single Lutheran clergy in their personal and ministry walks. In addition, significant experiential training will be offered in Christ-centered meditation, and hours of prayer will be observed from early morning to close of day with meditative liturgy. Retreat Facility: St. Benedict's is a Trappist Monastery high in a spectacular Colorado Mountain Valley, just West of Aspen. The retreat house is award winning mountain architecture and incredible surroundings. St. Benedict's is the current home of Fr. Thomas Keating, Fr. William Menninger and Fr. Joseph Boyle, many leading teachers and practitioners of Contemplative Prayer. There are only 20 openings available for the entire retreat so please visit our website soon to register. www.graceplaceretreats.org

Faith and Wisdom
The Department for Ecumenical Affairs (ELCA), in cooperation with the Division for Ministry, eight partner denominations, and 200 regional organizations, now offers www.FaithandWisdom.org. Congregations can use this unique, non-commercial resource to find ecumenical - and other - events online. With over 15,000 events posted to date, thousands of people use this site each year. Check out the web site and watch for more about Faith and Wisdom in the near future.