To join our mailing list, please complete the information below and click 'Join Our Mailing List'.



Your Interests

Please select the areas of interest for which you would like to receive an occasional email from us.


 

Communicators' Gatherings

Communicators' gatherings are monthly events where church communications staff and volunteers connect, ask questions and learn about topics of interest. Past communicator's gatherings have been focused on topics such as e-newsletters, blogging, and social media (scroll down for resources from past events). If you have ideas for future gathering topics or would like to host one of these events, please contact Christine Fifield, Communications Specialist for the Saint Paul Area Synod.

Upcoming Communications Events

No further communicators' gatherings planned at this time.

Have a topic idea or willing to host?
Contact Christine Fifield in the synod office.

Resources from past communicators' gatherings

March: Website Education Series: Seek and you shall find: Church website organization that works

Tools and practices to make it easy for people to find the content they are looking for on your website.

See event presentation (PDF)

February: Website Education Series: “Can you put this on the web?” Making smart content decisions

Content strategy practices that will help you create content that your website users want and need.

Content Type Worksheet (PDF)

Content Strategy presentation (PDF)

Audience Analysis presentation (PDF)

January: Website Education Series: YOU can create a better website.

How you can make a great church website using WordPress, a powerful, easy to use, and inexpensive web tool. Handout includes web project process outline, web project roles, resources, persona worksheet, data gathering tools, and goals & tasks worksheet.

Web Project Process Outline (PDF)

Website Resources (PDF)

Click to view presentation

November 2012: To blog or not to blog? A look at blogging as a tool for ministry

View the presenation from the event.

February 2012: Building event buzz and spreading remarkable ideas

How Christ the King, New Brighton renewed its annual block party, going from 400 attendees to about 1,200 in one year.

Meeting notes (PDF)

January 2012: Effectively using audio and video

Meeting notes (PDF)

Memories and Relationships PowerPoint

November 2011: Branding

Memory and Relationships PowerPoint (PDF)
Created by Brie and Tim.

Meeting notes (DOC)
Taken by Kate Penz.

King of Kings welcome letter and first impression card (PDF)
From Penny Merritt.

Mixing typefaces (PDF)
From Brie.

October 2011: Social media and congregations

Meeting notes (DOC)

Social Media Use and Boundaries

About Us

What is a synod?

Offering

Within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a synod is an administrative and missional geographic region, overseen by a bishop who provides direction to staff, a synod council, and volunteers from its congregations for vision, support, and resources to carry out mission and ministry. The Saint Paul Area Synod is one of 65 synods in the ELCA and the second largest in the number of baptized members.

Curious about our mission, vision, core values, and main things? Learn about us

 

News and Calendar

Stay connected

Pastor Siong at assembly

Find stories of ministry in and around the Saint Paul Area Synod about congregations, ministry partners, and the ELCA churchwide organization of growth, partnership, and how our church is living into "God's Work. Our Hands." Read FaithLink, a bimonthly publication produced in a .PDF format, or our weekly electronic newsletter, News and Events, containing announcements, events, and short ministry stories. See the newsletter page to stay connected.

Mission

Claimed, gathered, and sent

Tanzania

We believe that we have been claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.

Our synod is involved in local and global mission. Collaborative mission tables, mission renewal opportunities for congregations seeking to revitalize their ministry, companion synod endeavors, and supervision and mentoring for mission developers have sought to broaden partnerships among local congregations and the synod and spark and multiply mission opportunities.

For Congregations

Support for congregations

Christ Lutheran on Capitol Hill

Our staff is committed to supporting congregations in much the same way they support rostered leaders. In such roles, staff adopts a posture of collegiality and partnership, available to walk with congregations in ways that empower the whole work we do as the body of Christ.

For Leaders

Walking with leaders

Leaders at assembly

Our staff is committed to supporting rostered leaders as they seek to carry out their calling in congregations or places of specialized ministry. Learn more about how we make connections and offer support.

Resources

We are here to help

Assembly registration

As synod staff, we focus on doing those things you—congregations and leaders—need us to do in order to maximize the church’s vitality in every community. We are here to help and to connect you with resources to enhance ministry in your setting.

Events

Seeking to equip and support

Synod Assembly

We seek to equip, resource, and support leaders and congregations by coordinating training sessions, workshops, gatherings, and seminars. This section highlights a few of the larger synod-sponsored events and provides resources, detailed schedules, information on speakers, and more.

Looking for something else? A full listing of events can be found on the calendar page.