"So, you're a girl headed due west, then?"

On Thursday, I drove to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to attend the ELCA South Dakota Synod Council meeting, presenting on behalf of my supervisor, who had come down with a nasty head cold that captured her voice.  I was excited to drive through Sioux Falls, since as a Pennsylvanian Lutheran, I've always heard about the Midwest Lutherans.  Through different Lutheran functions, I've met lots of people from Sioux Falls.  I felt like I was connecting with all those people as I drove through Sioux Falls, South Dakooooota.

I arrived in town in time to have dinner at the Bishop's house with the council and other members of the community.  I often feel at church-related functions that I get zeroed in on as a "young person."  People always seem to ask me where I am in life and where I see myself in ten years.  I sometimes get a little ornery with this focus, such as when a man at the Dakota Presbytery asked me if I'd like to come be the youth worker at his church.  I, as politely as I could, responded to him by saying, "Well, I'm actually working towards my Masters of Divinity, so that I can be an ordained pastor.  I think I might be overqualified to be a youth worker."  I think it's great to look for fun, passionate people to work with your youth.  I also need you to know that I'm training to be a pastor, just like the 60 and 70 year old ministers in the room.  My degree is just as valid.  I'm also tired of people saying, "The young people are leaving the Church.  Why aren't there any young people involved in the Church?"...when I'm sitting in the room.

Here's a newsflash: Young people ARE the Church.  Old people ARE the Church.  Middle-aged people ARE the Church.  We aren't a separate entity.  AND...a lot of us ARE involved and ARE participating.  These questions are asked as if every person over the age of 37 is involved in their local congregation.

But, I'll step off my soapbox now.

At the Synod Council dinner though, I think it was more about seeing a young person representing a ministry of the church.  I answered the questions with excitement, as I realized the people asking me the questions were curious and hopeful for my future.

On Friday, I went to the official Synod Council meeting and presented information about Pine Ridge Retreat Center.  Upon introducing myself as a seminarian from LSTC (we're Luther Sem country out here!), but that I am originally from Pennsylvania, the Bishop said, "So, you're a girl headed due west, then?"  I guess that I am.  I call Pennsylvania home.  I call Chicago home.  I call anywhere that I've lived home, since I'm always up for the adventure of immersing myself in a new location, a new culture and a new situation.  Aside from not realizing that my presentation was supposed to be 10 minutes, it was a great experience to meet the Synod Council and other Mission Partners, PRRC being a Mission Partner.

Some interesting learning things from the Mission Partners were:
--The ELCA has a ministry called the Evangelical Lutheran Deaf Association (ELDA) that includes congregations, ministries and individuals who are deaf.  ELDA will also work with congregations to provide interpreters to attend worship if a congregation includes a member who is deaf.  There are 11-12 ministries like the Heartland Ephphatha Ministries located in South Dakota.  HEM offers an interpreted worship service every Sunday at Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, in addition to providing interpreters, bible study and services available via podcast for people who are unable to attend worship in Sioux Falls.  There is only one ELCA pastor who is deaf.

--Luther House of Study is a collaborative ministry between Augustana College and Sioux Falls Seminary.  "Its mission is to strengthen Lutheran leadership and ministries throughout the Northern Plains region for the proclamation of the Gospel."  They work with future ministry professionals, current ministry professionals and congregation.  They're working on resources to ground these three groups in Lutheran theology in leadership.

--There are six new mission starts in the South Dakota Synod this year, which is awesome!

--There are 22 congregations going through the intentional renewal process.

--Mission support is down, as it is everywhere.  Someone made the point though, "What does it mean that God is moving the Church to a less-resources functioning out in the communities?"  Some people speculate that we will move back to the early house-church model of worship.  I'll certainly be interested to see what the future of the "Church" looks like.

All in all, experiencing Synod Council was a great experience.  I also got to have a coffee date with my friend Sam, who lives in Sioux Falls.  After we said our goodbyes, he said, "Keep blogging!"  Not knowing that sweet Sam had been reading my blog, here's a shout-out to him.  Thanks for your support, Sam, and everyone else who has been reading my ramblings thus far!  :)

Welp, y'all know me!  I've GOT to stop for roadside adventures.  This is the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.  The outside is made entirely of corn and corn products.  It's redone every year with a different design, partly to change it yearly and also because the birds eat it.

Corn products

Corn...corn...corn...corn...

A picture of a picture of the First Corn Palace.  Built in 1892.
That's a lot of corn hanging out for a long time.