SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL

Lately I have been reading and

hearing that the Christian

Church in America is losing

members. Attendance is down

in most denominations. The

cover article of the January Lutheran magazine is en-

titled “The shrinking church.” My husband read an

article recently in The Christian Century about the

“dark night of the church.”

Just before those articles came out, I attended a work-

shop on the “Emerging Church.” The discussion fo-

cused on how the church is changing and how we

need to be prepared to do “church” in new and differ-

ent ways.

During the time I was reading and hearing about the

decline of the church, I read a devotion by Emma

Crossen in the Interchange magazine. She begins by

telling the story of Jesus and his disciples attending a

wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). When the wine gives

out, the mother of the bride pleads with Jesus for

help. Jesus asks the servants to fill some large jars

with water. When they are filled, the servants are

instructed to bring the jars to the chief steward. The

water has turned into wine, the best wine of the day.

The guests are happy and the parents are happy.

Emma Crossen writes, “Jesus spared the family from

disgrace and saved the celebration from succumbing

to blame and judgement. Working behind the scenes,

Jesus restored the sense of abundance.”

She goes on: “Whether in churches, families or poli-

tics, when we think we're running out of money, peo-

ple or resources, it's easy to start judging others,

jumping to conclusions and feeling discouraged. In

these moments, the scripture offers an alternative-to

point to the abundance in our lives, to celebrate the

people that are here, the money we do have, the re-

soures we can use, and invite each other to taste and

see that it is good.”

I think she is saying that we can either fret about what

we don't have or we can celebrate what we do have.

I am writing this at the beginning of the season of

Epiphany. Epiphany begins on January 6 and contin-

ues until Ash Wednesday; this year Ash Wednesday

is February 13. Epiphany means “to show” or “make

known” or “to reveal.” Epiphany remembers the

wise men coming to the house where Joseph and

Mary live, to bring their gifts to the child and thereby

to reveal to the world who this child is. Epiphany is a

season of lights. Jesus is the “light of the world” re-

vealing the grace and glory of God.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It is better to light a

single candle than to curse the darkness.” We can do

that. We can light a candle where we live and work

and play.

Vivian Westgard, President

SD Women of the ELCA

VOLUME XXXII NUMBER 1 WINTER 2013

PRESIDENT

Vivian Westgard

We will celebrate our

25th anniversary not

because we nostalgically

long for the past, but be-

cause memories give us con-

fidence in God’s faithfulness

and openness towards God’s

promised future.

Bishop Mark S. Hansen

Larry Olson and Hans Peterson of Dakota Road Music have

written a new Liturgy for Earthkeeping that is available for free on their website, www.dakotaroad.com. This is from

the offering song, "God of Stars and Distant Planets" : "Help

us find within creation, O God of creatures and trees, a new

way to grow with nature; sort out our wants and needs, trans-

form our way of living, we pray in Jesus' name. Turn our vi-

sion into action that your work of art be sustained, that your

work of art be sustained." The music is very singable and

moving and could offer your congregation the inspiration to

begin serious thinking about how to work together to preserve

God's creation.

Thanks for all the good work you do in your Women of

the ELCA units and in the world. Please visit our Facebook

page and tell us what interesting things you are doing that

might help others. If you don't use Facebook, you can e-mail

me and I can post for you. We want to grow our network and

learn from each other. Also, you could mention meaningful

books you have read and invite discussion.

God bless you all! In Christ's service, Erika Lehmann

The http://www.womenoftheelca

website, under “Our Work”, states a

worthy motto: “Raising Up Healthy

Women and Girls“. The motto kept

tugging at my thoughts as I read Half

the Sky, a book recommended by Erika Lehmann in last

quarter’s SD WELCA Synodical Newsletter. The horror of

the stories related by the authors of girls and women sub-

jected to unthinkable abuse in third world countries and

even (although hopefully rare) in our own, led me to won-

der: Could that WELCA motto motivate younger mothers

to get on board with the Women of the ELCA.? A quote

from the website: “Healthy women can produce healthy

families, churches, and communities, and can develop

healthy, more just, and more holistic societies.” Most of us

are mothers, grandmothers, or work with women and girls.

Perhaps this motto can be used to trigger women into action

to help stop abuse through WELCA. We are a large organi-

zation that can accomplish more than a local unit by itself.

Perhaps a starting point would be to gift our daughters and

granddaughters with books that inspire. I found a web site

with a great looking list of books under the heading,

“Books for Strong Girls in Middle School”. I’m going to

order at least one for my fifth grade granddaughter. If you

have not already found it, here it is: http://

www.flashlightworthy.com . I hope the books and

SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL VOLUME XXXI I Page 2

Dear Sisters in Christ,

At this time of year, many warmer

places call to us who are shivering in South Dakota, and

even sometimes make us wonder why we live in such a

harsh climate. Then on a stunning morning when the sun

gleams across the snow making purple shadows that are so

exquisite that for a moment, our yard looks equal to the

most beautiful scenery on earth, or frosty trees against a

brilliant blue sky almost bring tears to our eyes and we

remember, that winter is more than wind chill.

I love the look of winter, but, I admit, spring can hardly

come soon enough for me. I luxuriate in the hint of new

growth on the tips of tree branches before the leaves actu-

ally show forth, the flower buds, the warming trends, the

excitement of the land waking up, even though it happens

in fits and starts. The last couple of years we have enjoyed

watching vases filled with dead-looking curly willow

branches bud out as the season of Lent progresses, remind-

ing us, that though the outdoors will not catch up for quite

a while, Lent, is our church year's early spring, the length-

ening of days that takes us out of death to life.

I am about to move to rural Dimock, SD. I'm leaving

behind the twin home condo in Sioux Falls where I took

care of my mother for most of seven years and which has

lawn care, snow removal, and no access to growing any-

thing except in pots, to a place in the country where I'll

have almost unlimited ability to plant a garden, and what-

ever else I dream up. This has amplified my thinking

about the environment and what a precious gift of God it

is. What can we do to preserve and protect the health and

beauty of our state and all of God's earth? What can our

churches do to save energy and control waste? Many of

our congregations are trying to lessen the use of dispos-

able plates and cups, especially those which do not biode-

grade. If you haven't had that discussion in your church, I

encourage you to do so, but there is far more that you can

do. Could you plant more trees? What about an energy

audit? Is your church building as energy efficient as it

could be? Have you considered other methods of heating

and cooling? Some churches have received grants to help

with the expense of putting in geo-thermal heating and

then discovered that the cost was recouped in two to three

years and after that, there was almost no further cost to

heat and cool their building. Other forms of alternative

energy may be helpful as well. Conserving energy saves

money that can be used for mission and ministry!

VICE-PRESIDENT

ERIKA LEHMANN

SECRETARY

MARILYN ABRAHAM

conversations they could instigate are as good as the

annotations describe.

Pray that God will direct us to inspire those who follow

our generation of WELCA activists.

Greetings Friends in Christ!

Thank you to all who sent cards or

words of greeting & appreciation over the holidays. Af-

ter a long week at work, I enjoyed reading your words of

encouragement and renewed my commitment to serve!

My thoughts have been straying to the future, as this is

my last year as your Treasurer. The work is nothing

compared to the fun at conventions and getting to know

many of you wonderful women!

So I thought I’d give you an idea of what the Treasurer’s

position entails. First of all, you need to have some

practical experience in bookkeeping – debits and credits,

assets, liabilities, and equity, but you don’t need to be an

accountant – the books are not really complicated – just

a lot of them. The Treasurer will need to be detail-

oriented, but most bookkeepers are. You will also need

a computer; our books have been on Quicken for several

years, and I’ll give the new Treasurer the software. The

new Treasurer could certainly change to a different pro-

gram, but it would be a lot of work to set up separate

accounts for over 200 churches. On average, I spend 2

hours a week doing the books, except when we have

Board meetings or the Convention. The month before

Convention, I probably spend 5 hrs a week; and the

same for a couple weeks before the Leadership Work-

shop. It takes a couple hours to prepare for the Winter

Board Meeting, and I spend 2-3 hours a night for a week

or so, preparing and sending the annual statements to

each unit. I work full-time and still have time for crafts,

so it’s not an onerous job. I hope you will prayerfully

consider the position when the Nominating Committee

calls.

Our year-end doesn’t occur until Jan. 31st, but I thought

I’d give you a progress report as of the end of Decem-

ber. Our Regular Offerings are $27,046 this year, com-

pared to $27,668 at the same time last year – so slightly

down from last year. We’ve received $3,095 for the

vehicle repair for the Cameroon women, but they needed

$4,000, so I hope we can meet their needs in the next

few weeks. We’ve received $1,713 for the 25th anniver-

sary of WELCA and remember, any gifts you make in

memory – or in honor – of a loved one will be published

VOLUME XXXII SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL PAGE 3

MISSION COMMUNITY

MARY HILDEBRANDT

in the next newsletter. You’ve done wonderfully in your gift

to the kitchen fund for Joy Ranch - $8,659 – which is more

than 4 times what was given last year! Wow!

Those are some of the financial highlights for this year – so

far. A full report on fiscal year 2012 will be given at the Convention in June. I hope to see you there – and bring a

friend!

God’s Blessings to all of you and a heart-felt “Thank You” to

all who donate to our missions!

Darlene Bresson

Sisters in Christ: Hopefully your winter is going okay. It cer-

tainly does feel like winter. Give it a few weeks and it will be

nice again. At least I have enjoyed doing some reading. I like

Karen Kingsbury books. There are a few of us at church who

pass them around. Feb 24 is BOLD WOMEN DAY. Maybe

you'd like to call attention in the bulletin. I know they will be

looking for women to step up and take conference and state

offices before we know it. Be bold and say yes if they call

you. Looking forward to seeing you in the next month or so.

Hopefully you are all okay. Love, Mary Hildebrandt

Lutheran World Relief has announced the LWR Quilt Cam-

paign: 1 Year 500,000 Quilts. Could your quilting group in-

crease the number of quilts that you send to LWR? The need

is very great and when the call for thousands of quilts comes

to the warehouse, it can empty out very quickly. Massive

refugee camps spring up in days and people often arrive with

little more than the clothing on their backs. With little shelter

in harsh conditions, the quilts are the only comfort against

blazing sun or chilly nights, hard lumpy ground or strong

winds. Your handiwork makes a world of difference to peo-

ple in desperate circumstances!

Another urgent need is for personal care kits, also de-

signed to help people who have lost everything in the wake of

violence or disaster. These are quite simple to assemble and

serve an important purpose.

Other ways to support the good work of Lutheran World

Relief are the Eco-Palms program for Palm Sunday--order by

March 1 for payment by check and March 8th by credit card

and by buying and selling fair trade products. The LWR web-

site lwr.org is full of information and opportunities for in-

volvement.

TREASURER DARLENE BRESSON

LWR QUILT CHALLENGE

VOLUME XXXII SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL PAGE 4

In Genesis, God tells us “and it was

good”. We are so fortunate to live in

this land of great blessings. When

God gives us lemons, we can make lemonade or

pucker up and pout. Which one is for you? As for

me, I’ll make lemonade.

As I write this article I am sitting in the Arizona de-

sert and wondering why didn’t I bring my

W.E.L.C.A. synodical officer files with me?!? I

know the bag was packed and waiting. It must be in

my office –still waiting.

ATTENTION: conference reports of Mission Ac-

tion are due to me by March 1. 2013. The confer-

ence Mission Action chairmen will receive the up-

dated report form by February 1 in their e-mail. Con-

tact me if you have any questions on the report form

which has changed this year and all conference chairs

received it in September.

I have learned of another place to buy quilt batting;

the Fabric & Textile Warehouse, 401 N. Main St.,

Mitchell, SD, telephone 605-996-6011. Their web-

site is www.fabrictextilewarehouse.com. They give a

discount to church groups. It must be paid for with a

church check. I have used some of this batting and it

seems to be nice. The roll we bought is 96” w. x 30

yards long. The website lists a price of $65.85. The

clerk told me many churches buy this batting for

quilts.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions:

605-228-2567 (cell) or deesand@aol.com. I will try

to give you a prompt response.

Thanks for all your good work. Dee Sanderson

DAILY BIBLE READING COME TO

YOU

These are some of the internet WELCA sites where

you can subscribe to daily bible readings sent to you.

http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/The-Bible/

Todays-Bible-Reading.aspx

http://feeds.elca.org/rss/wdg/

http://feeds.elca.org/rss/dbr/

http://feeds.elca.org/rss/dbv/

“I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me”

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of

Christian women of many traditions who come to-

gether to observe a common day of prayer each year.

Women get together and pray in more than 170 coun-

tries and many churches. It is symbolized by an an-

nual day of celebration, usually the first Friday of

March to which all men and women are welcome. It

is a movement which brings together women of vari-

ous races, cultures, and traditions in closer fellow-

ship, understanding and action throughout the year. I

enjoy worshiping with my Reformed, Methodist, and

Catholic sisters . It brings us all closer to worship and

pray together.

The World Day of Prayer theme comes from France

this year “ I was a stranger and you welcomed me”

Egypt will write the program for 2014,” Streams in

the Desert.” The Bahamas will write the theme in

2015. I don’t always follow the theme; sometimes

our church writes their own program. We meet with

our local churches and decide our program and mu-

sic. We have so many talented people in our commu-

nity . Each church has a part in the program and we

all worship and pray together

We have our program in the evening so more people

can attend. We affirm our faith in Jesus Christ and

share our hopes and fears, our joys and sorrows with

each other. We give thanks to God. Praying together

makes me more aware of the whole world. I pray for

other communities and countries that have more bur-

dens than I do. World Day of Prayer makes me very

thankful. Through World Day of Prayer, we all affirm

that prayer and action are inseparable and both have

influence in the world. I work in a long term care

facility and have many prayer warriors

that pray daily for others. They are an inspiration to

me. The majority of my residents have a deep and

abiding faith and they share their faith with peers and

staff.

Vicki Persson

MISSION ACTION

DEE SANDERSON MEMBER AT LARGE

Vicki Persson

VOLUME XXXII SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL PAGE 5

This is just a few of the programs that

can be found on the WELCA website.

Most of these are free and can be downloaded now. http://www.womenoftheelca.org/alphabetical-pages-58.php

Act Boldly Bookmark Make this easy-to-assemble bookmark for yourself

or as a group project.

Act Boldly for Health This three-part Bible study supports Raising Up

Healthy Women and Girls initiative.

Act Boldly for Mission three-part Bible study explores how women

can boldly take part in God's mission

A Different Kind of Journey: Advent as a walk,

not a sprint A Different Kind of Journey offers several practices

to explore

Advent: A Season for All Generations This two-part Advent program can be used by

a group of any size.

A Thoughtful Prayer Life A Thoughtful Prayer Life: Making time and space

for what matters

A Bold Life of Faith: Katharina von Bora Luther Katie Luther was a wife, mother, farmer, brewmaster,

innkeeper, and more

Caring for the Earth as God's People Discover what it means to have dominion over the

earth

Children's Sabbath The National Observance of Children's Sabbaths is

an intergenerational and interfaith event

The Colors of Christmas: A Reflection on Pre-

paring for Christmas Our celebrations are often sprinkled with seasonal

traditions that bring us joy

The Faces of Grief The Faces of Grief is a three-session resource

Finding Your Bold: An Ice-Breaker Boldness comes in many forms. Some is bright and

loud.

God Colors Outside the Lines: A Short Work-

shop on Diversity and God's Church Diversity is one way God demonstrates genius at

coloring outside the lines

This is just a few of the titles found on this website.

Check them out, you might find just the one for your

next program.

“Home is where the heart is.” That saying has cer-

tainly rung true time and again in my life. Early on in

our marriage, I realized that home for me would be

any space that I shared with Jack. That being said, he

and I have experienced, again, that homing of the

heart. When we moved to Mitchell eight years ago,

among the first things we sought was a church home,

and fell in love with Trinity. Now we have moved

home to Sioux Falls and our beloved St. Marks. Amid

the stress and weariness we experienced in moving

right before Christmas, we knew peace as we walked

through the doors of the church we call home.

This all got me thinking about what the ministry of

PCA means to inmate members of prison congrega-

tions. I think, in their congregation, they find home.

They find a place where they are welcomed and loved.

They find a place where they can serve even as they

are ministered to. For those 96% that will get out of

prison, the relationship with the outside church allows

them the experience of walking into a new place on

the outside where they are welcomed and cared for.

Those outside, welcoming churches find themselves

growing in ways they never thought possible.

2013 is already presenting amazing possibilities for

PCA. There is interest in many parts of the country.

There are denominations that have seen the power of

the PCA model of prison ministry and want to expand

their own experience to other prisons and relation-

ships. This type of interest is a result of people hear-

ing about and experiencing what the PCA model can

do for God’s people regardless of what side of the ra-

zor wire they live. Please know that we value your

support. Pleases keep us in mind for speaking oppor-

tunities, special offerings, PCA Sundays or special

programs.

Our new contact information: PCA, PO Box 1335,

Sioux Falls, SD 57101-1335; Phone: 605-321-0509 or

800-417-6692.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

MARCH 1

PRISON CONGREGATIONS

Mary Mortenson

MISSION GROWTH

ARDITH MCFARLAND

LAMP MINISTERY Jeanne Johnson

VOLUME XXXII SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL PAGE 6

Latest LAMP News

Teaching in a community for the first time is an ex-

citing faith-filled experience! It is even more interest-

ing when accompanied by a First Nations teen from

Ontario to help with the ministry.

This summer, members from a Nebraska LAMP team

spent a week in Big Trout Lake, Ontario, teaching

Vacation Bible School and ministering in many other

ways to the young people and adults in the commu-

nity.

Sensing God’s leading, some of the team’s members

made prior arrangements with church leaders in Wa-

pekeka—a neighboring community—to teach VBS

there this summer. A gravel “road” had been built

between the two communities a few years ago; prior

to that, the only real way to get there was to fly the 12

miles. Now “bouncing wildly along,” you can arrive

in half an hour.

In addition to teaching children who were hungry to

know about God’s great love for them, one of the

many highlights of that trip was bringing along a teen

whom the LAMP team had known and encouraged in

faith since he was a young boy. The acceptance,

love, and respect that the team showed this young

man was life changing! The pastor/pilot who checked

in on them during their week in Wapekeka told me,

“His face was just beaming while I was there!”

I love that God is in the business of encouraging not

only the children, youth and adults that we teach and

witness to, but also does mighty work in the lives of

all who serve Him! To Him be the glory!

Please check out our new website—just released this

week—www.lampministry.org for more information

on how you can become involved!

Jeanne Johnson

LAMP Lutheran Association of Missionaries & Pilots

Director of Communications

Jeanne@lampministry.org

Dear W/ELCA,

Thank you to everyone who sent checks for Christ-

mas treats for STAR Academy.

How wonderful for these kids to know that someone

is thinking of them and that

they are not alone. God loves them and so do we.

What a huge gift to give to kids

who have not much of anything.

People are a little bit like garden plants. The more

you nurture them the better they turn

out. They blossom. When you fertilize them they

grow stronger. All of the flowers in God's

garden are unique and different. They are all special

just like each of one of us and God cares

about all of them. So here we are doing God's work

nurturing, fertilizing and trying to

make each child feel special with a quilt, pillowcase

and treats. The quilts and pillowcases are all

homemade by God's faithful servants...Lutheran La-

dies. This is a lifetime memory for

a kid. Some of them have never received a Christmas

treat or a present before. They are

Children of God too. We are helping them to grow

stronger and to feel the love of God.

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the

lilies of the field grow. They do

not labor or spin." NIV Matthew 6:28

God's Blessings,

Sharon Starks starks.sharon@hotmail.com

206 W Maple St. 605-214-4140

Harrisburg, SD 57032

WOMENS PRISON MINISTRY

Sharon Stark

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy.

I woke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.”

Rabindranath Tagore

(1861-1941)

BREAD FOR THE WORLD

Cathy Brechtelsbauer

VOLUME XXXII SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL PAGE 7

Our state legislature is now in session

until March 8 (plus March 25 “veto

day”). What we can do:

1. The “Advocacy Project” email alerts help with

timely info for advocacy, especially for low-income

children in our state. To receive these alerts, let me

know (via my email, below).

Legislators can be contacted by phone (Senators

773-3721, Rep’s 773-3851), or mail (Sen.__ or

Rep.___, State Capitol, Pierre SD 57501), or through

their website (http://legis.state.sd.us/email/

LegislatorEmail.aspx), or at home on weekends.

2. This year we have a gathering called Bread Days in

Pierre, Feb 4-5, Monday afternoon thru Tuesday noon.

The special session Monday evening will be supper/

discussion “South Dakotans Talking: Healthcare Re-

form in South Dakota, How Will it Work?" led by Joy

Smolnisky of South Dakota Budget and Policy Pro-

ject. If you can come for any or all of it, call Pastor

Mindy (605-261-9032). There is no fee. Come and be

a presence in the Capitol for people in need.

3. Other helpful proposals may come along, but so far

let’s encourage state legislators to:

• Start reducing the food tax (pass House Bill 1154),

and

• Make sure no South Dakotan is denied a medical

card because they are in poverty.

B. Big pay-off from last year’s advocacy

Congratulations to everyone who helped last

year! Feeding South Dakota has just dedicated a new

mobile food pantry truck and program to help hungry

South Dakotans, especially those in our most rural ar-

eas. Find a photo of the truck at

www.feedingsouthdakota.org.

An expected 650,000 pounds of food a year will be

distributed on a 6-week rotation to a long list of towns

in central South Dakota. The purchase of a refrigerated

truck means people will receive perishable, more nu-

tritious food such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables,

and meats.

The funds are from the money we identified last

year as being designated to help people with food

but was not being used, because the food tax refund

program was so ineffective at reaching the people

who needed it. With many calls, letters, and emails

to legislators, letters to newspapers, and prayers to

God, we worked hard for votes to make the funds

available for getting food to hungry people. Rep.

Susy Blake (a Lutheran Bread for the World mem-

ber) worked hard too, and enough votes were won

for this wonderful result! She was honored to be a

part of the dedication.

Many thanks to all the advocates and to God for

the advocacy, the legislative support, and the help

that people will receive to meet their basic need for

food.

I hope you are inspired to help advocate this year

for people in need. Keep those contacts going in to

Pierre. The session will go by fast. Many thanks!

Cathy Brechtelsbauer, volunteer, SD Coordinator

for Bread for the World 605-335-6222,

ryebread@breadrising.org, www.bread.org

This past December was pretty eventful in the

prison. On Dec. 9 we hosted an Appreciation Meal

for the inmates who attend worship at

SDSP......about 140 of them. A week later a Com-

missioning Service for Stephen Ministers was held

for 8 inmates! By then we were in the full swing of

Christmas. A candlelight service was held.......and is

extremely meaningful to the men. Christmas sacks

were distributed to the inmates at SDSP, Springfield,

Jamison Annex, the minimum security units and the

county jail........about 3000 sacks in total. Thanks to

the generosity of so many we were able to put 3

pieces of home made fudge in each bag! Thank

you!!! We still run short on cards, so please remem-

ber that for next year. And thank you for all the year

end donations! Without your help we just couldn't

make it!

In Christ, Pastor Marlin Wangsness

ST. DYSMAS MINISTERY

REV. MARLIN WANGSNESS

Page 8 SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Volume XXXI I

MEMBER AT LARGE Lucille Birkholtz

THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is the princi-

pal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. Every year, representatives of Mem-

ber States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global stan-

dards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide.

The following resolution was adopted by the Churchwide Executive Board of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in

America, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, October 19-20, 2012. Copies of this resolution were presented to government and

church leaders in Liberia this week during the organization's 25th anniversary trip there.

Whereas, American Lutheran women have a long-standing relationship with our Liberian Lutheran sisters, having prayed for and

with each other over the decades, together, each in our own mission fields, sharing the redeeming and transforming love of God through

Jesus Christ; and

Whereas, our commitment to stand with our Liberian Lutheran sisters is more critical today than ever as they restore peace to their war-

ridden land. Their struggle is our struggle, their quest for peace is our quest for peace; and

Whereas, since at least 1916, American Lutheran women have shared financial support in Liberia, with Women of the ELCA serv-

ing as the current custodian of two endowment funds created for support of education and health ministries in Liberia; and

Whereas, as one means of observing the 25th anniversary of Women of the ELCA, our organization is sponsoring a trip to Liberia

where we will accompany women of the National Lutheran Church Women Fellowship of Liberia (the women’s organization of the Lu-

theran Church in Liberia); and

Whereas the 57th Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations (March 4-15, 2013) will address the elimination

and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls; and

Whereas, in its 1994 Message on Community Violence, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

(ELCA) stated that it is often “those in power” who extend “their racial, sexual, economic, and/or political domination through violent

means” and it has been largely women and the girl child that have suffered from rape in Liberia, knowing that “Short-term measures to

counter violence are needed, as well as long term measures to counter social and economic inequalities and the brokenness that contribute

to violence…” and

Whereas, we echo the ELCA’s Social Statement For Peace in God’s World, in that “we share with people everywhere hope for a

more peaceful and just world,” and where it is further stated that it is “through the Law” that “the sovereign God of the nations holds all

responsible for their neighbor, protects community, and blesses creation ever anew…”; and

Whereas, the “For Peace in God’s World” social statement also reminds us that “The Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) heals our

broken relationship with God, removing the ultimate root of violence and injustice” as it “ breaks down the dividing walls of hostility

among people,” showing that it is “The peace of the Gospel [that] is the final peace God intends for all”; and

Whereas, this statement also reminds us that the people of God and the church are to be a faithful presence fulfilling “the mandates of its

divine calling” as “it helps in word and deed to create an environment conducive to peace” and “through the cross of Christ, God calls us to

serve the needs of our neighbor, especially of those groups and individuals who suffer and are vulnerable” and that “the cross assures us

that even in our vulnerability, suffering, and death, God’s power is active through us” and “in the cross we recognize that forgiveness, rec-

onciliation, and love of enemy are essential to our efforts to build earthly peace’;

Whereas the United Nations reports that women’s voices and their participation in all aspects of society are more important than

ever and has called on world leaders to advance women’s involvement in politics and empower them economically; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the churchwide executive board of Women of the ELCA, the women’s ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America, on behalf of the whole organization, expresses its solidarity with the elected leadership of Liberia from President Ellen

Johnson-Sirleaf to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee and church leaders such as the Rev. D. Jensen Seyenkulo, bishop of the

Lutheran Church in Liberia, and the women of the National Lutheran Church Women Fellowship of Liberia as they continue the work of

peace-building in Liberia; and

BE IT RESOLVED that this organization, within all of its expressions, hold Liberia and its civic and religious leaders in deep prayer so

they will not grow weary or become unduly discouraged in their invaluable work of forging a new nation; and

BE IT RESOLVED that Women of the ELCA, in all of its expressions, advocate for justice as may be requested by these leaders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Women of the ELCA participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the work of the 57 th

Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations so that they may support the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence

against women and girls throughout the world.

References: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/index.html and http://www.womenoftheelca.org/supporting-peace-and-justice-in-

liberia-news-140

Volume XXXI I SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Page 9

LUTHERAN PLANNED GIVING

Kurt Osbourne

Lutheran Planned Giving of SD— Charitable Benefits of the American Taxpayer Re-

lief Act of 2012 On January 1, 2013, both the Senate

and House passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act

of 2012 (ATRA). The bill resolved the “fiscal cliff”

and includes a number of provisions that will be fa-

vorable for philanthropy and charitable giving. Fortu-

nately, some of the proposals such as caps on charita-

ble deductions or limits on tax savings from charita-

ble gifts were not enacted. Because the general trend

of the bill is to create higher tax rates for upper-

income taxpayers, the benefits of charitable giving

will be readily apparent to those individuals.

IRA Charitable Rollover Since 2006, IRA owners age 70½ and older have

been able to make a qualified charitable distribution

(QCD) up to $100,000 each year. ATRA extends and

expands this option for 2012 and 2013. There are

three categories of potential donors.

First, some individuals in 2012 made QCDs directly

from their IRA custodian to charities with the hope

that the law would be retroactive. These QCDs are

qualified retroactive to January 1, 2012. Second, indi-

viduals who did not make a QCD in 2012 can do so

during January of 2013. This is similar to 2011, when

it was possible to do a QCD for the prior year in

January and a second QCD in the remaining 11

months of the year. If an individual has not made a

QCD in 2012, this allows a generous person to make

two $100,000 QCDs in 2013.

Third, many individuals had hoped to do a QCD in

2012, but in December of 2012 received their IRA

required minimum distribution (RMD). If these indi-

viduals transfer those funds to charity during January

of 2013, they will not report the IRA distribution as

income. Effectively, the December 2012 RMD is

converted to a January QCD that qualifies for 2012.

Donors who have taken an RMD in December will be

able to make a cash gift in January to the charity. The

charity will want to send the donor a letter of confir-

mation that the donor is electing the QCD. The op-

portunity will terminate on January 31, 2013, so it is

crucial to move quickly.

Individual Income Tax Rates on Ordinary Income The existing tax brackets of 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%,

33% and 35% will be extended. There is a new

39.6% bracket for married persons with $450,000 of

taxable income, heads of household with $425,000

and single persons with $400,000 of taxable income.

Charitable Impact: Those individuals with higher

incomes are now facing larger taxes. However, the

tax savings from a charitable gift for individuals with

state and federal tax brackets from 40% to 46% are

now increased. High-income donors may make larger

gifts in 2013.

Long-Term Capital Gains The capital gains rate of 0% for those in the 10% and

15% bracket and 15% for those in most higher brack-

ets will be extended. However, individuals who are

subject to the 39.6% tax bracket will have a 20%

capital gain rate. In addition, because capital gains for

those with incomes over $250,000 married or

$200,000 single will be subject to the 3.8% Medicare

tax, the capital gains rate for upper-income persons

will be 23.8%.

Charitable Impact: The top federal tax rate for sales

of major assets will increase from 15% in 2012 to

23.8% in 2013. In those states that also have a state

tax, the combined capital gain rate for major sales

will be 28% to 32%. This will greatly increase inter-

est in charitable remainder unitrusts and charitable

remainder annuity trusts. Charities should appropri-

ately emphasize the much larger tax savings available

in 2013 for charitable trusts.

Charitable Impact: The enhanced deductions for

food gifts will be very welcome for food banks and

similar charitable organizations. Because there has

been a significant growth of Subchapter S corpora-

tions during the past decade, the ability for Sub S cor-

porations to make gifts of appreciated land or stock

and flow through the deductions to owners is quite

beneficial. Finally, land conservancy organizations

and similar charities will appreciate the extension of

the conservation gift rules.

Summary ATRA was on balance fairly kind to philanthropy.

Donors with higher incomes and larger capital gains

tax bills will find new reasons to engage in charitable

planning. The probable level of interest in gift plan-

ning education and concepts by donors and their pro-

fessional advisors will significantly increase during

2013.Copyright © 2013 By A. Charles Schultz, J.D.

For clarification or assistance with these gifting op-

portunities, or to discuss you gift planning options,

please call Jim Schade @ 605 940 7524 or Kurt Os-

borne @ 605 940 7524 of Lutheran Planned Giving

of SD.

Page 10 SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Volume XXXI I

Come to a Night at the Ranch to

experience Chef Ben’s out-

standing food preparation and

presentation!

Joy Ranch is offering two evenings of fine din-

ing. Executive Chef, Ben Richardson, has created a

five course gourmet menu that will be a delight in

sight and taste. Gather your friends for a high class

night out that will include a fabulous meal in a unique

setting with great conversation and laughter.

Reservations are required and seating is limited, so

call Joy Ranch and make your reservation soon!

Thursday, April 11

Thursday, November 7

Women’s Events at Outlaw Ranch

Over seventy-five percent of guests throughout the

year at Lutherans Outdoors are through year-round

programs and retreats. Thank you for being a part of

ministry throughout the year! You are invited to take

part in some new and just for women retreats at Out-

law Ranch.

Outlaw Ranch Women’s Retreat – April 12th-14th

You are invited to Outlaw Ranch for a time of relax-

ing and renewal. Spend time with friends, craft, sing,

worship, enjoy the outdoors and more. Come stay in

a beautiful setting with comfortable facilities and

great food - you'll leave refreshed and ready to go.

NEW – Scrapbooking Retreat at Outlaw Ranch –

April 19th-21st

Spend a weekend with nothing to do but scrapbook,

eat delicious meals, catch up on those unfinished pro-

jects, and share techniques with new friends.

For more information and retreats at Joy Ranch and

NeSoDak visit www.losd.org.

Summer Theme 2013

God Is Right Here, Right Now!

John 1:14 The Word was made flesh and lived among

us. As God’s children through Jesus Christ, we, like

him are close to our father’s heart. There is not a

place we can go where God is not. God’s home is

among us. God is right here, right now!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

With your continuous support the most recent tally of

funds for the Feedbunk at Joy Ranch is $198,281. Less

than $2,000 to go!

Faithful summer campers, reminding us of God's pres-

ence and forgiveness.

Young quilters enjoy-

ing hot cocoa by the

fire at Joy Ranch.

LUTHERANS

OUTDOORS

Mara Stillson

Saturday, Aug.

24, 2013 Family

Fun Day at Joy

Ranch.

Sunday, August

25, 2013 Quilt

Auction at Joy

Ranch

Page 11 SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Volume XXXI I

Diversity! It is both wonderful and scary. Diversity

makes the world interesting and exciting, but we often

hesitate to embrace it. We fear being different our-

selves and fear those who are different from us. We

tend to shrink back when we see those whose skin is

different, those whose apparel reflects their culture,

and those with obvious disabilities.

The song, "Bread for the Journey" by Bret Hesla, ex-

presses very well what we need as we continue to

work at being open to all God's children.

Gives us bread for the journey, give us bread,

Gives us bread for the journey, give us bread,

When our legs are getting weary,

and we're hanging down our heads,

Give us bread for the journey, give us bread,

Give us bread for the journey, give us bread.

Guide our way as we travel, guide our way,

Guide our way as we travel, guide our way,

With so many roads before us,

where to go is hard to say,

Guide our way as we travel, guide our way,

Guide our way as we travel, guide our way,

Make us one with each other, make us one.

Make us one with each other, make us one.

All the walls we've build around us,

may we learn to tear them down,

Make us one with each other, make us one,

Make us one with each other, make us one.

Lead us home to the garden, lead us home,

Lead us home to the garden, lead us home,

Where we'll live with all creation,

find our place and never roam,

Lead us home to the garden, lead us home,

Lead us home to the garden, lead us home.

In November I proposed that the SD Synod could

celebrate 25 years of relationship with our companion

synod by giving 25 roofs to Cameroon churches

needing them. There has been a positive response

and I am happy to report that funds for two roofs are

on their way. That is two down and 23 to go! One of

those roofs came from a single source; wow!

Thanks, the Spirit is alive!

The women of South Dakota responded to a need for

vehicle repair for the Femmes Pour Christ (Women

for Christ of the Lutheran Church in Cameroon).

Funds in the amount of $3395.65 were raised for the

tires, brakes and other repairs for the pick-up truck

they use for their work. People do not have private

vehicles so getting around is a challenge when the

truck needs repair. Thanks from FPC.

Mike Busbey is busy, busy in Nicaragua. A Lutheran

from Flandreau is excited to provide used baseball

equipment for the villages in Nicaragua. With

Mike’s planning equipment went to Lutheran com-

munities in Nicaragua last year and this year’s trip

just returned. Boys in Nicaragua are playing with

real equipment! The next Nicaragua trip will go from

South Canyon Lutheran, Rapid City. Then Gloria

Dei, Sioux Falls, goes for their annual trip to provide

medical clinics. Three more trips are planned which

go into the summer months. Mike is doing a great

job for us and the Lutheran Church (Faith and Hope)

of Nicaragua.

Thanks to partners like you, Lutheran Immigration

and Refugee Service reached more people in 2012

than ever before in our 74-year history. Together we

make an unbeatable team!

But we can't stop now. We must never lose sight of

the people who are counting on us: precious children,

mothers, fathers, families, and individuals at risk

from all around the globe.

TODAY’S DREAM TOMORROW’S REALITY

Racial Justice Advocates Mardella Bieber

LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION &

REFUGEE CENTER

COMPANION SYNOD

Cathy Larson

Page 12 SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Volume XXXI I

Application Form for Triennial Delegate

_________________________________________________________________ Last Name First Name Middle Initial

Address___________________________________________________

street

____________________________________________________________ town zip code

Telephone number_(______)____________________

Conference__________________________________

Congregation________________________________

Address of church____________________________

Age range:___20-29 ____30-39 ____40-49 ____50-64 ____65+

Ethnic/Racial Heritage: ___African American ___Asian ___Caucasian ___Hispanic ___Native American

___Other (Specify)

First time delegate: ____yes ____no

If not, which other(s) did you attend__________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Experience: (Offices held in unit, conference, synodical)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Describe why you would like to represent the South Dakota Synodical Women of the ELCA as a delegate.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Send to: Sheryn Ekstrum,

25705 362nd Avenue,

Kimball, SD 57355-7003 605-778-6903

by May 1, 2013 (One delegate nomination per Congregational unit.)

Hello! My name is Heather Malakowsky; I am a

senior animal science major at SDSU. I have be-

come very involved with the University Lutheran

Center (ULC) over the 4 years that I have spent

here. The ULC provides many great opportunities

to students to experience new things, be part of a

strong Christian community, deepen their faith, and

develop interpersonal and leadership skills. My ex-

periences have included volunteering with Brook-

ings Backpack Project, helping to build a house

with Habitat for Humanity, worshipping at St. Dys-

mas (the prison congregation), participating in

spring break service trips, and most recently, serv-

ing as the peer minister for publicity. I have trav-

eled to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Denver

with the ULC and will be going to Tijuana and San

Diego this March.

The spring break service trips have been my

most beneficial and memorable experiences while

in college. The students at the University Lutheran

Center are very fortunate to have the great support

that they do from the women of the ELCA,

churches, individuals, and campus organizations.

Without their support, it is likely that I would have

spent my spring break week differently. Luckily, I

was introduced to the ULC and was able to partake

in their service trips. I have served food to the hun-

gry, worked with children at daycares and schools,

volunteered at food banks, attended a wide variety

of worship services, and more, all while meeting

amazing people along the way. I look forward to

more service learning in Tijuana, and am most ex-

cited to work with an orphanage.

Through these trips and being involved with

the ULC, I have met people from many back-

grounds and made friends that will last a lifetime. It

has become a place where I am comfortable and

feel at home. My faith has been strengthened by

attending the ULC and meeting students who face

many of the same issues as myself. Since I’m

graduating this May, I’ve been reminiscing about

my time here; I will greatly miss the Lutheran Cen-

ter and will forever be a supporter.

Volume XXXI I SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Page

We are on the Web

Women of the ELCA, South Dakota Synod

is now found on facebook, Pinterest, Twit-

ter and we even have a blog! Be sure to

LIKE the facebook page, and FOLLOW the

Pinterest page.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/

pages/Women-of-the-ELCA-South-

Dakota-Synod/380032715367147

Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/

womenelcasd/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

WomenELCASoDak

Blog: http://

womenoftheelcasd.wordpress.com/

Do you have time to help with the Women of

the ELCA South Dakota Synod blog, facebook,

Twitter or Pinterest pages? If so, contact

Maria Birch at mariabirch@midstatesd.net or send a message though any of the pages.

Volunteer drivers are needed for the pre-convention activi-

ties for the SD Synod Convention in Sioux Falls, on June

20. Some outings will be planned away from the church,

so we need drivers with Vans or larger cars to help trans-

port the ladies to these events. You can e-mail or call Dar-

lene Bresson: 605-886-0785 /minnie@wat.midco.net.

LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTERY

Pastor Bob Chell

QUILTS ARE NEEDED

Lutheran World Relief: Quilts are needed and it is

the time of the year to ship them. They prefer a bat-

ting inside of the 60” X 80” quilt.

Pine Ridge Retreat Center: Contact Karen Rupp at

krn.rpp@gmail.com (Sioux Falls pick-up)

SD Women’s Prison Ministry: STAR Academy

near Custer needs quilts. Contact: Sharon Starks at

Starks.sharon@hotmail.com Cell ph:605-214-4140

LSS Refuge & Immigration: Contact them at: 705

East 41st Street, Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57105-

6048 ph: 605-357-0100 or 800-568-2401

Email: info@lsssd.org

Please remember, all addresses MUST be your

mailing address, some of you have 2 addresses, a

physical address (street or 911) but I have to have

your mailing address to insure that your newslet-

ter is delivered.

Page 14 SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Volume XXXI I

CONFERENCE COORDINATORS

Prairie Coteau: Edna Anderson, 10643 445th Ave.,

Veblen, SD 57270, PH:605-738-2562

E-mail:tomanderson.2562@yahoo.com

Medary: Lori Jorenby, 19818 476th Ave., White, SD

57276, PH 605-794-2291, E-mail: cjorenby@itctel.com

Crossroads: Beth Wilcox, 1304 S Blauvelt Ave,

Sioux Falls, SD 57105 782-2330 (W) 366-3726 cell

beth.wilcox@cchs.org

Southeastern: Glenda Ofstehage, 2921 Pettersen Rd. ,

Vermillion SD 57069 605-624-9717

ofste@Q.com

Northern Plains: Mardella Bieber, P.O. Box 266,

Bowdle, SD 57428, PH: 605-285-6984 E-mail:

dmbieber@abe.midco.com

Prairie Rivers: Lois Storm, 39885 273rd St, Corsica,

SD 57329 PH:605-928-3035

E-mail:thestormfamily@hotmail.com

Margene Thompson: 39141 240th St., Letcher, SD

57359 E-mail:amthompson@santel.net

PH:605-248-2444

Bear Butte: Laura Lee Campbell, 1020 State St.,

Spearfish, SD 57783 PH:605-772-6772

E-mail:oslc1@rushmore.com

25th WELCA Anniversary

Memorials/Honors Memorials since the last newsletter

Hope ELCW, Summit: In memory of faithful mem

bers through the years!

Myla Kneeland: In memory of my Miram Circle Bi

ble Study group who have passed away.

Darlene Bresson: In honor of my mother, Liz Orren,

who taught me about Jesus.

Kay Espeland: In memory of my mother, Alice Bak

ken, and sister Joan Sigdestad.

Our Savior’s, Sioux Falls: In honor of the Synodicala

Organization. “We appreciate your leadership

and work in our behalf.”

Karen Johnson: In honor of long-time and inspiring

WELCA member, Beth Sigdestad.

Bergen WELCA: In memory of past Bergen WELCA

members.

Spring Gatherings

Prairie Coteau - American, Milbank, Saturday, April

20 at 9:30AM

Medary - First, Volga, Saturday, April 20 at 9:30AM

Crossroads - TBA, Sioux Falls, Saturday, April 20 at

9:30AM

Southeastern - Vangen, Mission Hill, TBA

Northern Plains - Our Savior, Faulkton, Saturday,

April 20 at 9:00AM

Prairie Rivers - St John's, Dimock, Saturday, April 13

at 9:00AM

Bear Butte - Grace, Sturgis, Saturday, April 27 at

8:30AM

GLOBAL HEALTH MINISTRIES http://www.ghm.org

7831 Hickory Street NE

Minneapolis, MN 55432

ANYONE can receive a copy of this newsletter by e-mail at no charge. Please send your name and e-mail address to Lmbirk@itctel.com. This will be in PDF format so that you can open it if you have PDF, which I will instruct you in downloading a free copy when I send the newsletter out. You can also find this newsletter on the internet at: http://www.sdsynod.org// At the top of the page, position your curser on ‘Congregations & organi-zations’, then click on WELCA on the drop down menu. When this page comes up, click on the SD Synod WELCA newsletter.

Volume XXXI I SOUTH DAKOTA SYNODICAL Page 15

Dates to remember:

2012-HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

TO THE WOMEN OF THE ELCA

June 21-22, 2013 26th Synodical Convention at Our

Savior’s Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls

August 2-3, 2013 Leadership workshop, Resurrection

Lutheran in Pierre

July 22-24, 2014, Triennial Convention at Charlotte,

North Carolina

July 24-27, 2014, Triennial Gathering at Charlotte,

North Carolina

PASS IT ON!!

This SD Synodical Newsletter is published to inform

Women of the ELCA of the SD Synodical happenings,

activities and opportunities with the Synod.The newslet-

ter is published four times a year: Winter, Spring, Sum-

mer and Fall.

Please share this newsletter with your congregational

unit officers:

President_________ Vice President___________

Secretary_________ Treasurer______________

Mission Growth_______ Mission Action__________

Mission Community_________

Anyone can subscribe to this newsletter for $5 per

year. You will receive four issues. Due dates for

article are Feb. 1, April 1, August 1, November 1.

Name___________________________________

Mailing Address:____________________________

City, State & Zip_____________________________

Make your check payable to SD Women of the ELCA and mail it with the above information to:

Darlene Bresson, 621 S Lake Dr. Watertown, SD 57201

Send Address changes to Lucille Birkholtz, 42341 193rd St., Willow Lake, SD 57278 PH: & Fax: 605-625-3765

2012-2013 Synod Officers

PRESIDENT: Vivian Westgard, PH:605-882-5733

E-mail:vivigard@midco.net 1340 22nd St. NE, Watertown, SD

2nd year, 1st term (Prairie Coteau Advisor)

VICE-PRESIDENT: Erika Lehmann, PH:605-338-4737,

E-mail: elehmann@sio.midco.net 1869 S. Sertoma Ave. Unit

101, Sioux Falls, SD 57106 1st year, 2nd term

(Crossroads & Southeast advisor)

SECRETARY: Marilyn Abraham, PH: 605-934-2534, E-mail:

rlmeabraham@alliancecom.net 30825 475th Ave., Alcester,

SD 57011 1st year, 1st term (Southeast advisor)

TREASURER: Darlene Bresson PH: 605-886-0785

E-mail:minnie@wat.midco.net 621 S. Lake Dr.,

Watertown, SD 57201 2nd year, 2nd term (Prairie Coteau

Adv.)

MISSION ACTION-(Stewardship): Dee Sanderson, PH:605-

228-2567 E-mail; deesand@aol.com 2305 Sanderson Dr., Ab-

erdeen, SD 57401 2nd year, 1st term (Northern Plains Adv.)

MISSION GROWTH-(Justice): Ardith McFarland, PH:605-

347-3153 E-mail:triplecreekranch@msn.com 21546 Ricard Rd,

Sturgis, SD 57785 2nd year 2nd term (Bear Butte Advisor)

MISSION COMMUNITY-(Discipleship): Mary Hildebrandt,

PH:605-482-8516 PO Box 86, Ramona, SD 57054

E-mail:derraldmary@alliancecom.net

2nd year, 1st term (Medary Advisor)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Vicki Persson, Ph:605-732-4605, E-

mail: Vicki@midstatesd.net 38896 268th St. Corsica, SD 57328

1st year, 2nd Term (Prairie Rivers Advisor)

MEMBER AT LARGE: Lucille Birkholtz, Ph:605-625-3765,

E-mail: LMBirk@itctel.com 42341 193rd St., Willow Lake, SD

57278 1st, 2nd term (Medary Advisor)

LITERACY CHAIRPERSON: Sally Hillner PH:605-

692-5590 E-mail:sallyh@brookings.net

505 Minnesota Dr., Brookings, SD 57006

RACIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES Formerly—TODAYS’S

DREAM TOMORROW’S REALITY: Mardella Bieber PH:605

-685-6984 E-mail: dmbieber@abe.midco.net PO Box 266,

Bowdle, SD 57428

Margene Thompson: E-mail:amthompson@santel.net PH:605-

248-2444 39141 240th St., Letcher SD 57359

NEWSLETTER: Lucille Birkholtz PH & FAX:605-625-

3765 E-mail:LMBirk@itctel.com 42341 193rd St, Willow

Lake, SD 57278

FACEBOOK GURU: Maria Birch 605-680-9429 mari-

abirch@midstatesd.net

South Dakota Synodical

Lucille Birkholtz, Editor

42341 193rd St.

Willow Lake, SD 57278

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

2014 National Convention Promotor– Janet Mattison

A verse that was given to me as I continue to

spread the word about our July 24-27, 2014

TRIENNIAL Convention in Charlotte, North

Carolina Isaiah 28:23 "Give ear and hear

my voice, Listen and hear my speech." To

me it says I need to listen to God's voice and

spread the word for our next Triennial. And

I have some tools to help us do that. I will

share more at the Synodical Convention in Sioux Falls, at Our

Savior's Lutheran Church- June 21-22, 2013.

What I have so far is very exciting. Charlotte plans to welcome

and host us with open arms. It is a city with so many adven-

tures. If you have been to a previous Triennial you know it is a

time filled with God's message and direction for us. Also a time

to have fellowship with so many Women of the

ELCA. COME AND JOIN A SPIRITUAL TIME THAT

YOU WILL NEVER FORGET. Please contact me if you are

'thinking' you might want to go so I can get any up to date in-

formation I receive to help you make the decision to join us in

attending this Triennial. Contact me at: mattisonj@knology.net

or 605-642-7503. I am anxious to hear from you,... and I am

going to keep spreading the word. Work for His glory, In

Christ-- Janet Mattison SD Promoter