In ThIs Issue

MAY 2018 • VoluMe 31, Issue 5NortheasterN Iowa

Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaStar

>> Continued on page 2

Celebrating Renewal: Philip Melanchthon — education

Faith-based education shapes children’s well-beingby Marcia hahn

1 Faith-based education shapes children’s well-being

3 The One Thing that is Eternal

4 Welcome to Guests

5 Synod Assembly is June 8-10

6 St. Ansgar is a new partner to neighborhood school

7 Congregations

8 Prayer Calendar

Kris Meyer, principal of St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Waverly, be-lieves that teaching children the skills to become resilient, indepen-dent thinkers and problem solv-ers can help families and have an impact on the entire community.

“Children today are experiencing more anxiety than in the past and families are busy and stressed, so schools need to step up to help the kids know themselves and regulate themselves,” Meyer says. “We want to be part of that to help families.”

Some 223 students from eight area communities and 20 different con-gregations are enrolled at St. Paul’s this year, including 101 preschool-ers and 122 students in kinder-garten through sixth. St. Paul’s is the only K-6 Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America school in Iowa and is accredited by the Iowa De-partment of Education.

CENTER OF WELLNESS St. Paul’s is certified as a “Center of Wellness” through its membership with the Evangelical Lutheran Edu-cation Association. The certification means that St. Paul’s has adopted a strategy to nurture seven areas of well-being for students and staff. Special programming gives students opportunities to step away from their textbooks and learn about themselves, their well-being and their growth in the community.

“As a faith-based school, we have a little bit more freedom to do things differently to be pro-active in teaching life skills beyond the class-room,” Meyer says.

SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING St. Paul’s uses the Lutheran tradition to nurture students’ spiritual growth in their love for God and how they exemplify their Christian beliefs and treat others. The school uses Iowa Core standards and faith-based curricula, in-cluding religion classes and daily devotions and prayers. Teachers use Bible stories as

part of literacy to instruct students and to help them prepare the stu-dent-led weekly worship services.

Students express their faith by sup-porting mission work, such as the local food bank, clean water proj-ects, and ELCA World Hunger. The “God Smiles” program recognizes students for kind acts they have

Second grade students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Waverly, lead the weekly worship service.

Kris Meyer

2 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

Faith-based education shapes children’s well-being << Continued from page 1

shown to others. They learn that simple gestures of holding a door open for someone or sharing a ball at recess make a difference.

“It’s a reflection of who we are as Christians,” Meyer says.

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING Pro-active programs help students take charge of their emotions, gain confidence and overcome fears. A parent nurse practitioner intro-duced activities to help students focus on positive thoughts rather than negative. Instead of expressing dislike for their brothers or sisters, the students learned to say, “Some-times they are fun to play with.”

Students also learned simple breathing exercises to help them relax, become calm and feel safe. A new “reset” office space offers a safe place where they can take time out to reset their emotions and inner selves without distractions.

“We don’t always take time in our world to find peace in our day or in ourselves,” Meyer says. “If we can teach these habits for children, it will affect the whole family.”

VOCATIONAL WELL-BEING St. Paul’s partners with community leaders to help students learn about vocations and develop a sense of calling to use their talents in ser-vice to God and others. When the director of the Waverly Chamber of Commerce spoke to first graders about how the Chamber helps local businesses, the students asked their teacher if they could visit the busi-nesses to learn more.

“They walked downtown, shook the hands of the owners and asked questions: ‘How did you learn this

job?’ ‘How long did you want to do this?’ ‘How much time does it take to run a business?’ ” Meyer says.

Field trips take students to the local hospital, fire station, city hall and other places in Iowa. The sixth grade class travels to Washington D.C. each year to cap off their year-long learning project about American history and service to the country.

INTELLECTUAL WELL-BEING St. Paul’s offers an enriched core curriculum for all grades, including classes in Spanish, music, com-puter, art, and thinking, exceeding requirements set by the state. Two years ago St. Paul’s became a pilot school for a University of Iowa re-search program to develop engaging science learning environments at all grade levels. The goal is to create a curriculum that can be transferred to other disciplines to enhance students’ critical thinking, problem solving and self-management skills

Meyer invites groups of students to join her in twice-weekly “Merry Little Lunches” to give students an opportunity to talk about their fa-vorite happenings at St. Paul’s and to ask hard questions. Students are encouraged to further explore areas of interest together by forming their own clubs, such as the Chat and Chew Book Club, Friendship Club, Drama Club, Star Wars Club, German Club, and Chess Club.

Parents and others from the com-munity come to the school to share about their hobbies and areas of expertise to demonstrate that learn-ing can be lifelong.

“We want learning to be a way of life throughout their lives,” Meyer says.

SOCIAL WELL-BEING According to Meyer, high level learning can best be accomplished

>> Continued on page 3

Students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School visit Waverly City Hall to learn about Waverly water and the best practices for conserving it.

3MAY 2018

The church matters more.

The church is the one thing on earth that is eternal.

I recently had an important, but not difficult, con-versation with a group of pastors in our synod. They were asking about process and commitments to ordination vows. I am grateful for the candor of the conversation, the respect that they showed me as bishop and the respect that they showed me as a person. I left the time together with a deep apprecia-tion for these leaders of the church.

I believe that we are entering a time where we are understanding that nothing matters more than the church. Our life together is not about the personal-ity of the pastor. It is not about how we feel about the

congregation that gives my family services. It is about the church. It is about the church’s mission. It is about the Gospel.

I have never been more hopeful

— Steven L. Ullestad Bishop, Northeastern Iowa Synod

BIshoP

The one Thing that is eternal“I believe that we are entering a

time where we are understanding

that nothing matters more than

the church.”

if students have a strong and con-fident sense of self. “We’ve learned that if the social and emotional needs are met, then the academics can be met.”

Meyer likens St. Paul’s culture to a one-room school house where children of different ages grow up together learning to respect one an-other, listen to their teachers, take turns, and give positive feedback.

All students participate in the Cross-Grade Friends, which pairs each student in the lower grades with an older buddy from an upper grade to share special activities to-gether. Students share social times with congregation members from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and with intergenerational friends from the nearby Bartels Lutheran Retire-ment Community. The students bring gifts, share musical talents, and talk and read with the residents to build relationships.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING Play time and planned activities help students develop healthy habits. Teachers encourage stu-dents to get out of their desks and do physical activities during class to “reboot” their brains so they can better focus on learning.

A Walking Club at recess encour-ages students to earn rewards for walking a certain number of miles. Community partners come in to teach students skills to use for fire safety, electrical safety, financial lit-eracy, good nutrition, environmen-tal sciences, responding to danger, anxiety prevention, and backpack ergonomics.

The St. Paul’s Parent Teachers Or-ganization supports maintaining a safe and well-equipped playground. Meyer cites a research study that showed that recess time can reduce the need for attention deficit medi-cations and can increase academic

results. She says the staff is inter-ested in increasing recess time to see if those results hold true.

St. Paul’s Lutheran School students share “Gifts of Joy” with their friends at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community.

Faith-based education shapes children’s well-being << Continued from page 2

>> Continued on page 8

4 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

noRTheasTeRn Iowa synod Bishop Steven L. Ullestad – ullestads@neiasynod.org Assistants to the Bishop Rev. Mark A. Anderson – andersonm@neiasynod.org Rev. Stephen Brackett – bracketts@neiasynod.org Linda J. Hudgins – hudginsl@neiasynod.org ELCA Director for Evangelical Mission Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson – colville-hansonj@neiasynod.org Star Editor Marcia Hahn – hahnm@neiasynod.org

The Star is published 11 times a year by the Northeastern Iowa Synod, 201 20th Street SW, PO Box 804, Waverly, IA 50677-0804; www.neiasynod.org, phone 319-352-1414, FAX 319-352-1416.

Send news for the June 2018 issue to Marcia Hahn by May 11. We welcome story ideas related to the 2018 theme, “Celebrating Renewal: Philip Melanchthon — Education.”

Articles in this newsletter may be duplicated for use in synod congregations and organizations, with credit to the Star newsletter.

Please notify the synod office with name and address changes. To receive an electronic version of the Star, rather than paper, send your request to hahnm@neiasynod.org. www.neiasynod.org

welcome to Companion synod GuestsFour visitors from the Namibia and Hungary companion synods will be guests of the Northeastern Iowa Synod this summer.

CAMP EWALU GUEST

Eszter Andó, a 24-year-old woman from Hungary, will serve as a member of the camp staff at Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center. She will arrive May 26 and leave Aug. 11.

Eszter was baptized in the Lutheran Church. At age six she began playing piano, includ-ing for the church and in com-petitions. In her free time she is a vocalist and piano player in a rock band.

Eszter is currently in university studies for biology and geography teaching. During her most recent semester, she taught a high school geography class. She is coming to Ewalu to gain work experience with youth in an inter-national environment and to improve her language and communication skills.

“I feel myself free when I can be with younger people. I love teaching and I like doing my best in it. I think it is im-portant for the kids to have a guide to follow. In my opin-ion, besides the physical health, it’s important to have ti-diness, stillness and harmony in their mind and soul too. I think faith is essential for young people (and for adults too) — confession in themselves, and confession in God, who is inside of them.”

YOUTH GATHERING GUESTS

Two youth from Namibia and one from Hungary will join host con-gregations from this synod to trav-el to the ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston.

Áron Czapek is a 17-year-old Lutheran living in Budapest. He attends secondary school where he is in a specialized science class. Áron’s interests are sports — especially soccer — American

TV series and movies, and languages. He will be travel-ing to the Youth Gathering with the youth from Trinity Lutheran, Mason City.

“After graduation I am planning to go to university as I would like to be a technical manager. Before that I am re-ally looking forward to taking part in the ELCA Gathering and visiting you.”

Marian Torodis is from the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Republic of Namibia. Marian will be traveling to the Gathering with the youth from St. Paul, Hampton.

Lidwine Ndeshipewa Mukulu, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia, will be attending the Gathering with the youth from Grace Lutheran, Tripoli.

These three Youth Gathering guests will arrive June 17 in Chicago for a brief orientation. They will then come to Iowa to be with their host congregations until they are ready to depart to the Gathering in Houston. The guests will stay with their host youth groups during the entire Gathering, so they will spend all their time at the Gathering with synod youth.

Afterward, the three visiting youth will return to Iowa for a few more days, so they will have time to get to know this synod and its congregations.

Eszter Andó

Áron Czapek

5MAY 2018

CeLeBRaTInG RenewaL: PhILIP MeLanChThon — eduCaTIona focus on education and the influ-ence of Philip Melanchthon will high-light the 2018 Northeastern Iowa synod assembly set for June 8 – 10 at wartburg College in waverly.

assembly events will include worship and communion services, plenary ses-sions, forums, seminars, ministry ex-hibits and more. the synod assembly will elect a vice president, secretary, synod council and committee mem-bers, and voting members for the 2019 Churchwide assembly.

keynoTe sPeakeR Rev. Dr. Timothy J. Wengert

the rev. Dr. timothy J. wengert, an eLCa pastor and professor emeritus of reformation history at the Lutheran theological seminary at Philadelphia (now known as United Lutheran seminary), will present the key-note address, “‘More Lutheran than Luther:’ Philip Melanchthon and the educational reformation of the Church.”

a parish pastor for seven years in Minnesota and wisconsin, wengert received his doctorate from Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, Usa) in 1984. he has written exten-sively on the reformation, including several books on Philip Melanchthon

and Martin Luther. he was co-editor of the english edition of the Book of Concord (Fortress, 2000) and trans-lated Luther’s small Catechism, wide-ly used throughout the evangelical Lutheran Church in america.

wengert will present three semi-nars on topics related to Luther’s Catechisms, the augsburg Confession, and Melanchthon’s apology of the augsburg Confession.

ChuRChwIde RePResenTaTIVe Rev. Heidi Torgerson-Martinez

representing the church-wide or-ganization will be the rev. heidi torgerson-Martinez, director for Global service, eLCa, in the Global Mission unit. heidi leads the team that recruits, calls, trains, and sup-ports some 230 eLCa missionaries in nearly 50 countries around the world.

torgerson-Martinez’s previous calls include eight years of service as the Program Director for Young adults in Global Mission (YaGM) and four years of mission service in Mexico. she is originally from a small town in North Dakota, and is a graduate of Luther College and the Lutheran school of theology at Chicago.

she plans to present seminars relat-ed to missionary service and Young adults in Global Mission.

seMInaRs and FoRuMstwo forums and 20 seminars are scheduled for saturday in three break-out sessions. topics include mission goals, compensation, Luther’s cate-chism, augsburg Confession, mission-ary service, companions in hungary, women and justice, digital tools, safe policies, called ministry, money, elec-tronic giving, stewardship, disaster re-sponse, vacation Bible school, youth ministry, cross-generational ministry, welcoming immigrants, and racial jus-tice.

woRshIP oFFeRInGsAssembly offerings will support the Companion Synod Travel Fund and the Northeastern Iowa Synod H. George Anderson Fund for Leaders.

To learn more, visit www.neiasyn-od.org/synod-assembly-2018.

synod assembly set for June 8 -10

ReGIsTeR eaRLy FoR asseMBLy dIsCounTThe early-bird registration fee for the 2018 Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly is available until Tuesday, May 8. After that date, an additional $25 fee will be added per person.

Registration materials were in-cluded in the March 2018 issue of the Star newsletter and can be downloaded on the synod website at www.neiasynod.org/synod-assembly-2018.

Rev. Dr. Timothy J. Wengert

Rev. Heidi Torgerson-Martinez

6 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church in Waterloo has stepped up its pres-ence in the neighborhood and in the lives of students and teachers at near-by Lowell Elementary. St. Ansgar be-came a “Partner in Education” with the Lowell third grade classes in December, and virtually everyone in the congregation has found a way to be involved.

“Our goal is to provide extra ser-vices for the students,” says Sharon Johnson, a retired teacher and St. Ansgar member who is helping coor-dinate the project.

When the Lowell students were taking Iowa Assessment tests, St. Ansgar members brought treats for the students’ mid-morning break. During a recent lunch shift, St. Ansgar volunteers served cookies to students who were being honored for a month of perfect attendance. The con-gregation gave each third grader a story book for Christmas, and for Valentine’s Day, they brought cook-ies in bags decorated with words of encouragement. Other congregation members have donated funds for gifts or supported school fundraisers.

“We want the children to know they are loved by God and by this neigh-borhood,” says Kristen Wipperman, St. Ansgar pastor.

Some 25 members from the congre-gation have joined in a pen pal jour-nal exchange with the 45 third grad-

ers. Each month pen pals from St. Ansgar write about what’s go-ing on in their life, share about their family and pets, and let the chil-dren know they are thinking of them. The follow-ing month, the students reply with their own journal entries.

“Doing the jour-nals and having the partners in-

volved in the school motivates the kids,” says Ashley Leonard, St. Ansgar member and teacher at Lowell. “The kids are really excited to see what their partners have written, and they are eager to write back.”

Johnson recently had a chance to meet her pen pal when she was help-ing with a lunch at Lowell. “He was so excited to meet me; he gave me a big hug.”

Wipperman says the partnership has been good for the congregation, es-pecially since most of the members are older. “Our members feel recon-nected with another generation.”

St. Ansgar no longer offers a week-ly Sunday school, but members are

invited to stay after worship once a month for a “Matthew 25” inter-generational hour of education. Congregation members have used this time to create special gifts and treats for their Lowell partners or to write encouraging notes for them — “Keep up the good work.” “Hang in there.” “We’re rooting for you.”

“It’s a positive for the kids because so many don’t get that kind of encour-agement at home,” Johnson says. “These notes let them know that someone else cares for them.”

Leonard says that the kids notice and appreciate seeing their partners from St. Ansgar at school events, such as when the pastor and a couple mem-bers attended a recent spelling bee. “The kids were so happy to see that support,” Leonard says. “Their pres-ence showed that people in the com-munity care about them and want to see what they are doing.”

Above: Pastor Kristen Wipperman and Sharon John-son at St. Ansgar Church, Waterloo.

Left: As Partners in Education, St. Ansgar and Lowell Elementary share a pen pal journal exchange.

st. ansgar is a new partner to neighborhood school

>> Continued on page 7

“Our congregation is having fun meeting God in the neighborhood.”

— Pastor Kristen Wipperman

7MAY 2018

May eVenTs3 Meeting, Interim Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m.3 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, Lutheran Student Center, Cedar Falls, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.4 Meeting, Candidacy Committee, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 11 Event, Postville Immigration Raid 10th Anniversary, St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, Postville, 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.12 Meeting, LYON, Synod Office, 10-11 a.m.28 Office Closed, Memorial Day

June eVenTs7 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m. 8-10 Event, Synod Assembly, Wartburg College, Waverly 10-13 Event, WIYLDE (Wholly Iowa Leadership Discipling Event), Wartburg College, Waverly 11-12 Office Closed16 Event, NE Iowa Synodical Women’s Organization Convention, Wartburg College, Waverly27-July 1 Event, ELCA Youth Gathering, Houston, TX

JuLy eVenTs 1 Event, ELCA Youth Gathering, Houston, TX4 Office Closed, Independence Day5 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

auGusT eVenTs 2 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m. 2 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, TBA, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.16-17 Meeting, Candidacy, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

ConGReGaTIonseVenTs

InsTaLLInG Rev. Tracy Hinkel, St. John, Sumner, June 17

InTeRVIewInG Osage, Our Savior (staff), Rev. Cheryl Szabo, interim associate Story City, Bethany Life (chaplain) Waterloo, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

seLF-sTudy Castalia, Zion Charles City, Messiah Chester, United Denver, St. Peter, Rev. Charis Combs-Lay, interim Dows, First Dysart, Zion Independence, Immanuel (staff) Janesville, Messiah & Denver, St. John (Maxfield) (Unity of the Cross Parish of Bremer County) Mason City, St. Paul, Rev. Burton Everist, interim Nashua, St. John, Rev. Diane Odermann, interim Radcliffe, Our Savior’s and Zion Tripoli, St. John (Crane Creek) Waukon, St. John, Rev. Bill Odermann, interim

RosTeR ChanGes Rev. Curtis Schneider, transferred to Greater Milwaukee Synod

Leonard adds that many of the students come from single parent homes and lower income families that may move in and out of the district, so having this additional support system in the neighborhood is important.

“It’s a good connection in the community for the kids and families to see St. Ansgar in their neighborhood and to know they are their partners,” Leonard says.

Wipperman says the partnership fits in well with other neighborhood events the congregation hosts, including their annual Trunk or Treat for Halloween, garage sale co-ordinated by the Women of the ELCA, and outdoor wor-ship and lunch as part of “God’s work. Our hands.”

“Our congregation is having fun meeting God in the neighborhood,” Wipperman says. “This is how Jesus works, and we are richly blessed by this partnership.”

St. Ansgar is a new partner to neighborhood school<< Continued from page 6

Mark the date for Fall ConferenceFall Theological Conference Oct. 14-16, 2018 Dubuque, Iowa

Mark your calendar for the Fall Theological Confer-ence set for Oct. 14-16 at the Best Western Midway, Dubuque. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Giere, associate professor of Homiletics and Biblical Interpretation at Wartburg Theological Seminary, will give the keynote, with a focus on preaching the Gospel of Luke.

Watch for more information in the Star and on the synod website.

PRayeR CaLendaR

MaY 2018sUN MoN tUe weD thU FrI sat

H. George Anderson Fund for Leaders

Rev. Paul J. Fohs, Deloit

1

Rev. Randall V. Baldwin, Lake Mills

2

Janice M. Kraabel, Decorah

3

Good Samaritan Center, West Union

4

Eileen Delk, Welch, Minn. Rev. Scott

Johnson, Story CityRev. James M.

Magelssen, Mason CityRev. Phillip E. Olson,

Eldorado

5

Decorah, Decorah

6

Rev. Edwin A. Schick, Dubuque

Rev. Karla K. Wildberger, Dubuque

7

Rev. Dale A. Halverson, Northfield, Minn.

8

St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Waverly

9

Deacon Marianne J. Beck, Waverly

10

Evelyn R. Fitzgerald, Charles City

11First, Decorah

12

Rev. Kevin G. Frey, New Hampton

13

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago,

Ill.

14

Glenwood, Decorah

15

Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus,

Ohio

16

Middle East Peace Good Shepherd,

Decorah

17

Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque

18

Ann M. Bolinger, Pine Island, Minn.

Haldis Kaasa, Decorah

19

Hauge, Decorah

20

Marilyn Ingebretson, Carrollton, Texas

21

Rev. Laura Gentry, Lansing

Rev. Dennis W. Hanson, Cedar Falls

22

Rev. Nicole L. Woodley, Clarion

23

Rev. Gary L. Johnson, Cedar Falls

Leota Lenning, Wheaton, Ill.

Rev. Timothy C. Miller, Williamsburg

24Hesper, Decorah

25

Rev. Russell G. Leeper, Charles City

26Rev. Joel L.

Guttormson, Lake MillsRev. Edgar M. Krentz,

Chicago, Ill.

27Highland, Decorah

28

Luther College Congregation, Decorah

29

St. John’s Evangelical, Decorah

30

Washington Prairie, Decorah

31

July 10, 2018 Bethesda Lutheran, Ames, Iowa

Portico Benefit Services will host a one-day pre-retirement seminar Tuesday, July 10, at Bethesda Lutheran Church, Ames.

The seminar is a valuable retire-ment planning resource for those who are age 50-plus or are within 15 years of retirement and par-ticipating in the ELCA Retirement Plan.

The seminar will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $35 per person or $70 per couple. Lunch and refreshments are included.

To learn more and register, visit https://myportico.porticoben-efits.org/NewsEvents/Events/Pre-RetirementSeminars.

Pre-Retirement seminar

“No devices are allowed on the playground, so during play time children learn to build their social competence, solve problems, think on their own, and engage in trial and error.”

FINANCIAL WELL-BEING As a Lutheran school, St. Paul’s understands the responsibility of being entrusted to use talents and resources for good. St. Paul’s began a partnership with the local State Bank and Junior Achievement to teach students about money and financial responsibility so that they can begin good habits that will lead to a lifetime of financial well-being.

Students practice benevolence and philanthropy by sharing “Gifts of Joy” with their friends from the retirement center and by donating worship offerings to support local,

Faith-based education shapes children’s well-being << Continued from page 3

national and global missions. They practice stewardship of creation by using the water from the school’s dehumidifiers to water plants.

The students develop habits to con-serve energy by turning lights off and using sustainable items, such as reusable utensils, eating ware and napkins. They also are in charge of emptying the items collected in each classroom for recycling.

“By the very nature of our culture, we promote respecting others as well as the things around us,” Meyer says. “We are able to focus on the power of giving generously because we have been blessed with so many riches that go beyond ma-terial things.”

www.stpaulswaverly.org/school

St. Paul says, has equipped each one of us withspecial gifts for the common good. When we join together in our circles, at Clustermeetings or Synod Assemblies or our annualGathering, we have the opportunity to share thosegifts with others, and to learn from them. It is a joyto witness the many friendships that are renewedevery year at the Gathering, and to meet andwelcome newcomers to our ministry. We comeaway renewed and strengthened for our journey, andthe church continues to grow. Join us on June 16 inWaverly! Submitted by Jan Harbaugh

Mission Area: JusticeEQUAL EXCHANGE: A JUSTICE ISSUE

At the 31st Annual Gathering at Wartburg College,June 16, 2018, there will be an opportunity topurchase Equal Exchange coffee, tea and chocolate.What is Equal Exchange? Equal Exchange is acooperative; an organization based on democraticprinciples. As a worker cooperative it is a way thatfood can be traded in a way that is honest and fair, away that empowers both farmers and consumers.The goal is not to maximize profits nor enhance thepockets of investors. Rather the goal is to bringabout fair trade; farmers receive a fair portion oftheir time, energy and capital invested in theirproduct and consumers receive a high-qualityproduct.

In 1986 the Equal Exchange founders took a bigrisk with fairly-traded coffee from Nicaragua. Afterovercoming numerous obstacles, the venture wassuccessful. Three decades later Equal Exchangeremains viable, despite many challenges.According to their website: “As consumers, we havebeen over-loaded with labels and certifications,while the Fair Trade movement has been watereddown in favor of corporate interests. The whole foodindustry has continued to consolidate into the handsof just a few big players, allowing concentrated

From the PresidentBlessed are the weary…….Weary is more than just being tired. It is whenyou have hit your breaking point. You just feelempty. For most of us, this is not a constantfeeling (thank goodness), but one that comes andgoes with the busy-ness of our lives. Sometimes itjust sneaks up from behind and other times it islike a 2 x 4 to the head. Regardless, there comes apoint when we all need to recharge, refill, get anew perspective. This year’sGathering on June 16 atWartburg College can do justthat! We will start the day at8:15 with worship andfellowship, a little shopping,interest sessions, a greatlunch, an amazing keynotespeaker and I promise, ashort business meeting.Consider joining us for your re-fill of the Spirit,your re-charge of worship, and your newperspective on our service in the name of the trueand risen Lord, Jesus Christ. I am looking forwardto seeing all of you and finding Jesus at the centerof all we do together as Women of the ELCA inNortheastern Iowa!Blessed to be weary,Diane Wills

Mission Area: Discipleship“There are different spiritual gifts but the sameSpirit; and there are different ministries and thesame Lord; and there are different activities butthe same God who produces all of them ineveryone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given toeach person for the common good.” I Cor. 12:4–7 Have you ever thought that the pastor is notthe only person called to your church? In fact, theHoly Spirit has called each and every member tobe a part of the community of the church, and, as

As a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by

the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage

in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world.

May 2018Volume 31Number 5

Good News

Some favorites willbe with us!The bookstore will beopen from 10–1, andWorld’s Windows willbe joining us as well!

CALENDARMay 1 June Good News deadlineMay 5 LWR Truck Loading, First Lutheran, DecorahMay 19 SWO Board, 9–12:30, McCoy Room, Wartburg

CollegeMay 15 Deadline for 1st time attendee scholarship and

education scholarship applicationsJune 1 Deadline for convention early registrationJun. 15 SWO Board 7 p.m.–9 p.m., McCoy Room,

Wartburg CollegeJun. 16 31st Annual NE IA Synod Women of the ELCA

Gathering, Wartburg College, WaverlyJune 20 Deadline for reservations for Global Health

Ministries and Lutheran World Relief tour visitJuly 30–31 Tour visit to Global Health Ministries and

Lutheran World Relief in St. PaulNov. 3 LWR Truck Loading, Decorah Ingathering for C, E and H, Fredsville Lutheran,

rural Cedar Falls

power and deception of choice.”Purchasing a bag of Equal Exchange coffee,

tea or chocolate is an act of justice. As you savoryour morning cup, or delight in that chocolatebar, know that the farmer who planted, weeded,picked, bagged and shipped your purchase wasgiven a fair wage. By receiving a fair wage forhis/her labor justice has been served. ContactEqual Exchange at shop.equalexchange.coop and1-774-776-7366. Submitted by pastor Jane AGranzow, retired.

Mission Area: StewardshipJune 2018 – Celebrating 31 years of theSynodical Women’s Organization (SWO)In faith we rely on God to guide us; but we alsorely on you for your interest, support, andattendance. We are excited and look forward tosharing our event with you on Saturday, June 16!Please remember to pray for those who attend and

NEIA Women of the ELCA Executive Board

Diane Wills, President 641-425-8628 wills.dianes@gmail.com

Cindy Pogge, Vice President515-571-2827 jpogge1233@gmail.com

Anna Jetson, Secretary952-240-9569 amjetson@yahoo.com

Beverly Sheridan, Treasurer563-382-9025 sherida701@gmail.com701 Serenity DriveDecorah, IA 52101

Good NewsEditor Jan Harbaugh112 W. Wilbur St., Hawkeye, IA 52147563-412-8906 jan.harbaugh@gmail.comArticles are due the 1st of the month for the next month'snewsletter (e.g. April 1 for May issue). Please put WELCA in yoursubject line. (You can also send paper copies by “snail” mail.)

Contact Women of the ELCA at:773.380.2730 or 800.638.3522, ext. 2730http://www.womenoftheelca.org/8765 W. Higgins RoadChicago, IL 60631-4189NEIA Women of the ELCA website:neiasynod.org/women-of-the-ELCA

encourage participation from the women of yourchurch units and clusters.

We need to focus on ourfuture and set goals andshare ideas. We are soappreciative of yourfeedback! You are ourstrength. You are not only acaretaker of your family butalso of God’s family as weare all sisters in Christ andshare a bond of faith!

If your church unit is notsending a delegate,alternate, or guest, your unit may want to considermailing an offering to our treasurer, Bev Sheridan,in support of our SWO Convention. Half of theoffering is designated to the LSI $5,000 SpiritualityChallenge and the other half goes to Churchwide.We hope to meet LSI’s challenge as it will be endingsoon. We appreciate your support of our mission.

I encourage those planning to attend theconvention to bring bars of soap or rolled bandagesin support of our tour visit to Global HealthMinistries & Lutheran World Relief in July. Youmay also want to consider joining us for thisovernight trip. More info will be available at theconvention or you can contact Diane Wills withyour questions.

Convention Reminders: 1st time attendeescholarship applications for convention are due byMay 15. Also, if your unit has a motion/resolutionthat they wish to submit for our event the due date isMay 15.May God bless you on your faith journey,Submitted by Della Benson

Tour visit to GlobalHealth Ministries &Lutheran WorldRelief in July. Cost$125/personincludes hotel.Optional Twinsbaseball gameMonday night is$25

Living Faith

This information has been prepared for you by the Northeastern Iowa Synod-

Home Life Network for use by families and local congregations. For more ideas about

how you can pass on faith in your homes go to: http://www.neiasynod.org Find us on Facebook!

Encourage One

Another

Faith Practices Dear Fellow Soul Shapers, Happy Spring! “It is well with my Soul” is one of my favorite hymns, but it also a theme for life. Sometimes life and living one’s vocation, in my case as a Minister of Word and Service, can be overwhelming. I am coming to realize that no matter what we do, it is important to take care of all the aspects of our soul. Wellness includes Social, Emotional, Intellectual, Financial, Physical, and Vocational areas of our life. Exercise and taking care to be healthy are a way to help with living a faithful life. This issue offers a milestone blessing with some ideas for individuals, families, and congregations to encourage wellness through bicycles. Going on a bike ride is a great way to connect with each other through conversation, see God’s beautiful creation, make memories, learn something, and get the body moving. We are blessed to live in an area that offers bike trails that are safe and meander through breathtaking scenery. This blessing can be adapted for use with bikes with motors too! See you around! Blessings on the Journey, Elayne Werges, Deacon, Cross Roads Lutheran Parish, Osage/Nora Springs Iowa

MILESTONE BLESSINGS:

Milestone Ministry is a way to lift up and bless the ordinary things that we do every day. Things that we may not think about as ways that we praise God. Many times, Milestones recognizes and celebrates times along the faith journey that mark growth in faith, such as baptism, first communion, receiving a Bible, Confirmation, and Graduation. But other times in life can also be recognized, such as going to camp, getting a driver’s license, recognition of military service, or quilts that are being sent to Lutheran World Relief. There are three parts to a milestone. First-a learning event; Second- recognizing publicly that this is being done. And finally-a gift that will help one to remember this milestone. Also, that this is a tool that can be used to build faith. Milestones are a great way to lift up the ministry that is done Monday thru Sunday.

Welcome: Do Highs and Lows! Have everyone share a blessing and a boo boos.

For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.

The Word: A reading from Ezekiel: When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. (Ezek. 1:19-21)

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Let us pray. God of play and transport, We are thrilled to be able to experience your world from the seat of our motorcycles and bicycles, from our skateboards and scooters and rollerblades. Keep those who ride mindful of cars and animals, rocks on the trails, and rounding corners. Keep those who drive aware of speedy bicycles, new riders wavering in their steadiness, and the tenderness of training wheels.

Bless these wheels that they would move us from place to place safely. Bless the helmets that we wear that they would protect us if we fall and be a sign to those around us that we value the life you have given us.

Be the wind at our back and the strength to push up a hill. Grant us safe travel throughout our days , may it be well with our souls, and guide us safely home each night. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Gift: Present a name License plate, helmet, a cross sticker, or spoke beads as a reminder of this blessing.

Blessing: May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be ever at your back. May all your journeying be joyous. And until we meet again, may God hold you and your bicycles in the palm of God’s hand. Go in peace and safety. Amen. Adapted from Sundays and Seasons.

Ideas for Home:

• Talk about bike safety. For help go to: https://icsw.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/

• Go for a bike ride as a family. Talk about God’s creation, about sunrises and sunsets, or how important it is to tend to our health by exercising.

Ideas for Congregation:

• Sponsor a bike rodeo-invite local law enforcement officers to teach about safety. Offer healthy snacks and treats. Have a blessing of the bicycles.

• Have an all congregation BRTTN-“Bike Ride Through the Neighborhood”. Invite those along the way to join you.

• Have a blessing and sending for those in your congregation that are attending “RAGBRI”. If you are near the trail, offer the church building as a sanctuary.