November 27th was the day after a big snowfall and lots of flight delays. Despite the challenges of getting into on that snowy morning your DEM, the Rev. Irma Banales, and I were at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide offices near O’Hare airport. As part of our #InMissionTogether focus we are participating with five synods in a focused effort to build partnership and awareness across the church.

We are here with the Bishop and DEM of the Upstate New York Synod, North Carolina Synod, SW Washington Synod, and Indiana-Kentucky Synod as well as churchwide staff. Each synod has developed contextual plans for the work they are up to. These plans are each then the focus of an hour of conversation. Looking for ways to connect and find points of continuity. It has already been a fruitful morning of telling the story of NT-NL Synod, ELCA as well as Briarwood Retreat Center.