As the new fa-cilitator for the Northeastern Iowa Synod Hunger Net-work, Alison Northrop wants to make sure that congrega-tions are aware of the oppor-tunities and resources available to fight both hunger and poverty in their communities and around the world.

“We want to develop relationships with the congregations to give them the tools to educate their own mem-bers about hunger and poverty,” Northrop says.

The Hunger Network is partnering with the synod’s Lutheran Youth Organization Board to help con-gregations get active in a new way in the fight against poverty and hunger. They plan to host a dance marathon Saturday, Feb. 15, at St. Paul’s Lutheran, Waverly, and invite congregations to form dance teams to raise donations leading up to the marathon and to keep the momen-tum going afterward.

Northrop says the network will reach out to the congregations’ hunger leaders to encourage them

to form the teams. She will then follow up with each team after the dance marathon to provide hunger resources to help them build aware-ness and continue their fund-raising efforts year round.

“We are also looking for new mem-bers to join the Northeastern Iowa Synod Hunger Network,” Northrop says.

Network members meet once a month by conference call to plan hunger-related projects throughout the year. Northrop has resource packets and training programs to help members of the network con-sult with congregations who want to build their hunger support.

ELCA World Hunger is in the fore-front in addressing hunger and pov-erty issues, but other missions are just as vital, including the ELCA Malaria Campaign, disaster re-sponse efforts, clean water projects, and local food banks and meals.

“A lot of issues are connected to hunger,” Northrop says. “Malaria is a hunger and poverty issue, not just an illness. People get malaria because they are in poverty, and they stay in poverty because malaria keeps people from working. A natu-ral disaster can compound every-thing. ”

According to Northrop, who has been involved with synod hunger efforts for nine years, congregations are finding new and creative hands‐on ways to fight hunger locally and around the world.

One congregation rented umbrel-las to parishioners during a worship

In ThIs Issue

OctOber 2013 • VOlume 26, Issue 9NortheasterN Iowa

Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaStarstrengthening Ministry networks

Resources help congregations fight hungerThe Hunger Network and LYO Board team up for a new hunger event by Marcia hahn

>> Continued on page 2

1 Resources help congregations fight hunger

3 Networking event is filled with excitement

4 Rediscover Macedonia

6 Northeastern Iowa Synod congregations join ELCA service day

7 Congregations

12 Prayer Calendar

Alison Northrop

“I encourage people to find their passion in hunger issues, advocate for them, and raise money to support them.” —Alison Northrop

2 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

service to protect themselves from the youth who were ready to mist them every time water was men-tioned. The rental fees supported a clean water project.

“Gardening projects have been out-standing, popping up all over the synod,” Northrop says. Holy Trinity, Dubuque, started a garden at the church to use the produce in com-munity meals, give to local food pantries, and make available for congregation members in need.

St. Paul, Wellsburg, promoted the malaria campaign by handing out a Lifesaver and a net during the town parade. Included was a note that said, “Malaria nets are lifesavers.” Redeemer, Waverly, has food bags available at the church for people to borrow and bring back full of food for the local food bank. “The bright-ly colored bag sitting at home on the kitchen counter reminds people to fill it.”

Several congregations fill backpacks with food for school‐age children to take home over the weekend. Salem, Lake Mills, participates in a summer meals program for stu-dents. “Some kids don’t know where their next meal is coming from, es-pecially on the weekend,” Northrop notes.

Rally Day at Northrop’s church, Zion St. John, Sheffield, featured four rotations for the children to learn about hunger, fresh water wells, malaria, and God’s Global Barnyard. Each child received a barn bank to take home to support animal-related projects through God’s Global Barnyard. “Giving the banks encouraged the kids to share with their parents about the proj-ect.”

The local food pantry is the first line of defense and recovery when a tornado, earthquake or other disas-ter strikes a community. Northrop

recommends that congrega-tions work with the community and local agen-cies to see how well prepared they are for a local disaster.

Numerous resources are available free or for minimal costs through ELCA World Hunger, such as information on water projects, advent services, meals, repro-ducible stories,

posters, Good Gifts catalogues, bulletin board inserts, offering en-velopes, and more. The Taking Root Sunday school curriculum uses a Biblical connection to help students from kindergarten through grade 12 learn about hunger.

“Giving in this synod has been really great for hunger and malaria missions,” Northrop says. “I encour-age people to find their passion in hunger issues, advocate for them, and raise money to support them.”

To arrange a presentation or consul-tation from the Northeastern Iowa Synod Hunger Network or to join the network, contact Northrop at youth@zionstjohn.org.

Learn more about fighting hunger at the network’s Facebook page, NE Iowa Hunger Network ELCA, and at the ELCA blog, Hunger Rumblings, http://blogs.elca.org/hungerrum-blings.

Resources help congregations fight hunger<< Continued from page 1

HUNGER FACTS• Some 963 million people world-

wide are hungry, or one in seven people.

• One billion people live on less than one dollar per day.

• 146 million children under age five are underweight.

• Top causes of hunger worldwide include war and conflict, natural disasters, poor agricultural and environmental practices, popula-tion growth, and the continuing trap of poverty.

Sources: ELCA World Hunger, United Nations World Food Programme

Each Sunday school class at Zion St. John, Sheffield, squeezes into a net as part of a lesson about hunger, malaria, water projects and God’s Global Barnyard.

3OCtOber 2013

The Fall Leadership Event is rapidly becoming one of my favorite days of ministry. This year 11 networks and committees met for a morning of visioning and planning for the min-istries of the synod. The morning was filled with energy and creativ-ity. On several occasions a network would connect with another to share ideas and plan together new

ways of reaching out to people. This event was about networking people

and resources for the sake of witness and service.

In his opening devotions, Pastor Mark Anderson connected us to the Acts 9 account of Barnabas intro-ducing Saul to the disciples. Obviously, the apostles were frightened and suspi-

cious about meeting with him. They did not really believe that he was a dis-ciple. However, Barnabas believed Saul and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas gives the account of what had happened in Saul’s life and, finally, Saul is ac-cepted.

Joseph, known as Barnabas the “son of encouragement,” networked Saul with the disciples, and the course of the emerging Christian community was changed forever.

Mark continued his message by remembering his daughter’s first visit to the synod office. “Where is the youth room? Where is the pre-school?” she asked. The synod office has no youth room. However, we network youth ministries throughout our synod to strengthen and encourage the youth minis-tries of our congregations. We do not have a pre-school. We do have a Home Life Network to equip parents with resources to help their children meet Jesus in their homes. These are but two examples of how our ministry networks connect resources and people to strengthen a church that is daily making Christ known.

That’s why the Fall Leadership Event is a day filled with excite-ment, energy and joy!

− Steven L. Ullestad Bishop, Northeastern Iowa Synod

BIshop

networking event is filled with excitement This event was about

networking people and resources for the sake of

witness and service.

Bishop Steven Ullestad addresses those attending the Northeastern Iowa Synod Fall Leadership Event.

Pastor Burton Everist, Craig Russell, Pastor Susan Friedrich, and Kenny Lueschow, Jr., confer at the Northeastern Iowa Synod Fall Leadership Event in September.

4 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

“Rediscovering Macedonia has been a tremendous resource for our congregation to inspire generosity and growing giving.”

noRTheasTeRn Iowa synod Bishop Rev. Dr. Steven L. Ullestad – ullestads@neiasynod.org Assistants to the Bishop Rev. Mark A. Anderson – andersonm@neiasynod.org Rev. Darrel W. Gerrietts – gerriettsd@neiasynod.org Linda J. Hudgins – hudginsl@neiasynod.org ELCA Director for Evangelical Mission Rev. 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 November issue to Marcia Hahn by Oct. 15. We welcome story ideas related to the 2013 theme, “Strengthening Ministry Networks.”

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

Bethlehem Lutheran Church is committed to talking about financial stewardship as a faith practice that encourages growth in faith rather than a tedious way to raise money for the congregation. We look for inspiration for generos-ity rather than financial need or a hefty helping of guilt. Rediscover-ing Macedonia has been a tremen-dous resource for our congregation to inspire generosity and growing giving. We used it in October 2012 and will use it again this fall.

Congregations probably have already decided on a financial stewardship program for the fall of 2013, but, as long as you are thinking about it now, I encourage you to file away Redis-cover Macedonia for next year. The resources for Rediscover Macedonia have been developed by people within the ELCA who are excited about whole life stewardship as a faith practice.

The place to start is www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Discipleship/Stewardship/Macedonia.aspx. Here you will find resources that

are centered on Paul’s appeal to the Corinthian church found in 2 Cor-inthians 8:1-15. He holds up the Macedonians as people who were so full of God’s grace, that even in the midst of affliction and poverty, they gave generously for ministry. They are positively inspiring.

The resources are extensive, way more than a congregation can use in the typical four week financial stewardship emphasis. In fact, Bethlehem is going back to the resources again this year because we could not use them all for one series.

We focused on the seven guiding prin-ciples exhibited by the Macedo-nian congrega-

tion: Gratitude, Abundant Joy, Generosity, Commitment, Sacrifice, Share, and Give Freely. Each was ac-companied by a bookmark, a Bible study, learning activities for all ages, stories that captured the principle, and guided conversations.

We found the information on building a case for supporting what God is doing in our church to be very helpful for people to see the value of giving to God through our congregation, and through the synod and churchwide expressions of the church. More than half of the “giving units” in Bethlehem increased their giving, not as an ob-ligation, but as a response of faith to practice that faith. They were positively inspiring.

Rediscover MacedoniaBy pastor Gary heddingBethlehem Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls

God’s work, our Blog Be sure to check out the new synod blog, God’s Work, Our Blog, at http://northeasterniowasynodelca.blogspot.com.

The blog will be updated with news every Thursday. On Tuesdays the blog will include an entry from Pastor Mark Anderson, assistant to the Bishop, on the topic of stewardship. His contributions will alternate weekly between a review of stewardship education tools and texts from Holy Scripture.

sTewaRdshIp

5OCtOber 2013

Tri-state ForumThursday, Oct. 17, 2013 Storied Lives: Friendship, ethics and care at the end of life

What does it mean for God’s mission when the hands and feet of apostles are no longer sturdy enough to go out into the world and when the minds of disciples are clouded by de-mentia? This session will offer reflections in Biblical stories to engage in God’s mission through care at the end of life. The presenter will be Dr. Audrey West, who has served on the tenured faculty of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and more recently, as a visiting professor at Yale Di-vinity School and in the Luther Seminary Doctor of ministry program in Biblical Preaching.

The cost to attend any of the Tri-State Forum’s lectures is $65 per lecture. Cost for forum membership, which includes all four lectures, is $175. Con-tinuing education units are available.

To register or for more informa-tion, call 563-589-0302, email lifelonglearners@wartburg-seminary.edu, or visit www.wartburgseminary.edu.

portico pre-Retirement seminarOct. 29, 2013 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Bethesda Lutheran, Ames Portico will host a pre-retirement seminar Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 1517 Northwestern, Ames, from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. This seminar will be presented in collaboration with Ernst & Young to cover retirement topics such as how much money is needed in retirement, how to avoid common retirement traps, how to protect assets to ensure money is there when needed, how to create a lifetime income, and how to ensure a smooth transition to retirement.

Cost to attend is $35 per person or $70 per couple. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are included. To register, send an email to ezellner@porticobe-nefits.org with names of those attending, email address, and dietary restrictions. To learn more, call 800-352-2876.

Congregations prepare for emergenciesThe Northeastern Iowa Synod Di-saster Network made a push earlier this year for each congregation to have at least one automated exter-nal defibrillator (AED) on site. The congregations of St. Peter, Toeter-ville, and Deer Creek, Carpenter, purchased AEDs this summer through an initiative sponsored by the St. Ansgar Rescue Squad, which provided CPR training to congre-gation members. St. John, Charles City, recently mounted a glassed-in box containing an AED and first-aid kit in a visible location for anyone to access, when needed.

Once 911 is called in an emergency, response time is generally eight to 12 minutes. An AED can be used immediately by anyone to analyze the victim’s heart, and if necessary, shock the heart if it is in a danger-ous rhythm. AEDs can be purchased through multiple sources, including the American Red Cross http://phss.redcross.org/aedoffers.

Three rescue members from St. Peter, Toeterville, take refresher training on CPR and congregation’s AED.

A new cabinet at St. John, Charles City, displays the first aid kit and automated external defibrillator.

Get the Star onlineTo receive an electronic version of the Star newsletter instead of a paper version, send an email to hahnm@neiasynod.org with the subject: Online Only.

6 NortheasterN Iowa syNod | www.neiasynod.org

Members of the Northeastern Iowa Synod congregations were out helping in their communi-ties Sunday, Sept. 8, as part of the “God’s work. Our hands.” dedicated day of service. The special day was in celebration of the 25th anniver-sary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Here is a look at some of the service projects done in this synod:

• Some 70 members of Lord of Life, Dubuque, ranging in age from preschool to retirement, helped the Asbury Park Depart-ment paint swing sets, bicycle racks and other playground equipment. They stained park benches, raked mulch and did general cleanup of Asbury and Althaus parks. Another group did roadside

cleanup, all clad in “God’s work. Our hands.” T-shirts.

• Good Shepherd, Decorah, incorporated the “God’s Work. Our Hands.” theme into their fourth annual “Welcome Neighbors” picnic. Picnickers wore the ELCA gold T-shirts, which will be worn by congregation members for other church

occasions and projects. They shared a meal, games, and live music with neighbors and all who wanted to join them.

• Donned in gold ELCA T-shirts, more than 50 members of Trinity, Mason City, helped with mainte-nance of the Washington Playground. They spread new mulch around the play-ground equipment, weeded, picked up litter, swept and raked debris on the grounds

and blacktop, painted new stripes on the basketball court, and trimmed a hedge.

• Members of Glenwood and Canoe Ridge churches, Decorah, tied quilts and assembled school kits for Lutheran World Relief,

packaged rice and beans for local food pantries and gathered paper products to donate to the Mosaic ministry houses in Decorah and Waukon.

• About 20 members of Immanuel, Cresco, made freezer meals and did yard work for a nearly blind elderly neighbor.

• Members from St. Paul’s, Waverly, prepared meals for shut-ins, tied quilts, and helped harvest produce in the Waverly Community Gardens, and the choir sang for residents at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Center.

View more photos at www.neiasynod.org/synod_news.

northeastern Iowa synod congregations join eLCa service day

Members of St. Paul’s, Waverly, help harvest in the Waverly Community Gardens.

Children from Glenwood, Decorah, learn to tie quilts for Lutheran World Relief.

Volunteers from Lord of Life, Dubuque, cel-ebrate the Sept. 8 ELCA service day.

7OCtOber 2013

ConGReGaTIonsevenTs

oCToBeR evenTs3 Meeting, First Call Theological Education, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.3 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, Trinity, Mason City, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 7 Workshop, “How to Save the Family Farm and Church,” St. Peter, Denver, 6:30-8 p.m. 8 Workshop, “How to Save the Family Farm and Church,” American Lutheran, Grundy Center, 6:30-8 p.m.8 Training, Safeguarding God’s Children Trainers, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 10 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m. 12 Meeting, LYO Leadership Team, Synod Office, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.17 Meeting, Colleague Group Leaders, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 18-19 Event, Middle School Lock-In, Wellness Center, UNI 20 Event, Safeguarding God’s Children, St. Peter, Dubuque, 2-5 p.m. 29 Event, Pre-Retirement Seminar, Bethesda Lutheran, Ames, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.31 Meeting, SAFE Team, 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

noveMBeR evenTs7 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, St. Petri, Story City, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 9 Meeting, LYO Leadership Team, Synod Office, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.12 Meeting, Fall Conference Planning Committee, 1:30 p.m. 13 Event, Mason City/Lake Con Fest, TBA, Mason City, 6-8:30 p.m.14 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m.14 Meeting, Deans and Chaplains, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 16 Meeting, Synodical Women’s Organization, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon 28-29 Office Closed, Thanksgiving Observance

deCeMBeR evenTs5 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, Zion St. John, Sheffield, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 6-7 Meeting, Candidacy Committee 10 Meeting, LYO Leadership Team, Synod Office, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.12 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m.14 Meeting, Life-Long Learning, Synod Office, 9:30 a.m.24-25 Office Closed, Christmas Observance

JanuaRy evenTs1 Office Closed, New Year’s Day Observance9 Meeting, Interim Ministry Colleague Group, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

InTeRvIewInGClarksville, St. John, Rev. Irving Sandberg, interim Hawkeye, Trinity, Rev. David R. Nelson, interim Mason City, Our Saviour’s, Rev. Tom Dettmer, interim Nashua, St. John, Rev. Alan Schulz, interim New Hampton, Trinity (staff) Ossian, Stavanger Radcliffe, Our Savior, Rev. Tom Jones, interim

seLF-sTudyAlta Vista, Zion and Lawler, Immanuel (Crane Creek), Rev. Vincent Fricke, interimBelmond, Trinity Calmar, Calmar and Decorah, Springfield, Rev. Phillip Olson, interim Castalia, Zion Cedar Falls, St. John (staff), Rev. Duane Miller, interim associate Decorah, Big Canoe and Highland Dubuque, Luther Manor Iowa Falls, BethanyMason City, St. JamesMaynard, St. Paul, Rev. Jim Adix, interim Stanhope, Our Savior Sumner, St. Peter (Richfield) & Waucoma, St. John (Stapleton) Tripoli, Grace & St. John (Crane Creek), Rev. Scott Duffus, interim Wellsburg, St. Paul, Rev. Burton Everist, interim West Union, Zion, Rev. Nancy Larson, interim

RosTeR ChanGesRev. Karri Anderson, on leave from callRev. Joelle Colville-Hanson, ELCA Director for Evangelical MissionRonald Bronemann, resigned from the rosterRev. John Gannett, on leave from callRev. David Andreae, retired

9 Meeting, Youth Ministry Network, Immanuel, Cresco, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.11 Meeting, LYO Leadership Team, Synod Office, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.16 Meeting, FCTE Executive Committee, 10:30 a.m.18 Meeting, Synodical Women’s Organization, 8:30 a.m.-noon25 (snow date from 1/18) Meeting, Synodical Women’s Organization 30-Feb 3 Event, Extravaganza, St. Louis, Mo.31-Feb 3 Event, ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza, St. Louis, Mo.

pRayeR CaLendaR

oCtober 2013sUN MoN tUe weD thU FrI sat

Hanna Langholz, Decorah

1

Rev. Bruce L. Hanson, Garnavillo

Rev. Dr. James B. Martin-Schramm,

Decorah

2

Patricia Gjere, Decorah

3

Rev. Kurt M. Bockoven,

IndependenceRev. James K.

Knudson, Waterloo

4

Trinity, New Hampton

5

St. Luke, Nora Springs

6

Rev. Karri L. Anderson, Coon

Rapids, Minn.

7First, Northwood

8

Silver Lake, Northwood

9Zion, Oelwein

10Rock Creek, Osage

11

Rev. Jennifer J. Bohls, Mason City

12

St. John (Rock Twp.), Osage

13

Rev. Andrew G. Oppedahl Jr.,

Dubuque

14

Our Savior, Osage

15

Rev. J. David Vasquez Levy, Decorah

Rev. Mark D. Walker, Greene

16

Middle East Peace Stavanger, Ossian

17Ossian, Ossian

18

Rev. John D. Deines, Cedar Falls

19

St. Paul, Postville

20

Rev. Mark A. Anderson, Waverly

21Our Savior, Radcliffe

22

Rev. Elizabeth A. Olson, Waverly

23

Rev. Gregory T. Bjornstad, Dubuque

Rev. Oliver E. Johnson, Waverly

Rev. Amy Zalk Larson, Decorah

24Zion, Radcliffe

25

Rev. Larry A. Trachte, Waverly

Rev. Melissa A. Waterman,

Dubuque

26

Madison, Ridgeway

27

Gretchen Jacobson, Cedar Falls

Rev. Dena M. Stinson, Waterloo

28Peace, Ridgeway

29

Rev. William J. Peters, Lake Mills

30

Rev. Harriet C. Danielson, Ridgeway

Rev. Dennis A. Hugdahl,

Farmington, Minn.

31

safeguarding God’s Children Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 St. Peter Lutheran, Dubuque

A free session of the “Safeguarding God’s Children” training program will be offered Sunday, Oct. 20, 2-5 p.m., at St. Peter Lutheran, 3200 Asbury Rd., Dubuque. The training provides information to help church staff and vol-unteers learn how to protect the children they know and care for in their personal lives and in the ministries in which they serve.

Call the St. Peter church office at 563-583-0860 to register.

namibia needs helpOur Companion Synod in Namibia is experiencing a a food and water crisis due to a prolonged drought. Nearly 40 percent of the population is at risk of hunger or outright starva-tion until the next rainy season.

The Lutheran World Federation is working with Lutheran churches in Namibia to respond with cash grants for food and other servic-es. To help with this effort, send a gift marked “Namibia Drought Relief” to the Northeastern Iowa Synod, PO Box 804, Waverly, IA 50677. The gift will be forwarded to the relief efforts.

Learn more at www.lutheran-world.org.

Middle school Lock-In Oct. 18-19, 2013 University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

There is still time to register for the Middle School Lock-In. The theme is “In Christ: 1, Excluded: 0,” based on Galatians 3:28. Registration forms and other information can be found at www.neiasynod.org/youth. For more informa-tion, contact A. J. Houseman, young adult and UNI campus minister, at 319-266-1653 or lscuni@uni.edu.