Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” John 4:13-14 (The Message translation) 

May 4, 2025 

Dear Friends in Christ,

In the middle of Lent, staff and cluster deans gathered at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center on the edge of Spokane for a two-night retreat. We heard reports on every ministry site in our synod from the deans. We worshiped together. We discussed what our rostered and lay leaders need in this moment. We gathered around the piano for a hymn sing. We looked at our synod map and dreamed not just about cluster boundaries shifting but deeper connections and collaborations all for the sake of the gospel. This time of deeply connecting our clusters and ministries and imagining for the future is possible because of Mission Support given to the synod.

In early April your synod council met at Camp Lutherhaven in person! We had an agenda full of worship, business items, hearing with an ELCA Churchwide guest, and hearing from several working groups. It is no small thing in our geographically large synod to pull the council together in person twice each year, but the synod is healthier and stronger for this time of connection. The generosity of your congregation makes possible these opportunities to gather and work in partnership for our shared mission.

At the end of April, DEM Pastor Liv Larson Andrews hosted, at the synod office, two congregational teams, their coaches, and ELCA Churchwide staff, all part of the ELCA’s Congregations Lead Initiative. The next week, several Spokane area congregations and synod staff participated in the Presbytery of the Northwest’s Stewarding Faith Property for Community Good: A Community Roundtable. Our Episcopal colleagues are again inviting ELCA congregations to participate in their summer College for Congregational Development. Synod staff can foster relationships with ELCA Churchwide and ecumenical partners on your behalf thanks to the Mission Support you give to the NWIM Synod.

Anticipating the Festival of Pentecost always means simultaneously anticipating summer camp! Thank you also for your support of our Lutheran Outdoor Ministries—helping recruit summer staff, giving camperships through the camps or your local congregation, signing up for work weekends and family and adult programming, praying, and sending words of encouragement. We recognize our LOM sites as vital to the ministries of our congregations and the synod as a whole.

Peace,

Bishop Meggan Manlove