35th Annual Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly

After lunch we had a choice of breakout sessions. Marilyn decided to join me in Workshop 5: Congregations and Change, since her original breakout room was filled. Rev. Wyvetta Bullock serves as an Assoc to the Bishop in The Chicago Synod. She explained how the pandemic impacted many churches in the area. She was explaining how many congregations are joining forces together. They may have a Pet Blessing for 3 churches in the area to get enough people to attend. Sunday schools can be combined so that the children can be with other children. Maybe you only have Sunday School every 3rd Sunday at your church and have the children attend the other churches that you have teamed up with the other times. They also have seen some churches combine financially, but that is sometimes difficult. She stated that many of the congregations have the same few people attend and run every event and they are getting tired. Sometimes we have to think outside the box. Finding things to do together with your church and community has proven to be successful with many churches. For example when Pastor Adam passes out meals to the community in Chicago. What are our community needs? How can we help? 

Between 2:30-4:30pm Aimee attended a Blanket Exercise in the Ballroom. It was lead by Vance Blackfox, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. It was a powerful exercise that brought Aimee to tears. It is an experiential learning tool that originated in Canada. The blanket exercise has been used to educate general populations in Canada, United States and other parts of the world. Vance Blackfox lead a group of participants through 500+ years of Indigenous history. He highlighted the relationship that Indigenous people had with European explorers, colonial settlers and Federal and State governments. There was a lot of participation during the exercise. We all originally were standing on the blankets and as history took place he would have groups of people sit down as they were killed off in history. The last hour he took questions or let people discuss how the exercise made them feel. Very informative. Thank the ground that we walk on daily. He suggested for us all to research history ourselves, read the diaries of Christopher Columbus and to help support Indigenous people living in America today. The ELCA will be dedicating some of their funds to build houses for the homeless population on some of the reservations. He suggested visiting the Chicago American Indian Museum too.