Our Stories

Mission Interpretation provides a number of communications vehicles and services:

• Latest communications news!
• Latest communications resources!
• MinistryLink.org, the Synod’s website, which provides news, the event calendar, resource downloads, and more to keep you connected with our Synod’s shared mission.
• Social Media networking through our SEPA Synod Facebook page and Twitter feed (@SEPASynod).
• MinistryLink e-newsletter, our twice-monthly email blasts with the latest on Synod happenings, learning events to enhance your ministry, resources from the ELCA, the seminary and other partners, and other information to help your congregation’s leaders work more effectively. Subscribe now!
• Roster updates, occasional emails with special news, continuing education events and other resources for pastors, diaconal ministers, deaconesses and associates in ministry on our roster. Subscribe now!
• Communications counsel to the bishop, synodical organization and its programs and committees.
• Congregational communications consulting, including conversations about how the changing communications landscape impacts your ability to reach out to your community.
• Media relations, our efforts to tell the story of our Church in the public media by building relationships with reporters and editors, issuing news releases and responding to reporters’ inquiries.
• Ministry technology, including audiovisual and new media support for Synod programs and events (including Assembly, conference gatherings, FLY, etc.); consulting about audiovisual installations and the use of media in worship; and the use of the internet and social networking in ministry.
• Crisis communications consulting for the Synod organization and congregations. If you are faced with a crisis situation that may involve public relations and the media, please contact Bob Fisher as soon as possible.

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Equipping Congregations for Communications

SEPA Communications staff and volunteers are available for workshops and presentations for congregation and conference gatherings. Presentations are available on a variety of subjects, including navigating digital culture, creating and managing websites, using Facebook, Twitter and other social media, creating great presentations, and more. For information contact Bob Fisher.

We also Facebook networking groups for Congregational Communicators (anyone who serves in communications ministry, from editing newsletters to designing websites, from maintaining social media presence to A/V and worship tech) and for Congregation Council leaders. These are networking groups that help congregational leaders to ask questions, share resources and learn from each other. For more information contact Bob Fisher.

We also sponsor occasional in-person trainings and meet-ups for communicators.

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Telling your story

If you have a story that may be of interest to the local and regional media, or if you receive a call from a reporter and wish advice, contact Bob at 267.323.3743 or via email.

If you have information that you want to distribute to the synod via MinistryLINK.org or an e-newsletter, send the information in writing, at least 4 weeks in advance of when you would like information to be distributed, to us via email. To help you generate your information, please consult these publicity guidelines. If you have a flyer or registration form you’d like us to consider posting on the website, please send it to this address in Adobe Acrobat PDF or Microsoft Word format only.

To be considered for MinistryLink or the website each item must include a summary paragraph written in the format used in our e-newsletters. For examples visit the Archive website.

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