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Julie Schneider-Thomas Bishop Installation Photo Gallery

Bishop Julie’s Installation 09/2025

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Synod Shoutout

  • How Much Snow?!

    After a week of true Northern Michigan winter, where communities saw several inches of snow accumulation, fierce winds, and drifts reaching multiple feet high, one story coming out of our synod was nothing short of inspiring!

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View Synod Shoutout archives >

North/West Lower Michigan Synod at a Glance

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25,000+

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181

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Upcoming Events

Wandering and Wondering with Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas

  • Persistence

    The friendship began with the kids bringing me dead cicadas. I’m not sure why they thought I would be interested and I hoped they weren’t killing the bugs for my benefit. My mind quickly went to work figuring out how I was going to re-direct my two new-found Honduran friends. Our synod team was at a national park in Honduras holding a first aid training for the local health workers in our companion synod. I had stepped outside because I was not on the agenda for some time, and I had work to do to get ready for synod assembly.

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  • Change Bucket

    At home, we have a “change bucket” that we have thrown change into for many years. In fact, when we started our change bucket, people were still using change quite commonly! We were also much younger and fresh out of school; so, it was not uncommon to dig into the change bucket to pay for a fast-food meal or an overdue library book. Sorting through our bucket felt a bit like time travel, as I discovered several Chuck E. Cheese tokens from when our daughter was young. There were a few German marks from a trip we took in 1999, just before the Euro was introduced. There were some Canadian coins and even a “coin” from a Mardi Gras parade. I’m wondering what others found in their change jars.

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  • The Picture Never Does it Justice…

    The picture never does it justice. When I am with you on Sunday mornings and I try to get a picture of the gathering, the foreground looms large and you all seem so small in the background. The picture does not capture that moment accurately. Additionally, we can talk about how the picture does not give testimony to power of the singing, the depth of God’s Word spoken to us, and the deliciousness of the meal that reminds us that right in the middle of this, Jesus is with us.

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News

Check In: Spring Storms

Dear Friends in Christ, In the wake of last night’s severe storms across Michigan, we are holding you in our…
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Palm Sunday Path

Michigan Palm Sunday Path FAQs: Learn more about Palm Sunday Path from the purpose to expectations.

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Synod Disaster Relief Fund

If there’s one thing Michiganders know, it’s that the weather can turn on a dime – and when it brings…
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Bishop Julie’s Installation Photos ARE HERE

We’re excited to share that the photos from Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas’s Installation are now available! It was such a beautiful…
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Communication Survey

Oct. 03: Please consider taking a couple of minutes to complete the survey below. We want to hear how you…
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National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools

September 30 – National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools Every Child Matters Today, we honor and remember the…
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Celebrating the Installation of Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas

On Saturday, September 13th our synod gathered in joyful celebration for the installation of Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas. The service was…
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August 2025 Mission Support Memo from the ELCA

From the ELCA:  This month’s Mission Support Memo focuses on our 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, celebrating the elections of a new…
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Introduction of New NWLM Synod Staff

See the attached letter from Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas that provides information related to the new synod staff, office location, mailing…
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