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Julie Schneider-Thomas Bishop Installation Photo Gallery

Bishop Julie’s Installation 09/2025

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Who We Are

People focused

We value connection.

Grace filled

We cherish this gift from God in Jesus.

Welcome all

We welcome all people.

Connected across the mitten

From St. Joe to Alpena.

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+

Baptized members

Church building
Person in a pulpit

181

 Rostered leaders

Lower peninsula of Michigan with stars to indicate where the conferences are

Upcoming Events

Wandering and Wondering with Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas

  • Wild Church

    This is a photo of Lake Huron taken from the St. Paul Lutheran’s picnic grounds, Alpena. It’s about as Pure Michigan as it gets! Although summer does not begin until June 21, that has not stopped us from switching into summer mode. Gardens are planted, boats are now in the lake, pools are filled, and plans are being made to take some time to recreate outside. A sunny, 75-degree Michigan day is our reward for shoveling wet snow back in February!

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  • 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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News

Small Talk: Summer Safety Prevention Training

As we slip and slide into summertime, our children will be diving into new adventures. Leaving behind the routine of the school year, kids will be traveling, attending camps, visiting relatives and parents will be frantically figuring out how to make sure their children are cared for during the busy work week.

Think for a second about the children in your life – and in your congregation’s life. What do they have to look forward to this summer? Where might they go and what might they do? And what risks might they encounter along the way?

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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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