ALASKA SYNOD
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Loss, Grief and Nostalgia in Congregational Life
Bishop Michael Girlinghouse

Rev. Mike Girlinghouse has served as Bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod since July of 2011. Prior to being called to serve as Bishop, he was Pastor of University Lutheran Church in Norman, OK and Campus Pastor for the University of Oklahoma. Ordained in 1987, Bishop Mike has served as a parish pastor, campus pastor and in congregations in transition or in need of a substitute pastor.  Bishop Mike has also served as an instructor at two universities teaching courses in Death and Dying and World Religion.  In addition to his book, Embracing God's Future without Forgetting the Past (Fortress 2018), Bishop Mike is a devotional writer who has written for Christ in our Home and posts a daily devotion on Facebook.  Bishop Mike was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, attended college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN and seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.  He is married and has one adult daughter.  

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Loss, Grief and Nostalgia in Congregational Life

All congregations have experienced significant changes in the past two years.  Even before the pandemic many congregations were dealing with declining church participation, aging membership and other changes.  All these changes resulted in loss, and with loss comes grief.  In this presentation at the 2022 Alaska Synod Assembly, Bishop Mike Girlinghouse explored how this grief impacts and is expressed in congregational systems, the role yearning and nostalgia play in that grief and how we can draw on those memories of the past to step into God's future.  
bishop_mike_girlinghouse_.mp4
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Picture

​Office of the Alaska Synod
​1847 W. Northern Lights Blvd.
Suite 2
Anchorage, AK 99517

(c) Alaska Synod

​Office (907) 272-8899
Fax (907) 274-3141




​Bishop Shelley Wickstrom

aksynodbishop@gmail.com

DEM Pastor Lisa Smith Fiegel
alaskadem@gmail.com

Chris Aquino,
​    Office Manager

elcaalaska@gmail.com
  • Home
    • About the Synod
    • Around the Synod
    • Giving
    • Region One Financial Services
  • Leadership
    • Becoming a Pastor or Deacon
    • For Pastors and Deacons
    • Partners
    • SAM Process
    • Synod Constitution and Policies
    • Synod Council
    • About the Bishop and DEM
  • Mission
    • First Fruits Grants
    • Mission Funds >
      • Seminary Support Funds
      • SPLM Endowment
      • TEAM and TEAM Grants
    • Mission Table
    • Rooted and Growing in Christ
    • Synod Ministry Plan
  • Congregations
    • Call Process
    • Congregational Transitions
    • Congregational Annual Reports
    • Congregations by Cluster
    • Prayer Concerns
    • Rostered Leader Annual Reports
    • Resources for Congregations
    • Tips on Facebook for Congregations
  • Groups
    • AK Child & Family
    • ASWO - Women of the ELCA
    • For Youth
    • For Youth Workers
    • Hunger Team
    • Kuwaa Mission
    • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
    • Lutheran Men in Mission
  • Resources
    • ACEs in Alaska
    • Bible Studies
    • Building Community Now
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Coaching
    • Compassionate, Nonviolent Communication
    • Consultation to Clergy
    • Disaster Preparedness
    • ELCA Social Statements
    • Forms
    • Generosity and Stewardship
    • Links to other helpful resources
    • Online Worship and Engagement
    • Shaping and sharing stories of God
    • Spiritual Practices
    • Staff Booklist
    • Suicide Prevention
  • Events
    • 2023 Assembly Registration
    • 2023 Assembly Home-stay
    • 2023 Assembly Display Space
    • 2023 Pre-Assembly Workshop Registration
    • 2023 Assembly Resources
    • 2023 Collegium Registration
    • Preaching: SAM Unit
    • Digital Classes
    • Loss, Grief and Nostalgia
    • Free Series on Luther
    • Telling our Stories in the World Workshop