Seward peninsula Lutheran ministry (SPLM) endowment
God is at work among the six ELCA Seward Peninsula congregations in Alaska. Five congregations are located on the Seward Peninsula in remote Northwest Alaska in Nome, Brevig Mission, Teller, Shishmaref and Wales. Another SPLM congregation serves Alaska Native and Caucasian populations in Anchorage. Together, these congregations serve God and their communities with their deep faith, rich cultural heritage and commitment to community.
The Seward Peninsula Lutheran Ministry Endowment Fund was established in the 1990s to support the work of these vital ministries. Learn more about the people of the Seward Peninsula, the ministries, the challenges and opportunities to support God’s work on the Seward Peninsula. Keep current on God's work through this ministry by subscribing to the quarterly Seward Peninsula Lutheran Ministry e-newsletter below.
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PARTNER WITH SPLM Your gifts can assure that the ministry of Jesus Christ continues in this treasured land for years to come. Call the Synod Office to set up recurring monthly payments direct from your bank or send gifts to: SPLM Endowment Fund Alaska Synod, ELCA 1847 W. Northern Lights Blvd. #2 Anchorage, Alaska 99517-3343 Donation Form Direct Thrivent Choice Dollars to support SPLM SPLM Brochure |
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THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE
“The songs teach people how to be strong. Songs help the younger people live the right way, more truthful to themselves and others. Church has a lot of meaning for young people. Church brings out gifts in people they didn’t know they had. When they realize their gifts they can bring their lives back into line." Seward Peninsula elder
These words from an elder ring with the history, the deep faith and the understanding that comes from years of experiencing the life of the Lutheran Church on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. These words reflect the struggles and victories which have been the story of the Inupiat Eskimo people and their faith since they first welcomed Lutheran missionaries in 1894.
The Inupiat people have lived on the Seward Peninsula for more than 10,000 years. These deeply spiritual, indigenous people have developed a Christian faith that is tested daily against the harsh arctic environment. This faith resulted in the establishment of congregations in villages just below the Arctic Circle in Wales, Brevig Mission, Teller and Shishmaref, and in larger cities of Nome and Anchorage.
These Christians live out their faith by serving each other and village neighbors. They have trusted God through huge physical and socioeconomic challenges. Congregations have become the social and spiritual centers of community life, a stabilizing presence in the midst of chaos. Members of Seward Peninsula congregations live out traditional Inupiat values in conjunction with their faith – sharing, humility, cooperation and respect for others, elders and nature, among other values.
THE MINISTRIES AND IMPACT
Five Seward Peninsula congregations are served by an ordained pastor, with one served by a trained and lay pastor. Congregations meet for weekly worship and some hold Sunday school and Confirmation classes. These congregations also gather frequently for special worship services of song and testimony called “Singsprations.” These are held monthly in some areas and often held to honor someone who has died. Singspirations draw in lifelong community members across Alaska and are part of the evangelical outreach of these dedicated ministries. Congregations sing and pray both in English and Inupiat, thus encouraging cultural and language preservation. In most villages, the Lutheran church is the only church in town, so pastor and members serve to minister to all those who are sick and dying, as well as those in need of wedding ceremonies and funerals for long-time community members. Pastors also serve other functions in villages – visiting, supporting school events and providing comfort, prayer, and a listening ear when needed.
The congregations gather as a cluster twice each year for Spring and Fall Conference. These 3-5 day events are full of worship and praise, singing, testimony, fellowship and business meetings for the clusters. All are welcome at these joy filled events; Please contact the synod office if you’d like to attend an upcoming conference.
Enjoy "Blessed Jesus, Hold My Hand" at the SPLM Spring Conference in Shishmaref, Alaska in Spring 2013.
Another cluster highlight is the shared Salmon Lake Bible Camp experience for youth in upper elementary through high school.
The Salmon Lake Lutheran camp is located outside of Nome and runs for three weeks each summer. Pastors and adult leaders facilitate this camp, supported by many other volunteers. Each village sends youth, who report camp as a highlight of the year. Students engage in Bible study, small groups, singing, fellowship, games and outdoor activities. Emphasis is also placed on cultural traditions and activities.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES
Throughout the history of these churches, economic and social realities have been a constant barrier to the ministries. Consider:
THE MINISTRIES AND IMPACT
Five Seward Peninsula congregations are served by an ordained pastor, with one served by a trained and lay pastor. Congregations meet for weekly worship and some hold Sunday school and Confirmation classes. These congregations also gather frequently for special worship services of song and testimony called “Singsprations.” These are held monthly in some areas and often held to honor someone who has died. Singspirations draw in lifelong community members across Alaska and are part of the evangelical outreach of these dedicated ministries. Congregations sing and pray both in English and Inupiat, thus encouraging cultural and language preservation. In most villages, the Lutheran church is the only church in town, so pastor and members serve to minister to all those who are sick and dying, as well as those in need of wedding ceremonies and funerals for long-time community members. Pastors also serve other functions in villages – visiting, supporting school events and providing comfort, prayer, and a listening ear when needed.
The congregations gather as a cluster twice each year for Spring and Fall Conference. These 3-5 day events are full of worship and praise, singing, testimony, fellowship and business meetings for the clusters. All are welcome at these joy filled events; Please contact the synod office if you’d like to attend an upcoming conference.
Enjoy "Blessed Jesus, Hold My Hand" at the SPLM Spring Conference in Shishmaref, Alaska in Spring 2013.
Another cluster highlight is the shared Salmon Lake Bible Camp experience for youth in upper elementary through high school.
The Salmon Lake Lutheran camp is located outside of Nome and runs for three weeks each summer. Pastors and adult leaders facilitate this camp, supported by many other volunteers. Each village sends youth, who report camp as a highlight of the year. Students engage in Bible study, small groups, singing, fellowship, games and outdoor activities. Emphasis is also placed on cultural traditions and activities.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES
Throughout the history of these churches, economic and social realities have been a constant barrier to the ministries. Consider:
- Most people in villages live below poverty line; three villages lack running water and flush toilets
- Most live a no-cash or low-cash subsistence lifestyle: fishing, hunting, and gathering
- Cost of utilities, air travel and airfreight, and building maintenance has skyrocketed
- Many struggle with issues around cultural preservation v. assimilation
- Villages struggle with high rates of depression, suicide and domestic violence
- Congregations cannot sustain ministry costs on their own
- ELCA churchwide support has been vital for years, but has decreased
- Mission Partner congregation gifts have been vital, but are not enough
- Current SPLM Endowment interest distributions are helpful, but still small
OPPORTUNITY AND BENEFITS
After its launch in the 1990s, the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Ministry Endowment Fund slowly grew, thanks to contributions from congregations and individuals. Significant gifts were contributed by Seward Peninsula individuals and congregations. In the mid-2000s, synod leaders launched a campaign to bring the endowment over $1 million. This successful campaign led to the beginning of interest distributions from the fund. The six congregations evenly split a portion of the interest income each year, and a portion is set aside as a shared pool for capital and emergency expenses. Currently, congregations use their portion of the interest disbursement on: fuel costs, ministerial support and program expenses. While the disbursements are small, they are already making a big difference. The goal is that the endowment would eventually enable the congregations to be self-sufficient. The endowment corpus would need to double or triple to reach this benchmark. With your help, we can do it.
Our hope for the future is that the ministries of these Alaska Native congregations will continue for years to come, as children and adults continue to grow in the Lutheran Christian faith. Alaska Native peoples enrich the wider church with their strength of spirit so freely offered in hospitality, faith stories and music. They help build bridges of understanding and reconciliation between peoples.
We have the opportunity to enlarge the capacity for sustainability and growth in these congregations. In addition to the ways the interest income is already being used, congregations hope that greater disbursements someday would allow them to deepen and grow the ministries in areas like:
- Leadership development
- Training to emphasize being fully Native and fully Christian
- Training lay leaders in worship, youth, children’s education
- Training toward ordination
- Ministry Development
- Outreach, particularly to Alaska Native peoples in urban areas
The mid-2000’s endowment campaign title was chosen with great care: A Future and A Hope (Jeremiah 29:11) Affirming the Past ...Securing the Future for the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Ministries (SPLM). Those words which the Prophet Jeremiah spoke so long ago are true today. There is a Future and a Hope for these faithful congregations and their villages. It is God’s promise to them and to us.
Historic SPLM Brochure
| SPLM Quarterly Dec. 9, 2015 |
| SPLM Quarterly Sept. 2, 2015 |
| christmas_in_shishmaref.pdf |
| quyana_from_b._weyauvanna.pdf |
| fall_conference_renews_faith2.pdf |
