Greetings to all Western North Dakota Women of the ELCA,

I am so pleased to have the opportunity to invite you to the 15th Biennial Convention of the WND Synodical Women’s Organization. It is going to be held at the Baymont Inn and Suites formerly known as the Seven Seas in Mandan, North Dakota. Our theme is “Be Our Guest” and we want you to invite guests to attend with you and they can be of any denomination. You are going to enjoy fellowship, music, bible study and worship.

The Convention Committee decided to offer an Early Awareness Session on Friday starting at 10:30 AM CDT for one hour. We felt some women from the west may come in on Thursday night late and would like an opportunity to do something in the morning. Registration then starts from 12:00 PM CT till 2:00 PM CDT with the opening of the convention at 1:00 PM CDT.

Our Key Note speaker is Judith Roberts of Hope Manor: Hope Manor was started in 2014, when Judith Roberts, a recovering alcoholic, was inspired to create a home for alcoholics who desperately needed a safe, stable and alcohol and drug free environment to recover from a life threatening addiction and to cross the bridge to sobriety and health. Hope Manor offers sober living homes for women who are struggling with alcohol and/or drug addiction. She will also be doing many awareness sessions.

During our business meeting we will be electing voting members to the 10th Triennial Convention that will be taking place in July 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Elections will also be held for various positions on the WND – SWO board. Remember that each congregational unit is entitled to one delegate, and that decision should be made before you get to the convention. You can support this event by your attendance and encouraging others to attend, as well as sharing financial and prayer support.

Please make a copy of this informative packet, as needed, for each women or girl in your unit. Included is a bulletin insert designed to be copied back to back and put in your Sunday bulletin many times. Please share that with your pastor or church secretary. We would love to see new faces as well as the regular ones, it is so much fun to see woman that you have met in the past and may not have seen them since the last convention.

“BE OUR GUEST”

Connie Rossow President

Western North Dakota Synodical Women’s Organization

Women of the ELCA