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Salem Lutheran Church is one of many congregations in the SWMN Synod that has received an Endowment Mission Grant. The Endowment Fund Committee of the SWMN Synod developed the Endowment Mission Grant Program to empower and support congregations of the synod, enabling growth in Christian faith and service to God's people.

Salem Lutheran Church has received $1,560 of the awarded total of $18,685 that is being shared with fourteen congregations within the SWMN Synod. Pastor Matt applied for this grant as a way to purchase a dedicated PC and mixer board, which are essentially the technological "backbones" for our online services.

The hybrid worship model will likely be permanent in some form, and the presence of the equipment required may take some getting used to as we eventually return to in-person worship. Some of the equipment will be able to be concealed, but things like the monitor screen for the worship leader to follow will just be something we learn to adapt to. 

Salem member Dave Eeckhoff is working on a design to build a small operator station to discreetly hold the equipment used for online services at the front of the sanctuary. Unfortunately the existing sound system cabinet in the back is too far from where it needs to be for livestreaming worship services. The new operator station in front will allow all audio and video in the sanctuary to be controlled from one location that is also in close proximity to the microphones, piano, and organ.

Pr. Matt would like to again thank Jackie Lindvall for her technological expertise throughout 2020. She has donated many hours of her time to help troubleshoot various issues and provide technical support. Since February, Salem has had to learn to operate primarily as an "online church" and God has blessed us with Jackie's skills and abilities to help us adapt our ministry in this unprecedented time. Thank you to Aaron Blom for running about 200' of ethernet cable from the office to the front of the sanctuary this summer. Thank you to Diane Schulte for being flexible and willing to record music as well as run the sound checks to get the piano and organ to sound as good as possible online. Thank you to Amy Hamilton for putting together the PowerPoints and for digitally cutting and pasting the words and music into the PowerPoints. Of course, thank you to the SWMN Synod Endowment Committee for considering Salem for the grant.

Finally, thank you to God for turning a rough and unusual year and helping it to turn into a way for us to develop our worship ministry.