ABOUT US        

• The Evangelical Lutheran Parish Nurse Association (ELPNA) is a nonprofit, 501c3 membership organization.  It is comprised of registered nurses who are parish nurses affiliated with an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation; or as an ELCA or other Lutheran congregational member serving another denomination.
• The national ELPNA organization consists of up to three directors from each of the 9 ELCA regions. An election is held by the membership every fall.
• Because the Lutheran tradition has used the term Parish Nurse more extensively, for now we are continuing to use this term, while recognizing that the term Faith Community Nurse is becoming more widely used.  We will use Parish Nurse and Faith Community Nurse interchangeably on this website.

Mission:
To provide leadership in fostering the spiritual growth and development of Parish Nurses, promote the expansion of this ministry into more congregations, and strengthen the Parish Nurse presence within the Synods.

Goals:

• Develop and provide education for parish nurses rooted in an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America theological perspective;
• Create and promote structures that equip ELCA or Lutheran parish nurses through communication, cooperation, and collaboration;
• Develop a support for new and established ELCA or other Lutheran parish nurse ministries; and
• Assure a viable, sustainable, recognized organization within Lutheran denominations.

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Membership Dues:

Membership in the ELPNA is currently defined by meeting the following criteria:

• Completed a Parish Nurse Preparation course; and
• Pay annual duesIn addition to the above, the nurse must meet one of the following criteria:
• Be in active practice, either paid or unpaid, in an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation; or
• Have membership in an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation and serve in a church in another denomination, or
• Be retired from parish nursing in an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation or
• Have a position which coordinates, educates or supports ELCA or other Lutheran parish nurses.

Annual dues of $40.00 for one year, $60:00 for two years, and $300 for a lifetime membership are for the calendar year of January 1-December 31. 
To Join: Download and print out the Membership Form  http://elpna.org/join/ Send the filled-out membership form and dues to: ELPNA, PO Box 8117, St Paul, MN 55108
Please Note:
Whether you are a paid or unpaid Parish Nurse, you may want to ask your congregation to support you by paying your dues to this professional organization. We have drafted a letter you can personalize and send to your pastor, parish council president, or appropriate committee.  This letter is to request that the church help in paying for the dues as a way to show support for your ministry.
Click here to download the letter.

Support:
Annual financial support is provided by member dues and gifts. All gifts are welcome.
The dues and gifts are used in part to support this website, provide planned gatherings, and sponsor grant opportunities.  See News from the Regions for more imformation about your Region.

 

Contact Info:
 Carol DeSchepper, Executive Director: cjdeschepper@gmail.com.

Click Here to download our ELPNA Brochure. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Parish Nurse Association (ELPNA) is a nonprofit, 501c3 membership organization.  It is comprised of registered nurses who are parish nurses affiliated with an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation or as an ELCA/other Lutheran congregational member serving another denomination.  The organization was founded in 2004, with the first membership list of 65 parish nurses in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area Synods of Minnesota. The organizational committee consisted of:  Sandy Connell, Sue Ann Glusenkamp, Carolyn Torp, Barbara Zell, Wanda Alexander, Tammy Devine, Brenda Hawkinson, Valborg Tollefsrud, Annette Langdon, Mary Nordvedt and Diane Waarivik. Bishop Craig Johnson was very supportive during this process.  In 2008 the ELPNA expanded to a National organization under the leadership of Annette Langdon.  Since then a National Board of Directors has provided leadership with representatives from 8 of the 9 ELCA Regions.  There is a listing of the regions on this website and what synods they represent.  (See News from the Regions)

      The website was originally started in Region 3 and has now come under the management of the national board and the ELPNA Communications Committee. Each region welcomes input from ELPNA members. Check with your regional director who will help enter the desired information on the website. 

     During the course of development this organization has worked with the ELCA Churchwide office and came under their 501c3 auspices in 2010.  ELPNA is considered an independent Lutheran organization recognized by churchwide in their yearbook annually.  ELPNA has worked very hard to have a presence at many the churchwide gatherings since Minneapolis in 2009. The organization sets up an area by the paramedics with lounge chairs and a restful environment.  Discussion of parish nursing takes place, minor nursing care is provided and prayer is offered to all who enter the area. The organization has also been at national WELCA (Women of the ELCA) triennial gatherings, Men in Mission conferences and National Youth Gatherings.  ELPNA is present every year at the Westberg Conference.

    Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN has provided much support to ELPNA with meeting and retreat space as well as a wealth of educational speakers.  The campus had a parish nurse that worked to help develop classes for parish nursing at the seminary level.  

     Growing a national organization is a significant undertaking. ELPNA is an entirely volunteer effort.  The board welcomes input from all the Lutheran parish nurses across the country.  The main communication is through the website and thanks to Phyllis Bruce (Minneapolis) and the work of the National Communications Committee, it has continued to expand and grow to meet many needs.  It is hopeful that special events and gatherings of the ELPNA can be live streamed throughout the USA.

     The national ELPNA organization consists of up to three directors from each of the 9 ELCA regions.  An election is held by the membership every fall.  The executive board consists of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.  The board meets monthly via Zoom to conduct business. Minutes are available on the website. Dues for the organization are $40 for one year, $60 for two years, and $300 for a lifetime membership.  Out of this fee, 50% of the amount goes to the regional account where the member works or lives and  50% goes to the national treasury. 

The membership is open to Registered Nurses who have completed a Parish Nurse Preparation class and are paid/unpaid/retired parish nurse staff.  They may work within an ELCA or other Lutheran congregation or be a member of a Lutheran congregation and work in a church of another denomination.

Your membership and input is vital to our growth and presence at the ELCA gatherings.  Please consider joining us and supporting this vital network of parish nurses.  Questions and information can be directed to your regional representatives or to any of the other board members.

Blessings to each of you as your ministering to so many continues to fill your hearts.

June Sand RN, BSN, FCN
Treasurer of ELPNA
djsand@comcast.net

 updated 2/21