Stewardship, Transition and Adapting to Social Change 

On Saturday, July 23, Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manassas will host the 2011 Epiphany Lutheran Church Retreat on "Stewardship, Transition and Adapting to Local Change." It will take place from 9:00 a.m.-noon. Presenters include the Rev. Jeff Jacobson on "A Biblical Conversation on Transitions;" the Rev. Phil Hirsch on "Stewardship 101;" and the Rev. Carmelo Santos on "Lutheran Outreach to Latin Americans." The event is free including lunch, but registration is requested. Register by contacting epiphlutheran@hotmail.com or 703-590-4949.  EXTRAS 

Resurrection Lutheran in Kensington to Hold Closing Worship 
  Join us on Sunday, July 31, at 4:00 p.m. for the closing worship service of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kensington, Md., and for a dinner following, celebrating the old and new congregations who use this building to worship and serve the Lord. It will be a traditional Lutheran service with many of your old favorite Lutheran hymns and liturgy. The Rev. Phil Hirsch will be preaching and representing the Metro D.C. Synod. 
          While Resurrection is dissolving, they are transferring their property and facility to the Oromo Christian Fellowship, with whom they have worked for many years. Former Resurrection members will be able to watch the Oromo Christian Fellowship grow as they grew sixty years ago. The Oromo people w ill maintain a Lutheran presence serving the communities of Wheaton and Kensington, perhaps for another sixty years. 

Daily Prayer Vigil Downtown for "Faithful Budget" 

• In August (Thu. Aug. 4), Kathryn Baerwald, Director of Philanthropy, National Lutheran Communities and Services, will make the presentation.
• In September (Thu. Sept. 1), President Jon Diefenthaler, Southeastern District, LCMS, will make the presentation.

RSVP no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the meeting by contacting Vicki Porter at 301-22909884 or luncheon@lutheranlayfellowship.org. Meal cost is $9.00, payable at the door. For more info about LLF, visit www.lutheranlayfellowship.org.

Bring a quilt to the Gettysburg Seminary campus, which will be transformed on Fri., Aug. 26, into 52 acres of aid, care, prayer and hope for people living in disaster ravaged corners of the world. "Quilt the Campus" is a servant event of the Friends of Gettysburg Seminary (FrOGS) partnering with the seminary, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Lutheran World Relief (LWR). To "Quilt the Campus," participants are needed between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to bring a total of 1,892 quilts needed to cover the campus; and to raise through donations the $2.25/quilt required to deliver each quilt to an area of need ($4,257 total). Quilts should be made to LWR specifications: 60" x 80". Learn more online.  EXTRAS 

Sojourners Connect Retreats at Mar-Lu-Ridge are taking the summer off then resuming on September 13. These retreats take place on the second Tuesday of each month for clergy and church leaders. Leaders are invited to these opportunities to get away from the ordinary at the beautiful campus near Jefferson, Md., featuring presentations by Dr. Eric Gritsch, Emeritus Professor of Church History, Gettysburg Seminary. "[Dr. Gritsch] is both a renowned church historian and an up-to-date communicator of what people are seeking today as 'Good News,'" says the Rev. LaVern D. Rasmussen, Mar-Lu-Ridge Development Team-Retreat Ministry. Registration is $30 including lunch. New flyer is posted.  EXTRAS 

  How to Get More Members is a two-day seminar planned for Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 at Epiphany Lutheran in Burtonsville, Md. Griffith Coaching Network, which will bring the training, has a reputation for helping churches become invitational. The seminar is offered in conjunction with our synod's 2011 theme, "To See Ourselves as Others Do." The training is designed for congregation teams. Registration before 9/15 is $199/congregation. Details at www.metrodcelca.org/events/2011-theme/.

  A total of 31,858 net-migration of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)-related jobs (military, government and contracting) will flow into and around the Metro D.C. area. The synod is planning a BRAC Conference on Saturday, October 29, to help our congregations in this context and equip us to support military personnel and families in our midst. Meet military chaplain leaders from area bases and hear a keynote address. Registration will soon be available from the synod Web site BRAC page.

  Two of the authors of Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals will join young adults in our synod for a Day of Conversation and Prayer on Saturday, November 5 at Luther Place Memorial in NW D.C. Learn more about the authors, Enuma Okoro and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, from the synod Web site. Cost is $15. Online registration has opened at www.metrodcelca.org/events/young-adults/.

  Church consultants tell us that the best way to reach the unchurched is by planting new churches. That's why this seminar was developed, which is coming to our area cosponsored by the ELCA Metro D.C. Synod, ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod, and Southeastern District-LCMS. "Churches Planting Churches" will take place Jan. 27-28, 2012, at St. Stephen Lutheran in Arbutus, Md. Pastors, congregation leaders, mission executives and district presidents who have taken this seminar have developed a contagious spirit and become advocates for churches planting churches. Mark your calendars and learn more from the synod Web site.  EXTRAS 

July 17 "Greening... Sanctuaries" Expo

Small Organization Governance Teleconference

The Lower Susquehanna Synod is offering a "Tweens & Teens Conference" on Saturday, August 27 at Zion Lutheran in Hummelstown, Penn. from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. This conference will help empower, equip and energy youth learning ministries with practical and fast tools for all aspects of youth faith formation. It is facilitated by youth leaders with decades of experience, with a keynote presentation by Chelle Huth, AIM. Fee including lunch is $15; seminarians and students are free. Registration deadline is August 13. Workshop list and registration directions are on the brochure.  EXTRAS 

The Virginia Synod is sponsoring a conference on Sept. 6-7 on "Developing Keys to an Effective Church: Developing Leaders, Encouraging Leaders, Bridging with People." It will be held at St. Mark's Lutheran in Roanoke. Dr.  Kennon L. Callahan, author of Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: Strong Healthy Congregations Living in the Grace of God, will lead the conference. Learn to build on our strengths; develop congregation leaders; and understand people's motivations to act among other themes. Registration fee is $85. Continuing Education Units available.  EXTRAS 

• A Facilitator Training Event in what is called the "Here I Stand" Process will be offered in Lombard, Illinois, on August 16-18. Core in the process is development and reflection on an individual "Beliefs Chart." Clarity on beliefs and principles helps people function in a steadier way when anxiety rises in family and other important relationships, impacting increasing occurrence of burnout and turnover, destructive conflict, withdrawal and departure of members and other signs in the life of the church. Tuition is $325 excluding lodging and meals.  EXTRAS 
• A workshop in Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders will be held Nov. 14-18 at the Forest Lake Presbyterian Church. Contact hours and a certificate available for attendees. The workshop equips pastors, church and judicatory leaders with skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal congregational and other forms, of group conflict within the context of family systems theory. (See brochure for workshop dates in August in Chicago area, and in November in Dallas.) Tuition is $695 including some lunches. Participants must arrange for own lodging and additional meals.  EXTRAS 
• A two-session Clergy Clinic in Family Emotional Process will bake place in Lombard, Illinois. The Clergy Clinic helps participants understand implications of concepts for one's family system, as well as one's functioning as a leader within a congregational system. Concepts include triangles, differentiation of self, sibling position and emotional cutoff. Pick a Group A date (Oct. 24-26, 2011; Feb. 6-8, 2012; or Apr. 23-25, 2012) and a Group B date (Nov. 7-9, 2011; Feb. 27-29, 2012; or May 21-23, 2012) to complete the Leadership Training Program. Details in brochure.  EXTRAS 

Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering 

The Wittenberg Center of the Lutheran World Federation, located in Wittenberg, Germany, will host a 4th International Seminar within the Luther decade on Oct. 30-Nov. 13. The aim of the seminar is to become better acquainted with Luther's theology, particularly in relation to the respective contexts of participants and with an ecumenical openness to other confessions. It will be led by Professor Theodor Dieter and Professor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson from the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg. The theme is "Luther's Understanding of the Sacraments (Baptism and Lord's Supper) and of Confession." Registration requested by June 10. Learn more at http://www.lwb-zentrum-wittenberg.de/. 

  EXTRAS

  Keep the 2012 Together In Mission (TIM) on your congregation's calendar. Keynote Brian McLaren will anchor the annual synod-wide gathering, coming on January 21, 2012. Early details available at www.metrodcelca.org/events/annual-events/together-in-mission/ (one of the "Annual Events" under the "Events" tab).

Youth Education Program Coordinator (Part-time)