Southestern Synod Logo
Southeastern Synod
E-News Weekly
In This Issue
Global Mission and World Hunger Advocates
Ethiopia Companion Synod Taskforce
Updating Your Consititution?
Tell the Story!
Faith-Based National Survivors of Suicide Day
Bishop from Malawi visiting Roswell, GA
Lutheran Bishops Advocate for Rights of Immigrants and Refugees
Around the Synod
Upcoming Events
Quick Links
Share this e-news with a friend!

If you know someone who might enjoy receiving the e-news from the Southeastern Synod, please send them your copy and invite them to join the group.
 

Mobley Hope
Director of Communications


100 Edgewood Ave, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA  30303
404-589-1977
www.elca-ses.org
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Issue: # 196 November/2009
Global Mission and World Hunger Advocates
We are having a Global Mission "Summit" on Saturday, November 21 from 8:30 am until 3:15 pm at the Synod Office (note location change).  We are interested in having all who have a passion for Global Mission and World Hunger, as well as those involved in Companion Synod Teams, Missionary sponsorships, Mission trips etc.  Pastors Lanny Westphal and Gary Hansen from Churchwide will be there to present and share. Lunch will be provided.  Kindly RSVP to Elaine Schwartz  [email protected]. Lodging can be arranged at the Clarion hotel near the airport. 

Pastor Darrel Peterson, Global Mission Liaison
Ethiopia Companion Synod Taskforce
AfricaThe ELCA-Southeastern Synod Ethiopia Companion Synod Taskforce invites pastors and lay leaders to join them us Tuesday, November 10, 6 pm at Redeemer in Atlanta to learn more about our growing ministry partnership with our brothers and sisters in East Africa.
Updating Your Constitution?
Is your congregation working to update its constitution?   Several amendments were approved to the Model Constitution for Congregations at the recent Churchwide Assembly, including an amendment that ensures that church councils contain at least one youth and one young adult member.  Interested in finding out more?   Contact Pastor Randy Jones, Synod Constitution Reviewer, at [email protected] for details.
Tell the Story!
"Tell The Story" is a Preaching/Teaching/Reaching J. Gordy
Mission on November 15 and 16, 2009.  It will be held at Advent, LaGrange, GA, and the guest Preacher and Teacher will be Bishop Julian Gordy.  The schedule will be as follows:
 
November 15  10:30 AM Bishop Julian Gordy Preaching
                      Potluck following Worship
                      7:00 PM Hymn Sing
                      7:30 PM Bishop Julian Gordy Preaching
November 16   7:00 PM Hymn Sing
                      7:30 PM Bishop Julian Gordy
                      Reception
Faith-Based National Survivors of Suicide Day
The Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 4814 Paper Mill Road, Marietta, GA 30067 is hosting the Second Annual Faith-Based National Survivors of Suicide Day on Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The program is produced by the Volunteer Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Suicide Prevention Ministry (ELCA SPM). The day of healing and hope is planned for EVERYONE who has lost a loved one to suicide.  

This year's program has been expanded to include those who are supporting someone with mental illness and/or substance abuse illness. The registration fee of $25 includes lunch, snacks, beverages and two resource books- "Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope Over Suicide", a gripping account of reality, written by a young adult who acted on suicidal ideation. "Mourning After Suicide", a hopeful guide to healing, is written by the mom of a 23-year-old son who completed suicide. Both books are great resources for church libraries. Scholarships are available.
 
Please call Jerry Weyrauch at 770-992-0482, or email him at [email protected], for answers to questions or for a registration form.
 
Bishop from Malawi visiting Roswell, GA
Cross of Life Lutheran Church, Roswell, GA is pleased to again host the Rev. Dr. Joseph Paul Bvumbwe, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (SE Africa). Bishop Bvumbwe has been a guest at Cross of Life many times before since his daughter and grandchildren are members. The bishop is a graduate of Wartburg Seminary and holds a doctorate from Luther Seminary.
 
Bishop and Mrs. Bvumbwe will be making an informal presentation on the ELCM at our 10 AM Connections Hour on Sunday, November 15th, and will be greeting the congregation at the 11:15 AM worship hour. The ELCM is a Companion of an ELCA Synod in Wisconsin. Bishop Bvumbwe is also very active in the Lutheran World Federation.
Lutheran Bishops Advocate for Rights of Immigrants and Refugees
Bishop's AdvocateProtecting children and keeping immigrant families together were repeated concerns raised by a committee of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishops discussing issues of immigration. The group met with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) staff and others to discuss the status of immigration reform and refugee protection services, and visited with members of Congress here Oct. 28-29.

LIRS is a joint ministry of the ELCA and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).

The Rev. H. Julian Gordy, bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod, Atlanta, said, "We would like comprehensive immigration reform right now. We want it to be humane -- a kind of immigration reform that protects U.S. borders but also protects family interests so that families aren't divided." Gordy chairs the ELCA Conference of Bishops' immigration concerns committee and was among seven bishops who visited with congressional members and White House administration.

"We want the raids to come to an end and find other ways of dealing with employers who are actively recruiting undocumented workers," said the Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, bishop, ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly. "We want the policies of this country to take into consideration families and communities that are affected by the raids."

Click here for entire article.
Around the Synod
Around the Synod
Zalika Mason, a member of St. Luke, McDonough, Zalika Mason
GA, Zalika Mason, was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when she was a baby.  After many years of hospitalization as a child and youth, Zalika, now 18, has received a bone marrow transplant from her dad! Her mom, Sandra Mason, says the cells are growing!  St. Luke Lutheran Church, Zalika's other family, is raising funds to help with the costs of Zalika's hospital bills and for other children in need of transplants.

If you would like to help or make a donation, go to the Children's Organ Transplant Association, COTA.org and look under "Zalika Mason Family".

Here's an up on Zalika". We just got heard that unfortunately, her body rejected the bone marrow transplant and she is still in North Carolina awaiting a new match.  Please pray for Zalika and her family.



River BaptismHow does the journey to baptism begin? 
Well, in this case, it started with an inquisitive family and a hand-written note from a pastor.  "A family showed up to worship with us at St. James," said Pr. Michael Jannett. "They signed our guest register and I went later that week to the home of Christopher and Syndey Robinson; but they weren't home.  We were trying to gather the parents of young children in our community for some fun and fellowship.  I wrote a note, inviting them to that event since they had a two-year old boy, and I jotted down a few more events that were coming up." 

That hand-written note jump-started a relationship that has continued for over two years.  The next step for the family was for daddy and son to be baptized (mommy grew up Lutheran and was baptized as an infant).  "I didn't want to push things" said Pr. Jannett.  "We just took things one step at a time.  After some teaching and many conversations, the family just approached me one Sunday and said, 'We're ready!'" 

The most interesting part (for this suburbanite pastor) was that the baptism was to take place in the Nolichucky River, which flows just beside Christopher's parents' house.  Full immersion baptisms have been the norm for Christopher's family.  "With the cold coming on, we didn't waste any time!" said Pr. Jannett.  "Two weeks later [September 27], we held the baptismal service after regular Sunday morning worship.  (I had to ask my Church of God friends for some tips on how to do a full-immersion baptism; it's a first for me.)  I'll always remember this special baptism and the joy of knowing that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in Greeneville, TN...and by the way, never underestimate the power of a hand-written note." 

St. James as an entire faith community will hold a "recognition of Holy Baptism" rite at a worship service later this year to show their support of the Robinson family as an entire faith community.
Upcoming Events
November
4-7      CYCLOPS
9         Compensation Guidelines Committee Meeting
12-14  Candidacy Meeting/Retreat
14       Conference 6 Meeting
21       Global Mission Summit
21-22  All-TN Youth Gathering
26-27  Synod Office Closed


For more information on these and other events visit our synod calendar.