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Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our hands. 
 
 
E-News Weekly
Issue: # 234
August 12, 2010
In This Issue
ELCA Commits $100,000 for Pakistan Flood Response
Recent Stewardship Gleanings
ELCA Council Reduces 2010 Churchwide Spending
Wild Women and Ski LEAP
Youth News
Openings on Audit and Budget & Finance Committees
Around the Synod
Quick Links
ELCA Commits $100,000 for Pakistan Flood Response
Flood
International Disaster Response (IDR) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has committed $100,000 in response to widespread flooding in Pakistan.
 
The organization will work through a U.S.-based ecumenical partner disaster response agency, Church World Service (CWS), New York.
 
"It is through the ELCA's commitment to strong ecumenical partnerships that we are pre-positioned to respond with CWS to those affected in Pakistan," said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission.  He added that the ELCA's efforts with CWS are "an expression of the global ACT (Action by Churches Together) Alliance."
 
Read more here.
 
(Photo:  Siblings sit among the rubble of their house, destroyed by heavy floods at Nowshera in Pakistan's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province August 6, 2010. REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz, courtesy of www.alertnet.org.)
Recent Stewardship Gleanings That Will Preach or Teach...
by Pastor Darrel Peterson, Assistant to the Bishop, Stewardship Specialist
 
Pastor Gary Langness tells about a time he was speaking about stewardship at a congregational leadership dinner.  After his talk, an elderly woman came up and said, "I'm from the Netherlands, and we have a saying there, 'We give from the hand of God.'"

Pastor Darrel PetersonAll we have are gifts given to us by an abundant and generous creator.  God has big hands and generosity flows from those hands. They run over with abundant gifts for all people-no holding back, no sense of scarcity, no fear of giving too much.  So when we give we do it with great joy and generosity because there is always more where it came from.  It all comes from the hand of God.
 
Read the rest of this meditation on the synod blog
ELCA Council Reduces 2010 Churchwide Spending, Acts on Pensions Resolutions
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) revised the 2010 current fund spending authorization for the ELCA churchwide organization to $65.1 million, a mid-year reduction of $4.2 million or 6.1 percent from the previously authorized $69.3 million for 2010.
 
The council made the decision in open session during a rare conference call meeting Aug. 4. Much of the meeting was held in executive session to discuss background information on finances and personnel, plus an organizational design process and legal matters, said Carlos Pe�a, Galveston, Texas, ELCA vice president and chair of the council.
 
Read more here
Wild Women and Ski LEAP
Wild Women at Lutheridge
 
Registration opens at 3 PM on August 15.  This year, there will be an additional Wild
Women's weekend in winter, 2011 allowing more women than ever to participate in this popular program.  Join Pastor Mary Canniff-Kuhn and women of all generations to focus on Healing.  This year's Bible Study will focus on the women Jesus healed. 
 
Find out more and register at www.LLMI.net
 
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Ski LEAP - Winter Weekends 2010/2011
 
 
skiEnjoy a weekend of fellowship, faith-building, and SKIING!  Group building games, an evening campfire, and worship are also provided.
 
Come on Friday evening. Enjoy an early breakfast and all day Saturday on the slopes. End the day with supper, fun, and worship.  Then have a good breakfast on Sunday before traveling home. Adults must accompany and supervise youth. Groups are responsible for transportation to and from ski slopes. Lutheridge guests ski at Wolf Ridge. Guests staying at Lutherock will ski at Sugar Mountain.
 

December Ski Specials!  Contact Kara Ridenhour for special December rates.  828-684-2361 ext. 304 or [email protected]
Youth News
From the President of SESLYO
 
The busiest time for youth ministry is upon us! While Affirm 2010, Win Our World 2010, and Alassippi 2010 have passed with great success, there are many Rally Days to come, along with the All-Tennessee Gathering.
 
Affirm 2010 was a good time for all. The inner beauty discovered through the theme of "Image" was a close comparison to the beauty of the surrounding mountains and fields of Berry College near Rome, GA. This was Affirm's first year at Berry College, and from factors such as newly-renovated buildings to peaceful outdoor worship, it's safe to say it will not be the last.
 
Win Our World (WOW), based out of Knoxville, TN, also made for an incredible summer. Along with youth of St. John's Knoxville, many other Southeastern Synod churches were represented including: Our Saviour, Johnson City, TN; Resurrection, Marietta, GA; and Epiphany, Conyers, GA. Through the theme of "Revolution," participants were able to see just how easy it is to envision God's dream for the world, unite in the name of Christ, risk something big for something good, love both the lovable and the not-so-lovable, and live out the revolution started in them.
 
hawkinsMany great youth events have passed, and many more are yet to come! Keep your eyes open for information for All-TN, All-GA, and SESLYO!
 
In Christ,
Elizabeth Hawkins
2010-11 Southeastern Synod Lutheran Youth Organization Chair
 
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Southeastern Synod Youth Musician attends 29th Annual
Lutheran Summer Music Academy

The 29th Annual Lutheran Summer Music Academy (LSM) took place at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, from June 20 to July 18, 2010. Congratulations to Jamie Callison of Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Peachtree City, GA who was one of 149 students accepted into the program. LSM is the pinnacle program of Lutheran Music Program and is one of the nation's premier music training programs for young people. The program's mission is to transform lives and connect people through faith and music. LSM fosters musical excellence and spiritual growth in a caring community for high school band, orchestra, choir, piano, and pipe organ students from all faith backgrounds. 
 
Students at LSM were immersed in music instruction, worship and devotions.  LSM culminated in Festival Week, the final week of the program which included the hymn festival, student solo and chamber recitals, and evening concerts by the band, choir, and orchestra. More than 2,000 people were in attendance.

Lutheran Music Program's national offices are located in Minneapolis, MN, and LSM itself rotates its location among various Lutheran colleges. Since its founding in 1981, more than 3,000 students have attended Lutheran Summer Music. Hundreds of these alumni have pursued careers in music education, church music, and performance. LSM 2011 will mark the program's 30th anniversary and will be held June 26 to July 24 at Luther College.
 
musicNew for congregations is the Young Musicians Partnership (YMP) which encourages churches to set up local scholarships for youth interested in attending Lutheran Summer Music. In return, students in "partner" congregations receive a 10% discount plus matching dollars for the locally-seeded scholarship. In the YMP's third year, 38% of the students who attended LSM 2010 came from partner congregations. To enroll in the Young Musicians Partnership or for more information on Lutheran Summer Music, please visit www.lutheransummermusic.org or contact Director of Admissions Sue Olstad at 888-635-6583 or [email protected]
Openings on Audit and Budget & Finance Committees
The Southeastern Synod's Audit Committee and Budget and Finance Committee both have immediate openings for persons interested in serving as committee members. The Budget & Finance Committee monitors the synod's financial condition throughout the year and makes recommendations as needed. It is also the group that puts together the annual ministry funding proposal considered by the synod assembly. The Audit Committee recommends the auditing firm to perform the annual financial audit, meets with the auditing firm before the audit begins, and reviews the final audit report prior to its submission to the synod council.
 
Both committees meet primarily by conference call. There is also an in-person meeting at the synod office for the Budget & Finance Committee, usually in December. Terms of service are for 3 years.
 
If you know of persons who might be interested in being appointed to either the Audit Committee or the Budget and Finance Committee, please encourage them to complete the synod's online committee member volunteer form. If they would like to discuss this potential service, they should contact the synod's Fiscal Advisor (Dr. Sandra Gustavson, [email protected], phone: 404-589-1977, ext. 224).
AROUND THE SYNOD
Lutheran Church of the Atonement
 will host its second annual REVIVAL
August 26 and 27 2010 starting at 7:00 pm.
This year's guest minister is Pastor Albert Starr of Chicago, IL.
 
Come out and hear this dynamic man of God proclaim
what the Lord says regarding
A Soul's Restoration
 
We look forward to your fellowship. 
 
Lutheran Church Of The Atonement
1875 Joseph E Boone Blvd
Atlanta, GA  30314-1634
Office (404) 794-7970
Synod Calendar
August 18      Budget & Finance Conference Call
August 19-21 Candidacy Committee meeting
August 25      Global Mission Committee Meeting
August 27-29  SESLYO Board
August 30      Compensation Guidelines Committee meeting
 
View the entire Synod Calendar
 
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