Southeastern Synod E-News Weekly

H T New York A commemoration of "Prayer and Remembrance" will take place Sept. 11, 2011, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States that day. Holy Trinity is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson and the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, executive director of ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission, will offer reflections at the commemoration.

Read the the rest of this news release.

The "Least" of These

by the Rev. Dr. Michael J. Huntley

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Daphne, AL

Recently, I left Martin Luther Lutheran Church after worship to head home from Mobile to Daphne. My son was with me on my motorcycle, and we drove together across the Bay Bridge in the August heat. I always enjoy the ride, even if it's a hot and sweaty day.

As we reached the Baldwin county side of the bay, it seemed like something flew past the side of my face. I looked around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, so I wrote it off as nothing to be concerned about.

But I was wrong. After worship, I had slid a reimbursement check (for a substantial amount) into my shirt pocket to take home. The danger it would face on the windy ride back had not occurred to me at the time. I reached into my pocket, but there was nothing there.

Read the rest on the synod blog.

Book of Faith Brief

Lutheran Study Bible

Starting a new Bible study? Want to do some Bible study or exploration on your own but aren't sure where to start? There are lots of online tools out there to assist you. Below are a few to get you started. These particular sites provide a number of helpful resources between them such as access to a variety of Biblical translations, commentary, links to artwork, revised common lectionary supports, even a movie concordance to help you find films that explore particular Biblical or spiritual themes. Check them out and let us know what you think!

NT Gateway http://www.ntgateway.com/

Into the New Testament http://readnew.net/

The Text this Week http://www.textweek.com/

Biblia.com http://biblia.com/

Enter the Bible http://www.enterthebible.org/

Blessings as you engage our Book of Faith!

Your Book of Faith advocates,

Pastor John Rossing

Christ the King, Dalton, GA

706-278-3979

ctkdalton@optilink.us

Michelle Angalet, Associate in Ministry

Good Shepherd, Woodstock, GA

770-924-7286

michelle.angalet-gslc@comcast.net

Lutheran Night at the Braves -- TIME CHANGE
Planning to attend the game Sept 17? Better make it "Lutheran Afternoon at the Braves" We just learned Fox Sports will be televising the Sept 17 Braves vs Mets game from Turner Field and that the start time has been changed to 4:10 PM. Don't forget to bring your hat and sunglasses!

Upcoming

AME Zion-ELCA Historic Summit

September 16-17, 2011

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will gather for a covenant worship service on Friday, Sept. 16, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. The two denominations will then sponsor a daylong summit on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Hood Theological Seminary, centering on how the two denominations can further work together.

The worship service will begin at 6:00 PM and bishops from both denominations will participate, including ELCA presiding bishop Bishop Mark Hanson, and Bishop George Walker, his AME Zion counterpart. The Saturday summit at Hood features four bishops from each denomination.

The public is invited to the September 16 worship service and the September 17 Summit.

Contact Melanie Bookout at 704-633-4861 or at mbookout@nclutheran.org

to register.

National Youth Gathering Concert

October 1, 2011

Christ the King Lutheran Church at 5575 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross, GA will host a concert featuring Agape and Rachel Kurtz on October 1, 2011 to promote the 2012 ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans and to raise money for World Hunger. Opening for the show will be Starboarders!

The concert begins at 1:00 PM and tickets are only $5. Tickets can be pre-ordered or purchased at the door. A free will offering will also be taken during the show for World Hunger.

Facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=252743768082524

Emory Gathers Great Pastors to Share the "Art of Preaching"

Oct. 10-12, 2011

Candler School of Theology's nationally-acclaimed preaching teacher, Thomas G. Long, admits that for most people, the words boredom and sermon are a proper pair, like horse and carriage.

Long and seven other preaching stars will share their creative processes and techniques for delivering a great sermon at "The Art of Preaching in the 21st Century," Candler's Fall Conference designed for clergy and laity, October 10-12. The event takes place at Candler and Cannon Chapel on the Emory campus. Registration is $250. For more information, go to http://www.candler.emory.edu/news/calendar/ and navigate to October 10.

2011 Southeastern Synod Leadership Convocation

October 11-13, 2011

The Truth Shall Make You Odd: Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations

Lutheridge Camp and Conference Center
Arden, NC

To register, to view the agenda or for more information, go to:

http://www.elca-ses.org/Southeastern-Synod-Leadership-Convocation.html

Caring Connections

Now available--the Summer 2011 issue of "Caring Connections," a quarterly newsletter of the Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling and Clinical Pastoral Education Office of the ELCA and the LCMS. This issue focuses on Intentional Interim Ministry. You can read the new issue now on the website at http://caringconnectionsonline.org.

Update on Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong

The synod office recently received the following letter from Pastor Ted and Jane Zimmerman, members of the Southeastern Synod and missionaries in China:

August 2011

Dear Friends,

The academic year at the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) in Hong Kong begins with all 130 full time students and all 25 full time faculty taking a ferry to a nearby island camp for three days. The old meet the new and all prepare for the year ahead. Quality academics is important, yet so is the journey of faith for these students who are committed to serving and pastoring the church. Right now, there are also students waiting in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to be granted study visas by the Hong Kong government. Although theirs are Asian countries, these students must make cultural adaptations to Hong Kong and they must use English to study at the Seminary. A few of these students do manage to learn a little Cantonese during their LTS years!

The LTS retreat finishes at the end of August and all return to begin classes on the campus, which is located on a mountain in the New Territories overlooking a very crowded valley below. Another 200 students will join on a part-time basis. Students are all ages and not only from an assortment of countries, but also from a variety of faith backgrounds; however, each has felt called to seminary study. The exceptions are a few exchange students from Chinese universities who come for a semester at LTS because of the excellent library resources. It is important to clarify that there are also students from China among those "called." In fact, the current head of the Chinese Christian Council is a doctoral student at LTS. The churches and seminaries in Hong Kong, over the years, have formed many close relationships with those in China.

Zimmerman The photo included is from Peace Lutheran Church, taken on a Sunday morning this August. Ted and I are in this picture, but the pastors on each end are LTS alumni. The man on the end is Pastor C. Y. Cheung. He was ordained this past June at Peace Lutheran Church. The woman with the clerical collar is Pastor Jennifer Leung. She was ordained about six years ago and now also helps to head the Tao Sheng Publishing House for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong. The young woman without the clerical collar is "Icy" who is currently an LTS student and is doing her fieldwork at Peace Lutheran Church. Ted and I are thoroughly enjoying these amazing church leaders!

We pray that this academic year will bring growth and fullness of faith to the LTS students that they will take with them as they leave the campus to go out to serve the church whether that be on the third floor of a crowded apartment building, the head offices of the Chinese Christian Council, seminaries in Nepal or Burma or prison ministry in Hong Kong. We are humbled that they feel called and respect their commitment to serve. Thank you for joining us in supporting these students.

Sincerely

Jane (and Ted) Zimmerman

tedzimm@gmail.com

janeyzimmerman@gmail.com

Synod Calendar Highlights

September 9-10

Synod Council Meeting, Cross of Life, Roswell, GA

September 10

Southeastern Lutheran Holding Corporation Board meeting

September 11

Conference 4 meeting, Living Grace, Tucker, GA, 4PM

September 15-18