Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our hands. E-News Weekly |
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Issue: #304 |
January 26, 2012 | |
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Update on Alabama Tornados | | |
 Lutheran Ministries of Alabama reports there are two confirmed fatalities as a result of the supercell thunderstorm and two tornadoes that ravaged the Jefferson County Alabama area in the early hours of Monday, January 23, 2012.
Initial damage assessment is still being conducted, but many volunteers from the April 27th tornado outbreak stated that it reminded them of the same fury. Clay, Alabama tally is 321 houses moderately to severely damaged, 170 of them heavily damaged. In Center Point, Alabama, houses with damage totalled 86, 47 of them in the heavy and severe categories.
The search and rescue phase is still underway, and initial needs for the survivors are still being formulated. It is expected that cleaning kits, clothing, hygiene kits, mail boxes and building materials will be needed shortly. Utility crews are still at work and law enforcement officers are restricting access to damaged areas.
It is reported that, Governor Bentley has promised state help in the disaster. The statewide emergency declaration he made Monday clears the way for state resources to be used in hard-hit areas.
Reports will be shared as they are available.
Donations for Alabama Disaster Response can be made to:
ELCA Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
Or go to www.elca-ses.org, click the "Contact Us" link and follow the directions to make a secure on-line donation. |
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Save the Date: 2012 Southeastern Synod Leadership Convocation, September 25-27 | |
Breaking News! Martin Marty to present at Leadership Convo!
Martin E. Marty (Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of the History of Modern Christianity in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and internationally known church historian and author) will be the presenter at this year's Southeastern Synod Leadership Convocation at Lutheridge in Arden, NC. More details will be available soon, but save the dates: September 25-27, 2012. |
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Generation Conversation | |
Ecclesia Semper Reformanda est: Reframed
by the Rev. Eric Luedtke
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Knoxville, TN
 I recently read the September/October 2011 issue of Relevant magazine (http://www.relevantmagazine.com/digital-issue/53), and was particularly struck by the cover article about "The Generation of Contrast". In light of full disclosure I should note that I first took an interest in generational study about 10 years ago when the pastor at the church I was a member of lead a multi-week series on how the different generations engage differently in church (based on Gary L. McIntosh's book One Church, Four Generations.)
Read the rest on the synod blog. |
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Talking Together as Christians Cross-Culturally | |
Setting the Table II - February 3 & 4, 2012
 Join others from around our synod February 3-4, 2012 at Christ Lutheran Church in Nashville, TN for an evening and morning of Christain cross-cultural conversation. This meeting is the next step in working toward our synod goal of a Missional Work Plan focused on welcoming people in each congregation. We are on a journey together as we look for effective ways to connect with our communities and to share, learn, and proclaim God's oneness among people of every racial, ethnic and class background.
This gathering is a time for listening and learning. Participants will hear from one another and share helping resources available through the synod and churchwide organization.
To know more about the specific schedule and to register for the event, please go to http://www.settingthetable2nashville.eventbrite.com. |
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Preparing for Lent | |
Lent is on its way. . .are you ready?
The Rev. Kevin Strickland
Chair, Synod Worship Team
The season of Lent is quickly on its way and yet it seems as if we just finished cleaning up the poinsettias from Christmas and packing away the decorations for another year. On behalf of the Synod Worship Team, let me recommend
Worship Guidebook for Lent and theThree Days.
This is a resource from Augsburg Fortress that does a great job of helping to prepare worship teams for the Sunday liturgy, mid-week worship opportunities, and helping to make the Three Days central to the mystery of faith. There is also a complimentary and equally helpful resource for musicians entitled, Music Sourcebook for Lent and the Three Days. Both can be found at www.augsburgfortress.org.
Lent is a seasonal opportunity to highlight baptism and make the font a central focus to our worship liturgy on Sunday mornings. Use the font as a way to shape the Gathering Rite (Confession and Forgiveness), have the children gather at this station each Sunday and connect baptism to our life of faith, teach catechesis from the font for individuals preparing for baptism to be done at the Vigil service or the Easter service, and if not already a practice, encourage members to dip their hands in the font and make the sign of the cross upon entering or leaving the worship space. Decorate around the font with simple palms or ferns to help draw attention to this central and important element of our sacramental life. (But remember--during Lent, less is more!)
Journeying together through lectionary tales of Mark's and John's Gospels and hearing stories of our ancestors from Genesis, Numbers, Exodus, and Jeremiah; these are great ways to connect the dots to our baptismal story of faith. The Hebrew texts and the Gospel texts for each Sunday in Lent are each so potent and rich; if it works for your context, focus on one text for the Sunday liturgy and one for the mid-week liturgy. This allows the hearer to gather closer to the text, to sit a little longer in their own wilderness wandering, and to hear how through paradox comes promise, through water comes new life!
May this prayer be our living reality as we journey through this Lenten season:
"Father in Heaven, the light of your truth bestows sight to the darkness of sinful eyes. May this season of repentance bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness
and the gift of Your light. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(International Committee on English in the Liturgy)."
Update: Change in Keynote Speaker for Invitation to Lent
February 4, 2012
 As reported in last week's issue of the E-News, on February 4, 2012, ELCA Knoxville congregations will host Invitation to Lent: A Faith Formation Event, an exciting pre-Lent workshop. This event is perfect for lay members, rostered leaders, parents, worship teams, Christian Education committees, and all who seek to prepare for a holy Lent. There is change to the keynote speaker--it will now be the Reverend Thom Rasnick, Sub-Dean at St. John's (Episcopal) Cathedral in Knoxville, TN.
This event runs from 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM on Saturday, February 4. The cost is only $15 per person and includes program, refreshments and lunch.
Click here for a flyer and registration form. For additional information, check out "Invitation to Lent" on Facebook or visit http://web.me.com/elmurray/Invitation_to_Lent.
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Synod Council Reflections and Minutes Available | | |
The Southeastern Synod Council met January 13 & 14. Click here to read reflections from the meeting provided by Council member Associate in Ministry Michelle Anaglet.
Preliminary minutes of the Synod Council's January meeting are also now available on the synod website. Click here to go directly to the minutes page. Although these minutes have not yet been officially approved, they are being made available so that all interested persons may know the decisions that were made. If you have any questions about the minutes, please contact the Synod Secretary, Pastor Terri Stagner-Collier. |
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Reminder: 2012 Reports Due | | |
There is still time to submit 2012 Rostered Leader's Report to the Synod Bishop and Congregational (Parochial) Reports--Deadline February 15
2012 Rostered Leader's Report
Click here for complete instructions on how to download and complete the Annual Rostered Leader's Report to the Synod Bishop.
Congregational (Parochial) Reports
 It is important that Congregational (Parochial) reports be submitted by the deadline because these statistics are used to determine our voting strength at Churchwide Assembly, as well as for other important purposes. Submitting these statistics is easy. Each congregation should have recently received by mail the Congregational Report form for the year ending Dec. 31, 2011. If not, visit this link for instructions for filling out the form electronically. If you have any questions about this, our synod staff will be happy to assist you. Please call 404-589-1977.
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Bio Forms Due March 15 for Assembly Elections | | |
Nominations are currently being accepted for several positions to be elected at the 2012 Synod Assembly. Positions to be elected include:
2013 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members:
3 Clergy (both males and females)
1 Lay male person of color or primary language other than English
1 Youth (under age 18)
1 Young adult lay person (ages 18-30)
3 Other lay persons, (so that the total is half male and half female)
Synod Council:
1 Young adult, 2-year term (male or female, ages 18-30)
2 At-large lay persons, 2-year term (Gender designation to be determined)
The Nominating Committee intends to nominate two to four persons for each position. Individual skills and qualifications, as well as the synod's inclusivity goals, will be considered. The inclusivity goals address the balance between lay persons and pastors, gender, status as a youth or young adult, and racial/ethnic background. Achieving some geographical diversity of nominees will also be a factor in the Nominating Committee's decisions.
Click here for more information about these positions.
DEADLINE for submission of biographical forms to be considered by the Nominating Committee: March 15, 2012. |
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Bishop's School 2012--Nomination Deadline Extended | | |
Please take a minute to think of that one special youth in your congregation. You know the one... he or she is always asking you the hard questions, excelled in Confirmation class, and just seems to have a yearning to deepen his or her faith. If that youth is a current 11th or 12th grader, please nominate him or her for the 2012 Bishop's School.
The 2012 Bishop's School will be held the week of June 17-23 on the campus of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. Youth from all over the Southeast will come together to study with seminary professors, worship in Christ Chapel and witness the way God is working in the world and in their own lives. They'll learn what it means to think theologically!
Bishop Julian Gordy of the Southeastern Synod will be the 2012 Bishop in Residence at Bishop's School.
Click here for a brochure with additional information. Please note, the deadline for nominations has been extended to April 1, 2012. (Feel free to nominate more than one youth from your congregation.)
Should you have any questions, please contact the Coordinator for Bishop's School, Ms. Sandra Holland, AIM at sandrah@salutheran.com or Ms. Tiffany Pieters in the Region 9 office at 803-461-3263 or email tpieters@ltss.edu. |
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Around the Synod | | |
 Recently, retired Southeastern Synod pastor, the Rev. Robert Graetz of Montgomery was featured in a "Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly" video aired on PBS. The story was picked up by LivingLutheran.com.
Pastor Graetz and Martin Luther King Jr. worked together to create the "beloved community." Use this link to view the video.
http://www.livinglutheran.com/videos/martin-luther-king-and-robert-graetz.html
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Social Phonics Boot Camp
Presented at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Birmingham, AL
4887 Valleydale Road
Birmingham, AL
Thursday, March 8
9am-4pm
$125
In this one-day Social Phonics Boot Camp, social media expert and church communications consultant, Natalie Aho, will guide you through the basics of the most popular social media services, including blogging, Facebook,Twitter and free broadcast media. You will learn how, in just three 30-minute periods each week, you can dramatically increase your communication to members of your church or people interested in your organization and, even more importantly, to those who have the potential to visit your church or business. Most importantly, we'll help you determine your own social media philosophy, so that you'll know exactly why you're going online each week.
All of this is possible, and it doesn't have to be intimidating. This Social Phonics Bootcamp costs only $125 and includes lunch.
Find out more and register at http://socialphonics.com/boot-camp.
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| View the entire Synod Calendar | | |
January 27-28
Affirm Administrative Meeting
Christ the King, Norcross, GA
February 3-4
Talking Together as Christians Cross Culturally
Nashville, TN
February 4
Invitation to Lent: A Faith Formation Event
Messiah, Knoxville, TN
February 6-8
First Call Theological Education Stewardship Retreat
New Ebenezer Retreat Center
Rincon, GA
February 20
Synod Office Closed, Presidents Day
February 25
Consecration of Mary Houck, Diaconal Minister
Cross of Life, Roswell, GA
March 15
Deadline for Nominations for the 2012 Synod Assembly
Click here to learn more and for a link to the biographical form
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ELCA-Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-589-1977
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