Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our hands. E-News Weekly |
|
Issue: #336 |
September 12, 2012 | |
|
|
|
|
Welcome | |
 Bishop Julian Gordy and the ELCA Southeastern Synod Council announce the appointment of Pastor Paul Summer as Assistant to the Bishop. Beginning October 1, he will serve in the place of the Reverend Dr. Delmer Chilton, who has resigned to take a call as Priest in Charge of Messiah Episcopal Church in Murphy, NC.
Currently serving as regional gift planner for the ELCA Foundation, Pastor Summer is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, and a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, which he served as chair of the Board of Trustees for six years. Previous to his current call, Pastor Summer was a parish pastor in the Florida-Bahamas Synod for 22 years.
"Pastor Summer brings significant skills to the work he will be asked to do in our synod," Bishop Gordy said. "I've worked with Paul on the seminary board and know his deep love for this church and his exceptional skills as a pastor and development executive. He understands the relational nature of the work that synod staffs are called to do." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Five Old Men and the Stud Finders | |
Everett Flanigan, PhD
About four years ago at a Lutheran congregation somewhere in suburbia a decision was made by Master Builders, the congregation's men's ministry, to install a protective barrier around a gas meter on an outside wall at the rear of its parish hall. The building facility had been inspected earlier by the local fire department as part of the approval process for an after school program and homework laboratory. While they found the facility to be safe and in excellent condition, they did require a barrier to be built around the gas meter which was on an external wall at the rear of the building. Naturally this installation was a job for a local contractor or for the men of the congregation.
 And so we started the project about two weeks after the decision was made to do it ourselves. First, we made a visit to the local steel piping company to order four six-foot, four inch diameter pipes; then we ordered cement and other materials from the local home improvement store. Now I have to tell you that there was " division in the house" because at least two members simply wanted to call the cement folks to have a truck deliver the concrete, pour it into the freshly dug holes and in the pipes themselves, and be done with it. But since the group always worked by consensus, and since this was a "Master Builders" group, it was decided that we would mix the concrete, dig the holes, pour the concrete and paint the installed pipes. The "Master Builders" would "build" something after all.
So there were five old men (maybe old is too strong of a word, let's just say that these Master Builders were all over age 50) who went out back to cement some steel pipes in the ground to protect the gas meter. (Read the rest on the synod blog.) |
|
| | |
If you haven't visited the new Southeastern Synod Young Adult and Youth Ministry Page yet, you need to take a look! Are you looking for event dates, forms, resources, a youth ministry job, resources on writing a safe haven policy for your church or youth ministry training events? Look no further than www.sesyouth.org.
Recently added to the site was information about the Southeastern Synod trip for youth (and adults) to the Augsburg Diocese of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany; Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern (ELKB) next summer, and congregational information about the All-Tennessee Youth Gathering for 6th-12th graders!! And don't forget to sign up for the FREE Youth Ministry Training at Lutheranch and the FREE Young Adult Discernment Retreat in Nashville, both in October.
Click here to visit www.sesyouth.org.
|
Southeastern Synod Leadership Convo | | |
September 25-27, 2012
Lutheridge, Arden, NC
Be sure to check the Convo webpage for the latest updated agenda, workshops and information about the upcoming Southeastern Synod Convo.
What's new?
Full descriptions of all workshops to be offered, including a two-part Pastoral Ethics workshop that meets Continuing Education requirements for boundaries training.
A spouses gathering at 10:45 am on Wednesday, September 26 (Please email Barbara Tedrow if you plan to attend.)
******************************************************
A few spots are still available--visit
http://www.elca-ses.org/Southeastern-Synod-Leadership-Convocation.html to register. Please note: late registration fees now apply.
Full On-Site Registration--$260.00
Commuter--$210.00
Spouse--$100.00
Child/Youth (4-18)*--$50.00
Rates are per registrant and all-inclusive (rate covers lodging, all meals, and materials). Partial rates are not available.
* Children 3 and under free, however, neither programming nor babysitting is provided. |
|
| | |
This fall will offer a unique opportunity for anti-racism education in Prior Lake, MN, as the European American Lutheran Association and the American Indian & Alaska Native Lutheran Association gather for a joint biennial conference, October 18-21. Workshops will include treaty rights, native worship practices, building anti-racism teams, and four hours of Crossroads-led anti-racism training. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson will preach at the opening worship.
Click here for a brochure.
**********************************************************************************
 October 30, 2012
14th Annual Bishops' Conference
on Shared Ministry in Alabama
A one-day conference for shared Lutheran, Anglican and Catholic ministries in Alabama
Messiah Lutheran Church
6670 Vaughn Rd.
Montgomery, AL 36116
334-277-4213
Fee:$25 -- includes the cost of the conference and lunch
Click here for brochure and registration information. |
Synod Mission Trip to Guatemala | | |
February 2 - 11, 2013
The Global Mission Team is planning another mission trip to Guatemala and invites anyone who may be interested to contact them to find out more about the opportunity.
 This trip will be an exceptionally exciting opportunity for you to be of service to the people of the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala, especially the children. Synod artists are designing a 30-foot long mural depicting scenes from the Gospel of Luke to be painted on the wall of the elementary school, el Colegio del Mirado, in Guatemala City.
The group will be be staying at the Eagles' Nest, an orphanage situated high above Lake Atitlán, and will explore the culture and history of the Mayan people. An optional side trip to spend several nights in beautiful, historic La Ciudad de Antigua will also be available.
To learn more, contact Pastor Bob Bear, 678-372-1711, or kbbear@comcast.net. |
Lenior-Rhyne Names First Provost for Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary | | |
Welcome the Rev. Dr. Clay Schmit
After a national search for a new leader, Lenoir-Rhyne University has selected the Rev. Dr. Clayton J. Schmit as the founding Provost of the School of Theology that includes the Columbia, SC, based Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. He has assumed this position as the chief administrative officer of the School of Theology and its seminary in time for the fall semester 2012. Dr. Schmit becomes the 18th leader of the Seminary and the first under the newly-structured LR School of Theology
 Clay Schmit is an ordained pastor in the ELCA and has served congregations in North Dakota and Northern California. He received an MDiv from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. He holds a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and was awarded a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Preaching at Duke Divinity School. After two years of teaching and research at Duke, he was appointed the Arthur DeKruyter Chair of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. He also served for 11 years as the founding Academic Director of Fuller's Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts.
At Fuller, Dr. Schmit taught preaching and worship courses, and established masters level degree programs in Church Music, Theology and the Arts, Worship Ministry, and Military Chaplaincy. He also developed two PhD programs in Christian Worship and in Preaching and the Arts. He says that he "is pleased and honored to be able to return to the Lutheran fold and to share with my church the entrepreneurial and evangelical spirit that has been so much a part of my work at Fuller."
The installation of the Rev. Dr. Clayton J. Schmit as the first Provost of the School of Theology, Lenoir-Rhyne University-Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary will be November 4, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Columbia, SC.
Celebration events for a Festival of Installation, October 29-November 4, will be held in Columbia and Hickory. Details will be published at http://ltss.lr.edu/.
|
|
| | |
Want an ELCA Road Marker for Your Congregation?
Have you noticed those road markers with denominational emblems and wished your congregation had one? If so, click here for an order form.
***********************************************************************
Nativity Lutheran Church will host a
Fair Trade Marketplace
Saturday, September 22nd
from 10am-2pm
Nativity Lutheran Church is located at
799 Christmas Ave., Bethlehem, GA 30620
770-307-4628
Come, sample and purchase
Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate
Purchase gifts for Christmas from Fair Trade Vendors; Jewelry from Women to the World;
Baskets, clothing & scarves from global neighbors
****************************************************************************
It's that time of year again. Christmas??? NO...Oktoberfest!
 Dust off your dirndl and step into your lederhosen. HolyTrinity Lutheran Church invites you to its eighth annual Oktoberfest. All are welcome to celebrate Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church located at 525 Sneed Road in Nashville (Bellevue).
Transport yourself to Germany for the day and get a taste of Bavarian culture fit for the entire family. Authentic German-American lunch including brats, hot dogs, German potato salad, chips, beans, desserts and drinks will be sold for $5/adult and $3/child, with children 3 and under eating free.
All proceeds will help fund picnic tables and an outdoor pavilion for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Montessori School.
For more information on Oktoberfest, call (615) 673-6289 or send an email to: htnashville@gmail.com.
|
| View the entire Synod Calendar | | |
September 25-27
Leadership Convo
Synod office closed
Lutheridge, Arden, NC
September 28
Synod office closed
Staff retreat
Oct 5-7
Young Adult Discernment Retreat
"Ask Who Sent Me"
Nashville, TN
October 12
Personnel Committee
Synod Office |
Share this e-news with a friend Do you know someone who might enjoy receiving news from the Southeastern Synod? Please forward a copy of this E-News and invite them to join the group!
ELCA-Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-589-1977
|
|
|
