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Called to Love, Sent to Serve:
"Doing What Matters" at 2011 Synod Assembly
Sent forth in prayer, and baptized into service on an escalator, hundreds of Lutherans could be found "doing what matters to God" in and around the city of Springfield on Saturday, June 4. It seemed everywhere you looked that bright, sunny day there were men and women in blue T-shirts - building and rebuilding, cleaning and clearing, painting and planting, working in gardens, playing with kids, distributing meals, packing food and health kits, knitting prayer shawls, writing letters of advocacy, and singing in nursing homes.
Since they had been prepared in advance, few attendees came to synod assembly this year expecting "business as usual." But most of them found their hearts touched and their hands employed in new and surprising ways. Click here to see just a few of their stories...
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2011 Assembly Highlights now available on line
The text of the sermon Bishop Margaret G. Payne gave on Sunday, June 5, at the synod assembly is now online. Find Bishop Payne's sermon and other documents, videos and pictures at: www.nesynod.org/events/synod-assembly.
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Assembly Lost and Found
Found at assembly: Notebook with computer notes and lessons
Lost at assembly: Cell phone/shoes/shirt/glasses, left in transport car used for project #26 by Pr. Stanley Knull contact info 508-428-6930
Jerusalem Cross, by Cyndi Carley of Bethel, Auburn, MA, contact info 508-612-9291
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Bishop Payne participates in Interfaith Service for Springfield, Mass.
Bishop Margaret G. Payne stands yesterday in front of what's left of the home of a refugee family in West Springfield, Mass., following several tornadoes that ripped through the Springfield area the afternoon of June 1, one week earlier. She is with Mohammed Najeeb, director of resource development for LSS Services for New Americans in West Springfield. Bishop Payne toured the storm damage, as well as shelters where many refugee families being resettled by Lutheran Social Services are staying after the tornadoes. She then led a healing prayer during an interfaith service for prayer, hope and healing later that same night at Christ Church Cathedral, Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, Springfield. for the four who died and those left homeless and others also traumatized by the destructive whirlwinds. The service was sponsored by the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield and the Interfaith Council of Western Massachusetts. Also attending the service were Pr. Lauren Holm, Bethesda, Springfield, and Pr. Edwin Larson, St. Peter Lutheran Church, Holyoke, Mass.
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Ordinations set for June 18, July 9
Kari Jo Plymette, who has been called as pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Willimantic, Conn., will be ordained Saturday, June 18, at 4 p.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church, 40 Pitkin St., Manchester, Conn. Plymette, who hails from Mundy's Corner, Pa., received her Master of Divinity degree last month from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. As a European history and European literature major, she studied abroad in England during college and was sent by her home congregation at the end of her internship year at seminary to its sister congregation in the Konde Diocese, Mpuguso, Tanzania.
Nathaniel Anderson, a Boston native, has been called to serve as pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Wilbraham, Mass. He will be ordained Saturday, July 9, at 2 p.m. at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Warwick, R.I. Anderson, who grew up at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Easton, Mass., studied theology and acted in school musicals at Xaverian Brothers High School, Westwood, Mass. He majored in philosophy and minored in classics and religion at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and received his Master of Divinity degree last month at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C. Anderson is married to Carolyn Starz, a biology teacher originally from Atwater, Minn. Anderson's sister, Carrie, is married to the Rev. Mark Thomas Peterson, who was installed in May as pastor at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brockton, Mass.
Rostered leaders are invited to vest and process at each ordination. The color of the day is red.
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LSS seeks donations to aid 22 refugee families left homeless by tornadoes in West Springfield, Mass.
Twenty-two refugee families served by Lutheran Social Services (LSS) were left homeless on the afternoon of June 1 after several devastating tornadoes swept across Western and Central Massachusetts. The dedicated LSS staff is working hard to help these families - already uprooted once before - to reassemble their lives. LSS asks for your help. Click here to make your gift to these newest Americans who are in dire need right now. Or send your check to Lutheran Social Services, 888 Worcester Street, Suite 160, Wellesley, MA 02482, with "Tornado Victims" on the memo line. Act now and your gift will be matched $1 for every $3 up to $15,000 donated through a generous matching grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Click here to read an article in the Boston Globe about the plight of these refugees . For more information, contact mmann@lssne.org.
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God's Purpose for the New England Synod
to go where love leads
to serve where love calls
Guiding Principles for the New England Synod
- pray always
- give of ourselves
- stand with others
- embrace change and diversity
- make room for joy
Questions to Consider with Congregational Councils and other Congregational Groups
- Where is love leading you?
- How is love calling you to serve?
- How might love be calling your congregation to serve in new ways?
- How might you use this purpose statement and these guiding principles to reflect on "doing what matters to God" in your congregation?
Doing What Matters coaches will soon be available to congregations wishing to undertake this process. Stay tuned for more information.
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