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The Season of Pentecost |
June 15, 2011 |
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Totals for Offerings, Food Collection at Assembly
Number of pounds of food we collected for tornado relief: 5,920;
Number of equivalent meals: 4,677;
Amount of money given to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: $2,002.33;
Amount of money given to the ELCA Malaria Campaign: $3,760.83. |
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"Youth Matters": Sowing Seeds, Sharing Dreams
The new purpose statement for the New England Synod is: "To go where love leads, to serve where love calls." That's exactly what dozens of Lutheran youth did when they arrived in Springfield, Mass., for synod assembly. Putting their faith into action, youth groups from all over New England labored side by side with members of the community during the Day of Service on June 4. Their abundant enthusiasm and energy were put to good use...and they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty. "We had an awesome experience working with local youth from Gardening the Community," said Kim Bergstrand, one of the leaders of this service project, a recent graduate of the synod's School of Lay Ministry, and a member of St. James Lutheran Church, Barrington, R.I. "We worked together as a team...weeding, turning over the soil and planting seeds in small garden plots nestled in a struggling urban neighborhood."
As they worked together, the youth also shared stories of home and family. "We talked about life today and their plans the future," Kim said. "We weren't just dealing with plants and seeds, but with hopes and dreams." Along the way, they encountered a Boy Scout troop, who offered them cool drinks, hot dogs and pizza. They walked through areas ravaged by the recent tornadoes -- avoiding the tree limbs, roofing shingles and splintered wood that lined the streets. Ibrahim Ali, one of the program directors, led them to a small locked garden that had become overgrown with grass and invasive bamboo. "We were tired and hot," said Kim, "but somehow that walk through nature's fury energized us and inspired us to persevere. We were blessed to be able to help and serve. It was an amazing, grace-filled day!" |
New England ELCA Youth Groups Pack 8,562 Meals
At synod assembly, the youth of New England also were busy feeding the hungry. Incredibly, they managed to package 8,562 Feeding Children International meals for the Springfield, Mass., food shelf, replenishing much-needed supplies after the tornadoes struck. That's enough nutritionally complete meals to feed 23 kids for a year. For many of the young people who served on this project, it was not the first time they had participated in a food packaging event. "Youth from all over our synod had their first crack at packaging at Calumet in early March," said Pr. Matthew Martin, "and we will be doing it again at Hammo this fall."
To date, 64,404 meals have been delivered to Haiti, as well as to Massachusetts' area food pantries. Throughout New England, more Lutheran churches are getting into the food packaging "business." Inspired by the success of Faith Lutheran's program in Quincy, Mass., St. James Lutheran Church, Barrington, R.I., recently started one of their own. "Pastor Andrew Simon's church now has a packaging cell," said Martin, "and soon St. Paul's in Terryville, Conn., will, too. Our goal is to have one in every New England state by Hammonasset in September." You can read more about Faith Lutheran's food packaging program in Martin's blog on the synod website. |
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Summer Gathering for Retired Rostered Leaders, Spouses
Aug. 10-12 in Vermont
The Annual Summer Gathering for retired rostered leaders, their spouses and widows is set for Aug. 10-12 at the Blue Gentian Lodge, Londonderry, Vt. The Rev. Don and Phyllis Helfrich will guide conversation on this year's books - "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo and "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman. Other activities will include worship at Weston Priory and a local playhouse production. For more information, click here or email the Rev. Paul Alberti at pgadga@gmail.com. |
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Prepare for LWR Pickup in Spring 2012
Lutheran World Relief has scheduled a pick-up for quilts, fabric kits, school kits, personal care kits and layetters, as well as clean-up buckets, blankets and soap for the spring of 2012 throughout New England. Dates and locations will be announced early in 2012. Before then, please go to www.lwr.org/beinvolved for guidelines to assemble these items. For more information, contact Marie MacDermid, key leader for New England, at 860-283-8229 or mrsmac06782@yahoo.com. This pickup is a collaboration of the women of ELCA and Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod congregations in New England. |
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ELCA Advocacy Alert: Violence Erupts in Sudan as Secession of South Sudan Approaches -- Write, Give, Pray
The ELCA Advocacy Network has issued an urgent appeal for your help to stop the violence in Sudan that has increased during the past week as the date approaches for Southern Sudan to secede from Sudan. In early January, the citizens of Southern Sudan voted to form their own independent country as of July 9. Humanitarian efforts are severely hampered by ongoing fighting. As the Sudan Council of Churches has said, "The suffering of these children of God as they try to find shelter, food and basic daily needs is our concern and should be for all people of conscience."
You can help by:
· Write and call to urge the United States to act decisively to end the violence and ensure protection of and humanitarian assistance to the people of Southern Kordofan;
· Give to the ELCA Disaster Appeal for Southern Sudan
· Pray for peace in Sudan for 30 minutes every Friday at 11 a.m. until July 9.
For more information and specifics click on http://capwiz.com/elca/callalert/index.tt?alertid=50594501. |
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ELCA Video Contest ends June 30
Exciting news! The ELCA is holding another video contest for 2011, this time on the theme, "What does it mean to 'live Lutheran'?" Entries will be accepted until June 30. Do you have a video from the recent synod assembly? Several New England congregations submitted videos in 2009 on the theme "God's work. Our hands." that were seen and heard throughout the ELCA, so this is a great way to share your faith story. Congregations and individuals could win a $3,000 ministry grant or a $1,500 cash prize. There also are prizes for the congregation and individual entries receiving the most popular vote. Plus, a selection of videos will be shown at the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly this August. Visit www.livinglutheran.com/contest to get the information you need, including tips to help everyone get started. |
Contributions to Aid Refugees Left Homless by June 1 Tornadoes Top $28,500; Furniture, Gift Cards Still Needed
LSS staff and volunteers continue to help the refugees left homeless by the June 1 tornadoes that ravaged Western Massachusetts to reassemble their lives -- lives already uprooted once before in their countries of origin. So far, more than $28,500 has come in from generous donors! As of June 15, seventeen families are still in shelter at the Big E fairgrounds.
In addition to monetary contributions, which are still needed, LSS is accepting:
· dining tables and chairs
· air conditioners or fans for apartments
· pots, pans, dishes and silverware
· small refrigerators
· 40 twin-size box springs
· 40 twin-size bed frames
· gently-used couches
· gift cards for Walmart, Target, Bob's Discount Furniture, and similar stores.
Transport for large items of furniture should be coordinated with Lori D'Amico, LSS volunteer manager (781-697-1646 or ldamico@lssne.org). All other items may be dropped off at LSS hubs in Concord, N.H.; Wellesley, Mass.; Worcester,, Mass.; Westbrook, Maine; and Brockton, Mass. LSS also is looking for a few churches to serve as a drop off location. For more information, contact Lori D'Amico.
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. |
God's Purpose for the New England Synod
to go where love leads
to serve where love calls
"Doing What Matters" in Waltham, Mass.
Part One: What in the World Is God Up To?
It takes a leap of faith for a Lutheran pastor to replace two lectionary readings and a perfectly good psalm with an interactive exercise...especially one that's almost guaranteed to make most ELW-carrying Lutherans squirm in their seats. But one Sunday in May, Pr. Tom Maehl bravely led his congregation where few churches had been before -- on a "speed date with the Bible." As Maehl explains, "during worship that day, we read five different passages of scripture, which also were displayed on a screen." Those who attended a "Doing What Matters" Mission Area Assembly event can probably guess what came next. "We asked people to spend a minute after each reading, asking one or two others in their pews, 'What is God up to in this passage?'"
After all five passages had been read -- and additional discussion had taken place -- church members were asked to write a one-sentence summary on an index card and place it in the pew during the offering. They were responding to the question, "Given your conversation, and taking into account the breadth of scripture, what in the world is God up to?" The index cards were collected, the sentences were compiled on a single sheet, and the results were emailed to the congregation. When he was asked how his church enjoyed their "speed date" experience, Maehl responded with his typical wry humor, "It went over pretty well with the congregation. But we had a few visitors that Sunday...and I haven't seen them since." Next week, Part Two: Why Does God Need a Church? |
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