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 God's Purpose for the New England Synod
to go where love leads
to serve where love calls
New 'Doing What Matters' Resources Available Soon
In congregations throughout New England, the focus of the "Doing What Matters" mission strategy in Year Two will be discovering what it really means to "do what matters to God." Two exciting new resources developed by members of the Faciliteam -- a sermon series and a collection of devotions -- will enable both clergy and lay people to see where love is leading them, and where they are being called to serve in 2011 and beyond. "With these two new resources, proclamation finds its perfect counterpoint in prayer and meditation," reports the team. Other resources, for use by congregational councils and other church committees, will follow.
Beginning next week, the devotions will be featured here in NES News. You also will notice a change in the "Doing What Matters" portion of the synod website. Pr. Andrew Simon, St. James Lutheran Church, Barrington R.I. -- who has been blogging for almost a year now -- will be joined by one of his parishioners, Kim Bergstrand, who is also a member of the Doing What Matters Faciliteam. Together, they will present two perspectives on Doing What Matters: one from the pulpit and one from the pew. |
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Synod Celebrates Ordinations in June, July
 The Rev. Kari Jo Plymette, who was ordained June 18, is scheduled to be installed Sunday, Sept. 25, at 2 p.m. as pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Willimantic, Conn. Plymette, who hails from Mundy's Corner, Pa., brings to parish ministry a variety of experiences, both educational and cultural. As a European history and European literature major, she studied abroad in England during college; spent a week in Juarez, Mexico, on a mission trip; 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. She received her Master of Divinity degree in May from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. (Shown in the photo at her ordination are Bishop Margaret G. Payne (left), Plymette and Pr. Stanley Reep, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, York, Pa., her internship supervisor and ordination sponsor.)
 The Rev. Nathaniel Anderson, who was ordained July 9, has been called to serve as pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Wilbraham, Mass. He grew up at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Easton, Mass. and majored in philosophy and minored in classics and religion at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. He received his Master of Divinity degree in May 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 of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brockton, Mass. (In the photo, Anderson and Pr. Ramon Santos-Mendez congratulate one another after their ordinations July 9.)
The Rev. Ramon Santos-Mendez, who also was ordained July 9, has been called by the Synod Council as pastor developer for La Iglesia Evangelica Luterana in Providence, R.I., a new worshipping community that is an off-shoot of the ministry of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Providence. He was born in the Dominican Republic, where he served as a pastor and evangelist for more than 20 years. In 1993, he and his family moved to the United States, where he was called by the Baptist Church to serve as a pastor in Newport, R.I. During a time of deep self-reflection, he met Pr. B. Santiago Rodriguez, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, and began candidacy to serve in the ELCA, affiliating with the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. |
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Synod Directory Updates Due before Aug. 1
The Office of the Bishop is in the process of updating the synod's online directory of rostered leaders and congregations, and needs your help. If you haven't already, please review your data on the synod website and inform us of any updates or corrections. Please confirm -- even if you told us last year -- any personal information that you would like us to exclude from the directory, such as home address, personal telephone number and/or email address. If you are a congregational pastor, please review the congregational listing for possible updates to phone or fax numbers, office email addresses or website addresses. Send any changes or requests for exclusions to Lyn Morin before Aug. 1. Thank you for your help. |
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LSS of Wisconsin seeks families for Russian orphans
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc., has an active Russia Adoption Program with many children to place into forever families. Its mission is to find homes for these little ones of Jesus. The agency is able to place children from Russia in any state of the United States or in U.S. territories. If you feel called to adopt a child from Russia in need of a home, contact Pr. Martha Nack, MSSW, Lutheran Social Services, 6314 Odana Rd, Madison, WI 53719; 608-270-6625 or martha.nack@lsswis.org.
In addition, Lutheran Social Services of New England also offers a full service adoption agency providing both domestic and international adoption options. For New England families interested in adopting Russian children through LSS of Wisconsin, LSS of New England is happy to provide homestudy and post-placement services. Find out more at http://www.lssne.org/adoption.aspx. |
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10th Anniversary of Sept. 11 |
Synod Observances
Here is an additional resource for those planning an observance of the 10th anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2011 -- "After 9/11 -- The Limits of Remembrance" by David Rieff in "Harpers Magazine," August 2011, pp47 ff. "Very important points made in this article for anyone planning an observance," recommends the Rev. Richard Koenig. If you have an observance planned, please notify Sister Virginia E. Strahan of the Synod Communications Team. |
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