Around the Synod

Holy Trinity, North Easton, Mass.

The Feeding of the 50,000

in Marshfield, Mass., on 11/11/11

On 11/11/11, more than 580 volunteers from congregations, such as Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, North Easton, Mass.; community groups and local religious organizations gathered at Sanctuary, Marshfield, Mass., to pack food for needy families. Working in one-hour shifts from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., they exceeded their ambitious goal for the day by packing 50,802 Kids Care meals for local food pantries all over the South Shore of Massachusetts, from Brockton to West Barnstable. How did Sanctuary celebrate this remarkable achievement ... the feeding of more than 50,000? "We came together Sunday, Nov. 13, in worship to celebrate what it means to be disciples trying to live out our faith in this particular place," said Pr. Mark Huber. Read Kathy Read's story about this day of "doing what matters" on the synod's mission in action webpage, which features a new mission story each week. Photos, too.

Pilgrims Return Home from Holy Land

Our six pilgrims from three congregations in the New England Synod have returned home after a two-week pilgrimage through the Holy Land, led by Pr. Timothy J. Keyl, Bethesda Lutheran Church, New Haven, Conn.Read Keyl's blog for their stories. Learn more about our companion relationships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and with Honduras.

Synod Offers Grants for Youth Ministry, Congregational Revitalization

Dec. 15 is the deadline to apply for grants from the Fund for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults, and the Fund for Congregational Revitalization and Leadership Support offered by the New England Synod. Grants will be approved in January 2012 by the Synod Council. Questions? Contact the Office of the Bishop at receptionist@nesynod.org or 508-791-1530.

Janssen Resource Center Offers Studies for Advent from 'Book of Faith'

"Church in Waiting," a new adult bible study from the ELCA's Book of Faith initiative, is available from the Janssen Resource Center of the New England Synod, a free lending library offering a variety of material, including bible studies, books on spirituality and Christian DVDs. Check out its online catalog at Library Thing. Enter user name (JanssenRC) and password (nesynod), and then select the Janssen Resource Center under "Your Books" at the top of the page. To borrow materials, email Cathy Schlichte in the synod office. Portable labyrinths in two sizes also are available, courtesy of the Youth, Young Adult and Family Ministry Team.

Synod Offers Two Mission Trips to Honduras in 2012

The Global Mission Team of the New England Synod is hosting two mission trips in 2012 to Honduras, one of our companion relationships: Feb. 18-25, Chachagualla on the north coast near the ocean, and April 14-21, Yuscaran in the mountains near the Nicaraguan border. "Both dates coincide with many school vacations, so this is an opportunity to have families with school age children experience the most powerful vacation ever," said the trip organizer, Pr. Jim Hazelwood, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Charlestown, R.I. Register now. Download flyer. Learn more about the synod's companion relationships with Honduras and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.