Synod Servant E-News


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June 07, 2016    
Joys and Cares
Pray

We pray for...
 
Pastor Bill Smith (retired) who has returned to Trinity Village, Hickory, following surgery and recovery from Catawba Valley Medical Center.
 
Brenda Bost, wife of Pastor Ted Bost (retired), who is recovering from surgery on June 1.
 
Pastor Michael Bostian (chaplain, CarolinaEast Health System, New Bern) who is now home recuperating from surgery on May 25.
 
Mir Youngquist-Thurow, wife of Randy Youngquist-Thurow, Associate in Ministry (executive director, Agape+Kure Beach Ministries, Inc.) whose father, Pastor Edmund Youngquist, 91, of Northfield, MN, died on May 30.
 
 
We give thanks for...
 
The May 19 birth of Finn Jameson Klusman, son of James and Heather Klusman of Bellingham, WA, and grandson of Pastor Judy Klusman.
 
The NC Synod Assembly committee and all who helped our synod celebrate "We are church" on June 3-4 in Charlotte.
 

 


Do you have a submission for Joys, Cares and Celebrations? If so, please submit it via e-mail to Diane Ryan.  

 

Note...

You can subscribe to the ELCA's Prayer Ventures monthly calendars of prayers here.

 

From Bishop Smith's office

Bishop Smith's reflections
 
For clergy, mainline musicians, and most other rostered leaders it's a given, but my experience is that lay folk, naturally, are not so honed in on the reality that for most Lutheran preachers, the scripture texts for Sunday mornings are assigned in advance. It's called a "lectionary," or an assigned collection of readings.
 
 
 
Rostered leader transitions
 
Pastors Rachel and Gregg Hoffman, ordained on Sunday, May 22, at St. Michael's, Greenville, SC, were installed at Nativity, Arden, on June 5.
 
The Rev. Carl Rosenberg (retired) transferred from the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin on June 1.
 
Pastor Tony VanCura, ordained in Florida on June 5 by Bishop Schaefer of the Florida Bahamas Synod, has been called to Christ, Greensboro.
 
Pastor Dan Duke will be installed as pastor of St. Stephen, Lenoir, on June 12 at 4:00 p.m.
 
 
From Presiding Bishop Eaton
 
For many months now people have been asking for some kind of statement about the persecution of Christians around the world. It seems to be a straight-forward issue.
 
 


Assembly highlights
 
The 2016 NC Synod Assembly was presided over by Vice President Diana Haywood and Bishop Timothy M. Smith. Here are highlights. Be sure to watch NC Synod E-News in the coming weeks as well as the synod's Facebook page for additional assembly information and links to videos presented during assembly.
 
Attendance: 540 people, including 485 voting members and 55 visitors and special guests. The voting members were: 188 clergy, 11 Associates in Ministry, 4 Diaconal Ministers, 267 lay voting members, and 15 Synod Council members.
 
Recognitions: Bishop Smith recognized newly-retired pastors, pastors with ordination anniversaries, and new rostered leaders. The bishop also installed new conference deans, recognized current deans, installed new synod council members and churchwide assembly voting members.
 
Opening Worship: Bishop Smith closed his sermon by urging, "God is calling us out of the world into where we celebrated Word and Sacrament, reminding us we have a fire burning under us that we may be a light in the world. Come Holy Spirit; kindle in us the fire of your love that we might share it."
 
Social media connections were everywhere this year. Several portions of assembly were Facebook livestreamed, tweets using #nclutheran were abundant, and we were even able to send a live video greeting to Lt. Col. Chris Webb (pastor, St Mark's, Asheville), currently deployed as chaplain in the Air Force. Additionally, this year's pre-assembly event included a day-long session, "Digital Tools for Creating Community," led by Pastor David Hansen of Spirit of Joy! Lutheran, Woodlands, TX.
 
Bishop's reflections: Bishop Timothy Smith offered reflections on his first 10 months as bishop. He addressed:
  • Attention to the synod's mission strategy adopted at last year's assembly
  • The three expressions of the ELCA--congregation, synod, churchwide--which help us grow deeper in faith
  • Diminishing synod mission support from congregations
  • The geographic disconnect in our synod and his current priority to focus more on congregations east of Raleigh
  • Recent synod staff transitions
 
He mentioned these topics about which he has written newsletter reflections:
 
He noted these efforts which are new in the synod's life:
  • Application for a Lilly Foundation grant to help pastors address financial issues and enhancement of stewardship in congregations
  • The Ambassadors/Partners program
  • Re-igniting the Companion Synods program with Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea
  • Reformation 500 event and publication of a new study resource
  • The advent of a new Leadership School
  • The synod's new Justice & Advocacy Committee
  • A new emphasis on continuing education for professional leaders
 
During lunch each day assembly participants had an opportunity to attend two different workshops. (1) "Does reading the label really help?" led by Pastors Tim and Sharon Taylor and (2) a Bible study on the assembly theme "We are church" with reflections on Matthew 16 by Bishop Timothy Smith.
 
Each of the synod's institutions, agencies and organizations presented video stories about their ministries.
 
The synod's Book of Faith Task Group presented videos from the top three winners in the "Tell It" video contest for congregation youth groups:
  1. St. Philip, Raleigh: the story of Ruth (Moabite) & Boaz (Landowner)
  2. Morning Star, Matthews: the story of Ehud (from Judges 3)
  3. Holly Grove, Lexington: the story of Samson and Delilah
Additionally, the task group introduced the new resource "Lutherans learning Luke," a summer reading plan complete with daily devotionals and discussion questions to guide us through the gospel of Luke this summer from June 12-July 9.
 
Reformation 500 Task Force promoted cross-generational study resources, travel programs & other activities scheduled for the next year. See more on the webpage.
 
The Outreach and Renewal teams presented an overview of their ministries within the synod, including notes about:
  • Three congregations under development in Cherokee, Raleigh & Gastonia.
  • Three new mission developments: Episcopal + Lutheran mission in Winston-Salem, a second Christ, Charlotte campus in south part of Charlotte that is partnering with three other congregations in that vicinity; and one in Durham for Spanish-speaking people.
  • Three re-development congregations: Elizabeth City, Concord & Durham.
  • Two congregations receiving fast-growing grants: Mt. Pisgah, Hickory and St. Peter's, Southport.
  • The receipt of a $50,000 ELCA grant for Leadership School; used for Bold Like Jesus conference this year and another next year
Three new tools being rolled out to help congregations available at http://congregationalrenewalnc.com:
  1.  Forward Together in Christ & Community initiative
  2. Best Practices for enhancing ministry from New Church for New Age conference in 2015
  3. Congregational Vitality Survey: (through ELCA)
 
 
Director of Leadership & Discipleship, Tammy Jones West, reported she will still focus on ministry with those in first third of their lives & adults leading them. She will also, as Director of Leadership & Discipleship, encourage synod leaders to covenant with her for annual continuing education hours. This year, the topics for specific focus are conflict management, financial stewardship, health & wholeness, and faith formation. By August 1, the new website www.leaderslearn.org will offer ideas for studies available around the synod and beyond, simple activities such as book studies with colleagues, information on a leadership school, as well as funding possibilities.
 
A time of remembrance was held to give thanks for the ministry of NC Synod rostered leaders who died since last year's assembly.
 
Vice President Haywood offered wrap-up comments and thanked everyone for their encouragement and support. "Be reminded we're on fire and that fire is the Holy Spirit ... I'm excited to be a part of a church that's making a difference in the world." She encouraged all to share their favorite assembly videos (which will be posted on the synod's YouTube channel) and she issued a couple of challenges including getting your congregation to work on getting rid of "isms" and to consider participating in "God's work. Our hands. Sunday" scheduled for September 11 this year.
 
 
Significant actions taken by the assembly
 
All reports, resolutions, election results and financial reports considered at the assembly can be found by the end of this week on the assembly webpage.
 
  • Election of Synod Council officers (terms 2016-2020)
    Vice President    : incumbent Diana Haywood, member of Abiding Savior, Durham
    Secretary    : Doug Ramsey, member of Friendship, Taylorsville
    [The current synod treasurer, Terri Blake, CPA, member of St. Paul's, Crouse, was appointed by Synod Council to serve the 2016-2020 term.]
  • Adopted 2017 Ministry Budget: $2,915,772
  • Adopted 2017 Compensation Guidelines for rostered leaders: No change from the 2016 guidelines.
  • Adopted resolutions
    16.01     Resolution for the synod to memorialize the ELCA to join other denominations taking action to repudiate the European Christian-derived "doctrine of discovery" with its continuing impact upon tribal governments and individual tribal members to this day.
    16.02     Resolution, "African descent Lutheran lives matter," to memorialize the ELCA to take specific actions demonstrating the ELCA's commitment to "be a church that embraces each person and confronts racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, age, gender, familial, sexual orientation, physical, personal and class barriers that often manifest themselves in unjust treatment, inequalities, exclusion and violence."
    16.03 Recognizing the faithful service of the late Rev. Dr. Gary Weant     who served as synod secretary from 2009 until December 2015.
    16.04     Resolution calling the synod to recognize the work of these agencies, institutions, services and programs as vital expressions of the ministry to which God calls the church.
    16.05     Resolution noting how the ELCA supports legislation and policies which protect civil rights and prohibit discrimination, to call upon North Carolina legislators, the speaker, the president pro tem and the governor to repeal House Bill 2 and call upon the synod's congregations and members to do the same.
    16.06 Recognizing and offering gratitude to synod leaders     and all other leaders and volunteers, assembly committees, and all in attendance who made the 2016 synod assembly a success.
   
Our assembly thanks go to...
 
Presiding officers: Bishop Timothy M. Smith and Vice President Diana Haywood.
Interim Secretary: Laurie Wegner
Parliamentarian: David Black
ELCA representative offering the churchwide report: The Rev. Dr. Stephen Bouman, Executive Director for ELCA Domestic Mission Unit
Assembly Coordinator: Tammy Jones West, NC Synod Director of Leadership and Discipleship
Chaplain: The Rev. Dr. Katherine Shaner, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Wake Forest University School of Divinity and NC Synod pastor
Packet assembly congregation: Kimball, Kannapolis
Host Congregation for pre-assembly event and hospitality: Holy Comforter, Belmont
 
 
Assembly evaluation
 
If you were an attendee at assembly this year, please use this link to share your thoughts with us. This will help us plan for next year!
 
 
Future assembly dates and locations
 
Dates and places for the 2017 and 2018 synod assemblies
2017: June 2-3, synod assembly at the Koury Center, Greensboro (June 1, pre-assembly event)
2018: June 1-2, synod assembly at Hilton North Raleigh Midtown (May 31, pre-assembly event)

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Evangelical Mission

Coach Training event in August
 
 
Over the past two years the ELCA has retooled its approach to coaching. We now have two levels of coaches: Level 1 coaches have completed ELCA Launch training, Level 2 coaches are trained to become mentor coaches for Mission, Stewardship, and Discipleship.
 

Ministry Emphasis
 
LMM State logo NC Lutheran Men in Mission
 
For a description of the NC Lutheran Men in Mission organization, this month's ministry emphasis, go to their webpage.
 
News

 
New overtime rules affect congregations
 
On May 18, the Department of Labor issued a new mandatory rule regarding overtime pay. Workers earning less than $47,476 per year ($913 per week) will now be eligible for overtime pay. This new rule, which takes effect on December 1, will increase the amount of overtime you pay and it affects all non-ministerial employees in your church.
 
Join Frank Sommerville, JD, CPA, for a one-hour webinar on June 9 at 1:30 p.m. CDT/2:30 p.m. EDT where he will share which staff members might be affected and about the ministerial exception. He'll also explore options to minimize the financial impact for your ministry. Learn more.
 
 
Peeler/ Casey deadline approaches
 
The deadline for applying for Michael Peeler or Virginia Casey Endowment Fund grants is June 30. Michael Peeler was a member of St. John, Salisbury, and Virginia Casey was a member of Gloria Dei, Salisbury, and the secretary to two of our bishops. In their wills they left money to establish endowments to fund church ministries that enhance the Kingdom of God. What a wonderful legacy they have left!
 
 
 
 
To download the most recent issue, click here and then find ELCA Worship News under the "General" tab.

Events

 
Agape+Kure Beach Ministries
 
The latest Agape+Kure Beach newsletter offers details about upcoming summer and fall events.
 
 
There's still room for you!
 
Register for any of the Lutheridge summer programs today! Want something new? Check out our new Horseback Explorers program for those who have completed grades 6-8!
 
July 31-August 6
A full week of faith and fun with all the regular on-site camp activities: crafts, pool, games, songs, skits, campfires, and more, plus an outing into Pisgah Forest. Campers have an additional horseback outing on mountain trails, and enjoy horse-themed activities on camp. Learn more.
 
 
Summer Music Clinics
 
July 22-23
All are welcome! We look forward to seeing you at one of our six free Summer Music Clinics. Read through new seasonal music, attend workshops led by clinicians Michael Burkhardt and Kristina Langlois, participate in a hymn festival, and more.
 
Join other church musicians in exploring fresh and innovative ways to enliven music in worship. Summer Music Clinics are designed for everyone involved in creating and planning music for worship. The event for the southeast is planned for Columbia, SC. Learn more.
 
 
Walk Thru the Bible
 
August 27
Coble's, Julian, (near Greensboro) is hosting Walk Thru the Bible, Old Testament, on Saturday, August 27 from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Cost is $5 which includes a study book and lunch. Learn the people, places, and events of the Old Testament using the exclusive "Walk Thru the Bible" hand signs memory system. Great door prizes. Open to the first 50 people who register with Pastor Joseph Miller at 336-697-1258.
 

Congregations
 
Strawberry Festival
 
Mt. Olive, Hickory, hosted their annual Strawberry Festival on Sunday, May 15, a tradition that began several decades ago when introduced by a former church musician. The festival is a musical gathering, open to the community to come and enjoy music and fresh strawberry desserts. The Chancel Choir and the Worship & Music Committee sponsored the event, along with assistance from the Hospitality Committee.
 
 
 
Centennial Sacred Art Project
 
On June 19, Grace, Hendersonville, will introduce a diverse collection of visual arts that will be permanently displayed throughout the church as part of its Centennial Year Celebration. Created by twenty-two recognized artists who are members of Grace and are donating their works to the church, the art will be dedicated and blessed by the Rev. Greg Williams, Senior Pastor, at three worship services Sunday morning.
 
The works include a heritage teddy bear by Nancy Hinshaw; stained glass by Dave Litogot; fiber art by artists Kitty Etterman, Barbara & Henry Koch, Karen-Eve Pfotzer, Judy Smith, Vivian Pemble, and Sandra Lawshe; marquetry by Ted Lawshe (member of the Southern Highland Guild); photography by Randall Elley; handwork by Bonnie Pierce; paintings by Anthony Acosta and Brent Owen; mixed media works by Dick & Carol Miley, Tamara Miller, Linda Daleure and Kids Club; ceramics by Leslie Owen; and woodworking displays by Peter Gollup and Chuck Albers.
 
The Centennial Sacred Art Project was announced last June with the theme "Values for the Next Century," and artists were invited to submit art work proposals with a 100-word artist's statement. The project coordinator is Karen-Eve Pfotzer, Grace's Director of Gifts Ministry, and a well-known story teller and artist. Pfotzer said, "Our idea was to honor the Original Creator God and set a vision for the next century with forward-thinking themes like diversity, inclusion, grace and social justice. We want to showcase and share the artistic talents of members."
By Greg Munson
 

Positions

Administrative secretary
 
St. John's, Concord, is looking for an administrative secretary. The position is part-time, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
 
We are looking for a person with:
+a great up-front personality
+computer skills; including the use of Microsoft Word and Photoshop
+a knowledge of editing websites and working with Microsoft Excel would be a plus, but not a requirement
+good organizational skills
 
Tasks include, but are not limited to weekly worship bulletins, funeral bulletins, monthly newsletters, an annual directory, office management and supporting the pastor. Please send résumé to pastor@stjohnslutheranchurch.net.
 
 
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Did You Know...
View a recording of the webcast discussion hosted by Bishop Eaton exploring what it means to be a welcoming congregation within the ELCA.
 
Contact Information:NC Synod Logo resized
 
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