Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our hands. E-News Weekly |
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Issue: #344
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November 7, 2012
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| For Our Veterans | | |
This coming Sunday is Veterans Day. This year, a good way to honor those who have served in our country's military service and their families is to consider how to welcome those who are coming home from the current wars in the Middle East.
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod Bishop Michael Rinehart has written an excellent blog piece for Veterans Day. In it he points out that, as of September 2010, 5722 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have died. "35,000 have sustained injuries. 20,000 are returning with Purple Hearts. 500,000 carry deep emotional wounds. Too many will commit suicide--more than the number killed in battle." (Read the entire article here)
You can help returning veterans by asking your congregation to become a participant in Care for the Troops. Through that program, supported by our synod, several of our congregations have become "veteran friendly" congregations, using the resources of Care for the Troops to welcome veterans home and support their families while they are gone and when they return.
Remember our veterans and their families Sunday. Thank them for their service. Pray for an end to war in all the world.
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| Getting Back to Basics | | |
By Bishop H. Julian Gordy
ELCA Southeastern Synod
 A couple of weekends ago at a breakfast meeting before the consecration of Robert Wright as the new Episcopalian Bishop of Atlanta, someone asked Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, about the discouraging words in the recently released Pew study on religious affiliation in the United states. In case you haven't heard, that study points out that "nones," those that have no religious affiliation, are growing much faster than any religious group in the United States.
Bishop Jefferts Schori points out that 1 out of 3 Episcopal dioceses in the United States is growing. Given what we hear about the state of the Episcopal Church and other so-called mainline churches, that was surprising and good news. Why are these diocese growing? Her answer: "The church is growing where it provides attractive opportunities for people to wrestle with the big spiritual questions."
That comment reminded me of an article in the Tennessean a few months back. In Nashville, the article said, contrary to national trends, many mainline or so-called liberal churches have been showing "surprising strength and have grown in membership over the past decade." What's the secret?.....
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Did you know that there may be a better way to make your year-end gifts to ministry than writing a check?
If you hold shares of stock, chances are that stock has increased in value since you purchased it. To date, 2012 has been a very good year for the stock market. As of October 31, the S&P 500 is up over 12%. By making your gifts to ministry using shares of appreciated stock you not only avoid paying capital gains, you also get to deduct the full market value on your income tax return. As long as the stock is given directly to the ministry and you have owned it for over one year you received both of these benefits for your gift.
Gifting stock is easy. You or your broker simply contact the ministry you would like to support and the stock can be electronically transferred to the organization. If your congregation or ministry does not have a current relationship with a broker, you can transfer it through the ELCA Foundation to any ELCA institution.
If you would like to learn more about gifting shares of stock to ministry, please contact our ELCA Regional Gift Planner, Christine Post-Duncan, toll free at 866-630-3522 or via email at Christine.PostDuncan@elca.org.
The ELCA Foundation provides service to ELCA congregations and individuals to help them plan for themselves and their loved ones by providing education and consultation in the area of stewardship of accumulated assets. All services are available without cost or obligation.
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Get Connected with Youth and Young Adult Ministry!
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 | | Youth at Affirm |
Do you want to stay updated on opportunities for youth and young adults in the Southeastern Synod? Check out our new ELCA Southeastern Synod Young Adult and Youth Ministry website! See photos from past events, read announcements of new events, discover campus ministry contacts in your area, and so much more. For even more connection or to have your voice heard, consider joining our Facebook group by clicking here or searching "ELCA Southeastern Young Adult and Youth Ministry". Post updates and photos from youth and young adult ministry in your congregation. We'd love to hear from you! |
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ELCA Drought Aid is Crucial
From ELCA Hand in Hand Newsletter: Stories from Your Missionaries
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Photo Credit: ELCA
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A dry rainy season last year has led to a crisis for many people in Senegal and the surrounding region. Many households don't have enough food to eat or feed for their livestock.
Fortunately, the Lutherans and Muslims in Senegal have a long-term trusting relationship with ELCA missionaries, which led to a request for assistance during this crisis for these hungry families and their animals. With the gifts you provided through ELCA Disaster Response, the Senegal Lutheran Development Services has now set up a food and feed distribution project that provides emergency assistance to 1,000 families.
 | | Pastor Dirk & Sarah Stadtlander, ELCA missionaries in Senegal |
Yet Dirk Stadtlander, serving as a parish pastor in the Lutheran Church in Senegal, and his wife Sarah say the need is still great. Another 30 to 50 people seek assistance every day.
"Please keep them, and all of the people who are receiving a distribution of hope, in your prayers," they say. "It is a joy for us to see ELCA dollars at work in such a wonderful, culturally appropriate way. We are so grateful to be a part of this particular expression of the body of Christ!"
Check out the ELCA website for more stories and bulletin inserts on global mission.
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Pr. Min Chin Park Visits South Korea
 | | Pr. Min Chin Park preaches at Chongsin Christian University in Seoul, South Korea |
Pr. Min Chin Park of Advent Lutheran Church in LaGrange, GA recently visited Korea where he preached at several Korean churches and university chapels. Among them was Do Bong Lutheran Church, the first Korean Lutheran Church established in 1960 by missionaries from the U.S. Pr. Park also preached to a large congregation at ChongSin Christian University in Seoul, his alma mater. While there he met with the university president and some of the faculty.
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Around the Synod
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Honoring the Southeastern Synod
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Rev. Dr. James R. Crumley, Jr.
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The Southeastern Synod was honored at the annual Friends of the James R. CrumleyJr. Archives Banquet in Columbia, SC on October 26. The Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Savannah, GA was honored with the Congregational Heritage Award in recognition of the congregation's long-time support of Lutheran archives and heritage, including the work of the late Milfred Gartelmann that is still represented in the unique dioramas she developed and her various anniversary and history pageants. The Synod was given special recognition to
 | | Bishop Julian Gordy |
Bishop Julian Gordy and his predecessors and staff in the Southeastern Synod for their long-time support of the Archives and its work. It was the first synod to deposit its records at what would become the Region 9 ELCA Archives. The Walton H. Greever Award "for significant and distinguished contributions as a leader of church and society" was presented to the Rev. Dr. James R. Crumley, Jr., the last Presiding Bishop of the LCA and a former pastor of congregations in the Southeastern Synod, including the Church of the Ascension, Savannah. The Region 9 Archives were named after Dr. Crumley in 1993, two years after its founding.
 
Pr. Carl Yost (Ascension) Rev. Crumley & Bishop Mark Hanson
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Prayer Labyrinth Dedicated at Zion Lutheran Church
 On Sunday, March 27, 2011, Zion Lutheran Church in Savannah, GA held a ceremony to dedicate a prayer labyrinth and garden. Funding for the garden came from Dr. Paul Hart's memorial donation. Dr. Paul Hart grew up in Effingham County and spent his life dedicated to the protection of the environment as well as health and human life. Paul Hart not only impacted his world, but he impacted his community. He and his wife Judy's memorial donation to Zion Lutheran Church was used to create the Zion prayer labyrinth that supports spiritual enrichment.
Guarded by a trumpeter swan, the garden at Zion Lutheran Church fosters a spiritually nourishing and peaceful environment and provides a place to commune with God. Seeking to enter into a deeper relationship with God is a spiritual journey that the pattern of its prayer labyrinth illustrates. This ancient symbol of medieval Christian pilgrimages still symbolizes a life journey of spiritual enrichment. In the labyrinth's center is a Luther rose that surrounds the cross of Christ. Both the swan and the rose are symbols of the Lutheran heritage. Click here to read more about how the prayer labyrinth is being used to serve God in Savannah.
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| View the entire Synod Calendar | | |
November 8-10
Candidacy Committee meets
Synod Office
Nov 10-11
All-TN Youth Gathering
Trinity, Tullahoma, TN
Nov 18
Open House & Open House for Youth
Lutheranch, Tallapoosa, GA
Nov 22-23
Synod Office Closed for Thanksgiving
Nov 26-28
Lutheridge Almost Free Youth Gathering
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ELCA-Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-589-1977
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