Important Message For Gmail Users
 If you are using a Gmail account to read this email, your copy of the Synod E-News Weekly may be missing some content. To accommodate longer emails, Gmail clips the message to a manageable size. Unfortunately, this means that some content is not displayed in the body of the email. Gmail is currently working on a fix that will allow you to view all content in your emails, but for now, we advise you to take one of the following actions to ensure that you can see all of the stories, resources, and opportunities:
- Navigate to the top of this email. Look for the phrase "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here." Click to open the E-News Weekly in a new tab. All content will then be properly displayed.
- Scroll to the bottom of this email. Look for the phrase "[Message clipped] View entire message." Click to open the E-News Weekly in a new tab. All content will then be properly displayed.
|
Please mark your calendars now for the
2013 Southeastern Synod Assembly.
Registration opens February 15.
2013 Southeastern Synod Assembly
May 31, June 1 and 2, 2013
Chattanooga Convention Center
"Always Being Made New"
Following the theme of "Always Being Made New," the 2013 Assembly will remember our roots and celebrate how God has worked through our hands these past 25 years. Click here to view the ELCA's interactive timeline of some of the milestones of God's faithfulness. Our speakers for the 2013 Assembly will be (from left to right): The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA; Beth Lewis, president and CEO of Augsburg Fortress; and The Rev. Harold C. Skillrud, Bishop Emeritus and first bishop of the Southeastern Synod.
|
|
A New Look for the E-News
Today we launch a new look for our synod's weekly E-news. As we work to support the work of our approximately 160 congregations across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, the synod staff are working to make this a valuable resource that both informs and inspires members, leaders, ministry partners and friends across our wide geography. Each week we will look to provide relevant and helpful information for equipping congregations to do ministry in the communities that they serve. We'll also use it to communicate important information that we need your help in sharing. We'll provide lots of links to useful and informative websites. And we also want this to be a forum for sharing the meaningful work that is going on all around our synod.
To do all this, we really need your help. First, we need you to tell us what is going on in your congregations and ministries. Send us pictures, stories of things that you have done, and plans for things that your congregations will do. If you have ideas but aren't sure what to send, call the synod office and talk with me. I would love to hear from you!
The next thing that you can do is to forward this email to at least one person who you think would benefit from the information and ask them to subscribe to receive it. There is a link to do so to the right and up just a bit in the red sidebar. It can be a member of your congregation, a council member or committee chair, someone on your staff, a friend. We have about 56,000 members in our synod and only 1289 email addresses on this distribution list! In order to work together and to support you as we are called to do, we need a wider distribution for this E-news, and we need your help in achieving this goal. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more on this topic.
 Beginning next week, we will begin a series of devotions for Lent as our blog entries. These devotions will be written by newly rostered leaders in our synod who participated in the First Call Gathering in January. We encourage you to read them and to respond to them. Take a moment to greet these newly ordained and consecrated leaders and to engage one another in reflecting on the season of Lent. After that, we'll kick off a series of blogs that will lead us into our 2013 Synod Assembly. These blogs will help us reflect on the mission and ministry that we have been engaged in together for the last 25 years and will help us think, together, about where God is calling us to go in the future.
Thank you for your partnership as we seek to live out, and into, the gospel together!
Peace,
Michelle
Michelle Angalet, Associate in Ministry
Executive Assistant to the Bishop
|
Important Synod Information -
Action Required
Nominations for 2013 Assembly Elections: The Southeastern Synod Nominating Committee is currently seeking potential nominees for several positions to be elected at the 2013 Synod Assembly. Positions for which nominees are needed include:
Synod Council Members: The Synod Council is the synod's boards of directors, functioning as the interim legislative authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. Nominees should have the ability to attend weekday meetings three times a year. Nominees are being sought in the following categories:
- 1 Youth, 2-year term (lay person under age 18; must complete term before graduating from high school)
- 1 Young Adult, 1-year unexpired term (lay person age 18-30)
- 2 At-large members, 2-year term (Gender and roster designations to be determined)
Members of the Consultation Committee: This committee functions primarily in an advisory role to the synod bishop, assisting the bishop in investigating situations that are potentially matters for formal discipline. Nominees are needed in the following categories:
- 2 Clergy (6-year terms)
- 2 Lay Females (6-year terms)
Members of the Discipline Committee:
This committee consists of 12 members who function as a pool of individuals available for potential participation in disciplinary hearings. Nominees are needed in the following categories:
- 1 Clergy (6-year term)
- 1 Lay Male (6-year term)
- 2 Lay Females (6-year terms)
The Nominating Committee's goal is to nominate two to four persons for each position. The Committee will consider individual skills and qualifications, as well as the Synod's inclusivity goals. These goals address the balance between lay persons and pastors, gender, status as a youth or young adult, and racial/ethnic background. Achieving some geographical diversity of nominees will also be a factor in the Nominating Committee's decisions. Click here for more information about these positions.
Deadline for submission of biographical forms to be considered by the Nominating Committee: March 15, 2013.
*****************
Synod Council Minutes Available: Preliminary minutes of the Synod Council's January 18-19 meeting are now available on the synod website. Click here to go directly to the minutes page. Although these minutes have not yet been officially approved, they are being made available so that all interested persons may know the decisions that were made. If you have any questions about the minutes, please contact the Synod Secretary, Pastor Terri Stagner-Collier.
*****************
 Reports Due Next Week:
Click the links below for information and submission instructions on the following reports.
*****************
 Portico Health Assessment: The Portico Health Assessment program allows ELCA employers (congregations, seminaries, other organizations) to earn a 2% discount on their health contribution payments if 65% or more of the ELCA-primary plan members and eligible spouses take the online Mayo Clinic Health Assessment between Jan. 1 and April 30. It only takes 10-20 minutes and you get $150 in wellness dollars. Click here to get started!
*****************
Congregational Mission Planning Grants: Did you know that grants of up to $1,000 are available to congregations that are currently engaged in or will be engaging in a congregational mission planning process? Grants are available from the synod's Great Commission Fund for renewal, re-visioning, and mission planning. For more information and for an application, please visit the synod website here or contact Rebecca Kolowé.
*****************
 Proposed ELCA CBCR Amendments: In November 2012 the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to recommend amendments to the 2013 Churchwide Assembly. Official notice of those proposed amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions and a copy of the amendments in their entirety are available below or on the synod website. The 2013 Churchwide Assembly will gather in August in Pittsburgh, PA. Many of these amendments are a result of 2011 Churchwide Assembly actions on the LIFT (Living Into the Future Together) recommendations. For more information on LIFT, click here.
|
|
Save the Date - April 6, 2013!
 When Strangers Become Neighbors--Immigration and the Church Today: As people from around the world make the United States their home, the political, economic, social, and spiritual issues related to immigration continue to divide us. Even the language we use--alien, foreigner, stranger--creates division. Jesus calls people of faith to show hospitality to the strangers in our midst. But what happens when these strangers become our neighbors, those we are called to love as we love ourselves?
When Strangers Become Neighbors: Immigration and the Church Today aims to deepen the conversation about the church's role in loving our new neighbors: refugees who seek safety and a new home; children orphaned or torn from their parents during conflict; asylum seekers, survivors of torture, and victims of human trafficking who need protection; and migrants who flee desperate circumstances in search of opportunity. We invite all those interested in the church's response to contemporary immigration issues, especially rostered leaders, Social Ministry Committee members, and lay leaders. During this event:
- Southeastern Synod Bishop Julian Gordy will address theological and social concerns surrounding immigration that confront the church and society. The Rev. Robert Strickert, semi-retired pastor in the Florida-Georgia District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, LSG Board Member and Refugee Services volunteer, will join him.
- Floyd R. Blair, Esq., President and CEO of Lutheran Services of Georgia, will share his vision for LSG's ministry with newcomers to the U.S.
- Workshops, resources, and opportunities for action will be provided to foster further education, advocacy, and volunteer engagement for congregations.
Keep watching the Synod E-News Weekly and the synod website for more information on this event as it becomes available. If you have questions or would like help promoting this event in your congregation, contact Melanie Johnson at LSG or the Rev. Darrel Peterson in the synod office.
|
|
How You Can Respond to January 30 Tornados in GA
On January 30, 2013, major and widespread tornado damage was reported mainly in Gordon and Bartow Counties, GA. In Gordon County, more than 250 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. In Bartow County, more than 90 structures were damaged.
Consider supporting the people of Gordon and Bartow Counties by volunteering and donating goods. Donated goods will be received at the Calhoun Fire Department Station 2, 391 Richardson Rd., Calhoun, GA.The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice.
At this time, the biggest demand is for nonperishable food. Bottled water, building supplies such as 2x4 studs, hammers, blue plastic tarps, plywood and roofing materials, baby formula, baby diapers (all sizes), personal hygiene products, leather work gloves, cleaning supplies such as bleach, mops, brooms and buckets, plastic goods (food wrap, cups and cutlery), paper goods (plates, napkins, towels and toilet tissue), disposable gloves (rubber or latex) and trash bags (all sizes) are also needed.
Donations of used clothing are not needed.
For more information on providing donated goods or volunteering at the distribution center, contact Distribution Center Manager at (706) 602-5721.
For opportunities in (Calhoun) Gordon County, click here.
For volunteer opportunities and unmet needs in Adairsville, contact the Adairsville Church of God at (770) 773-3264.
|
|
Opportunities for Youth
Nominations Needed for 2013 Bishop's School
 The 2013 Bishop's School will be held the week of June 23-29 on the campus of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. Youth from all over the southeast will gather to worship, study with seminary professors, witness God's work in the world, and learn what it means to think theologically. Is there a special 11th or 12th grader in your congregation who asks difficult questions and expresses a passion for knowing God more deeply? Consider nominating him or her to attend Bishop's School. Nominations are due April 1, 2013. For more information or to nominate a youth, click here.
*****************
Still Room On the Roots to Wings Germany Trip!
 There is still room available on the Roots to Wings trip to Germany on July 6-21, 2013. The Roots and Wings tour will take up to 30 youth (ages 16 and over) and adults from the Southeastern Synod to Germany in 2013. If you are interested in Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Lutheran History, Evangelism, and Church Growth, you'll love this trip! Relationships between churches in our synod and churches in their diocese have already been made. The Diocese of Augsburg of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria is one of the Southeastern Synod's companion synods. This trip will strengthen those relationships as well as create new relationships. Cost for Roots to Wings is $1900 and you can use a credit card online to pay. More information about the Roots to Wings tour is available here.
|
|
Learning Opportunities
 Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders: This training session will be presented March 11-15, 2013 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. A combination of lectures, discussion and guided practice in role plays, the training will equip people in skills for mediating interpersonal, multi-party, and congregational conflict. The pre-registration deadline has been extended to February 22. Register early and save $100. For registration information, call Lombard Mennonite Peace Center at 630-627-0507, email admin@LMPeaceCenter.org, or visit the website.
*****************
 Festival of Homiletics: On May 13-17, 2013, join many of the nation's finest preachers and teachers at the 21st Festival of Homiletics in Nashville, TN. The Festival of Homiletics is a weeklong conference on preaching, worship, and culture in the 21st century. Experience the fellowship of and be inspired by preachers and teachers from around the country. Click here for more information or to register.
|
|
Partners in Celebration
 | |
Pastor Jeong Kim. Associate Pastor. Cross of Life, Roswell, GA.
|
The Partners in Celebration Program provides an intentional way for interested individuals and Southeastern Synod congregations to support new church starts and redevelopment efforts in our synod. Our goal is to have 100 Partners in Celebration each contribute $100 or more - three to four times a year - to a featured ministry. Through these gifts of mission support, we have the potential to generate at least $10,000 beyond what we have budgeted annually for new congregations and ministries.
This quarter's featured ministry is Cross of Life Korean Outreach. Cross of Life, Roswell, GA, in partnership with ELCA Churchwide ministries and the Southeastern Synod, has provided funding for a call to Pastor Jeong Kim as the Associate Pastor for International Ministries. The ultimate goal of this outreach ministry is to create a single, ethnically diverse multi-racial community of faith - not a separate program. To learn more about the Korean Outreach Ministry, click here.
|
|
How's Your Heart?
A message from Connie Pearson
Health Ministry Team Leader
February is the "month of hearts", a time when we exchange heart-shaped valentine cards, candy, and trinkets to those we love. In this month's health message, Connie Pearson of the synod's Health Ministries team shares her list of ten foods that will help us "love and appreciate" our hearts on a daily basis. Click here to learn how yogurt, raisins, whole grains, beans, and other heart-healthy foods can help you care for your heart this February and all year round!
|
|
Hunger In Our Midst
LEARN...
Hunger Fast Fact: A recent study finds that of the 4 billion tons of food produced in the world each year, about half is thrown away, allowed to rot, or fed to animals.
To learn more about hunger, sign up for the ELCA Hunger Fast Facts listserve here.
THEN DO...
On Sunday, March 10, more than 15,000 people will come together at Turner Field to get outdoors, get moving, and have fun, all for a good cause--to raise awareness and funds for hunger relief in Atlanta. The Hunger Walk is an annual 5K walk/run and a project of the Atlanta Community Food Bank to benefit local hunger-fighting organizations. Registration for the 29th annual Hunger Walk/Run is now open. Individuals and teams can register online and view resources for collecting donations by clicking here.
|
|
Domestic Hunger Grants Awarded in the Southeastern Synod
Each year, the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants support ministries that creatively respond to hunger in their communities. Derived from ELCA World Hunger, the Domestic Hunger Grants are awarded in three areas of response: relief, development, and organizing. Seven ministries throughout the Southeastern Synod have received Domestic Hunger Grants from the upcoming year. Click here to learn how these ministries plan to use their grants to feed hungry people, strengthen local communities, and advocate for policy change.
|
|
ELCA News You Can Use
 Worship News: Worship in the ELCA is an ever-changing and growing experience that brings us closer to God and to one another. The ELCA's monthly Worship News allows Lutherans to stay connected with worship developments throughout the church. Click here to read January's Worship News or subscribe to the listserve and have Worship News delivered directly to your inbox.
E-Advocacy - Take Action Now!: ELCA advocacy ministry speaks for biblical values: peacemaking, hospitality to strangers, care for creation, and concern for people living in poverty and struggling with hunger and disease. ELCA advocacy works for change in public policy based on the experience of Lutheran ministries, programs, and projects around the world and in communities across the United States. Learn more about ELCA advocacy initiatives
here and become a part of the ELCA advocacy effort by signing up for the e-Advocacy network.
 Global Links: The ELCA engages in God's mission in over 90 countries. Do you want to learn how God is working through our hands all around the world? Consider subscribing to the ELCA's monthly Global Links newsletter to read stories of ministry abroad from. February's newsletter features stories of mission in Jerusalem, South Africa, Kenya, Palestine, and more.
|
|
Around the Synod
Position Open (Available Immediately)
 St Luke's Lutheran Church in Atlanta, GA is looking for a part-time Church Secretary, 16-20 hrs/wk, Monday-Friday. For job description, contact Pr. Ruth Hamilton at St Luke's: (404) 237-4413; pastor@stlukeatlanta.org. Click here for more information.
*****************
Good Shepherd Serves at Angel House
On Sunday, January 27, 58 members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Woodstock, GA served the girls at the Angel House of North Georgia in Canton, GA. While the girls enjoyed an afternoon out at a movie, members of Good Shepherd painted several areas of the interior of the house. North Georgia Angel House is home to 19 girls ranging in ages 12-21. You can learn more about Angel House here. This event is part of Good Shepherd's monthly Living Faith events ministry in which members of all ages gather to do God's work with their hands out in the community.
|
|
Deepening Conversations
 | |
The Rev. Darrel Peterson, Assistant to the Bishop
|
Much of our world today is functioning instantaneously or traditionally. Sometimes, quick means superficial. Sometimes doing it the way we always have means being left behind. In many cases, "deepening the conversation" is helpful and necessary.
Early in my ministry I served a mission congregation in a fast-growing community. A young couple with a small child responded to this neighborhood mission. He was an engineer with an upbringing in the Southern Baptist church. She had been raised a Mormon....
Read more about deepening conversations on our blog.
|
|
|
************
|
Did You Know?
In the Southeastern Synod, we have organized worship services in eight different languages: Spanish, German, Swahili, English, Korean, Oromo, Telugu, and Amharic!
************
|
|
Share Your Story
Is God doing exciting work in your congregation or ministry that you would like to share with the rest of the synod? Are you looking to spread the word about an upcoming event or opportunity for ministry? The E-News Weekly is open for congregations to share news, stories, photos, announcements and more. Send your stories to Michelle Angalet. Michelle can also be reached at (404) 589-1977, ext. 235. Submissions are due Mondays by 5 pm. The Synod E-News Weekly (usually) goes out on Wednesdays.
| ************
|
|
Ordinations & Installations
Feb. 9: The Rev. John Barichivich will be installed as Mission Developer at Faith Lutheran Church in Warner Robbins, GA on Saturday at 2 pm.
Feb 16: Laura Jane Shally will be ordained at Christ Lutheran Church in Fairfield Glad, TN on Saturday at 1 pm.
Feb 17: The Rev. Nancy Christiansen will be installed as Associate Pastor at Cross and Crown in Chamblee, GA.
Mar 8:
The Rev. Laura Shally will be installed at Shepherd of the Lake in Loudon, TN on Friday at 6 pm.
| ************
|
SES Young Adult &Youth Ministry Spotlight
The video for Affirm 2013, the Southeastern Synod's summer youth event, is now available on the SES Young Adult & Youth Ministry website. This year's Affirm will be held at Berry College in Rome, GA from June 16-21.
************
|
|
LLMI Spotlight
|
Faith Alive! Youth Campfirmation retreats are quickly approaching. On Feb 15-17, youth from around the synod are invited to attend retreats focused on the sacraments of Holy Baptist and Holy Communion. For more information or to register for these and other retreats, visit the website here.
************
|
|
LSG Spotlight
On January 21, 2013, over 600 people volunteered at the MLK Day of Service in Clarkston, GA. The Lutheran community of metro Atlanta partnered with the Clarkston Community Center to pack up rice and pots and pans for Lutheran Services of Georgia to give to newly arrived refugees. Visit LSG's blog for more on the MLK Day of Service or LSG's Facebookfor photos of Lutherans serving together.
************
|
Living Lutheran Spotlight
Gearing Up For Lent
As the season of Lent approaches, we invite you to join Pastor Keith Spencer of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pembroke, FL as he reflects on the heart of Lent: God's ceaseless love for us. "Gearing up for Lent," his poetic meditation reminds us, "is a re-discovery of love." Click here for a call to remember God's love this season.
************
|
|
The Lutheran
In February's issue of The Lutheran, peek into the minds of some of the ELCA's newest theologians, learn lessons on depression from Eljiah, and discover how a pink mohawk fits into mission. Some excerpts of The Lutheran are available at the website, or consider purchasing
a one-year online subscription for only $11.95.
************
|
|
Who to Contact
Do you have a question or a comment for a member of the synod staff, but aren't sure who to contact? Check out our regularly updated contact page on the synod website.
| | *********** |
| Synod Calendar | |
Feb. 9
Alassippi Youth Gathering
Jackson, MS
Feb. 15-16
Stewardship Table Kick-Off
Atlanta, GA
Feb. 22-24
SESLYO Assembly
Feb. 23
Talking Together as Christians Cross-Culturally
Ocean Springs, MS
Mar. 10
Hunger Walk/Run
View the entire synod calendar
|
|
