Registration for Southeastern Synod Leadership Convocation Now Open

Registration for the 2013 Southeastern Synod Professional Leaders Convocation is now open! This year's convocation will take place from September 24 to 26 at the Lutheridge Conference Center in Arden, NC. Click here to register. 

LIRS Webcast on Immigration Reform

In light of the Senate passage of S. 744, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is offering a free webcast briefing to bring Lutherans up to date on their efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform and strategy for victory as the debate moves to the House of Representatives. The briefing will take place on Wednesday, July 24, from 1:30-2:30 EST. It will feature Linda Hartke, LIRS President and CEO, David Vasquez, Campus Pastor at Lutheran College in Decorah, IA, and Brittney Nystrom and Nora Skelly, LIRS Director and Assistant Director for Advocacy. Join LIRS to learn how you can help make a pathway to citizenship, family unity, just and humane enforcement and protection for refugees, vulnerable populations, and workers a reality in the House of Representatives. Click here to register. 

The 2013 Churchwide Assembly is quickly approaching. It will be held in Pittsburgh, PA and begins on August 12. Among the many items of business on the agenda are the election of a bishop, the election of a secretary, and an assembly vote on the adoption of the proposed Social Statement on Criminal Justice. 

Beginning today, ELCA congregations and members are invited to join in the 25 Days of Prayer leading up to the Assembly. 25 Days of Prayer draws on the rich Scriptures that will ground the work of the Assembly and invites the entire church into communal conversation and prayer for faithful discernment of the ELCA and Assembly voting members. 

You can check the 2013 Churchwide Assembly Pre-Assembly Report for more information on the business of the Assembly.

Invitation to Celebrate Pr. Villanueva

Pr. Lydia Villanueva  (Credit: Moravian.org)

You're invited to join a celebration on behalf of the Rev. Lydia Villanueva. Pastor Villanueva will be leaving the Southeastern Synod and going to Florida to be near her family, where she will embrace new and as yet unknown ministry opportunities that the Lord has for her. Her congregation, and the Synod, wish to recognize and celebrate her work among us.

The celebration will take place at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Norcross, GA on July 20, 2013 from 6 pm to 10 pm. There will be food, music, speeches, laughter, and tears.

If you'd like to attend, email the Rev. Julie Crosby and let her know how many others will be joining you. You are also invited to bring a dessert to share. 

The Text This Week 

Synod Pastor Races for the Gold

Pastor Mark Beatty, newly installed pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Alpharetta, GA, recently returned home from competing in the 2013 Pan American Masters Championship swim meet in Sarasota, FL, June 5-12. This was Mark's first international meet, with over 1,500 swimmers representing countries in North and South America as far north as Canada and as far south as Argentina and some also hailing from European countries. Though Mark had been the 2012 U.S. Masters Swimming national champion in his 40-44 age group, he came to this meet well-positioned to compete but somewhat of an underdog for gold medal wins. Hoping for an outside shot at maybe one gold medal in the 40-44 age group, he came home with three gold medals and a silver, winning the sprint events in both freestyle and butterfly! In addition to winning gold, Mark also savored the memorable spirit of the games (or, perhaps, Spirit), with what he describes as a rare combination of both passion and competitiveness and an ever-apparent sportsmanship, inherent camaraderie, and heartfelt expression of goodwill among the nations. Congratulations to Mark and to all dream-chasers, no matter how big or small the dream, who go for the "gold" in our synod." 

Swim for Life!

Want to live a healthier, longer life? Try swimming! Not only do you get to remember your baptism every time you're immersed in water, but swimming is a comprehensive full body workout which exercises all major muscle groups, rather than more lower-body specific workouts such as running or cycling (which are still fantastic). Also, a recent preliminary study points to a possible correlation of longer lifespan with swimming, even when compared with other cardiovascular exercise. Click here to find out more about the possible blessings of swimming and for further motivation in an article written by the Rev. Mark Beatty, our very own gold medalist swimmer. 

Beth Birkholz to Preach on 'Day 1'

The Rev. Beth Birkholz

The Rev. Beth Birkholz, associate pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Marietta, GA, is the featured speaker July 28 with host Peter Wallace on "Day 1", the nationally syndicated ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org. Birkholz's "Day 1" sermon for the 10th Sunday of Pentecost, based on Jesus' teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-3, is entitled "Do It Yourself." Click here to read more about The Rev. Beth Birkholz. 

Green Task Force Seeks Members

Interested in thinking more about how we as a church are called to care for creation? The Southeastern Synod is looking for individuals to serve on a Green Team Task Force. This task force is being formed as the result of a resolution titled Regarding Energy Stewardship which was passed by the 2013 Synod Assembly. Interested individuals should contact the Rev. Ed Wolff via email or at (423) 833-8932. Pr. Wolff serves as Synod Council representative from Conference 6, the Life Together Conference. Conference 6 sponsored the Regarding Energy Stewardship Resolution. Appointments to the task force will be made by Synod Council at its September 2013 meeting. The number of task force members is limited by our constitution and bylaws. Click here for more information about how task force members are chosen. 

Funding Requests Now Being Accepted

Deadline: September 30

The Southeastern Synod's Budget and Finance Committee is now accepting proposals for funding in the 2015-16 Ministry Funding Plan. Agencies, institutions, and other groups who wish to request synodical funding are invited to submit their requests online using the following link: 2015-16 Funding Request.

Funding for committees and task forces is approved on a different cycle and requires a different form. The most recent Synod Assembly approved lump sum funding for committees and task forces during the 2014-15 fiscal year. The Synod Council will allocate the approved total among the different groups, based on recommendations from the Budget and Finance Committee. Committee and Task Force chairpersons should submit their funding request from the 2014-15 fiscal year, using the online form located at: Committee/TF Funding for 2014-15.

The deadline for submission of funding requests is Monday, September 30, 2013. Anyone unable to submit a funding request electronically may obtain a paper copy of the necessary forms by contacting the Synod Office (404-589-1977). 

Keep the VBS Photos Coming!

Creation Justice Ministries

Creation Justice Ministries is an outgrowth of the National Council of Churches' Eco-Justice Programs, which has educated, organized, and advocated for the healing and defense of God's Creation since 1983. Eco-justice includes all ministries designed to heal and defend creation, working to assure justice for all of creation and the human beings who live in it. CJM offers resources on biodiversity, environmental health, water, wilderness, and more. CJM also provides activist toolboxes for strategies that congregations can use to contact their representatives. Click here for more. 

A Bishop and a Bubba: 2013 Lectionary Preaching Workshop

Presenters:  

• The Rev. H. Julian Gordy, Bishop of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA (pictured on left)
• The Rev. Dr. Delmer L. Chilton, Lectionary Blogger for Living Lutheran, co-creator and writer for The Lectionary Lab, aka "Two Bubbas and a Bible" (pictured on right)

Time: Tuesday, July 23 (all day) and Wednesday July 24 (until Noon)

Place: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 525 Sneed Road, Nashville, TN 37221

• Why Lectionary Preaching Matters - Bishop Gordy
• Personal Story and the Proclamation of the Gospel: Narrative and the Sermon - Delmer Chilton
• The texts for Pentecost 13 (Proper 15) August 18, 2013 and the texts for Pentecost 14 (Proper 16) August 25, 2013
• Worship using creative resources for those days

Cost: $50

Click here for a registration form. 

Interim Ministry for Today's Church

August 5-7, 2013

Trinity Lutheran Church,

Hixson, TN

This training will be led by Dr. Les Robinson, Vice President of The Center for Congregational Health at Wake Forest University. 

Click here for more information and a registration form. 

Registration deadline is July 30.

Prophetic Renewal: A Conference on Starting or Renewing Your Church is the theme for the annual New Church Leadership Institute (NCLI) to be held August 6-9, 2013 and co-sposored by the UCC and PCUSA. Created seven years ago, NCLI features world-class church planting and renewal experts within the progressive church and is one of the main programs of the Center for Progressive Renewal (CPR). The conference will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott Conference Center; 130 Clairmont Road; Decatur, GA 30030. Prophetic Renewal will focus on six major themes including global trends that are reshaping what it means to be church in this time; how leaders can "retool" themselves to lead churches into a new age; and how to build sustainable ministries for the present and future. 

 

For those who desire to spend more concentrated time on specific issues, a one-day pre-conference intensive will be held in seven specific areas including "Pre-Launch Church Planting", "Digital Discipleship: Social Media in Ministry", "Post-Launch Church Planting", "Youth Ministry in the 21st Century", and "Social Justice: Community Organizing Training for Your Church Leaders."

 

Bring a team from your church and come to the conference. You don't want to miss this!

 

Click for more information and a flyer to share. 

Domestic Hunger Grants Available

The 2014 Domestic Hunger Grants application and criteria can be obtained online at the ELCA website, along with stories of previous grant recipients. Please contact Joe Young via email or Ms. Johnnie Thompson at 800-638-3522 ext. 2693 with any questions concerning the Domestic Hunger Grant process. 

More Learning Opportunities 

Stewardship with Adults Under 40 Possibilities Abound: July 29-31, 2013 at Luther Seminary. Click here.