|
|
|
Issue #424
September 19, 2014
|
|
She forgot where she parked her car but remembered something else -- her baptism. Susan M. Lang, an ELCA pastor in Perkasie, Pa., serves ecumenically as a leadership retreat facilitator and church consultant. She is also a "Reflection" columnist for The Lutheran. Click here to read the article from the September issue of The Lutheran.
Above: On Sunday, September 14, the Rev. Beverly Brown Shaw (left) and the Rev. Nancy Christensen (right) baptized Miss Laylen Lewis-Love, granddaughter of Mr. Gene Lewis at St. John's Lutheran Church, Atlanta, GA.
|
An invitation from Bishop H. Julian Gordy - The Use of the Means of Grace: An opportunity to study the sacraments together
 The 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly approved an action calling on members of the ELCA to study and have conversation about "The Use of the Means of Grace," this church's statement on word and sacrament practice. In particular, the church has been called to look at who is welcome to the table for Holy Communion. The proposal came to the assembly as a memorial from the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod. This is not a call to change our communion practice, but a call for conversation and study by the whole church. It is an opportunity for renewal of our understanding and appreciation of the sacraments.
The ELCA Church Council has approved a process by which we can all engage in this work before determining if there is need to open "The Use of the Means of Grace" for possible revision. I hope you will gather with others in your Sunday school class, deanery, congregation council or other group to talk about our communion practice and to be a part of this study process. Go to www.elca.org/worship and see the right-hand column, "Table and Font: Who Is Welcome," for resources, perspective papers, a study guide, and other resources.
While an individual response is welcomed, our church will be better served if we study together in groups small and large and respond following those conversations. Our conversations will be an opportunity to look together, thoughtfully, at how Lutherans have understood the gift of the sacraments and how the sacraments strengthen and enrich us who are the body of Christ.
In Christ's peace,
+Julian
--------
|
September 20, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. EDT
The Rev. David Armstrong-Reiner will be installed as pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church, 2375 GA Highway 20 SE, Conyers, GA 30013. Rostered leaders are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is green. A reception will follow.
September 21, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. EDT
The Rev. Dr. Shirley M. Redmond will be installed as pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 4026 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31097. Rostered leaders are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is green. A reception will follow.
September 28, 2014 at at 10:15 a.m. EDT
The Rev. Kim A. Stover will be installed as pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church, 722 Rockbridge Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047. Rostered leaders are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is green. A celebration of Pr. Stover's 20th anniversary of his ordination will follow.
September 28, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. EDT
The Rev. J. Erik Allen will be installed as pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1125 Bettis-Tribble Gap Road, Cumming, GA 30040. Rostered leaders are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is green. A reception will follow.
|
We are church.
 | |
AIM Michelle Angalet, Assistant to the Bishop
|
If you are a regular reader of the Southeastern Synod Enews, you have probably noticed by now that we recently changed our section headers. The new headers - We are church. We are Lutheran. We are church together. We are church for the sake of the world. - are borrowed from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. Several months ago, Bishop Eaton used these phrases to describe who we as ELCA Lutherans are. For me, they stuck. I can't think of a better way to articulate and unpack who we are and how we understand ourselves to be church in our communities, here in the United States and around the world. Continue reading.
|
2014 Leadership Convocation
Register before Sept 20 for early registration discount
 The 2014 Leadership Convocation will be held from October 14 -16, 2014, at the Lutheridge Conference Center in Arden, NC. The Convocation, a yearly gathering for the rostered leaders and church professionals of the Southeastern Synod, offers stimulating presentations, inspiring worship, sabbath and fellowship. This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Anna Madsen, an ordained Lutheran pastor with a Ph.D. in systematic theology from the University of Regensburg, Germany. She serves as the director of OMG: Center for Theological Conversation. To learn more about Dr. Madsen, click here. To register, click here. Registrations must be received online/postmarked no later than September 20th to receive the discounted rates.
2014 Interim Pastor's Gathering at Lutheridge
Who must attend: All current Southeastern Synod interim pastors or those soon to begin an interim position.
Who may attend: Any Southeastern Synod pastors interested in interim ministry.
Starts - Thursday, October 16 - 2:00 PM
Ends - Friday, October 17 - 11:30 AM
Cost - $80 to reserve and cover one night's lodging, Thursday dinner, Friday breakfast
To register - send your name and check payable to ELCA-Southeastern Synod to:
Jeanette Burgess
ELCA-Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave, NE, Ste.1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
Please note: Registering for the Interim Pastor Gathering does NOT register you for the Leadership Convocation or the associated housing; you must register for Convocation through Lutheridge. See information in article above.
Registration deadline: September 29 (we must tell Lutheridge by that date so no exceptions.)
For more information about the program or schedule, contact Pastor Delmer Chilton (delmer.chilton@gmail.com).
|
|
Join fellow Lutherans at the People's Climate March
and help us make history!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 in NEW YORK CITY
Visit ELCA Advocacy's Action Center for important information on Lutheran participation in the People's Climate March. Find out where you can meet up with fellow Lutherans, pick up a t-shirt/sign, and participate in a multi-faith pre-March prayer service.
Not able to make it to New York? Here's what you can do at home.
Join a Climate March in your home city! - All over the country, people will gather for solidarity People's Climate Marches. Visit peoplesclimate.org/global/ to find an event near you.
Join the Global Climate Chorus at 1:00 p.m. within your own time zone, join faith communities worldwide who will be making a prayerful sound outdoors. They'll be ringing their bells, chimes or gong, sounding their shofar, offering a call to prayer, chanting a mantra, or offering prayers outdoors. The purpose is to create a global chorus of outdoor prayers and meditations for the climate, showing our concern about climate change and its impact on the most vulnerable and on future generations.
Sign our Interfaith Climate Petition - Visit the ELCA Advocacy Action Center to add your voice to a growing chorus of people of faith who are holding our leaders accountable on this critical issue.
Want to learn more about ELCA's commitment to advocating for public policy?
|
 Dr. Monte Luker Appointed New Academic Dean of the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies The Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies (JCBS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lamontte Luker as its new Academic Dean. Dr. Luker is professor of Hebrew Scriptures at Lenoir-Rhyne Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, and faculty associate at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. Click here to continue reading the press release. |
|
Sometimes a retreat 
is what you need to move forward...
The objective of the Via de Cristo weekend retreat is to inspire, challenge and equip local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches and communities. Click here for more information.
|
Lutheran Campus Ministry
Read the latest news from the ELCA Campus Ministry here. For additional information, explore the Campus Ministry page on the ELCA website.
|
|
The Fall 2014 issue of the Archival Survey, the publication of the James R. Crumley Jr. Archives, is available here. Please take a few moments to read through this latest issue of news and happenings related to your archives housed at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, and share this with members of your congregation and/or friends who might have an interest in church history, archives, or Lutheranism in the Southeast and Caribbean.
|
|
Youth Ministry Training at Lutheranch
We are only a month away from the FREE Youth Ministry Training at Lutheranch on October 10-11 sponsored by your Southeastern Synod Youth and Young Adult Ministry. We will begin on Friday night with snacks and networking, best practices, and an update on ELCA and Synod youth and young adult events. On Saturday, after breakfast, we will begin with 6 different workshops led by our Practice Discipleship Team - Framing Christian Community, Framing Failure with Forgiveness, Framing Life Biblically, Framing the Path, Framing the Vision, and Framing Youth. You can register online at www.sesyouth.org .
|
 "We believe that the home is the place where generosity can be learned most effectively. So, teaching generosity in the home becomes an important part of our ministry to children, youth and families. Today's writer offers an excellent example of helping children to manage money from a faith center. Clearly, this was not the first time faith and values were at the center of this family's conversation." Begin reading. |
Glocal Gathering at the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta 
The Southeastern Synod Women of the ELCA will host a Glocal Mission Gathering (GMG) October 17 and 18 at the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, 700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Suite 204, Atlanta, GA 30314. The GMG gathers congregational leaders for a day and a half of worship, workshops and sharing around global and local mission. Click here for registration information. |
|
Mental Illness Support Group for Caretakers
Parents/grandparents of children who live with a mental illness face a wide array of challenges. A support group for these parents/grandparents can bring them understanding, coping skills and hope. Beginning Tuesday, September 23, 2014, a Lutheran collaboration will offer a support group for parents/grandparents of children who live with a mental illness. Please contact Jerry Weyrauch (jerryweyrauch@comcast.net), with the Lutheran Suicide Prevention Ministry (LSPM), for details. To read the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's social message on mental illness, click here.
|
September is National Preparedness Month
 Church World Service will host a free, one-hour webinar - Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014, from 2-3 p.m. EDT - to help equip you with practical ways your congregation or organization can prepare for disaster and get ready to help your community recover, too!
Don't miss this special opportunity to learn from the co-editors of the valuable new "how-to" guide "Help and Hope: Disaster Preparedness and Response Tools for Congregations." Click here for information about the book.
|
 A New Road 32
October 3 - 5, 2014
A grief support group that helps those who have lost a spouse, A New Road 32 is having a weekend retreat at Camp Kinard in South Carolina, not far from Augusta GA. For more information, click here. You may also contact Ann Simon, Advent Lutheran Church, Augusta, GA at 706-860-0439. Eight have already signed up for the retreat and more participation would be welcomed.
|
|
 Community Jazz Vespers Service
Rock of Ages Lutheran Church
5135 Memorial Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Sunday, September 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Now in its 12th season, this service is a beautiful program of secular jazz music with an inspirational message, offered by pianist Gary Motley, composer and vocalist Veronica Motley, bassist Chris Riggenbach and drummer Justin Chesarek. The one hour worship service is open to the public and will include a free will offering. Please note that 100% of the proceeds directly supports the Vespers and other special music at Rock of Ages.
|
|
Oktoberfest 2014 to Benefit MUST Ministries
 | |
Ocktoberfest at Holy Trinity, Marietta, GA
|
Hosted by Holy Trinity, Marietta, GA, this 6th year event is a safe and inexpensive day of fun and fellowship to encourage community support of the MUST Ministries Food Pantry. Participants are asked to donate nonperishable food in lieu of the $4.00 admission. Click here for information about the October 4th event. To learn about MUST Ministries, click here. Thank you for your support!
|
|
Funding Requests Now Being Accepted
See the Synod Calendar below for important dates and links.
Contact the Synod Office at 404-589-1977 for help with questions.
|
 Heroes of Hope, Healing, and Strength Gala is only one week away!
Join us in honoring community heroes:
The Rev. Darrel and Mary Peterson, Lutheran Leaders Mr. Erroll B. Davis, Former Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools & Community Leader R.N.C. Industries, Business Leader Heroes of Hope, Healing, and Strength Gala Thursday, September 25, 2014 Reception and Silent Auction: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Dinner and Program: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. The Defoor Centre 1710 Defoor Avenue Atlanta, GA 30318. Event Tickets $125 to learn more about our 2014 Heroes!
For additional information, please contact Terri Medina at . www.lsga.org |
|
Click the flyer to register.
|
|
North Fulton County Symposium
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST)
and Cyber Safety
Thursday, October 23, 2014
7:00 PM - 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
10250 Haynes Bridge Road
Johns Creek, GA 30022
Presented free of charge and open to the public. Click here for additional information.
|
|
We are church for the sake of the world.
|
|
Mission of the Month in Zambia: 'Sometimes a church just needs bricks and  mortar!' The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia is growing fast - so fast it needs more church buildings. Inspire your congregation with this story. For a colorful Word document to display on your congregation's bulletin board, or use in your bulletin or PowerPoint presentation,visit: www.ELCA.org/resources/globalchurch.
Take a virtual journey to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania this fall! 
Come along with six ELCA travelers Sept. 25-Oct. 10 to learn about exciting new Global Ministries that are priorities of Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA. Sign up to receive blog stories and photos through "Stories of the Global Church" at http://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/blogs/handInHand/ |
|
The October edition of ELCA Global Links is available here.
|
|
"The ELCA Advocacy Update"
is a new publication designed to highlight Lutheran advocacy actions occurring throughout the country.
The September, 2014 edition can be found on the southeastern synod website.
Articles include:
- Continuing support for the EPA's proposed carbon rule
- Advocating for humanitarian aid in the Holy Land
- Bristol Bay Advocacy
- Efforts led by Lutheran advocacy offices throughout the country
|
|
Plan Now for Global Church Sunday
|
|
Coming Up!
September 19 - 21: Southeastern Synod WELCA Convention, Chattanooga, TN
September 21: Jazz Vespers, Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, Stone Mountain, GA
September 28: St. Stephen's 58th Anniversary, Decatur, GA
October 5: World Communion Sunday/Global Church Sunday
October 10 - 11: Youth Ministry Training, Lutheranch, Tallapoosa, GA
October 14 - 16: Leadership Convocation, Lutheridge, Arden, NC
October 16 -17: Interim Pastor's Gathering, Lutheridge, Arden, NC
October 18 - 19: Glocal Mission Gathering, Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
October 20: DEADLINE for submitting proposals to Synod Budget and Finance for 2016 - 2017 funding or for Committees/Task Forces only fiscal year 2015 - 2016.
October 21: RECAP luncheon, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Peachtree Corners, GA
October 23: North Fulton County Syposium: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Cyber Safety, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Johns Creek, GA
View the entire synod calendar here.
| |
|
Save the Dates
June 5 - 7, 2015: 2015 Southeastern Synod Assembly,
Birmingham, AL
July 15 - 19, 2015: ELCA Youth Gathering, Detroit, MI
July 30 - August 2, 2015: Association of Liberian Lutherans in America (ALLIA) and African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA) Joint Conference, Baltimore, MD
July 13 - 17, 2017: Tenth Triennial for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Minneapolis, MN
 Pre-register for the Tenth Triennial now through December 31, 2014, for the reduced price of $280.
|
|
Synod Volunteer Opportunities
|
Volunteers are crucial to the mission of the Southeastern Synod. Click here to find ways you can serve. Thank you for your generosity!
| |
Descriptions and application instructions for the following open positions and others are listed on our website:
Full-Time Faculty Position in Ethic
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary/Church Divinity School of the Pacific,
Berkeley, CA
Full-Time Assistant Program Director/Hospitality Coordinator
Lutheridge, Arden, NC (Previously listed as Nevada in error.)
Part-Time Organist/Choir Accompanist (New)
Christ Lutheran Church, Fairfield Glade, TN
Full-Time Assistant Director for Advocacy
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Washington, DC
Part-Time Director of Communications
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Norcross, GA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share this E-news with a friend!
Please send this email to those you know who would benefit from this information.
ELCA Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-589-1977
|
|
|
This fall, ELCA congregations and ministries are invited to celebrate God's global church by hosting a Global Church Sunday. For ideas on when and how, visit