|
|
|
Issue #458 March 14, 2016
|
Holy Saturday
A space between Good Friday and Easter
By Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there (John 19:40-42).
Holy Saturday. A pause. A space between Good Friday and Easter. A full tomb and, except for the guard, an empty garden. Still. Silent. Continue reading...
Originally published in The Lutheran's March 2016 issue, this column is reprinted with permission.
|
|
On February 15th, the Southeastern Synod Advocacy Team had its first advocacy event at All Saints Lutheran in Lilburn, Georgia. Folks gathered from around Georgia to talk about what it means to advocate for state and national public policy that represents our Christian values. While our team has gained great momentum over the last year, we are one of the only task forces that cannot function with only the participation of its own members. Each member of this synod is an essential piece of our success. Having influence on public policy requires a lot of people, and we want to invite all of you to join us in this important work. Continue Reading...
Mr. Hilton Austin, Jr is a member of All Saints, Lilburn, GA and the Southeastern Synod Advocacy Team.
|
March 13, 2016, 2:30 p.m. EDT
The Rev. Mary Louise Sitton will be installed as Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 191 Central Heights Road, Blountville, TN.
April 17, 2016, 10:00 a.m. EDT The Rev. Dr. Gary C. Christensen will be installed as Pastor, Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1250 Lora Smith Road, Newnan, GA.
|
Blaylock Installed as Priest-in Charge
On March 9, 2016 the Rev. Dr. Joy Blaylock (pictured right at the altar) was installed as Priest-in-Charge of Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Mobile AL by Bishop Russell Kendrick, Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast (center) and the Rev. Dr. Ben Moravitz, Assistant to the Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod (left). She continues as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Mobile, AL.
|
 Lutheran Services of Georgia
Prayer Breakfast
March 31, 2016
7:30 a.m - 9:30 a.m.
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Sims Atrium
731 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA
Please join Lutheran Services of Georgia in welcoming Ms. Linda Hartke, President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, to the LSG Prayer Breakfast. Ms. Hartke will share heart and faith-filled messages regarding the journeys of our refugees in crisis and how we as people of faith can help. The event will be hosted by the Rev. H. Julian Gordy, Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod and the Rev. Gregory S. Walton, President, LCMS Georgia-Florida District. Click here to register. Tickets are $40.00 each and there are opportunities for sponsorship. For more information, contact Allison Purves, apurves@lsga.org, 404-558-5771.
|
|
Safety Resources
Church Mutual, the ELCA endorsed insurance carrier, has numerous safety resources, including online webinars, available here. Virtually all other insurance companies provide advice for their clients on this topic. Even FEMA has an entire website devoted to Protecting Houses of Worship that includes, resources, webinars and training.
|
|
Registration for the 2016 Southeastern Synod is open. Early bird registration and savings, however, ends on March 31. Access to Assembly registration, hotel reservations and much more may be found here on the Assembly website. You may also download the Assembly information to your smartphone, iPad or tablet from any page on the Assembly website.
PROJECTORS NEEDED FOR SYNOD ASSEMBLY
The Synod Assembly Committee, in an effort to reduce expenses, is seeking seven (7) projectors to support the workshops planned for Assembly. If you are willing to loan your congregation's projector for use on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28, please contact Lorraine Dorough at ledorough@gmail.com.
|
|
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2016 SYNOD ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Bio Forms Due April 1
 The Southeastern Synod Nominating Committee is currently seeking potential nominees for several positions to be elected at the 2016 Synod Assembly. Positions for which nominees are needed include:
Nominees for ELCA Church Council: The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and meets at least twice a year, usually in Chicago. The Southeastern Synod Assembly must elect two lay males as nominees for one 6-year term on the Church Council. The names of this synod's two lay male nominees will appear on a ballot during the 2016 Churchwide Assembly in New Orleans, where one of the two will be elected to the Church Council.
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:
1 Clergy (male or female)(1-year unexpired term to 2017)
1 Clergy (male or female)(3-year unexpired term to 2019)
Synod Council Members: The Synod Council is the synod's board of directors, functioning as the interim legislative authority between meetings of the Synod Assembly. Nominees should have the ability to attend week-day meetings three times a year. Terms are for two years, expiring 2018. Nominees are being sought in the following categories:
1 Young Adult (lay male or female, ages 18 - 30)
1 At-large clergy representative
1 At-large lay representative, gender to be determined at a later date
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.
APRIL 1, 2016 IS THE DEADLINE for submission of biographical forms to be considered by the Nominating Committee. Click here for forms and information.
|
 Lutherock Conservation Easement News Release
NovusWay Ministries recently entered into a conservation easement on 518 of the camp's 750+ acres. This step culminates a seven year process of working with the Blue Ridge Conservancy to find a way to preserve and protect the wilderness nature and character of the camp for future generations. Continue reading...
|
|
Southeastern Synod Holy Land Study Program
 For several years Dr. Monte Luker of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary has offered trips to the Holy Land for members of our synods. In 2017, Dr. Luker is offering a study trip to members of the Southeastern Synod.
Diaconal Minster Allison Ward and her husband Jim will help coordinate our synod's pilgrimage. Seminarians are encouraged to use this experience as a multi-cultural course. Scholarships are available. Congregations and individuals are invited to offer funds to supplement scholarships.
Click here for information found on Dr. Luker's travel site. You may also contact Allison Ward at AllisonWard@comcast.net.
|
|
Partners in Celebration
|
| |
Rev. Tiffany C. Chaney, Pastor Developer,
Greater Montgomery Area Young Adult Ministry
(GMAYAM)
|
The Partners in Celebration Program provides an intentional way for interested individuals and Southeastern Synod congregations to support new church starts and redevelopment efforts through "targeted" financial contributions. It is a very realistic goal for 100 Partners in Celebration to each contribute $100+ - three or four times each year - to a featured ministry. We have the potential for these gifts to easily generate additional, unbudgeted income of $10,000 or more which would be an enormous blessing for any size ministry. Right now the average amount received for each congregation featured in the Partners in Celebration program is $2000. We can do so much better! Please share this information with your congregation, family and friends
Our highlighted ministry for the first quarter of 2016 is the Greater Montgomery Area Young Adult Ministry (GMAYAM). The vision for this new targeted outreach is to help young adults... Gather, Grow, and Go. Continue reading...
|
|
Volunteer Disaster Response Coordinator Training
Nashville, TN
The Southeastern Synod Disaster Ministry Committee hopes to add new volunteer coordinators to serve in their communities. The volunteer coordinators will help congregations prepare for the event of a disaster, as well as help them be a part of the response in the aftermath. Volunteers are needed throughout our synod. New volunteers will join a team of 21 volunteer coordinators already serving their communities in our synod.
If you are interested in being a part of the Synod's disaster response team please consider coming to this event. We will begin at 2:00 p.m. CDT on Thursday and conclude on Friday after lunch at noon.
|
|
Churches Respond to Abuse, Neglect
and Exploitation of Older Adults
4343 Lebanon Pike
Herimitage, TN
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
8:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
For information, click here. You may also contact the Rev. Joel Emerson
|
|
Congregational Health Ministry Event
 Peace, Memphis,TN hosted a Congregational Health Ministry event on February 13th. Members from Tennessee congregations, Living Word, Arlington St Luke, Cordova, and Epiphany, Colliverville were invited. The Rev. Dr. Morgan Gordy, pastor, Christ, Nashville led the event. With sixteen in attendance, we explored the scriptural and theological foundations, as well as the practical and vocational aspects of our call, and how each of us is equipped and called to be a health minister for one another and our community. |
 Friends in Hope Visits and Letters to Immigrants in Detention Are you interested in volunteering to help our refugees in Georgia? Consider being a Friends in Hope volunteer with Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG). LSG in partnership with Lutheran Refugee and Immigration Service (LIRS), serves and advocates for fair treatment and the rebuilding of hope for our nation's most vulnerable newcomers, including those affected by immigration detention. LSG's Friends in Hope volunteers help to rebuild hope through simple acts of compassion by visiting those housed in Georgia's detention facilities.
For details of April opportunities, please click here. |
|
WE ARE CHURCH FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD
|
ELCA Advocacy - Action Alert
The March 2016 Advocacy Update is available here.
|
|
The Lutheran Youth Choir International
The Lutheran Youth Choir International, an ecumenical summer touring choir for high school students founded in 2005, invites singers to be a part of its 2016 Festival of Global Vocal Music. Following three previous choral festivals in
Germany and one in the U.S., the choir's fifth festival will be based in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. The festival dates are July 10-19, 2016, and will include eight full days of rehearsing and performing sacred choral music from around the world with other young people from throughout the United States and Germany. Click here for information and application materials.
|
|
2016 
March 31, 2016: Lutheran Services of Georgia Prayer Breakfast, Redeemer, Atlanta, GA
May 27 -29, 2016: 2016 Southeastern Synod Assembly, Birmingham, AL
September 11, 2016: "God's work. Our hands." Sunday.
September 16 -17, 2016: Synod Council Meeting, Christ Our Hope, Riverdale, GA
September 16 - 18, 2016: Southeastern Synod Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Convention, Hilton Hotel, Peachtree Corners, GA
2017
May 26 - 28, 2017: 2017 Synod Assembly, Chattanooga, TN
July 13 - 17, 2017: Tenth Triennial for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Minneapolis, MN
2018
June 1 - 3, 2018: 2018 Synod Assembly, Chattanooga, TN
2019
May 31 - June 2, 2019: 2019 Synod Assembly, Chattanooga, TN
2020
June 5 - 7, 2020: 2020 Synod Assembly, Chattanooga, TN
2021
June 4 - 6, 2021: 2021 Synod Assembly, Chattanooga, TN
|
Descriptions and application instructions for the following open positions and others are listed on our website:
Minister of Music for Christ the King, Cumming , GA
Office Manager for First United, Kennesaw, GA
Site Host for Holy Trinity House at Lutherach
Manager for Donor Relations for the ELCA Campaign
Associate Director for Philanthropy for the Fund for Leaders
Internship - Tyson House
|
|
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! | |
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
