The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton will be installed as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel in Chicago. You're invited to join in via a live video stream starting at 2:30 pm. The worship service will begin at 3 pm local time.

• Visit installation live video stream

More than 45 persons, including rostered leaders, congregation leaders and other Portico plan members attended an information session this morning with Portico's Barbara Debski.

Portico's offering of bundled health, retirement, disability and survivor benefits is designed as an investment in God's ministry carried out by rostered leaders and lay employees. Significant changes are coming to the plan as a result of health care reform.

Key take-aways for congregations and plan members:

1. Congregational employers must visit https://employerlink.porticobenefits.org
   and select a health benefit option for their covered employees by Oct. 14.
   
   Any congregation that has sponsored an employee since January 1, 2012 or that anticipates sponsoring an employee in 2014 must make an election, even if it is currently in vacancy or served by an interim pastor or retiree.
   
   Congregations should make this decision in consultation with covered plan members. The Gold+ option endorsed by Synod Council and the ELCA Church Council provides similar benefits and the same 80/20 cost-sharing arrangement as the current Portico plan.
    
2. Employers and plan members can get information about 2014 rates through the calculators available at https://employerlink.porticobenefits.org by selecting Resources in the main menu and then clicking Calculators under the heading Budgeting for Benefits. 
   
   Costs will change as the age of the plan member is now factored into benefit calculations. The Portico plans have been rated as highly efficient and benefit costs have increased far less than the national average for employers over the last 5 years.
    
3. Plan members should register for https://myportico.porticobenefits.org by Nov. 1 in order to enroll in health care and take advantage of new life insurance options. 
   
   As of today just 76% of our Synod's plan members have registered for the site. Information needed to register was sent to plan members earlier this year. If you have lost the information call Portico at 800.352.2876 and they will help you to register.

Do you participate in some form of communications ministry in your congregation? If you're engaged in designing a website, running a Facebook page or group or other social media, preparing newsletters or e-news, creating slides for worship or education, join fellow communicators at our 

SEPAComm Network gathering

Sunday, Oct. 13

2 to 4 pm

Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville

We'll learn some tips to help improve communications in any medium, and share questions, ideas and problems so we can network and collaborate.

Register online for the FREE Network gathering

Join SEPA Communicators on Facebook

Attend Who Am I to Go to Pharaoh? Biblical Insights on Faithful Leadership this fall on campus or online through The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). This Biblically based, not for credit course was developed to equip and empower lay leaders, and is being taught by the Rev. Dr. Robert B. Robinson, Anna Burkhalter Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at LTSP. You can attend:

• On the LTSP Campus over five consecutive Saturdays, October 5 to November 2, 2013, from 10 am to noon. Join Dr. Robinson live in the classroom to learn and share with class colleagues.
• Online for five weeks beginning October 7. View course videos, participate in discussions forums with class colleagues, and other activities.
• Choose the combination that works best for you with a single registration. Can't make it to the classroom one week? Participate online. Too far from LTSP to get to campus? Participate through the Internet. Enjoying the videos but want to be part of the live session? Come to campus for a Saturday. The choice is yours!  

The cost for the course is $200 for individuals enrolling for classroom and online study. The cost for congregational groups of two or more is $250 per group.

See information about Biblical Insights on Faithful Leadership and register online at Ltsp.edu/AdultLearning-Leadership.

SEPA Synod has two great opportunities next summer for young adults post-high school through age 25. We are looking for young adults to go on the Boston Servant Trip as young adult leaders. There are also several spots set aside for young adults on our intergenerational servant trip to Costa Rica. Information and links to the application materials can be found here.