Due to a technical glitch, the following items were omitted from yesterday's MinistryLink. 
We regret the error.
  SEPANews Update / June 12, 2015
2015 Assembly Highlights Newsletter

At the 2015 Assembly, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod articulated a new vision for what it means for the Synod, congregations and leaders to move Forward Together in Faith and launched a three-year capital appeal to allow us to live into that vision. The Assembly also heard that congregations' mission support increased for the second year in a row and discussed the transitional ministry process. The Rev. Karl Richard was elected secretary and we bid farewell to Secretary Ray Miller and Joanne Carlson.

 

Highlights of the Assembly are available as a two-page newsletter to share in your congregation. Download the newsletter below.

If you downloaded the Assembly app, this newsletter is available when you update.
Prince of Peace Honors Philly Victims of Gun Violence

176 T-shirts bearing the names of people murdered with guns in Philadelphia during 2014 are displayed outside Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Northeast Philadelphia. Each shirt shows the name and age of a victim and the date of their death. "Each name represents a whole human being, a child of God," Prince of Peace's website says. "Each death deserves to be noted and mourned."

See more pictures and learn more at http://popphilly.org/memorial-to-the-lost/  

LTSP Ministry Day

Ministry Day 2015 on Saturday, June 13 will allow you to explore ministry opportunities through workshops and discussions relevant for building a dynamic ministry or for exploring your sense of call. Workshops cover: Preaching Through Transition, Worship by Design, Extreme Hospitality, and Social Media and the Church. Please share with anyone interested in exploring or enhancing ministry. Event is 8 am to 2 pm. Cost is $15 including lunch. Register at http://bit.ly/1Qwy7XE or call 215.248.7302. 

Courses to Revitalize Your Ministry @LTSP
 
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia is offering special summer courses to equip and rejuvenate your ministries in three critical areas -- urban ministry, building use, and worship. Revitalizing Congregations through Worship (July 6-10) with Dr. Marcia McFee will explore the depths of spirituality, excellence of practice in sensory-rich communication and intentional preparation needed by leaders of the 21st century church for worship that revitalizes congregations.
Explore the Catechumenate for Spiritual Vitality

 

Learn more about how to transform your congregation from membership to discipleship using the ancient faith formation process known as the Catechumenate.  Rediscovered by many Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations, it is a journey into a deeper faith walk and baptismal living.  The North American Association for the Catechumenate (NAAC) is an ecumenical organization that partners with a variety of denominations in North America to provide faith formation resources and training for congregational leaders.    

 

Upcoming events include the Annual Gathering in Baltimore, Maryland, July 30-Aug. 1, featuring Jessicah Duckworth and Paul Hoffman speaking on the theme "Transforming Congregations Through Spiritual Practice: Creating a Discipleship Community".  Also planned is a Catechumenate Training Institute for congregational leaders that will be offered Oct. 1-3, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Sacramento, California in collaboration with Trinity Cathedral and the Episcopal Church of St. Martins. 

 

Scholarships for seminarians and first-call pastors are available for both events.  Contact registrar Devra Betts at devrabetts@gmail.com.  For more information and online registration, check out the NAAC website at http://www.catechumenate.org   

In Brief


Welcome Church Receives Grant from Deaconess Community 

The Deaconess Community of the ELCA has awarded a Mission Support Grant of $10,000 to Welcome Church's "Welcome Table" program.
 

New Bill Seeks To Clarify Child Protection Rules

On Monday, June 8, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Children and Youth Committee will consider House Bill 1276, legislation introduced to address the glitches that have surfaced in the wake of the comprehensive reforms to the state's Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). It is particularly aimed at organizations with volunteers. There's a lot in the bill and much could change as it works its way through the legislature. Learn more in this summary from Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania.

 

Students Need You To Act For Fair Funding in June

Join LAMPa for a state-wide education advocacy day in on Tuesday, June 23rd, at Messiah Lutheran Church and the State Capitol. Lutherans will be engaging in a Day Of Action, including fasting, prayer and legislative visits. More details coming soon, or contact us now to signal your interest. 
 

ELCA Reaches Milestone Welcoming New Congregations

For the Rev. Ruben Duran, the message is quite clear - "Christ's church is not dying." That's a different message, he says, than what has been widely reported in recent years about the decline in membership among U.S. mainline denominations, such as the 3.8 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). 

Since the ELCA began in 1988 as a result of a merger, more than 500 new congregations have been "planted, organized and joined the ELCA. That is a milestone worth celebrating," said Duran. Read more

 

Liberians Give Thanks; Country is Ebola-Free 

Tenacity, determination and faith - that's how the Rev. Andrea L. Walker described members and leaders of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, as well as people of the West Africa country, in response to their efforts to become Ebola-free. 

"When Ebola was considered a crisis in August 2014, the people of Liberia took it very seriously, including the leaders and members of the Lutheran Church in Liberia," said Walker. "People took up new practices." Read more


Lutherans, Catholics Celebrate 50 Years of Dialogue

Lutherans and Catholics in the United States have been in dialogue for the past 50 years. A Service of Thanksgiving and Prayer to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dialogue took place May 27 in the chapel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Center in Washington, D.C. Lutheran and Catholic leaders then gatheedr for this sixth meeting of Round XII of the U.S. Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue on the topic of "Faithful Teaching." Read more

Thank you!

for taking the time to read this edition of MinistryLink. We hope you find this electronic newsletter a valuable resource in our shared ministry. If you know of anyone who could benefit from the information in this newsletter, please forward it to them using the "Join Our Mailing List" link below and encourage them to sign up to receive MinistryLink directly.

 

Bob Fisher

Assistant to the Bishop, Mission Interpretation and Communication

267.323.3743

sepanews@sepa.org