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 SEPANews Update / November 25, 2015 |
Bishop Burkat and the entire Synod staff are grateful for you, our leaders and friends, for your faithful ministry in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Blessed Thanksgiving!
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Support Our Shared Synod Ministries on Cyber Monday
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Background Check Deadline Nears
Under Pennsylvania law, congregations have until Dec. 31 to complete background checks on employees who work with children and youth. Checks on volunteers must be completed by July 1, 2016. Get full info on our updated Child Safety guide at http://ministrylink.org/resources/child-safety/
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Bishops Voice Support for Refugees
 "Lutherans across this nation have welcomed more than a half million people fleeing violence and persecution," Bishop Claire Burkat wrote in a letter to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Noting that their presence has "strengthened and enriched the fabric of our state," the bishop expressed support of Gov. Wolf's pledge to continue receiving Syrian refugees in Pennsylvania. Read more.
 "We Christians and others of good will cannot let fear rule the day," ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton said in a Nov. 18 message. "We are concerned for and committed to standing with our Muslim neighbors who are facing threats and acts of discrimination and hate by those who conflate Islam with terrorism," Eaton said. "Even in the face of evil, we remain confident that the good news of Jesus Christ liberates us and gives us the freedom and courage to discover and boldly participate in what God is up to in this world." Read more.
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Save the Date for 2016 ELCA Day of Service
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) dedicated day of service - known as "God's work. Our hands." Sunday - will take place Sept. 11, 2016. Get resources at http://www.elca.org/dayofservice
"In baptism we have been marked with the cross. We are the ones who go into the broken places of the world. We are the ones who, by showing up on 'God's work. Our hands.' Sunday, shine the light of the cross in our communities." -- Bishop Eaton
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In Brief
Confronting Racism ... As racism remains an enduring crisis in the United States, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton invites you to address the complexity and implications of the issue in "Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning" - a live webcast Jan. 14 at 9 pm (EST). Among the presenters will be Leonard Duncan, a student at LTSP, who will share his experience of incarceration, poverty and homelessness. Get information at http://www.elca.org/webcast
 Listen for a Change ... The Synod is co-sponsoring live webcasts of "Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice" featuring New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, actor Anna Deavere Smith, and Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Emilie Townes on January 21-23, 2016, at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. See more at: http://ministrylink.org/sacred-conversations-for-racial-justice/  Advent Vespers ... LTSP invites you to Advent Vespers at the Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel on the campus on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 4:30 pm, with a reception to follow. Get full information at http://ltsp.edu/the-annual-advent-vespers-sunday-december-6/
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- Nov. 26-27 - Synod Office closed for Thanksgiving holiday
- Dec. 3-6 - Via De Cristo weekend
- Jan. 11-13 - Stewardship of Sacred Spaces course at LTSP
- Jan. 15-17 - Bear Creek Camp Connect for Grades 9-12
- Feb. 5-7 - Bear Creek Camp Connect for Grades 4-8
- March 12 - Council Leaders' Gathering
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Click these images for the latest resources and job openings!
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Thank you!
for taking the time to read MinistryLink. Tell your friends and fellow church members to subscribe by visiting http://ministrylink.org/subscribe.
 Bob Fisher
Assistant to the Bishop, Mission Interpretation and Communication
267.323.3743
sepanews@sepa.org
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Lectionary Connections ... 
