Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Upstate Update for Wednesday, December 24, 2014

In today's issue: Bishop Eaton's Christmas Message; The 2014 Annual Report to Congregations; Synod Holiday Schedule and many useful and important updates.

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM BISHOP EATON

Of Sacred Sons and Songs

The darkness of the night,

Was shattered by the

Light, a child, newborn,

Who lay in mother's arms

And rested in his father's gaze

in wonderment

And fear of God.

A promise at this birth fulfilled,

Made long ago

Could now be heard

And seen and touched

Amidst the lowing cattle

And a manger made to feed

The creatures of the earth;

It now became a feeding place

For us, our hunger and our

Deep desires,

Longings for the One who made us restless,

Searching for the Source who

Set the stars in motion

And our lives reclining toward

The Holy One of God.

How did this first time mother

Hold this God who came in human form?

Could she now see eternity

Deep in his eyes and heart

And was the face of this newborn

Reflective of the face of God?

Her gentle, calming voice

The lullabies she raised with words

And heart in song both spoken

And held deep within

Brought calm to that dark night

And God in human form,

Belying all the strife that

Was to come, the suffering and

Death.

And in his face and voice of gentle

Cries and eyes wide open with

The wonderment of new surroundings

We can see our hope, new life

And know that he has come for us,

For our salvation,

For the world.

So sing your songs, your gentle lullabies

With Mary and with Joseph too

And pause on this most Holy Night

To offer thanks to God who said

And sent a Word made flesh for us,

This world,

Eternity!

Start softly and join in

With others of all time and place

Give thanks to God who came

And comes and one day

Will come finally

For once,

For all. Amen.

By Bishop John Macholz

PRAY FIRST

Prayers for Comfort

For the family and friends of Eleanor Lydia Garner, mother of Rev. Kent Garner and Aunt of Rev. Randy Milleville

Prayers of Thanksgiving

For David Lose installed as President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia on December 7

2014 ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGREGATIONS NOW AVAILABLE

"Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them ."(Isaiah 42:9)

The 2014 Annual Report to Congregations tells of the things, both new and ongoing, that God has brought to pass in this past year in the Upstate New York Synod. Consider sharing this information in your annual report to the congregation or in an upcoming newsletter. The report is now available for download from the synod website.

Grayscale http://bit.ly/1AIthlr

Color http://bit.ly/1B5ptsm

NOTES FOR TREASURERS

By: Karen Brundige, Synod Bookkeeper

MISSION SUPPORT

As we come to the end of the year, I would like to remind you to review your Mission Support Commitment for fiscal year 2014/15. Mission Support payments should be received no later than January 31, 2015. If you anticipate that you might have trouble meeting this deadline, please contact me directly at kbrundige@upstatenysynod.org or by phone at (315) 299-4955.

I have the ability to book a "promise" to pay at year's end that I can include in your 2014/15 commitment. Please do not book a promise unless you are sure you will be able to fulfill it. In addition to adding this to our year end income, I will send our Mission Support to the ELCA based on this number.

2015 IRS Mileage Rates - The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2015 optional standard mileage rates http://1.usa.gov/139Ciqc used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 57.5 cents per mile for business miles driven; 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations. The Upstate New York Synod 2015 Compensation Guidelines http://bit.ly/1wiHTl8 recommend that rostered leaders be reimbursed for business miles at the current IRS rates and volunteer mileage be reimbursed at the current 14 cents/mile IRS rate.

Thank you and have a blessed New Year!!

SYNOD OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE 2015

New Year's Day Thursday, January 1

Martin Luther King's Birthday Monday, January 19

President's Day Monday, February 16

Good Friday Friday, April 3

Memorial Day Monday, May 25

Independence Day Friday, July 3

Labor Day Monday, September 7

Columbus Day Monday, October 12

Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11

Thanksgiving Thursday/Friday, November 26 & 27

Christmas Thursday/Friday, December 24 & 25

New Year's Day Friday, January 1, 2016

TIDBITS

The office Synod office will be closed on December 25 and 26, 2014 and on January 1, 2015

It's not too early to start thinking about Synod Assembly, May 28-30, 2015

All resolutions on matters of a theological nature or regarding social statements to be proposed to the Assembly shall be directed to the Executive Committee of the Synod Council. The DEADLINE for submitting such resolutions to the Synod Council is prior to its winter meeting before Assembly. This year's deadline is January 9, 2015. The Synod Council shall present resolutions received, together with its recommendations, to the Synod Assembly. All resolutions will also be distributed to the voting members of the Synod Assembly prior to the opening of the Assembly to provide an opportunity for preparation before discussion at the Assembly.

Please also remember to choose your voting members for Synod Assembly well in advance of assembly. Voting members will want to have access to our primary way of distributing Assembly information - the Upstate Update. They may sign up on the synod website

http://upstatenysynod.org.

A Conversation with the LTSP President - We need YOU! Join President David Lose on Thursday, January 8th at Atonement Lutheran Church, 116 West Glen Avenue, Syracuse, NY. The event is free, but our hosts are providing refreshments, so please register at http://ltsp.edu/ConversationWithThePresident or call Louise Johnson at 215-248-7313.

Congregational Reports

Forms A and C http://www.elca.org/en/About/Congregations

are used to compile data on membership, Christian education, and financial information, among other things. The resulting trend reports can be a useful tool for congregations, synods and the whole ELCA. Congregations are all asked to fill out these important forms as soon as possible. Please also send a copy of these reports to the synod office by mail or by e-mail to kbrundige@upstatenysynod.org.

NEW: HEALTHY LIVING ONLINE

IS NEW LINK TO "HEALTH ASSESSMENT"

After the first of the year, a new "Healthy Living" link will take you from the Portico site directly to the Mayo Clinic site for completing the health assessment, without a separate login.

Bishop's Convocation

The first annual convocation will take place on March 21, 2015. It will bring together rostered and lay leaders from across the synod to focus together on a topic pertinent to the church. In March we will welcome Bishop James Hazelwood from the New England Synod who will focus his attention and ours on the group of folks known as

'nones', folks who don't identify with any religion. Bishop Hazelwood will offer a presentation in the morning, lunch will follow and there will be panel discussion in the afternoon comprised of nones as well as folks who work with them. It promises to be enlightening and insightful. The location and exact times are being finalized as is the cost, which will be minimal. Hopefully this will become an annual event and may be moved around the synod to accommodate travel.

Please visit our website upstatenysynod.org

Thank you for spending some time reading this edition of the Upstate Update. We hope, and pray, that you found it useful. If you know someone who could benefit from the Upstate Update, please forward it to them and ask them to sign up directly.

Katherine Neugent

Executive Assistant to The Bishop

Upstate New York Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

kneugent@upstatenysynod.org

Phone: 315-299-4955 Fax: 315-299-4981

Resurrection people who pray first, walk together and change lives.