Would your congregation like to save money on health insurance costs?

Every rostered leader that takes the Portico Benefit Services wellness assessment survey earns $150, and if enough people in the synod take the survey, every congregation saves 2 percent off of its health insurance costs, plus the synod receives 1 percent grants which can be used for leadership wellness, sabbatical grants, self care projects & groups.

The February results are in, and most synods are well on their way to earning the 2% discount. Visit EmployerLink to check your synod's progress toward earning the 2% discount. While there, you can also find a toolkit to help you promote participation in the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment.

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudbury installed the Rev. Donald Scott Larsen as pastor on Sunday, March 3.

Led by the Rev. Timothy Stein, Dean, Boston Metro Conference and the Rev. Alice Kerr Laird, Associate to the Bishop of the New England Synod - ELCA, St. John welcomed their 24th pastor in the church's 119-year history. The evening prayer began with a processional of 11 Lutheran pastors from New England as well as the Rev. Barbara Williamson, Rector of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Sudbury. Joyous music led by Minister in Music Lois Toeppner, AIM, included St. John`s choir accompanied by violins, flutes and bells. Council President Mildred Cheung presented Rev. Larsen and a letter certifying St. John's decision to issue Rev. Larsen a call as pastor. Rev. Larsen affirmed his desire to lead St. John in harmony with the constitutions of the ELCA. He looks forward to becoming involved in the life of the wider Sudbury community through Sudbury's Interfaith Clergy Network.

For the previous eight years, Rev. Larsen served as pastor of University Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Mass., and as Lutheran chaplain to Harvard University. He also served the congregations in the Slovak Zion Synod-ELCA and the New England Synod in Hartford, Danbury and Brookfield Conn., as well as Riverside, Ill. During his ministry at Grace Lutheran in Hartford, he taught biblical Greek at Hartford Seminary. Pastor Larsen continues to teach and is currently an instructor of Lutheran Theology at Harvard Divinity School.

Choral music presented by The Konzert Chorale of the Las Vegas Academy, under the direction of Rossana Cota, will enhance the 11:15 a.m. worship service of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sudbury, on Palm Sunday, March 24. 

The Academy, established in 1992, is a magnet school which brings together some 1700 culturally diverse students from the greater Clark County area. The nationally-recognized school has received national, state and local accolades, including recognition from the White House.

The Konzert Chorale is the select concert choir at the Las Vegas Academy, is a mixed chorale, and performs a variety of music. They perform at large choir district festivals, as well as at a variety of school and community events. The Konzert Chorale is one of the top three choirs that regularly goes on national tours and performs masterworks with the Las Vegas Academy Philharmonic.

Go To Meeting is a web conferencing service that is now available for NESynod congregations and Committees thanks to your mission support. It provides audio, video and file sharing for up to 25 participants at a time. It is a great resource for saving the time and expense of travel. We used it for Commfest 2013 and it allowed more people to participate.

Just a few of the ways that it can be used:

• Call committee interviews
• Educational events
• Conversations with other churches as you share ideas
• Conversations with bishop and staff

To find out more about the service, go to www.gotomeeting.com.

The Boston University School of Theology will host its third annual "THecology Conference" on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Climate change brings many challenges to our planet, one of which is the increased incidence and intensity of natural disasters, such as damages caused by storms, hurricanes, flooding, and drought. How specifically can congregations respond, helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our members and communities?

This year's conference, "Disaster and Resilience: Congregations as Resource and Refuge," focuses on the answers to that question. Presenters include ELCA Upstate New York Synod Assistant to the Bishop for Operations Patsy Glista, David Stackpole of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, United Methodist Pastor Mimi Magee, and lecturer Elizabeth Parsons and doctoral candidate Michelle Walsh of the BU School of Theology.

The cost is $25, free to students, lunch Included. Email zawn@bu.edu to register. 

For more information, go to https://sites.google.com/site/busththecology/thecology-conferences/thecology-conference-2013, and check out the event's Facebook page.