|
CONNECT WITH
THE BISHOP
| |
Looking for opportunities to connect with Bishop Hazelwood?
Check out these upcoming events:
March 24
St. Paul - Terryville, CT - morning worship
March 28
Faith - Quincy, MA, 6 p.m.
March 31
Bethany - Cranston, R.I. - morning worship
April 14
Zion - Oxford, MA - morning worship
Bethlehem - Sturbridge, MA - noon, LIPY sendoff
Bethlehem, Sturbridge - 1 - 4PM (Fit for Service)
|
|
 First Call Assignment is the weekend in which the bishops from all 6 of the synods of the northeastern region of the ELCA meet with candidates who will be graduating from seminary later this spring. We had 17 candidates for all of our region. Pastor Jane Shields and I conducted interviews on Sunday, in a process affectionately known as speed dating with the bishops. We are the only region in the ELCA that holds face-to-face interviews, and I am very grateful for that process. I can't imagine how the other parts of the country do it with just paperwork. This is an investment that is worth every dollar of your congregations mission support. Imagine an employer making a decision based only on a resume, or the Patriots drafting a new player based only on their statistics. Even more significantly, we are a people of faith that lift up an incarnational understanding of how God comes to life. We need to meet these people face to face, talk with them, eat meals, worship and pray, so that we are all focused on the one big question: "What does God want?" I must have prayed that prayer a thousand times last Sunday. This was probably the most exhausting/challenging/rewarding weekend I have had since becoming bishop. As bishops and staff sit around a table, we are all balancing the needs of individuals and families, the calling for each of us to serve our synods by finding the right mission minded leaders, along with the greater call to be faithful to what we are discerning from God. We welcome Scott, Joanna, John, Mary, Angela, and Sarah to the New England Synod. The video below is a brief glimpse of the process.
 | | First Call Assignment Sunday |
|
I'm always digesting resources via books, magazines, and increasingly online e-newsletters. Here are a few that I subscribe to:
The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving is the best resource for understanding the relationship between our faith and our financial generosity. Sometimes the updates are more practically oriented, at other times the information is more of a big picture overview.
Seth Godin is a business guy who blogs every single day. The updates are brief and succinct. Some of what he writes is frustrating to many people because he's so honest. Does all of it apply to church life? No, but so much of it could. A voice we have to attend in our changing world.
Tony Campolo and Shane Claibourne. Two names that, if you don't know them, you should. These are the young and the old generational voices of progressive Christianity in America. Do I always agree with them? Ah, that would be a no. But then, I don't always agree with myself.
Tom Peters sends me a quote once a week. It's usually no more than eight words, and it makes more sense than the 50 paragraphs I'll compose in a month.
If you want to see where the church is going, subscribe to the e-news of Fresh Expressions. This is the UK church in action. UK stands for United Kingdom, as in Great Britain. In the early 2000's the Anglican and Methodist churches of England joined forces to get creative about Gospel-centered ministry. Great stuff.
|
LSTP pre-seminary gathering
April 5-7
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia will host a Pre-Seminary Gathering April 5-7, specifically targeting adults under the age of 30.
Participants will get a first-hand taste of life on a seminary campus, the opportunity to connect with others who, like themselves, are thinking about what it would be like to go to seminary; interaction with other young adults who have already "taken the plunge" and are currently enrolled at seminary; some great presentations from three of the outstanding faculty at LTSP; and lots of good food, comfortable accommodations, fun, and beautiful Mount Airy in the spring.
The agenda includes a tour of campus and the Mount Airy neighborhood, remarks from students and faculty, and financial aid and admissions talks.
Reserve a place online by clicking here.
All Right Ministry
Gathered Together to Worship the Lord! All Right Ministry will gather on Saturday, April 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 647 North Main St., Attelboro, MA 02703. Join us as together we explore ways to welcome people with disabilities in worship and fellowship. Consider what the Bible says about people with disabilities. Network with people from other congregations who offer inclusive worship. Share your experiences and stories and pictures - your joys and challenges. Morning coffee and lunch provided. To register, please contact: Susan Lindberg Haley, Diaconal Minister, 508.494.2157 - haleysl@verizon.net.
 "In It Together"
Adult Youth Leader Summit at Camp Calumet
April 5-7, 2013
Registration Deadline, March 25, 2013
A retreat at Camp Calumet for all adults who work with youth in the New England Synod. This year's topics will include:
- Social Media & Youth
- Youth Ministry Resources
- Inside the teenage mind
Join us for a time of learning, community building and networking. Click here for more information and to register.
|
|
