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Season of Pentecost
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Sept. 25, 2013
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Stewardship Internet Town Forum
Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.
 On Oct. 9, the New England Synod and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Holden, Mass. will present a webinar on stewardship. Immanuel has experienced a high level of giving, and Senior Pastor Dan Wilfrid (left) and Bishop James Hazelwood will examine what has worked so well for the congregation in a small, suburban Central Massachusetts town. This LIVE webinar will include a discussion of Immanuel's philosophy of approaching stewardship, as well as practical steps it takes to encourage generosity. Bishop Hazelwood will interview Pastor Wilfrid, and participants are welcome to attend either online or in person. Reservations are required for either the internet or in person attendance. Space is limited.
The event will be broadcast live from the New England Synod House in Worcester, MA. 15 on-site seats are available by reservation on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reserve your spot by email to receptionist@nesynod.org.
The event can be viewed online through your computer. We are limited to 25 online sites so you must register for a site as well. Please register via email to receptionist@nesynod.org.
One of the confirmed sites for participation is Camp Calumet. If you'd like to check out the webinar from there, get in touch with Tim Roser via email at troser@nesynod.org.
The forum will also include a chance for viewers to send in questions and participate with Pastor Wilfrid and Bishop Hazelwood. Registration closes on Oct. 3, or whenever the limit is reached.
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 Bishop's Convocation
Oct. 28-30
Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center
West Hartford, Conn.
The theme of this year's Bishop's Convocation is "Missional Transformation." Just what is missional transformation and what does it mean for those of us doing ministry on the ground of the New England Synod? Keynote presenter Alan Roxburgh (right), one of the leading voices and authors on the missional church movement, argues that the "missional church conversation challenges some of the most basic assumptions we have about the nature and purpose of the church." His most recent book is "Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood."
Come and enter the conversation as we look at those assumptions and what transformation means for us.
The Bishop's Convocation is the annual continuing theological education gathering of the New England Synod, ELCA. It is an opportunity for rostered leaders to gather in fellowship and as a learning community. The event is coordinated by the CTET (Continuing Theological Education Team) and the Synod Worship Team.
This year's Bishop's Convocation will be held at Holy Family Retreat Center, which has two large meeting rooms, two classrooms, two dining rooms, 164 single bedrooms and four suites. Situated on 48 acres in Connecticut, the facility serves some 19,000 people each year, with a wide variety of services and retreats. For more information on the retreat center, click here.
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The View from Below: Bonhoeffer and Spirituality
Trinity Lutheran Church, Vernon CT.
Time: 9 a.m. gathering, 9:30 start time. Program ends by 2 p.m.
Cost: $25 for the event (includes lunch)
 The New England Lutheran Theological Forum invites you into a conversation on Bonhoeffer and spirituality as we host The Rev. Dr. Lisa Dahill (right). This day of reflection and table talk with the Rev. Dr. Dahill will attend to three themes present in the Letters and Papers:
1. World Come of Age: Without the working hypothesis of God.
2. Ecological Crisis: The View from (Way) Below
3. Out of the Box: Religionless Christianity
Click here for a brochure and the registration form.
An October 2012 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed that fully 20 percent of Americans note their religious preference as "none." That number jumps even higher among younger people: a full one-third of adults under 30. Bonhoeffer became convinced that the church needed new ways to speak of God that would make sense to these thoughtful, moral people. Listening deeply to those who live "without the working hypothesis of God" also frees us to recognize that the God that is thought to control all reality was an illusion all along. The Christian God isn't almighty in the magical sense and never was. Christians living with lives opened up to the world, in prison gardens and at deathbeds, in wetlands restoration and after-school arts programs and (with Bonhoeffer) organized difficult political resistance to evil.
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Getting to know the ELW
 Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013
Lutheran Church of Framingham
720 Edgell Road, Framingham, MA 01701
Registration Deadline: EXTENDED - Wednesday, Oct. 2
The Lutheran Church of Framingham will host a workshop looking at the contents of core worship resource of the ELCA. Presenter John Weit is the Cantor at Trinity (Worcester, Mass.), where he facilitates the worship and music life of the congregation. Registration is $30 per person, which includes lunch and a copy of Evangelical Lutheran Worship for you to keep. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, Oct. 2.
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CommFest - Save the Date!
After a successful communications seminar earlier this year, the Synod once again invites you to join us for a day spent discussing strategies and tips to help congregations better communicate - with their members and with the outside world. Speakers at CommFest 2014 include Pastor Keith Anderson (Dublin Lutheran Church, Ambler, Pa.) and Elizabeth Drescher, co-authors of Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible.
The 2014 CommFest will again be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester, Mass. We will have a satellite site in New Hampshire for people from the northern part of the region, and we are seeking a site in Southern Connecticut. If your church is equipped with a high-speed Internet connection and is willing to host, please get in touch with Communications Director Andrew Merritt.
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Women of the ELCA - Gathering for Justice
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
Trinity Lutheran Church
73 Lancaster St., Worcester, MA
8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
The New England Women of the ELCA are sponsoring "Gathering for Justice," an event featuring a series of speakers including keynote speaker Inez Torres Davis, the Women of the ELCA's director for justice; a restorative worship service led by Pastor Sandra D'Amico of Immanuel-Attleboro, Mass., and workshops to learn more about taking action for justice. Registration is $30 upon entry.
Additionally, on Oct. 4 - the day before the Gathering for Justice event - the NEWELCA is co-sponsoring an event titled "Why Words Matter: Expansive Language and Liturgical Leadership." Join the Massachusetts Council of Churches and Lifelong Learning at Episcopal Divinity School for a highly participatory afternoon of conversation and education about gendered liturgical language. This ecumenical event will include The Rev. Don Larsen of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudbury as a panelist. All are welcome to attend. Afternoon snacks will be provided.
When: Friday, October 4, 2013, 1 to 5 pm.
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Register for the 2014 N.E. Synod Mission Trip
 Group Youth Workcamp
Guilderland Center, NY
July 6-12, 2014
For: Ages 14+
Cost: $459 + Transportation
Deposit by Nov. 1, 2013: $50
Hidden away in this good-looking town are pockets of lower-income areas that are often overlooked. The elderly struggle to keep up their homes that they have lived in for a generation. And in recent years, Guilderland was one of the towns ravaged by flooding. Spend the week in Guilderland, as your group helps those who truly are not able to help themselves. Along with painting, siding, and other carpentry projects, your group will probably be upgrading the weatherization of homes as well, which will hold down heating costs and provide greater comfort for years to come.
Click here for more information, and to register.
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2014 Synod Assembly - Change of Date
The dates for the 2014 Synod Assembly have changed. Synod Assembly 2014 now will be held from Thursday, June 5, through Saturday, June 7.
The reason for the change is that Sunday, June 8, is Pentecost, a day when many pastors and laypersons will want to be in their home congregations to celebrate this major festival of the church year.
Please mark the new dates of June 5-7, 2014, on your calendars. The location will remain as planned, MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
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Scholarship Opportunity - Valparaiso University
 The Lutheran Leader Scholarship and Intern Program at Valparaiso University is offering a scholarship for high school seniors who will graduate in the spring of 2014.
Valparaiso selects two Lutheran students from among the best high school leaders in the country to enter a program that is unique in Lutheran higher education. The two recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship for at least $129,600 over four years of undergraduate education at Valparaiso. Benefits also include leadership training and education, opportunities for service and learning internships, and participation in the Lutheran leader community.
To nominate a senior, contact Lyn Wasilewski at lwasilewski@nesynod.org.
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Update on job listings policy
Due to the (welcomed) increase in employment opportunities sent in for synod-wide communication, we have updated our policy for NES News listings. Job postings will run for two weeks in the synod's weekly NES News and/or Bishop's E-News, and then will be removed to make space for new listings. The listings will also be edited, so we urge you to submit them as 2-3 sentence listings with a contact if job seekers seek further information. Readers are encouraged to retain weekly emails if they wish to reference the job listings past their two-week publication period.
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