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Season of Epiphany
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Jan. 23, 2014
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Grants available through Wheat Ridge Ministries
Wheat Ridge Ministries invites and encourages Lutheran-affiliated congregations, agencies, and non-profit organizations to submit initial proposals for its GrantsPlus Grant Program.
The GrantsPlus Program supports new and innovative health and human care programs led by congregations and nonprofit organizations affiliated with the Lutheran community. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 over two to three years. GrantsPlus recipients will be expected to participate in capacity-building activities offered by Wheat Ridge during the term of the grant, including webinars, convening events, workshops or consultations.
Initial grant proposals are due by February 3, 2014. All proposals will then be reviewed and invitations for full proposals will be sent to selected projects. Invitations will be sent to approximately 25% of the initial proposals. Grant awards will be announced in June.
Application materials are available for download on the Wheat Ridge website. For questions, contact Wheat Ridge Ministries by email at grants@wheatridge.org or by phone at 800.762.6748.
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Our chance for savings!
2% Discount: What, How, and Why
What: Money saved by ELCA employers throughout the New England Synod
Who: You, if you are an ELCA-Primary plan member or eligible spouse.
How: All congregations and organizations in our synod will earn a 2% discount on ELCA health premiums for all of 2014 if 65% of the eligible ELCA-Primary plan members and eligible spouses in our synod take the Mayo Clinic Health Assessment Jan. 1-April 30.
Why we need you: If you're an ELCA-Primary health plan member, we need you to take the health assessment. You may be the one to push us over the 65% discount threshold and save us all 2% on all 2014 premiums.
Take the health assessment by clicking on myPortico.PorticoBenefits.org.
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Metro Boston Hope District Leadership Academy
 April 5, 2014
Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church
The Metro Boston Hope District Office of the United Methodist Church and the Hope Academy team are providing an amazing opportunity at its next Leadership Academy, its bi-annual training event for clergy and laity in the Metro Boston Hope District.
The speaker and leader for the Spring 2014 Leadership Academy will be author and Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. Rev. Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado. She is the author of "Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television" (Seabury 2008) and the New York Times bestselling theological memoir, "Pastrix: The Cranky Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint" (Jericho 2013). She blogs at www.sarcasticlutheran.com and Jim Wallis' www.Godspolitics.com. Her writings can be found in the Christian Century, The Lutheran Magazine and Patheos.com. Nadia has been featured in The Washington Post, NPR's Morning Edition, The Daily Beast and on CNN.
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CommFest 2014 - last chance to register!
Jan. 25, 2014
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
Worcester, Mass.
REMINDER: Two additional satellite sites have been reserved for those who can't make it to Worcester:
Holy Trinity, Newington, N.H. - If you'd like to attend in Newington, please email Tim Roser at troser@nesynod.org to inquire about space.
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Rostered Leaders Retreat
Feb. 4-6, 2014
Camp Calumet
Freedom, N.H.
 This is an opportunity for the New England Synod's rostered leaders who are serving any of the 180+ congregations to come together in fellowship and discuss the common issues - the challenges, the hopes, the changes - facing churches today. This time together will include talks, as well as recreational activities such as tubing, broomball, and a power-walk.
Lodging and meals are FREE to leaders and their spouses. Accommodations are available in the Conference Center, the Retreat Lodge, the Staff House by the Lake, the Village Cabins, and in any of the heated cabins. This is a very popular event and space is limited. For guests who are participating without a spouse, consider helping to steward the lodging space by "rooming" with a colleague. Please contact betsy@calumet.org, or call 603-539-3223 ext. 219, to make your reservations today.
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Ignatian Immersion: Lenten Retreat
Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center
303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT
March 31-April 1
Offered by the Continuing Theological Education Team, this two-day, one overnight, retreat offers a prayerful Lenten time-out for rostered leaders. The retreat is structured by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius; no prior experience with the exercises is necessary. We will be introduced to aspects of Ignatian spirituality over the course of the retreat, in four parts, interspersed with periods of silence, reflection, and worship. We'll have time for quiet conversation during meals, and presentations. Our goal is to make this a restful, contemplative experience for participants. Come and dive into the refreshing waters of an Ignatian retreat set on the beautiful grounds of the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center.
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Women in Ministry Retreat
St. Edmund's Retreat Center
Enders Island, near Mystic, CT
May 5-7
The Synod will host a retreat for all rostered women in ministry and current interns, "The Evolving Role of Women in Church and Society: Legacy, Reality, and Dreams," featuring rich worship, conversation and learning over three days at the St. Edmund's Retreat Center.
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Youth workcamp basics webinar
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Everything that you ever wanted to know about hosting or joining a Youth Workcamp but were afraid to ask...
Workcamps have the potential to dramatically change the culture of your youth ministry. They can be week-long or a weekend. They can be international or just down the street. Either way, they can have a significant impact on community life. This is for all persons interested in Workcamp ministry.
- If you have led workcamps in the past, we welcome your input and shared experience.
- If you have never done a workcamp, this is a great way to get started.
- If you are attending one this summer, here is a great opportunity to learn what to expect.
Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. via the internet. Register Now
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2014 Synod Assembly
 The 2014 New England Synod Assembly will be held Thursday, June 5, through Saturday, June 7, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Our theme for 2014 is "Mission and Worship in the Age of the Spirit."
Our keynote speakers are Rev. Dr. Scott Thumma and Rev. Dr. Claudio Carvalhaes.
Scott Thumma is a professor of sociology of religion at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, and specializes in research on megachurches, homosexuality and religion, religion and the Internet, and congregational studies. He's also the author of "The Other 80%: Turning Your Church's Spectators into Active Participants." For more information on Scott, check out his page at the Hartford Institute.
Claudio Carvalhaes is an associate professor of worship and liturgy at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. A theologian and artist, Claudio was born in São Paulo, Brazil, studied ecumenism in Switzerland and received his masters in theology and literature from Methodist University's Ecumenical Institute of the Graduate School of Religion in São Paulo. Carvalhaes has served with the Presbyterian Church (USA) in its peacemaking and immigrant groups ministries, and is a much sought-after speaker, writer, performer and consultant. Visit Claudio's website for more information, including links to his speeches and lectures.
The Assembly now has an online home at our website. You can access the 2014 Synod Assembly page by clicking here. Watch for registration information to appear there (and in other Synod communications) sometime in March.
Among the many events and actions planned for the assembly is the election of a series of positions on Synod Council and the Discipline and Consultation Committees. Click on the link above to see a list of all the positions up for election at this year's assembly.
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Wet Toes Weekend at LTSP
 Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
Wet Toes Weekend is a great way to get your feet wet and see what LTSP seminary life is like. We will accompany you as you discern how you will respond to the invitation of Jesus to "Come and See" where and how God is calling (John 1:39 - the theme of this gathering). The weekend is for anyone thinking about earning a seminary degree.
Here is your opportunity to...
* Experience support from and explore your future with others also figuring out where God is calling
* Meet seminary faculty and be part of three powerful presentations similar to seminary classes
* Get to know and talk with current students at LTSP; find out about their "seminary adventures"
* Join in the worship and devotional life of the seminary
* Share in great meals and stimulating conversation
* Discover life in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia (LTSP's location) and the thriving metropolis of Center City Philadelphia
* Know that the church supports you as you explore your sense of call
* Find out about resources that make a seminary education affordable and other helpful resources for your discernment journey
LTSP will provide housing and meals while you're on campus, and in some cases can assist with transportation costs. The registration fee of $25 is the only cost for the weekend.
For more information and to register, visit LTSP.edu/visit, contact Don Johnson at djohnson@ltsp.edu or Matthew O'Rear at morear@ltsp.edu, or call 215-248-7302.
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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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