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.

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 here. 

A diverse group of youth and adults in Westborough and surrounding towns have partnered together to raise money and package meals for those who are hungry in Worcester County.

This group will gather on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 1-5 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 183 West Main Street, Westborough MA.

Due to the generosity of fundraising and man-power the volunteers from these organizations will be packaging 50,600 meals. Anyone interested in helping is welcome to come that day. Any donations will help package more, and each meal is 25 cents. For more information, contact office@goodshepherdcares.org.

In addition to Good Shepherd, Christ the King in Holliston, Mass., will be joining the effort, along with 11 other churches and organizations.This feed the hungry program is facilitated through Kids Care, the food packaging division of Outreach Incorporated. Kids Care food packages reverse the starvation process, help restore health, and improve a child's mental and physical alertness. Each package provides six nutritionally complete servings to feed the starving children around the world and the hungry here at home, all for the low cost of 25 cents per serving.

Synod Assembly 2014

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 the Rev. Dr. Scott Thumma and the 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.

For more information, go to the Assembly's page at the New England Synod website.