New England Synod
NES News 
Season of Easter

May 21, 2014 

In This Issue
Willow Creek Leadership Summit - Discount available!
Rev. David Lose named president at LTSP
A Little Jazz Mass on the Day of Pentecost
John Rutter's 'Requiem' at Bethesda Lutheran Church
Hammonasset 2014 - Registration now open!
Employment Opportunities
News & Notes
Discount available for
Willow Creek Leadership Summit

August 14-15, 2014

Bishop James Hazelwood has secured a discounted rate for synod members to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit on August 14-15, 2014. This is an exciting continuing education event focused on leadership development. This year's speakers include Bill Hybels, as well as leadership thinkers Tyler Perry, Jeffrey Immelt, and Susan Cain.

 

The regular rate is $249, but if you use the code GLS14DAS and register by June 24, you will be able to attend at a New England site for only $129. (This is a one-time only discount rate). Bishop Hazelwood will be attending the Rehoboth, Mass., site. Check the registration page for other sites in your area and other resources

 

Too late for the super discount? After June 24, the code will enable you to register for $159.

Rev. David Lose named president of LTSP

The Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, Marbury Anderson Associate Professor of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been elected president of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). Lose assumes his duties at the start of the 2014 academic year, succeeding the Rev. Dr. Philip D.W. Krey, who announced last year he is ending his tenure as the school's president after 15 years of service.

 

"We were blessed to have a number of candidates with excitingly diverse backgrounds to consider for leading the seminary," said the Rev. Dr. Elise Brown, who chairs the seminary Board of Trustees. "Dr. Lose's exemplary skills include strategic planning, relationship building, and an entrepreneurial spirit that will enable him to guide the seminary into a strong and bold future."

 

"For 150 years, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia has formed public leaders for a public church," Lose said. "Its deep confessional roots, ecumenical commitments, and responsiveness to its context and constituents have never been needed more than today. I am both humbled by the community's trust and thrilled by the prospect of working alongside great colleagues and students to lead the school into the future God has prepared for us."


Click here to read more.

A Little Jazz Mass on the Day of Pentecost

Sunday, June 8

8:30 a.m. / 10:30 a.m.

Emanuel Lutheran Church

60 Church St., Manchester, CT

 

Emanuel Lutheran Church invites the Greater Hartford community to hear Bob Chilcott's "A Little Jazz Mass," on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, June 8, at its 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. The presentation will take place at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 60 Church Street, Manchester. Brett Judson, Director of Music, will conduct Emanuel's choirs, joined by Miki Sawada, pianist, Ben Bilello, drummer and Alex Smith, string bassist. 

John Rutter's 'Requiem'

June 1, 4 p.m.

Bethesda Lutheran Church

450 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT

 

The Bethesda Music Series invites the Greater New Haven community to a performance of John Rutter's popular Requiem and other choral and instrumental music on Sunday, June 1, at 4 p.m. 

 

The Bethesda Choir will be joined by the choir of United Church on the Green, New Haven, as well as by soloists and chamber orchestra, under the direction of Caesar Storlazzi and Lars Gjerde. We promise an afternoon of inspiring and beautiful music making! The event is free and open to the public. 

 

A free-will offering will be collected to support the next season of the Bethesda Music Series, recently featured in a national church magazine for its efforts to raise funds for New Haven charities through five annual concerts (see "Singing for a Cause" in The Lutheran Magazine, December 2012). A reception will follow the concert.

 

Contact Information

Lars Gjerde, Artistic Director, music@bethesdanewhaven.org, (585) 200-8903

Margaret Astrup, Chair of the series, AstrupM@wcsu.edu, (860) 796-3444

Hammonasset 2014 - Registration is open!
Hammonasset, the Synod's annual youth group gathering, is set for Sept. 5-7, and registration is now open!

Click here to register for this year's gathering.

Hammonasset is an annual gathering of youth groups from all over New England for three days of camping, music, fellowship and fun at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut.

"Held" is the theme for this year's Hammonasset gathering, which will feature music from Red Letter Reign and speakers Rev. Mark Huber (Sanctuary - Marshfield, Mass.), Rev. Tiffany Chaney (The Intersection - Dorchester, Mass.) and Bishop Jim Hazelwood.

We are pleased that the single-person registration price is discounted to just $35, due to contributions from an endowment established to support the event! To register, and to get more information on this year's gathering, go to www.hammoconnect.com. You can also like Hammo on Facebook, and follow the Twitter feed. You can also download the poster to help spread the word! 
Update on lodging

The allotment of rooms at the Sheraton in downtown Springfield is now completely booked. Any attendees who have not yet secured lodging are invited to stay at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. Click here to reserve a room.

 

Parking at the Hilton Garden Inn is complimentary. For those who want to park closer to the MassMutual Center during the day, there are paid lots nearby, and the Sheraton offers a $5/day rate to non-guests.

 

Reminder: The deadline for registration payments is May 30, so please make sure you're paid up to the Synod in time!


Downloadable materials now available
Continuing our practice of reducing paper waste and cost, the Synod is making a bulk of the assembly materials available as downloads. All attendees are urged to download a copy of these materials and bring them as digital files on a laptop or e-reader (though they can be printed out, too!) Included in the materials to be downloaded are:
  • The 2014 Pre-Assembly Book of Reports
  • The Synod Budget Report to 2014 Assembly
  • The Report of Auditors for FY2013
  • Compensation Guidelines for 2015
To download these items, visit the Assembly page by clicking here, and scroll down to "Downloadable Materials."

Get your photo taken at Synod Assembly!

During the 2014 Synod Assembly, the New England Synod will set up a photo booth to take updated photos of all of our rostered leaders. 

 

The purpose of our photo booth will be twofold: One, we'll have updated photos of everyone for a future online directory that's already in the works. Two, any leaders who wish to have a professional photo for any purpose - websites, Facebook, printed materials - will be able to request a copy. 

 

We're working out the exact details, but we plan to have at least a couple of sessions during which leaders can swing by the photo booth to have their picture taken. We will provide a schedule of when the booth is open so that everyone can find some time during the three-day assembly to visit.

 

For more information on this year's assembly, click here to go to the Synod Assembly page on our website. 

 

To register for this year's assembly, click one of the links below:

Additionally, nominations are still open for 17 positions that will be elected at Synod Assembly, including 11 spots on the Synod Council, four spots on the Discipline Committee, and two spots on the Consultation Committee. For more information, including nomination forms, go to the Synod Assembly page on NESynod.org and scroll down to "2014 Synod Assembly Elections."

Check out the new edition of Ekklesia!
The Spring 2014 edition of Ekklesia, the Synod's new seasonal magazine, is now available for download!
 
A copy of the magazine is being mailed to every congregation in the Synod, but you can download your own PDF version to keep by clicking here (or on the cover to the right!). 

Highlights of the spring edition include:
  • The Rutland Meals Challenge: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rutland, Vt., has taken a challenge from Pastor John Michael Longworth to package thousands of meals and made it into a wide-ranging ministry surrounding the lack of food security in Rutland County and Vermont.
  • Bethlehem's Closet: Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sturbridge, Mass., saw a need for a thrift shop in neighboring Southbridge, and the venture has become so successful, Pastor Kirsten Nelson Roenfeldt and the congregation are hoping to move it from part-time fundraising activity to a self-sustaining program that gives as much back to the community as it takes in.
Writers wanted!
Are you a writer? Do you have a story to tell? Ekklesia is looking for more voices to contribute to the magazine. We're looking for everything from reported news and feature stories to opinion columns. If you'd like to get involved, please email Andy Merritt at amerritt@nesynod.org. All ages and experience levels are accepted!
Sign up for 2015 Youth Gathering emails!
The 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering is July 15-19, 2015, in Detroit, Michigan! 

Our Synod Coordinator, Pastor Tim Weisman, welcomes Synod youth, rostered leaders, lay leaders, and parents to sign up for New England Synod-specific 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering emails so that you can stay informed!  

 

Click here to sign up.

 

(If you get an error message that your email address already exists, it just means Tim already has your info!)
Employment Opportunities

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.

Summer camp staff
Mt. Cross Ministries, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Mt. Cross Ministries, a Lutheran summer camp nestled in the beautiful redwood forest of the Santa Cruz mountains and located just 20 minutes from the ocean, is now looking for our 2014 summer Day Camp staff. During a week of Day Camp, Day Camp teams will travel to a church and run a Day Camp program (similar to Vacation Bible School) for elementary aged campers. Responsibilities include supervising counselors, organizing daily activities with the congregation, running team meetings, acting as a liaison between counselors and church leaders and providing guidance and direction for congregation volunteers during the day camp week. 

 

Click here for the application.