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Season of Pentecost
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June 11, 2014
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 The 2014 New England Synod Assembly: A recap
Church at night. Church at dinner. Church as an experiment. Church anywhere and everywhere.
Some 490 voters and 70 visitors and guests descended on Springfield's MassMutual Center June 5-7 for the New England Synod's 2014 Assembly.
The three days in Springfield were filled with talks, workshops and votes centered on the future of the church at large, and the future of what we do here in New England. From ELCA Representative Pastor Ruben Duran's opening remarks ("Like I tell my daughter 'we are now 25 years old, it is time to get out of the house'") to Claudio Carvalhaes' ("Today people are longing for meeting [God and one another] more than meaning") and Scott Thumma's ("What people are looking for is new expressions of being faithful") keynotes, to Bishop James Hazelwood's three-part report, the 2014 Assembly took a good, hard look at where we are and where we're going.
To read a recap of the 2014 assembly, and find downloadable copies of the resolutions, election results, plus the slides from Bishop Hazelwood's report to the assembly, click here. Also, check back at our Facebook page, as we'll be adding photos from the weekend in Springfield.
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Wanna go for a ride?
Throughout the summer, Bishop James Hazelwood will ride on his motorcycle to locations throughout the region as part of his World Hunger Ride, a tour of New England to advocate for the ELCA's World Hunger Appeal.
If you ride a motorcycle, if you ride a bike, or if you ride anything of the sort, this is a chance to help emphasize the ELCA's World Hunger Appeal, through stops at places in New England that address the goal of ending hunger worldwide. There are locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and the bishop will visit them all to learn more about what those congregations do, and how the World Hunger Appeal plays a role in their ministry.
The ride, which officially kicked off at Synod Assembly, makes its first stop at Redeemer in Woburn, Mass., on June 16, and continues with a stop at Holy Trinity in Newington, N.H., on June 17. All are welcome at both stops.
Download the poster here to see the full schedule of this summer's ride. You can learn more at the Bishop on a Bike Blog.
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 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.
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Gospel of John and Preaching: A conference and conversation with Rev. Karoline Lewis.
 June 17-19, First Parish Congregational Church in East Derry, N.H., will host the Rev. Karoline Lewis, chair of homiletics at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., for a three-day conference centered on the Gospel of John.
Lewis, a New Testament scholar and teacher of preachers who also writes and podcasts at Working Preacher, will host talks on "Recovering the Wonder of the Bible," "Seven Steps Toward Vital Preaching," and more over the course of the three-day event.
The cost for the five sessions, including meals, is $70. For a full schedule and registration information, go to First Parish's website and check out the flyer.
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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!
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Check out the new edition of Ekklesia!
 The Spring 2014 edition of Ekklesia, the Synod's new seasonal magazine, is now available for download!
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!
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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!)
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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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