Britta Marie Meiers Carlson is a native of Rochester, Minn., who is set to become a Pastor Developer with a dual call at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in East Boston, Mass., and First Lutheran Church in Lynn, Mass. She is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and received her Master's in Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Doug Hjelmstad graduated from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia on May 20, 2014, with the degree of Master of Divinity and has been called to serve Zion Lutheran Church in Benkelman, Neb.. Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colo., Rev. Hjelmstad moved to Conway, N.H., following his graduation from Western State College of Colorado in 1982. A charter member of The Lutheran Church of the Nativity in North Conway, N.H., he also earned a Master of Arts in Religion from the Bangor Theological Seminary. 

Rev. Carlson and Rev. Hjelmstad will be ordained together at 3 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge. All are welcome, and the color of the day for those choosing to vest is red.

Many of us have heard the old joke, "I made plans, God laughed." While that saying can be a little trite, there is ample evidence this time of year that the God we worship is a God of disruptive grace.

 

The song of the people of God, the song of Mary and Miriam articulates this disruptive gift in the form of a portrait of an alternative way of being in the world.

The Fall/Winter 2014 edition of Ekklesia, the Synod's quarterly magazine, is now available! We have mailed a copy to every congregation in New England, but you can download your own copy to keep for free! To download, click here or the cover photo to the right.

NEW: Special Trip to Lutherans in Honduras: Jan. 27 - Feb. 3, 2015

For at least the past 10 years, the New England Synod has been working with the Episcopal Church in Honduras. Now we are ready to send a mission trip to Lutherans in Honduras. This first trip will be to Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Santa Cruz de Yojoa, a town in Central Honduras. Part of our task will be to begin building a security wall around the church to help keep children safe from the streets. We will also be teaching children Bible stories, meeting with local lay and pastoral leaders, and perhaps bringing Holy Communion to the sick.

 

February 16 - 23, 2015 Omoa, Honduras

Leaders: Ed & Nancy Martin

Estimated Costs: $995 plus airfare (approx. $850) from Boston to San Pedro Sula

This weeklong trip includes education and service projects in the communities of Omoa and Chachagualla, which are about 1½ hours from the airport along the North coast of Honduras. Accommodations are in a motel with shared rooms with private baths - similar to a Motel 6 in the US. (Hotel costs are the reason for the higher charge.) Breakfast is served at the hotel and typically lunch and dinner are served at the host church. You will be working with Hondurans to improve their health infrastructure. Projects may include construction of cement sinks or energy efficient cooking stoves. In addition, projects may include repair and construction on a local church in Omoa damaged by an earthquake. There is also time spent with local children after school with craft projects and music. Contact Ed Martin for more details or visit www.sdumas.net.

 

April 20 - 28, 2015 Yuscaran, Honduras

Leader: Pastor Dave Rinas

Estimated Costs: $795 plus airfare (approx. $850) from Boston to Tegucigalpa. 

After flying in to the Capital we will take a one-hour bus ride to our living quarters, which are located on the mountains overlooking the town of Yuscaran. Accommodations are more rustic; we sleep in cabins in bunk beds. While pillows, sheets and blankets are provided, we suggest you bring lightweight sleeping bags and your own pillow. Solar showers provide warm showers at the end of each day. Gravity flush toilets are located outside of the sleeping areas. The work in Yuscaran has centered on three projects, and each person finds their own place in one or more of these projects:

1. Construction and dedication of the church building through cement and rebar work. We have nearly completed this project.
2. Spontaneous after school children's VBS - crafts, games & singing in the town square.
3. Women's sewing clinic. We have brought sewing machines and provided an opportunity for women (though a few men come) to sew. We leave the machines and they are used in a nearby church as a resource to the community.

Contact Pr. Dave Rinas for more details or visit www.sdumas.net.

Jan. 8-10, 2015

Hartford Seminary

 

WHY: As people of faith, we have a special call to care for the Earth by reducing our negative impact upon God's creation and to seek ways we can act as true stewards. As Lutherans we have unique resources to empower collaborative restoration.

 

WHO: For people who want to learn how to encourage congregations to integrate Care for Creation into the entire life of the church. Clergy and laity representatives (including young adults) are invited to apply ASAP to be part of this unique LRC cohort of region-wide facilitators. Open to people of all faiths, but participants are expected to share their new tools with Lutheran churches in their area.

 

HOW: For details about the agenda and expectations contact Phoebe Morad, LRC Synodical Training Coordinator: pheebscongo@gmail.com or 617-599-2722. You can also visit the LRC website. Space is limited! Registration of $35 per person requested to help defray costs.  

Job listings policy