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Time After Pentecost
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May 27, 2015
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Ordination: Amanda Nelson - this Sunday
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Attleboro, Mass.
The New England Synod announces the upcoming ordination of Amanda Nelson, who is to become pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in East Hartford, Conn.
Nelson received her call on April 26, and will start as Faith's new pastor on June 1. She is a 2007 graduate of Wheaton College with a bachelor's degree in International Relations and German, and a 2014 graduate of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, with a Master of Divinity.
Nelson's ordination will take place on Sunday, May 31, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 647 North Main St., Attleboro, Mass. The service will begin at 6 p.m. Pastor Sandra Demmler-D'Amico will preside, and Bishop Jim Hazelwood will preach. The color of the day is red. All are welcome.
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Presiding Bishop Eaton: The Church & Change
 In her June column for The Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton reminds us that we aren't "called to be the church of the past nor the church of the future, but to be the church right now." We may not get it right all the time, but we don't have to fret-that's the freedom we have with God.
We are in the middle of a seismic shift in the church. In her book The Great Emergence (Baker Books, 2012), author and lecturer Phyllis Tickle points out that every 500 years or so the church goes through a major upheaval.
I think that's where we are now. And while it is interesting to read of church upheavals in the past, living through one can be pretty uncomfortable. What is emerging? What is falling away? When will we know that the new thing has come into being? What is going to happen to us?
But hey, take heart, I don't think anyone woke up on June 7, 1518, and said, "How's the Reformation going today?"
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2015 New England Synod Assembly: Online registration closes Friday
Online registration for the 2015 New England Synod Assembly closes at midnight this Friday, May 29. After that, only in-person registrations will be accepted starting at 8 a.m. on June 5 in the MassMutual Center lobby. Additionally, the cost of voting member registration rises to $180. With that in mind, we urge all who plan to attend this year's assembly as a voter to register before time runs out.
Download the app now!
The 2015 New England Synod Assembly is scheduled for June 5-6, 2015, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., and if you're planning to attend, be sure to download our brand-new Assembly app, created by the folks at Guidebook!
We strongly encourage you to download our mobile guide to enhance your experience at 2015 New England Synod Assembly. You'll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule and browse exhibitors, maps and general show info. The app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and Android devices. Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry users can access the same information via our mobile site at http://guidebook.com/browse/To get the guide, choose one of the methods below:
- Download 'Guidebook' from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace
- Visit http://guidebook.com/getit from your phone's browser
- Scan the following image with your mobile phone (QR-Code reader required, e.g. 'Red Laser', 'Barcode Scanner')
The guide will be listed under the "Download Guides" section of the application. The app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and Android devices. Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry users can access the same information via our mobile site at http://guidebook.com/browse/
If you are attending this year's assembly as a voting member, you are encouraged to download several documents meant to be used both before and during the assembly, including the proposed budget, bios of nominees to the 2016 Churchwide Assembly, and 2016 Compensation Guidelines.
You can download those items by visiting the Assembly page on our site, or by clicking on each document download link below.
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Synod grant applications now available
The applications for two grants offered by the New England Synod are now available.
The Youth and Young Adult Ministry grant supports ministries to serve outreach to those particular age groups. The Congregational Renewal Grants assist in efforts designed to bring renewed vitality to your congregation.
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Your chance to save on the
Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit
August 6-7, 2015
 The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit is an annual, national gathering of leaders for two days of talks and discussion "designed to help you get better and embrace your grander vision-the reason God called you to lead," according to its website.
"You are presented with a lot of opportunities to sharpen your skills and develop the people you lead. The Summit is a proven tool to leverage that produces these compelling outcomes for leaders who attend."
The Summit takes place in Chicago, but is broadcast to hundreds of sites across the country, including several sites in New England. If you'd like to attend, click on one of the registration links below. Registration is currently $189 for individuals and $149 per person for teams of 10 or more, but you can also save on registration costs by using our discount. To get the discount, input the code GLSCRFT15 when you register.
NEW ENGLAND SATELLITE SITES
MASSACHUSETTS
Grace Chapel, Lexington
Bethany Community Church, Mendon
North River Community Church, Pembroke
Community Covenant Church, Rehoboth
CONNECTICUT
Black Rock Church, Fairfield
Valley Community Baptist Church, Avon
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Manchester Christian Church, Bedford
Alton Bay Christian Conference Center, Alton Bay
Bethany Church, Greenland
RHODE ISLAND
Christ Church, East Greenwich
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ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants
 The ELCA World Hunger-funded Domestic Hunger Grants support ministries that offer hope and assistance to many thousands of people who experience poverty and hunger in the United States. These grants do more than just give food to people who are hungry - in addition to immediate relief programs, ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants fund projects in community development and community-based organizing and advocacy that strengthen the foundations of communities impacted by hunger and poverty.
In 2015, this program allocated a total of $739,075 to support 324 domestic projects and programs ranging from congregational food pantries to weekend backpack programs for children to job training and living-wage advocacy campaigns. ELCA World Hunger-funded Domestic Hunger Grants make a difference.
- Advocacy: 6 programs, $15,500
- Development: 58 programs, $148,725
- Organizing: 41 programs, $106,400
- Relief: 219 programs, $468,450
The domestic hunger grant application will become available May 8th , and close on July 10, 2015. Applicants can access the application by clicking here.
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2015/16 Companion Trip to the Holy Land
 Dec. 29, 2015 - Jan. 14, 2016
Cost: $3,700 all-inclusive (airfare, room & board, ground travel, including Petra and Jordan)
Tour Leader: Pastor Tim Keyl, Bethesda Lutheran Church - New Haven, Conn.
The New England Synod Global Mission Team invites you to be transformed by the "living stones" of the Holy Land, to pray and learn as pilgrims, and to be companions for our brothers and sisters who seek peace with justice. Tour Leader Pastor Tim Keyl currently serves as coordinator for the synod's companion relationship.
For more information, contact Pastor Keyl at 203-787-2346 or via email at pastor@bethesdanewhaven.org
Download the flyer by clicking here.
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Lutheran World Relief Quilting and Ingatherings
LWR Quilters and Kit Makers often ask: Is there an inexpensive way to ship Quilts and Kits to the LWR warehouse? Yes! Bring them to an Ingathering. An ingathering is an opportunity for several groups from a region to drop off quilt and kit donations to be delivered together. A truck is filled with donations and driven to the nearest LWR warehouse. Click here for info on how to pack quilts and kits.
You can also print barcodes for your quilts and kits to track where they go.
Upcoming LWR Quilt and Kit Ingatherings
Christ Lutheran Church 113 Union Street, Natick, MA 01760
Drop-off: Thursday, May 28, 2015, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Contact Pr. Rebecca Bourret, pastor.bourret@christnatick.org, 508.315.3170 or Pr. Leslie Scanlon, pastorleslie@lcfworships.org, 508.315.3170 .
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
65 Sagamore Street, Manchester, NH 03104
Tuesday, May 26-Thursday May 28, 2015, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Please call before drop off to set up a time.
Truck Date: Friday, May 29, 2015, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Contact: Shelley Stama, glcmanchester@comcast.net, 603.623.3451
Our Savior Lutheran Church
5 Summer Street, Hanover, NH 03755
Drop off Dates & Times: May 28-29, 2015, 1-4 p.m. Please call before drop off.
Truck Date: Saturday, May 30, 2015, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Contact: Susan Ferraro, lutheran.center@dartmouth.edu, 603.643.3703
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd,
3680 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518
Drop-off: Wednesday, May 27, 2015, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Contact: Pastor Daphne Burt, pdblcgs@gmail.com, 203.248.7420, 401.924.4673
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"I am am I"
 Member at Immanuel (Attleboro, Mass.) writes book on spirituality; proceeds to go to church
Robert Sendling, a member at Immanuel Lutheran in Attleboro, Mass., has written a book on mindfulness and meditation for the Christian mind, titled "I am, am I," and has pledged to donate half of his royalties to the church's building fund.
For much of his life, Sendling lived a charmed existence. While most of the kids from the old neighborhood ended up dropping out of school or landing in jail, Sendling managed to graduate from prep school, earn a degree, and achieve tremendous success in his career. He was happily married to his soul mate, kept his body in fine athletic form, and enjoyed all the benefits of a productive, easy life.
Everything came crashing down, however, when a freak accident broke his neck, injured his spine, and stripped him of his ability to function independently in the world. A shell of his former self, crippled with pain, and addicted to painkillers, Sendling contemplated suicide to end his misery once and for all.
"I Am Am I" tells the story of Sendling's journey back from emotional darkness and physical dysfunction through the practice of Zen mindfulness and meditation. Bridging the gap between Eastern and Western thought, this book makes Zen accessible to people of other faiths, particularly Christians.
Interesting, humorous, and compelling, this book offers deep wisdom and practical lessons on how to cope with life's hardships through the use of Zen's powerful concepts of mindfulness and meditation.
"This book is a sincere attempt to help others find a spiritual path to gentle compassion," Sendling said. "It is, in the most simple terms, Zen for the Western, Christian mind."
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Job listings policy
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.
Additionally, job listings are now hosted on the Synod website's new job board.
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