This week, we are announcing a few changes that are in the process of being made to our staff at the New England Synod (don't worry, it's good news!)

As a part of this synod's participation in a three-year pilot experiment in the area of Mission Development and Mission Support, and in consultation with participating bishops, the churchwide office in Chicago and our synod's Executive Committee, Bishop Jim Hazelwood is announcing two new positions: Ms. Kim Bergstrand has been appointed to serve as Associate to the Bishop for Mission, and a new position titled "Associate to the Bishop for Generosity" has been created.

Kim Bergstrand brings a set of skills that will help the synod begin Part One of the pilot project, namely effectiveness in evangelical mission outreach. She is an organized and administratively gifted person, as is evident in all previous endeavors including her role as our Synod Assembly coordinator for the last two years, Forward Leadership co-leader, and leader of the Doing what Matters process. Kim is also a lay theologian who has a voracious appetite for mission-related theology. Her primary areas of responsibility will include work with our congregations in development and re-development and the Forward Leadership Community, and she will act as a consultant to congregations around outreach. Kim will also be the associate who relates to the newly-forming Racial Reconciliation Team, and she will begin on Aug. 1, 2015.

For more information on the newly created position of Associate to the Bishop for Generosity, see "Employment Opportunities" below. The newly created Associate to the Bishop for Generosity will have primary responsibilities for cultivating thanksgiving and generosity in our synod by assisting congregations in their stewardship practices, working with the Macedonia Generosity Team, leading efforts in a newly-designed Mission Support partnership, and working in the area of development. A complete position description is available at this link (click here). This position is now open, and we are accepting applications. The deadline to apply is August 15, 2015, or until the position is filled, and is open to either rostered leaders or lay persons.

These constitute part-time positions of 25-30 hours per week, and come with full benefit packages. The design is similar to the approach taken by other synods, who have divided the responsibilities in these two areas of mission and stewardship. This is a restructuring of what has been known as the D.E.M. or Director of Evangelical Mission.

We are also glad to announce that Mr. Mark Winzler will become a volunteer staff person as Assistant to the Bishop for Mobility. This new position will allow Pastor Paul Sinnott to free up some 5-10 hours per week spent managing the Mobility process for the synod. This mainly includes the computer work of processing and reviewing the many Rostered Leader Profiles (RLPs) submitted to the New England Synod from persons expressing interest in coming to New England. We are grateful for Mark's willingness to serve in this capacity!

ELCJHL Bishop Younan coming to Connecticut

July 24, 7 p.m.

St. John's Lutheran Church

844 Newfield Ave.

Stamford, Conn.

Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is coming to speak in New England, and you are invited!

At 7 p.m. on Friday, July 24, Bishop Younan will speak at a public forum to be held at St. John's Lutheran Church (844 Newfield Ave., Stamford, Conn.). To attend, please call the church at(203) 322-0066 to RSVP. 

Earlier that day, Bishop Younan will gather with clergy from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church (60 Church Street, Manchester, Conn.). Clergy who would like to attend should contact Rev. Duane Peterson.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan was consecrated as bishop - the third Palestinian to hold the office - on January 5, 1998, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem in the presence of religious and political leaders from many nations. He was educated in Palestine and Finland and has been active in numerous faith organizations since his ordination in 1976, such as the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC). The bishop was the first to translate the Augsburg Confession into Arabic. He is an active member of various ecumenical and interfaith dialogue initiatives in Jerusalem that he helped found.

In July 2010, he was elected president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a global communion of Christian churches with 145 member churches in 79 countries representing more than 70 million Christians. He is a recent past president of FMEEC and provides leadership for the ecumenical Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem group as well as for the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land (CRIHL), comprised of leaders of Jerusalem's Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities.

St. Paul Lutheran Church (Arlington, Mass.) formed a bond with 40 Sudanese refugees 14 years ago when they came to the Greater Boston congregation. Since then, the church has been heavily involved with several development projects to help people in South Sudan with the difficult but necessary tasks of generating food and clean water, as well as schools and medical clinics.

The congregation's Social Ministry Committee recently made a $1,000 contribution to ameliorate the food shortage in South Sudan, but more help is needed. So the church is turning to the region for help raising funds.

Donations may be sent to:

Village Help for South Sudan, Inc.
34 Madison Ave. #1
Cambridge, MA 02140

For more information, you can also visit the program's website,villagehelpforsouthsudan.org.

Family Promise of Greater Concord

Family Promise of Greater Concord (FPGC) is looking for a passionate, energetic and caring leader to become its Executive Director (ED). Family Promise is a faith-based organization committed to ending homelessness for families with children, one family at a time. The Executive Director will work closely with faith-based congregations throughout Greater Concord, a dedicated and active board of directors, as well as local business and community leaders. Successful candidates must be confident asking anybody for anything that will support the mission of FPGC. You must have outstanding sales ability and superior written and verbal communication skills. Strong candidates will have previous experience managing and maintaining financial activities, raising money, developing programs, managing grants, and providing leadership to support staff, committees, volunteers and board members. You must also be adept with basic office technology and software. The ideal candidate will possess: