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Time After Pentecost
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August 26, 2015
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Synod Office Summer Hours
From July 6 until Sept. 4, the New England Synod Office will observe summer hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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We Are Church Together - Bishop's Convocation 2015
 Oct. 19-21
Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center
West Hartford, Conn.
The New England Synod is happy to announce that for our 2015 Bishop's Convocation, we have the pleasure of hosting ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. Bishop Eaton will be preaching at a worship service that will be open to the public on Monday evening, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow. Bishop Eaton will also be joining rostered leaders Tuesday morning for an informal conversation.
In addition to Bishop Eaton, we will also be joined by "Community Change," a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote racial justice and equality by challenging systemic racism and acting as a catalyst for anti-racist learning and action. Community Change will be leading a workshop for all attendees of the convocation on Tuesday afternoon.
Bishop's Convocation is open to all rostered leaders in the New England Synod.
Bishop's Convocation will return to Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, Conn. Registration fees: $270 single $245 double $170 commuter (Tuesday and Wednesday) $200 Special Registration (Interns, Retirees, On Leave).
Convocation Schedule*
Monday
3 p.m. - Registration begins
5:30 p.m. - Dinner
7 p.m. - Worship at Emanuel, 311 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Reception with Bishop Eaton after worship
Tuesday
8-9 a.m. - Breakfast
9-10:30 a.m. - Conversation with Bishop Eaton
11 a.m.-noon - Introduction to Workshop with Community Change
Noon - Lunch
1 p.m. - Workshop with Community Change
5:30 p.m. - Dinner
7 p.m. - Worship
Wednesday
8-9 a.m. - Breakfast
9 a.m. - Morning Session with Bishop Hazelwood
11 a.m. - Worship
Noon - Lunch
(*Schedule is tentative and is subject to minor changes.)
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 Executive Skills for Pastors
Jan. 11-15, 2016
Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center
Carefree, Ariz.
Leadership and Management - is there a difference? The answer is yes! At times, pastors and their staff manage. At other times, they lead. How do you get the best from every member of your staff, your congregation and yourself for ministry? How do you manage the complexities of change while building capacity for fulfilling your congregational mission and vision?
Faculty from the School of Management at California Lutheran University will lead a one-week retreat at the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in January. The week-long program will offer contemporary management insights into your organization. Those insights will emerge as the group discusses and reflects on meeting today's challenges for pastors and their congregations.
The retreat will explore:
- Finance/Stewardship
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
- Information technology
- Strategic planning and direction
Costs: $875 for double occupancy room; $990 for private room - reserved for those with medical needs; $550 for commuters.
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 School of Lay Ministry - registration deadline extended
The New England Synod School of Lay Ministry is still accepting applications for the class of 2017, after extending the deadline to Aug. 29.
To apply: Click here to download the application, or visit the school's website at nesynodslm.com and click on "Application." After you complete the application, mail it to New England Synod, PO Box 13, Worcester, MA 01614-0013 with a check for $100, payable to "New England Synod," as an application fee that will be applied to tuition.
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Why Are Our Health Care Costs Going Up?
 Friday, Aug. 28
11:30 a.m.
Online - open to all
Join Portico for a webinar, Aug. 28, 10:30 - 11 a.m. (Central Time), to see what drives ELCA health contribution rates, such as market trends and our collective use of care.
This live, 30-minute webinar will include an opportunity to ask questions. Organizational decision-makers are invited to attend, such as congregation presidents, treasurers, senior pastors, or others who help shape their ministry's budget.
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Forward Leadership Community Applications Due
 Sparked by the 2014 Synod Assembly's call to become a synod of experimentation, the Forward Leadership Community is a year-long program developed to equip leaders to create goals based on their context and ministry setting and implement changes to attain those goals. We called this a "community" rather than just a program because all of our learning is done in an atmosphere of mutual support and collaboration.
Experimentation and innovation will require a change to the status quo. These changes are often met with some sort of resistance. Even if leaders have a great goal or vision, it can be difficult to implement new ideas and ways of doing ministry. So the synod has developed a pilot program for congregations who are ready to lead change and engage in transformational ministry.
The deadline for applications to join the 2016 Forward Leadership Community is Sept. 1. If your congregation is looking to strengthen its mission and ministry and experiment, innovate, and explore how to "be church" in the 2 1st century, then Forward Leadership is for you! For more information contact Rev. Sara J. Anderson or Kim Bergstrand.
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Piano available
Lyn Wasilewski, the Synod's Executive Assistant to the Bishop, has an upright piano that is available for free to any congregation seeking to bolster its musical repertoire. The piano is at least 100 years old and has a dark-tone wood color. It will require some tuning and cleaning, but is otherwise ready to be played. The piano is located in Central Massachusetts. If you are interested, please contact Lyn at lwasilewski@nesynod.org or by calling the Synod office at (508) 791-1530 to arrange transfer. |
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With One Voice hymnals available
The Synod has a collection of "With One Voice" hymnals available to any person or congregation who may need them. If you are interested, please contact the office at office@nesynod.org. The hymnals will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. |
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Stewardship Coaching
Aug. 29 and Sept. 23, 2015
Our Savior - Newington, Conn., and Christ the King - Holliston, Mass.
The New England Synod Stewardship Team, a.k.a. the Macedonia Team, is offering a training event for people who are interested in serving as stewardship coaches in their congregations. These events will provide an excellent refresher course in stewardship ministry in your congregation.
Two training dates have been set:
- Saturday, Aug. 29, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Newington, Conn.
- Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 to 9:00 pm. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Holliston, Mass.
There is no fee for this training. If you are interested, or just have a question, contact Rip Hoffman via phone at (203) 454-2842, or via email at kantonen@aol.com.
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Synod Grants
The New England Synod offers several grant opportunities that can be useful to ministries seeking a funding boost.
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Summer Lutherhostel at Calumet
Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream
Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 2015
Come Calumet at the end of the summer and enjoy gathering with other guests for interesting discussions about the environment led by "Lutherans Restoring Creation" leaders Nancy Urban & Phoebe Morad. This retreat for adults over 50 will also include delicious food in our beautiful Lakeside Dining Hall, opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, swimming and a field trip along the gorgeous Kancamagus Highway.
A special evening presentation entitled, "The Old Man of the Mountain: Substance and Symbol", led by New Hampshire Humanities To Go! presenter Maggie Stier, will be offered to guests and the public on Tuesday evening, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.
There is still time to make plans to come to Calumet. It's a beautiful time of year!!
Please call Alice in our reservations office to register or for more information. 1-603-539-3223 ext. 220 or email alice@calumet.org.
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Help Calumet Reach the Beach!
For the sixth year, Camp Calumet has put together a team of runners who will participate in the annual Reach the Beach relay, set to take place Sept. 18-19 in New Hampshire. The 200-mile relay begins in the White Mountains and finishes at Hampton Beach State Park.
Calumet first participated with 12 runners six years ago, but the team has grown to 48 hardy souls, plus eight support drivers. They're all running for one goal: To raise money for Calumet's Annual Fund, which keeps the costs low for kids who go to Calumet's Resident Camp. Calumet expects to award some $70,000 this year in campership grants to families who need them, and that money also comes out of the Annual Fund.
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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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| Communication Coordinator, ELCJHL
The ELCA-Global Mission unit is seeking a Communication Coordinator who will assist the Bishop's Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and its congregations and schools with English communication, locally and internationally. The Communication Coordinator position serves as an important extension of the ELCJHL. Therefore, this person will work under the local and close supervision of the Bishop of the ELCJHL - the position is located in Jerusalem. Special assignments unique to the setting may be given, as needed, by the Bishop.
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