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| Summer Blessings |
June 22, 2016
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Our PO Box is no longer active.
Please send all correspondence to the Sacramento Office of the Bishop at:
Sierra Pacific Synod 9985 Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95827
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A message from Carlton Monroe, DEM and Assistant to the Bishop
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Dear ,
So God created humanity in God's own image, in the image of God they were created; male and female God created them. And God blessed them...
My soul is much saddened in the wake of continuing, needless, groundless mass murder. My heart is pained by the ongoing devaluing and termination of human life by another human being. Whether the harm perpetrated by one person upon another resultant of gun or tongue...both are just as deadly...and it is all is just so incomprehensible to me.
My sentiment here is not to lambast or to condone anything or anyone. From my understanding and experience the contemplation and sanctioning of taking human life requires that we dehumanize certain people in our minds and in our hearts. Again this is the reason my heart and soul cries out in pain for lives so senselessly and suddenly snuffed out. I believe it is at this juncture of broken reasoning that we find ourselves literally and figuratively mentally placing another human being into a "disposable class."
My heart and soul cries out even louder when I am forced to understand that Christians have one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the United States. I truly did not want to believe that to be true. Then sadly the name Dylann Roof came back to my remembrance.
For me Beloved Children of God it is more about "Heart-Control" than any other control we speak of...control of guns or otherwise. Again I am not supporting either way gun ownership. But when the question is asked "Should Christians own guns?" and the answer is Christians have one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the U. S. and are the least likely to support gun regulation, then for me it is all about "Heart-Control". My Sisters and Brothers, phrases such as "it's my choice when and how I defend my myself and my family", and/or "don't impose your morality on me" seek to validate dehumanizing another human being enough to take their life...and that is a "Heart-Control" concern.
It is a "Heart-Control" concern when due to racism, fear or a false sense of authority/security we turn a person, as a real or imagined attacker, into a "threat," "target," "center-mass" or "head-shot". This is behavior of depersonalization that establishes the false idea that it's not a life being taken, only a "threat' that has been 'neutralized.'
I offer the words "Heart-Control" simply because Jesus calls us to "Love God" and to "Love your neighbor as yourself." Beloved Children of God, for me the valuing and human life requires we assiduously maintain respect for the humanity of every person, including her or his identity as a creation of God made in God's own image (Genesis 1:27). In "Heart-Control" my sisters and Brothers, I believe as people of God, as Christians, and especially as we live into "We Are Church Together", we are in the business of sanctioning priority and sacredness of and for the preserving of human life...Peace.
Carlton Monroe
DEM and Assistant to the Bishop
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Dismantling Racism Workshop
Sponsored by the Racial and Ethnic Mission Strategies Discipling Team
Saturday, June 25, 2016
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Christ Lutheran Church
780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Registration Fee: $20
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Clergy Training on Domestic Violence 
Sacramento Area
Four opportunities:
June 28; July 30; August 25; September 15
9:00am - 3:00pm
$10 registration fee to cover the cost of lunch
First 10 clergy to sign up for each class will recieve a free copy of the book " Domestic Violence, What Every Pastor Needs to Know"
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Presiding Bishop's Message on the Anniversary of the AME Shooting
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Today we join sisters and brothers the world over in observance of the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine. We continue to mourn the loss of those nine precious lives, and we pray that their families may find comfort in God's love.
Over the past year we have wrestled as a nation, and as a church, with the challenges of confronting racism. Together through our various ministries, the ELCA has participated in prayerful lament, and pursued acts of racial justice and reconciliation. These have also been times of deepening engagement with our ecumenical partners, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME).
The AME Council of Bishops issued a powerful statement on the occasion of the Charleston anniversary.
I draw your attention to three calls to action, which I invite you to consider:
- We call upon other communions, particularly our predominantly white communions, to join with us in preaching, teaching and condemning racism.
- The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church request that clergy across the nation, during the weekend of June 24-26, seek a pulpit exchange with another church or faith body and preach about race, diversity and inclusion. Also arrange for fellowship and interactions between local congregations. This exchange should be with a communion or interfaith organization of a different race or religion. (Please consider next weekend as the beginning of a time for such exchanges, continuing over the summer months.)
- That local clergy and interfaith organizations begin discussions with local political leaders on issues of policing, education, housing and other issues where race is a factor and impacts any group negatively.
The tragedy of June 17, 2015, embodied our church's tangled relationship with racism. Our relationship to the shooter - Dylann Roof, who was a member of an ELCA congregation - as well as to two of the slain - the Rev. Clementa Pinckney and the Rev. Daniel Simmons, who were graduates of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C. - remind us of both our complicity and our calling. Together we confess that we are in bondage to the sin of racism and, at the same time, we rejoice in the freedom that is ours in Christ Jesus who "has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us" (Ephesians 2:14). May God continue to guide us as we seek repentance and renewal, racial justice and reconciliation among God's precious children.
In Christ,
Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
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2016
The 500th anniversary of the Reformation is an opportunity to rejoice in the life-giving, liberating power of the gospel. As part of the observance, we invite you to attend the Grace Gathering, in partnership with the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. This will be an opportunity to experience the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) when gathered as the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, prepare for further observances of the 500th anniversary and reflect on how the Reformation can continue to guide us today.
Click here to view a video invitation from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton.
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The ELCA Task Force on Women and Justice: One in Christ is preparing a comprehensive study for use in congregations and across the church. The task force invites individuals, adult forums and other study groups to join a churchwide conversation about issues related to women and justice in church and society and then to share responses.
Each session in the study will include scripture reflection, activities, discussion points, devotions and additional resources. The study will be available in early July, both in print and for download. All participant responses will be reviewed by the task force as it works toward bringing out a first draft of a social statement in late 2017. Study response forms will be available in the printed version and online.
The response period runs through August 2017.
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 NEWS FROM AROUND THE SYNODAND BEYOND
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"God's Work. Our Hands."
September 11, 2016
Plan now to enter the contest!
"God's Work. Our Hands." Day is our opportunity to celebrate a day of service across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Congregations throughout the Sierra Pacific Synod and the nation will be preparing food for hungry people, painting houses, planting gardens, visiting isolated people and performing thousands of other acts of joy and mercy. It is time to start planning your congregation's projects for that day. For a bulletin insert and more information on planning your day CLICK HERE. Sharing your projects and ideas with other congregations will give them ideas for next year. To encourage you to do just that, we're having a contest! There are two categories: video and narrative. The winning congregation in each category will have the honor of having a $100.00 gift made to ELCA Good Gifts in their name. How cool is that? Here is how it works, along with the pertinent deadlines: 1.Your congregation submits either a written narrative or a video of its "God's Work. Our Hands." Project, along with an entry form, which will be available in late August, as well as instructions for submitting your video. Each congregation is limited to one submission, either a video or a narrative. Deadline: October 15, 2016. 2. The narratives and videos are posted on the Sierra Pacific Synod website, where you will vote for your favorite. Everyone can vote-your grumpy uncle, your best friend, the sweet auntie who bakes the best ginger cookies. Deadline: December 15, 2016. 3. We tally the votes and announce a winner, sometime in early 2017. 4.The checks go to ELCA Good Gifts. Those of us at Church Together can hardly wait to see what wonderful projects you are doing.
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San Francisco Pride Parade
The Lutheran contingent will be gathering to march in the Pride Parade at slot 152. We need to gather by 11:30 at the latest. Hope to see you there!
Dear Friends in Christ,
It's June!!! Time is flying by. Please mark your calendars and schedules for Sunday, June 26th for the 2016 San Francisco Pride Parade Celebration. This year's theme is Pride for Racial and Economic Justice.
We had a great group last year and would love to have an even larger group this year from congregations and ministries in the synod walking in the San Francisco Pride Parade Sunday, June 26th with our local ReconcilingWorks chapter, the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod Acting Bishop Nancy Feniuk Nelson, as well as other RIC churches, and inclusive groups. Our group contingent "ReconcilingWorks" has requested to move up closer to the middle of the parade this year. Each time we march it's an opportunity to touch hearts and this year to join in support of racial and economic justice. It's rewarding all around for the contingent participants and the parade viewers from the sidelines as seen by their smiles and willingness to stay and watch till the very end. Please, consider joining us to make an even larger impact. Come walk the talk of welcome!!
Parade participants can meet with ReconcilingWorks in the Parade lineup on Sunday morning. **Specific information will be provided when we receive our placement in the parade, a few days prior. We'll make our way down Market Street spreading welcome and inclusion for everyone!
*Dress comfortably for the parade, you will be walking 10 blocks
*Wear sunscreen, a hat, and have water
*There is no parking, take public transportation
Let us know if you can make it so we can keep you updated on the gathering time and place.
Hope to see you on Sunday, June 26th!
For more information on the SF Pride Parade go to:
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News from the Synod Resource Center
What is new and thought provoking ???
While at our Synod Assembly we had some great conversations with several others who offered table displays. I would like to introduce you to some new materials by a relatively new organization called altSpirit. altSpirit was started in 2014 to help bring materials that they had successfully used in small groups to a larger population. There mission is to create conversations, materials, and experiences that: guide individuals in the discovery of their core values, lead individuals in aligning their lives with these values, and cultivate communities to sustain this work. They may be found at www.altSpirit.org.
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2016 Professional Leaders Conference
October 18 - 20, 2016
Reformation Past, Present and Future
The Village at Squaw Valley, Olympic Village
Registration Opens in July!
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News from Mt. Cross Ministries
Summer camp registration is now open! Check out all of the life-changing summer camp programs we have to offer this year!
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LEVN, the Lutheran Episcopal Volunteer Network, is looking for young adults (age 21-30) with Bachelor's degrees for an 11-month program of non-profit work and learning about social justice. From the end of August 2016 to the end of July 2017, our corps members will be provided housing, utilities, health insurance, transportation, spiritual direction, and a $400/month food stipend. There's also a $1000 re-entry grant at the end of the program for moving expenses.
The work placement sites for the upcoming program year include faith-based non-profits, secular non-profits, congregations, the Sierra Pacific Synod office, and our campus ministry at UC Davis. We meet each week for worship, dinner, and discussion. The corps members live in intentional community in a 4-bedroom apartment in Davis, CA. We're an ecumenical program, and applicants needn't be either Lutheran or Episcopal to apply-interest in Christian spirituality is the only expectation.
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We Remember in Prayer...
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Bishop Mark Holmerud as he is on sabbatical.
Barbara Schaefer, wife of Pr. Marty Schaefer (ret.), El Cerrito, as she moves from hormone therapy to chemotherapy before breast cancer surgery in the fall.
Pr. Paul Theiss, as he undergoes a stem cell transplant to extend his remission from multiple myeloma, and his wife Nancy Satterford as she cares for him.
Pr. Greg Schaefer (University, Palo Alto) and all who mourn the death of his Uncle Vince.
Pr. David Schick (Immanuel, Los Altos) for medical tests.
Pr. Stan Niemi (Interim Ministry) following a stroke.
Pr. Nicolas Brie (RT) following a stroke
Pr. David Peters (RT) for recovery following knee replacement surgery.
Pr. Dani Fey for ongoing illness.
Those who lost their lives in Orlando FL, those who are recovering from their injuries, for the families and loved ones, for the people of Orlando as they struggle to make sense of violence in their midst.
Those around the world who are fleeing terror and violence; that they find compassion and welcome as they seek refuge.
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Second Mile Giving
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June 2016
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Congregations in Transition
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"God's Work. Our Hands. Sunday"
Sunday, Sept. 11,2016 is
"God's work. Our hands." Sunday.
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June 26 - July 24, 2016
November 4 - 5, 2016
Good Shepherd, Salinas
December 5-7, 2016
March 13-15, 2017
May 22-24, 2017
Hope United Methodist Church
San Diego, CA
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REFORMATION 500
These are not official Synod events, we hope you'll find this information useful as you plan for the 500th anniversary.
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May 17-24, 2017
May 20 - 21, 2016
St. Matthew's, San Francisco
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Synod Calendar
Events and Meetings
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June 24 - 25, 2016
Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop
June 25, 2016
Dismantling Racism Workshop
August 26-27, 2016
Candidacy Committee Meeting
PLTS, Berkeley
September 17, 2016
Fall Online Synod and Conference Gatherings
Ascension Lutheran, Citrus Heights
Our Savior's Lutheran, Lafayette
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran, Merced
Grace Lutheran, Palo Alto
September 23 - 24, 2016
Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop
October 14 - 16, 2106
SPSYC Elementary School Retreat
Mt. Cross
October 17 - 18, 2016
Rostered Women's Retreat
Dean's Gathering
October 18 - 20
Professional Leaders Conference
The Village at Squaw Valley
November 11 - 13, 2016
SPSYC Middle School Retreat
Mt. Cross
February 24 - 26, 2107
SPSYC High School Retreat
Mt. Cross
CANDIDACY COMMITTEE MEETINGS:
PLTS, Berkeley
August 26-27, 2016
October 14-15, 2016
January 20-21, 2017
Please take note of our office schedule:All Synod offices are open Monday-Thursday and closed every Friday.
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Newsletter Submissions
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Please submit any newsletter requests to kathye@spselca.org
by Thursday at 5:00 pm
Thank You!
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Committed to being re-formed...
The Sierra Pacific Synod
9985 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95827-6628
916-756-1665 · 800-275-3522 · 888-789-6434 (Fax)
Click here to visit our website www.spselca.org
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Office of the Bishop, Sacramento
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Office of the Bishop, Bay Area
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Office of the Bishop, Fresno
Synod Resource Center
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9985 Folsom Blvd.
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500 Airport Blvd. Suite 442
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2311 E. Shaw Avenue
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Sacramento, CA 95827-1405
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Burlingame, CA 94010-1938
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Fresno, CA 93710-8204
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916-756-1665 (Direct)
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650-590-0980 (Direct)
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559-345-2725 (Direct)
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