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The family and friends of Pr. Bob Grochau (retired) who died last month. The memorial service will be Saturday, October 15, at noon, at St Timothy's Lutheran Church, Monterey.
Pr. Anita Warner (Morgan Hill) on the death of her mother-in-law.
Pr. Rebecca Swee (Good Shepherd, Burlingame)
Continued comfort and healing for Prs. Dunbar, Theiss and Fey.
For those affected by fire and flooding. We especially remember firefighters, rescue workers, and those providing care and services.
We pray for those who have lost their homes and those who are providing rescue and relief.
Places and people living in areas of violence and uncertainty, both locally and globally.
Those around the world who are fleeing terror and violence; that they find compassion and welcome as they seek refuge.
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Congregations in Transition
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Synod Calendar
Events and Meetings
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October 14 - 16, 2106
SPSYC Elementary School Retreat
Mt. Cross
October 14-15, 2016
Candidacy Committee
PLTS
October 15, 2016
SPS Hunger Network Workshop
Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis
October 17 - 18, 2016
Rostered Women's Retreat
Dean's Gathering
October 18 - 20
Professional Leaders Conference
The Village at Squaw Valley
November 10, 2016
Intentional Interim Synod-Wide Event
Trinity Lutheran Church, Pleasanton
November 11 - 13, 2016
SPSYC Middle School Retreat
Mt. Cross
December 10, 2016 Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop
January 20 - 21, 2017
Candidacy Committee
PLTS
January 27 - 28, 2017
Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop
January 31 - February 1, 2017
Dean's Retreat
Christ the King Center, Citrus Heights
February 24 - 26, 2107
SPSYC High School Retreat
Mt. Cross
February 27-28, 2017
Annual Retired Pastors Retreat
San Damiano, CA
March 11, 2017 Rwanda Connections Meeting Lutheran Church of the Master, Sacramento
March 17 - 18, 2017
Candidacy Meeting
Hope, El Sobrante
May 3, 2017
Synod Council Meeting
Fresno
May 4 - 6, 2017
Synod Assembly
Fresno
June 23 - 24, 2017
Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop
June 28 - July 2, 2017
Western States Youth Gathering
California Lutheran University
August 25 - 26, 2017
Candidacy Committee
TBD
October 16-17, 2017
Deans & Women's Retreat
Monterey
October 18-20, 2017
Professional Leaders Conference
Monterey
CANDIDACY COMMITTEE MEETINGS:
October 14-15, 2016
January 20-21, 2017
Hope Lutheran Church, El Sobrante
March 17-18, 2017
Location TBD
August 25-26, 2017
Please take note of our office schedule:
All Synod offices are open Monday-Thursday and closed every Friday.
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Fall 2016
Winter 2017
October 17 - 20, 2016
Pneuma 2016
October 22, 2016 Lutheran School of Theology October 22, 2016 Church Divinity School of the Pacific
November 4 - 5, 2016
Good Shepherd, Salinas
November 10, 2016 Christ Lutheran, Long Beach
December 5-7, 2016
March 13-15, 2017
May 22-24, 2017
Hope United Methodist Church
San Diego, CA
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These are not official Synod events, we hope you'll find this information useful as you plan for the 500th anniversary.
Opportunity to Travel to Germany to Celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
August 30-September 6, 2017
Join Pastor Dan Smith and members and friends of the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Davis, California, for an important celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. We will visit sites associated with the life, times and events of Martin Luther to explore the visionary call for reform he made in the 16th century. We will be joining people from around the world marking this important event. Our program is being offered as a land-only program (you will make your own flight arrangements to and from Germany) which allows you to go early, stay longer, and shop for special airfares. We have created a program that includes several nights in the beautiful medieval town of Erfurt and several in Wittenberg - Luther's town. We conclude our visit with an overnight in the exciting cosmopolitan city of Berlin. Join us to learn more about this visionary man and explore the people, places, and events of the 16th century. Space is limited and registrations are being accepted this summer. For program information and registration visit: www.travelillume.com/trc/vks or call: 800-368-6757 ex 128 at the Illume organization in Boston.
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Newsletter Submissions
Please submit any newsletter requests to
by Thursday at 5:00 pm
Thank you!
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A message from California Lutheran University
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We at Cal Lutheran are always looking for ways to serve and work with you, our partners in ministry.
The work you do, growing young people up and then sending them to college to continue growing is crucial. We receive those students and continue to nurture in them the ways that you began. It is our goal to help shape them as a whole person while they are in this community. We want them to leave this campus knowing their gifts, sharpened skills and ready to put them into action in the world. It is our hope that they are sent from this place back into the Church to work and to serve. It may not be the same church they came from, but we hope they are connected to the Church somewhere and the circle continues...
Some of the ways Cal Lutheran and PLTS serve the church are by tapping into the resources and thought leaders we have on our campuses.
The Vine: Cultivating Leadership in Youth Ministry
The Vine provided three sessions of professional development for students and church leaders in children, youth, and family ministries in relational ministry, social media as a tool for ministry, and asset-based community development as a way to enact the passions of their community. This event is powered by the Carlson Endowed Chair in Youth Ministry at California Lutheran University.
Executive Skills for Pastors
 A week of continuing education with faculty from our School of Management. In the complex environment of congregational management, church leaders can all can use new tools for ministry. We explore how concepts from a MBA program can be applied to the arena of congregational life. Last summer, our Level 1 was sold out. There is also a Level 2 for those who have completed Level 1.
The Western States Youth Gathering takes place at Cal Lutheran June 28-July 2, 2017. This event features mass gatherings with great speakers and musicians; learning and small group experiences; creative worship; immersion in Los Angeles and the beach! The planning team gathered on campus in September to make arrangements for this fabulous event. Several of your youth workers are helping plan this event, we are grateful for the sharing of their gifts! Postcards have been sent to ELCA Regions 1-4. www.WSYG.com
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, now wholly part of  Cal Lutheran, just welcomed a new class of nineteen students from the West and across the country. Most of them are in the first year of the Master of Divinity program, which will lead them to becoming pastors. They are, to a person, intelligent, faithful, resilient and looking forward to serving the gospel and the people of the Lutheran church and beyond. Nine students of this and other classes are studying online, before moving to PLTS to conclude their last two years of classes. This program helps them the continue working in place, and, in the end, keeping their debt level lower.
Word has gotten around that university and seminary are negotiating a lease on a floor of a building in downtown Berkeley, to which the seminary would move next school year. We are very close to an agreement on how the space would be divided up, and will make further announcements to our constituents when that happens!
Thank you for the good work YOU are doing in the church and the world. It is not nothing, it is something very important. We share this work with you are a grateful for your support.
Your Story Matters.
Your friends and partners in ministry at California Lutheran University,
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Registration Closes
Sunday!
Reformation: Past, Present and Future
2016 Rostered Women's Retreat
Dean's Gathering
October 17 - 18, 2016
2016 Professional Leaders Conference
The Village at Squaw Valley
888.767.1907
We have 103 registrations and there is still room for you! (Regular room rates will apply and the registration fees have increased.)
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Stewardship Discipling Team October Council Devotions
Generous People Living God's Love by Being Energized and Energizing
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
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I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me??
Hunger, the Refugee and the Immigrant
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis, CA
9:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by the Sierra Pacific Synod Hunger Network
The cost is only $10 for the day, including lunch; no charge for congregational hunger contacts, college students or seminarians. If you take AMTRAK California, rides to the workshop will be provided. Questions? Contact Edie Lott at thelotts@gmail.com or (530) 582-5362 or Pastor Elieen Smith Le Van at pastoreileen@peacelutherangv.org or 530-802-0925. Send email registrations to thelotts@gmail.com.
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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 Big Look at the Small Catechism
In October, Living Lutheran shares a reprint of ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's column from July 2014. Just as she did at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly, Eaton encourages people to "dust off" their Small Catechism and take another look at the basics of our faith as we near the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Read her column.
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ELCA webcast, "Ecumenical and Interreligious Witness on the Eve of the Reformation Anniversary"
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Please mark your calendars for the next live webcast, "Ecumenical and Interreligious Witness on the Eve of the Reformation Anniversary," on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. CDT. As Lutherans, we have 499 years of history, but on this day we will explore:
- What was the Reformation, and what does it mean for Lutherans and ecumenical partners?
- What is "Declaration on the Way," and why is it significant for Lutheran-Catholic relations?
- What might ecumenical and interreligious relationships look like in the future, and what does this mean for our faith community?
Tune in to the live webcast on Oct. 27 by visiting ELCA.org/webcast, where a link to the recorded video will be made available after the broadcast. A live stream also will be available at Facebook.com/Lutherans. If you would like to submit a question to be considered during the live webcast, please send it to livinglutheran@elca.org and provide your name and your congregation's name, city and state.
Check our website for future information concerning our participants and selected resources. We also invite you to participate and join the conversation by using #ELCAwebcast on social media.
God's peace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Top 5 Tips to Prepare Your Faith  Community for a Disaster
September was National Preparedness Month. Just because the month is over, it doesn't mean the work of being prepared for disaster ends. With this in mind, we want to take the time to highlight 5 tips that can be useful to congregations.
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World Food Day is October 16
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News from around the Synod and Beyond
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Celebrations
Installation: Prs Erik and Amy Allen - October 30th 2016, 2:00 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reno Awards: St Stephen's Lutheran Church, Santa Cruz received two awards for low income housing on church land: "Best Structure" and "Community Assessment Project Community Heroes Award" ******************************************* Do you have other Celebrations (installations, ordinations, book publishings, etc.) that you'd like listed in this column? Feel free to submit them to our enewsletter editor, Kathye Hamm. |
Hymnathon
This fall marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of our denomination's current hymnal, the red Evangelical Lutheran Worship. To celebrate this wonderful resource and the gifts it has brought to the whole Church, Grace's Director of Music Tim Getz will be leading a "Hymnathon" the weekend of October 8th and 9th. The goal: to sing one stanza of every hymn in the book. There are 654 of them! We will begin at 9:00 am on Saturday, October 8th. There will be a 10 minute break every hour, and longer breaks at mealtimes. If we are not finished by 9:00 pm, we will resume at 1:00 pm on Sunday and continue until we've finished the book or at 6:00 pm, whichever comes first. Come for 15 minutes or several hours; come and go as you please! Free-will offering.
Grace Lutheran Church
3149 Waverley Street
Palo Alto, CA 94306
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God's Work, Our Hands Day Contest Entry Due by October 15!
The official "God's Work. Our Hands." Day of service was September 11, 2016. Congregations choosing to serve on another day, are also invited to submit entries to the contest.
There are two categories: narrative and video. The winning entry in each category will have the honor of having a $100.00 gift made to ELCA Good Gifts in their name.
The deadline for submitting an entry will be October 15, 2016.
To submit a video entry, please post it on YouTube and submit the entry form with the YouTube link to mic@spselca.org. Any information that will not fit on the entry form should be included in the entry email.
Everyone, including your children, your extended family members, school teachers, your grumpy neighbor, everyone, is invited to vote in this contest. The entries will be posted and open for voting on October 18, 2016. Voting will be open until December 15, 2016. We will include more directions for voting before voting begins. We will tally and announce the winning congregations in early 2017.
Thanks for entering the contest. We are looking forward to reading and watching your stories.
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Support our New Synod Missionaries
Our Sierra Pacific Synod currently has 3 missionary families serving in different parts of the world, each sent there by ELCA Global Missions. The three include:
- Sara Schulz (a member of University Lutheran Chapel, Berkeley) who is preparing for ordained ministry in the ELCA. Sara is currently doing what ELCA calls a "horizon internship," a parish internship outside the US. She and her husband Chris will spend one year in Santiago, Chile, where Sara is working in one of the congregations of the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Chile (IELCH). - Derek Harman and family (wife Dawn and sons Leo, 2, and Becket, 5). After serving at Messiah Lutheran Church in Redwood City, Derek accepted a call to serve as the pastor of the International Church in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he will also teach classes at the local Lutheran high school (Lyceum). - Gabriele Schroeder (formerly pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church, Cupertino, and a member of the SPS Synod Council) now serves as a missionary in India where she joined the faculty of Henry Martyn Institute to teach Christian theology in an interfaith setting in the South Indian city of Hyderabad, Telangana. Gabriele is accompanied by her husband Kumar Dasari and the couple's daughters Naomi (16) and Anna (14), as well as the family's dachshund, Henry. Please do keep them in your prayers as they are adjusting to life and ministry in very new contexts. Moving an entire family into a different country, culture, language, and climate is difficult. May God watch over them and keep them safe. May God inspire them to use the gifts that God has given each one of them. May God watch over the ministry of the companion churches whom they are serving. And may God open our hearts and minds to receive what these three families have to teach us. Sue Hutchins Member Global Mission Advocacy Team
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Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive I and II
Seminary of the Southwest, Austin
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Intentional Interim Synod-Wide Event
Thursday November 10, 2016 at Trinity, Pleasanton, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. Led by the Interim Steering Committee. Guest speaker, Bp. Mark W. Holmerud. Lunch provided. Cash donations welcome. All pastors serving as interims (or hoping to!) are expected. Contact person: Pr. Lori Eickmann
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 November Ballot Proposition Recommendations from LOPP
More information, such as Support and Opposition lists and Advocacy Sunday resources, will be available later at www.loppca.org.
Congregations, pastors, and members are encouraged to schedule an Advocacy Sunday on October 16th or another Sunday prior to the election and are encouraged to utilize the ELCAvotes! resources found here, as the countdown to Election Day continues.
Is your congregation celebrating the Feast of St. Francis and blessing of the animals? Consider lifting up a blessing for our wildlife neighbors who are harmed by plastic bags, and the opportunity to do better by supporting Prop.67. Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Davis will be hosting a huge inflatable turtle and the "bag monster" on Oct. 9 for its Blessing of the Animals.
Questions or concerns: Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California, 916-447-6666, director@loppca.org.
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Register for the SPSYC Retreats!
 The Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee is excited to invite your youth in grades 6 - 8 to the upcoming Junior High retreat at Mt. Cross on November 11 - 13, 2016.
Scholarships are also available. All registration and payment can be done online as a group or as an individual, or can be done by mail.
If you're planning ahead, High School retreat is also open. Check out our website for more information and contact us if you have questions!
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Western States Youth Gathering
June 28 - July 2, 2017
California Lutheran University is again hosting the Western States Youth Gathering.
Information about the event itself can be found at: www.WSYG.com and you can follow and add to our hashtag: #wsyg17.
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Over 600 adults who work with children, youth and families (CYF) in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will gather at The Galt House Hotel and Conference Center in Louisville, Kentucky for Extravaganza 2017. The "E" is the premier training event for adults who work in faith formation.
Held January 20-24, the Extravaganza will focus on the theme "500," with an emphasis on the ongoing re-forming work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the world and the church. Dynamic spiritual renewal, transformational continuing education and supportive networking are critical elements of Extravaganza. For more information on the Extravaganza, and to register, please visit www.ext17.org. Our local contact for information about the Extravaganza or the Youth Ministry Network is Lisa Herlocker.
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