Fall Blessings
October 19, 2016
In This Issue
We Remember in Prayer

Barbara Schaefer (wife of Pr. Marty Schaefer, ret.), recovering from breast cancer surgery.



 
Pr. Rebecca Swee (Good Shepherd, Burlingame) who will be undergoing a procedure this week to treat cancer of the kidney.

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.

Second Mile Giving
Congregations in Transition
Synod Calendar 
Events and Meetings


November 10, 2016
Intentional Interim Synod-Wide Event
Trinity Lutheran Church, Pleasanton
 
November 11 - 13, 2016
SPSYC Middle School Retreat
Mt. Cross

November 24, 2016
Thanksgiving
Synod Offices Closed

December 10, 2016
Synod Council Meeting
Sacramento Office of the Bishop

December 26, 2016
Synod Offices Closed

January 2, 2017
Synod Offices Closed

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
Thursday - Saturday
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:
PLTS, Berkeley
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.

Our PO Box is no longer active.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

Upcoming Workshops
Winter 2017

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

Reformation 500
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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We Are a Reconciling in Christ Synod

A message from Carlton Monroe, DEM and Assistant to the Bishop

 
Your congregation may be wondering "Where do we go from here?"  

Options for Small Congregations Discerning Their Next Steps

Alice Mann, a member of the Congregational Consulting Group (formerly the Alban Institute), has sage advice for small congregations facing crunch time: "Many smaller congregations find themselves facing a choice point right now-a moment when their current ministry arrangements have broken down and alternatives must be considered. The most important advice I can offer you as a leader is this: Stop and look at all the options-no matter how far-fetched or unpalatable some of them may seem. You may still proceed with your first idea, but you will be much clearer about why you are doing it and what it will take to make that option work well."

The obvious question, then, is what are the options?  Here are several options to consider. Note that some are mutually exclusive and some are not. This is not a comprehensive list; it can only be considered comprehensive when you have added your bold and creative possibilities to it. Any path forward needs to include careful consultation with the Office of the Bishop and will likely involve the accompaniment of your DEM.

Part-time Pastoral Leadership. This might include sharing a pastor with another congregation, or a bi-vocational pastor (a pastor who has another job). Bear in mind that part-time pastors are hard to find and this option makes the path of renewal rather challenging due to the constraints on the pastors time.

Intentional, Covenanted Redevelopment.  Redevelopment or "Renewal" in this context refers a process by which a congregation commits itself to a specific pathway leading to (1) a restoration of healthy functioning among leadership, (2) a deepened relationship with the neighbor whom God has called the congregation to serve, (3) an understanding of God's purpose for the congregation, (4) the identification of the gifts that God has given for ministry, and (5) clear goals for living out God's purpose. Congregations that commit to these processes find their faith deepened, and their confidence for reaching out enhanced. Most congregations will also show growth in worship attendance, giving, and engagement with the ministry beyond Sunday morning.

Collaborative Ministry Partnership with another congregation (or congregations). This may be another ELCA congregation or a full-communion partner. For this to be viable for the long run, it must include a strategy for renewal. If it is view only as a last-ditch survival strategy, it may buy you some time, but will not likely generate renewed vitality.

Merger.  When one congregation gives up its identity and merges into another.

Consolidation. When two congregations come together to form a new congregation with a new name, identity and vision for mission.

Collaborative Partnership with another Agency or Entity.  This involves finding a partner with shared values who might be able to develop their ministry or enterprise alongside yours.  Examples might include a school, a social service agency, or a specialized property developer. This path requires a lot of investigative and legal work.

Partial Sale of Property. This is only a viable option if accompanied by a strategy for renewal. It is not good stewardship to drain assets simply to buy some time and to continue on the path of decline. (Pay close attention to your congregational constitution and consult the Office of the Bishop when considering the sale of property.)

Sale of Property and Relocation. This option might involve purchasing a more manageable property and using excess revenue for ministry development or lead to becoming a tenant in another location, which may or may not be a traditional church campus. (Pay close attention to your congregational constitution and consult the Office of the Bishop when considering the sale of property.)

Development of Additional Revenue Streams.  For some congregations, there are ways to utilize the campus to generate revenue to support ministry. There are several notes of caution here. Unless accompanied by a renewal strategy, it will only buy some extra time but will not create long term sustainability. If the campus becomes over utilized by other entities, it will diminish your ability to do ministry. You don't want to spend all of your time managing property instead of being engaged in mission and ministry. Finally, the ability of the campus to generate revenue varies greatly by location. 

Holy Closure and Legacy.  Congregations have life cycles like any other living organism. If the ministry has run its course, it may be time to celebrate and thank God for all that has been, claim the promise of resurrection (that God brings new life out of death) and end well. This ending may involve a decision, in consultation with the Office of the Bishop, about what the legacy of the congregation might be.

Carlton Monroe
 DEM and Assistant to the Bishop
Register for the SPSYC Junior High Retreat!

There's still time!

To register your youth for the SPSYC Junior High Retreat on November 11-18

Registration Closes October 25

There are still some scholarships available. 


We'd love to help your congregation participate, contact us for more info. 

Amendments to the Model Constitution for Congregations

An email was sent Tuesday, October 11 from Synod Secretary, Jeff Pennington, about changes to the congregational constitutions following the 2016 Churchwide Assembly. If you did not receive the email you may find his letter here.

You can find the amendments and the new model constitution on the Resources page of the synod website under "For Congregations."

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

 

News from the ELCA
ELCA Conference of Bishops approves redesign of first-call process

The Conference of Bishops of the ELCA approved the redesign of the first-call process and continued discerning the church's future priorities in a process known as "Called Forward Together in Christ" when it met Sept. 27 - Oct. 4.
     
The conference, an advisory body of the ELCA that includes 65 synod bishops, the ELCA presiding bishop and ELCA secretary, gathered for worship and study and to continue its conversation on a variety of church matters, such as theological education, pastoral care and more.  
     
"Even as we engaged the serious and important matters that we and the rest of the church face these days, the spirit of this Conference of Bishops meeting was especially positive, even joyful at times," stated the Rev. William O. Gafkjen, bishop of the ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops.
     
"We spent significant time discussing the emerging future directions priorities, as well as topics like the implementation of the recommendations of the Theological Education Advisory Council, and we also continued to take significant steps forward in building strong and mutually beneficial working relationships with staff of the churchwide organization, members of the ELCA Church Council and seminary leaders," he said. 
First-call process
     
After a year of discernment, the Conference of Bishops approved the redesign of the first-call assignment process. The team, led by the Rev. Patricia Lull, bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod, and a representative bishop from each of the nine regions, presented six recommendations for the new process. 
     
The recommendations include: 
+ acknowledging that not all candidates should be open to service to the whole church but rather to be as open as possible, acknowledging gifts, family circumstances and other factors that root candidates in particular places at the time of assignment;
+ recognizing that some candidates need not be available for service across the ELCA, a diocesan option will be added to the current assignment process;
+ recognizing the role that bishops play in the current assignment process, a map indicating the synods in which first-call candidates have been placed in each of the past five years will be shared with the Conference of Bishops at their semi-annual meetings;
+ recognizing that more information about first-call vacancies is helpful to candidates, a map of projected vacancies will be shared with candidates before they complete their paperwork for assignment;
+ recognizing that not all candidates enter the assignment process with an openness to service wherever needed in the ELCA or with stated preferences, the assignment consultation will focus exclusively on candidates who are open to service in a variety of synods; and 
+ as a test of how efficiently bishops are working to distribute candidates available for service across the church, synods will be asked to provide a ranking of desired candidates in excess to the number that will actually be assigned to that synod.
     
"This redesign, which will be implemented both carefully and as soon as possible, is more transparent, tends more carefully to the intersection of the needs of candidates and the needs of the church, and takes into account the many cultural, church and other changes that now make up the world in which we live but which were unanticipated when the soon-to-be-former assignment process was designed 30 years ago," Gafkjen said.





It's Time to Select an ELCA Primary Health Benefit

It is the time for all congregations and organizations to select one ELCA-Primary health benefit option to provide in 2017. 

As part of the annual enrollment process, Portico requires every sponsoring employer to select one 2017 health benefit option by Oct. 28, even if all their plan members currently waive ELCA health benefits.

Help Spread the Word! ELCA Colleges and Universities

ELCA colleges and universities have a helpful website whygolutheran.org - for students and parents as they embark on the college search process. On the site families can:

Help spread the word by downloading posters and bulletin inserts to incorporate in your congregational communications!


Don't Forget! ELCA webcast, "Ecumenical and Interreligious Witness on the Eve of the Reformation Anniversary"

Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. CDT. 

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 [email protected] 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.

News from around the Synod and Beyond
Celebrations

Installation:
Prs Erik and Amy Allen - October 30th 2016, 2:00 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reno

*******************************************
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.

God's Work, Our Hands Day Contest Voting is Open!

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.
 
Everyone, including your children, your extended family members, school teachers, your grumpy neighbor, everyone, is invited to vote in this contest. Voting will be open until December 15, 2016. You may vote in each category and you may vote more than once.


We will tally and announce the winning congregations in early 2017.
 
If you have questions, please send them to: [email protected].

Warner Trust Now Online

Information about the Warner Trust and the Grant Application are now available on the synod website. The deadline for applications is December 15.

Attention Church Treasurers

There are new filing deadlines for W-2's, W-3's and 1099's!

Please do your research ad make sure that you are complying with the new law.

Livestream CLU Lecture - Love and Justice in an Age of Empire: Islam, America and the Unfinished Dream of Martin Luther King Jr.

Thursday, October 27 at 6:30 PM - 8 PM

Dr. Omid Safi, a renowned scholar in Islamic studies, will raise awareness about what Muslims in the US experience and how they can and do draw upon American teaching of non-violence in their battle about Islamophobia. 

This event will be live streamed and available On Demand for those that are unable to attend onsite. You can watch here anytime.

What does the legacy of Dr. King have to say to us today, in an age of wars, ISIS, and Black Lives Matter? Much of the interfaith conversation between Muslims and Christians takes place at a theological level. This talk is going to direct us to a different plane, that of the prophetic tradition of being concerned with "the least" of God's children.

The conversation, led by Omid Safi, a leading scholar of Islam, taps into the legacy of the teachings of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights era, and applies the Riverside Church teachings of Dr. King to contemporary America and America's involvement with the Middle East and Muslim majority world.

Omid is a professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University and specializes in contemporary Islamic thought and Islamic spirituality.

For information, contact: Dr. Rose Aslan, (805) 493- 3236,  [email protected].

Facebook event and details
Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive I and II

Seminary of the Southwest, Austin















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


SPS Bulletin Board


If you have a change of address please notify the ELCA AND the Sierra Pacific Synod.

November Ballot Proposition Recommendations from LOPP

November ballot proposition recommendations from the Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California are available here.

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 prior to the election and are encouraged to utilize the ELCAvotes! resources found hereas 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.

Questions or concerns:  Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California, 916-447-6666, [email protected].
Bishop Eaton on Voting


California Council of Churches IMPACT

Information on how to host an IMPACT Sunday

Western States Youth Gathering
June 28 - July 2, 2017

California Lutheran University is again hosting the Western States Youth Gathering.
 
Registration is open!
 
Information about the event itself can be found at: www.WSYG.com and you can follow and add to our hashtag: #wsyg17.

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.

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)