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The family and friends of Mary Lou Olson (widow of Bp. Emeritus Stan Olson of the Pacific Southwest Synod) who died on October 22.
Pr. Bill Strehlow (retired) for recent hospitalizations.
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. Scott, 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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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
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:
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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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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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
January 4 - March 15, 2017
March 15 - May 31, 2017
May 28 - June 2, 2017 Seminary of the Southwest, Austin
June 11 - 16, 2017
Seminary of the Southwest, Austin
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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.
Student Multimedia Contest: Reconciliation: "The Love of Christ Compels Us"
The North State Ecumenical Conference is sponsoring an ecumenical multimedia contest for 9th - 12th grade students. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, written essay, visual art form, digital or video production. First prize is $250.
The theme "Reconciliation: The Love of Christ Compels Us" (2 Corinthians 5:14-20) supports world-wide week of prayer for christian unity, January 18 - 25, 2017 - part of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
The deadline is December 31, 2016. Finalists will be honored at an ecumenical dinner on January 18, 2017.
Mail submissions to: John Berger, Secretary, North State Ecumenical Conference, 3736 Laguna Way, Sacramento, CA 95864-2923
For more information please call 916-482-6976.
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 Bishop Mark W. Holmerud
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It seems clear our synod has been in a season of transitions, change, and transformation for the past few years. At any given time, we have had approximately 30-40 of our congregations that are in a call process, as many as 20% of our congregations. In the last eight years, more than 70 clergy have been called to serve congregations in our synod who were new to our synod's ministry.
In the Office of the Bishop, we are also in the process of some transitions of our own. Last week, at the Professional Leaders Conference, Pr. Carlton Monroe, our Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM), announced he will be retiring on December 31st. We are grateful for his time and energies over the past two years working with congregations under development on behalf of the Domestic Mission Unit of the ELCA. We will be working with the leadership of that unit to begin a process for calling a new DEM, as well as to enter into a process of intentional discernment about the needs of this synod for a mission developer. And, as you know, Pr. Nancy F. Nelson recently stepped away from her role as Bishop's Associate to serve in a new capacity, now serving a part time call to work with Candidacy in our shared ministry. We are blessed by her willingness to continue to share her gifts in this important ministry.
Over the course of the summer, we initiated a search process for an Assistant to the Bishop for the Bay Area office which has now been completed. I am very pleased to announce that Pr. Kathryn Gulbranson of Marin Lutheran in Corte Madera has accepted the call to serve in this position. She will begin her ministry with us on December 1st. Pr. Kathryn previously served St. John's Lutheran in Sacramento and parishes on the east coast before she and her husband, Pr. Thomas Gable, accepted a call to serve as co-pastors of Marin Lutheran. She has also served as part of the Campus Pastoral Care Team at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, a Synod Minister, and as a member of the Synod Council. Pr. Kathryn will work with congregations in the Bay Area who are experiencing transitions, as well as with the Leadership and Congregational Life Discipling Teams. She will be formally installed at our next Synod Assembly in May.
I am also pleased to announce that Pr. Teresita Valeriano, currently serving as Interim Associate Pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran in San Francisco, has agreed to join the team of Synod Ministers who are working with congregations in the call process. She will join Pr. Jodi Golden-Lund and Pr. Tom Miller in this work as Pr. Gulbranson transitions to her new call as Assistant to the Bishop. We will continue to develop and expand the work of the Synod Ministers in meeting the needs of congregations in the call/transition process.
In the midst of all of these transitions, I am honored to acknowledge the blessings we receive from our synod staff members who will be continuing on in their work through the Office of the Bishop: Pr. Katy Grindberg, Assistant to the Bishop for the Sacramento area; Ms. Laurie Gaumer, Administrative Assistant in the Bay Area Office; and working out of our Sacramento office - Ms. Diana Suruki, Business Manager; Ms. Debbie Cook, Finance Assistant; Ms. Kathye Hamm; Communications Coordinator; and Ms. Patty Monteiro, Receptionist. I pray that as you have opportunity, you will give thanks to God - and to these people directly -- for their willingness and commitment to serve our shared ministry so faithfully and well.
I look forward to seeing where all of these transitions will lead us as together we seek to work in the mission field of northern Nevada and northern California where God has planted us, pruned us, nurtured us, blessed us and called us to love and serve in Christ's name.
Blessings as we move forward in ministry together,
Bp. Mark
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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
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ELCA World Hunger Staffing Update
Iain Chester has been promoted and accepted the position of coordinator, engagement and established networks for ELCA World Hunger. In that role, Iain will serve as the key contact for the network and will support the core work that has been most closely cared for by Jessica Fairfax. Please join us in congratulating Iain in this new position and welcoming him to our work together in a new way! Many of you will know Iain as the friendly voice on our 800-number phone for the past year and a half. Before joining the ELCA World Hunger team, Iain graduated from North Park University in history and biblical and theological studies and interned with a number of Chicago-land nonprofits, including work with refugees and at the "The Friendship Center," a former ELCA World Hunger funded domestic hunger grant site.
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TOMORROW!
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 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.
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Leadership Program for Musicians Offers Online Courses
The Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM), a cooperative program between the ELCA and The Episcopal Church, is a teaching ministry that gives church musicians an increased awareness, along with the tools and resources to enable congregations to sing well and participate actively in worship.
LPM is now offering some of their courses online so students can participate from wherever they live with a more flexible schedule. These courses are perfect for musicians of all levels who are new to a liturgical church or simply want to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their role as a leader of song in the church.
The upcoming courses include: - Hymnody of the Christian Church, winter 2017; Julie Grindle, instructor
- Developing a Philosophy of Church Music, spring 2017; Jennifer Baker-Trinity, instructor
- Liturgy and Music for Lutherans, spring 2017; Scott Weidler, instructor
To read more about these courses and for registration information, visit lpm-online.org.
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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.
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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!
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News from around the Synod and Beyond
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Celebrations
Installation: Prs Erik and Amy Allen - October 30, 2016, 2:00 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reno Ordination: Ryan Eikenbary - December 3, 2016, 2:00 pm at St John's Lutheran Church, Sacramento ******************************************* 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Livestream CLU Lecture - Love and Justice in an Age of Empire: Islam, America and the Unfinished Dream of Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Facebook event and details
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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
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 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.
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 children in grades 3-6 to the upcoming High School Retreat at Mt. Cross on February 24 - 26, 2017
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.
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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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