We share with you the news of the death of one of our retired synodical pastors, the Rev. Robert W. Koons.  Ordained in 1946, Pastor Koons died on All Saints Day, November 1, 2012, at the age of 95. 

Funeral services for Pastor Koons will be held on Friday, November 16, 2012, at 11:00 a.m., at Christ Lutheran Church, 30 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg, PA (parking available along Chambersburg Street, in the parking garage behind the Gettsyburg Hotel on the square, and very limited behind the church).  A time of visitation and fellowship will take place following the service at the church.

Pastor Koons is survived by three children:  Stephen Herr Koons, Philip Alan Koons, and Ann Bowman.  Condolences may be sent to the family at 263 Barlow Street, Gettysburg, Pa.,  17325, or robert.koons.family@gmail.com. 

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We continue to pray for the family of one of our retired pastors, the Rev. Russell Charles Gromest. Ordained in 1966, Pastor Gromest died on Thursday, November 1, 2012, at the age of 73 and his funeral service was held on Monday, November 5, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Hanover. 

Pastor Gromest is survived by two children, Dawn Swann, Philadelphia, and Alan Gromest, Washington, D.C.; two grandchildren, Jason and Ryan Swann; a sister, Phyllis Ann Teats; and a brother, Kenneth R. Gromest. Condolences may be sent to the family at agromest@hotmail.com. 

We pray for the safety of all those who are affected by Hurricane Sandy.  

O God, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance. Where distrust twists our thinking, grant healing and illumination. Where spirits are daunted and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.  (ELW, p.76) 

The truck is big.

The needs are great.

Tree of Life Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, is transporting relief items to New York City and your help is needed!  A tractor trailer truck, courtesy of YRC Freight, will be loaded in the parking lot of the church on:

• Saturday, November 10 - 9:00 AM until 12:00 noon
• Sunday, November 11 - 12:00 noon until 4:00 PM

Spread the word to your congregation and friends.  It is a BIG truck and donations are needed.  Volunteers will be available to unload donations from vehicles.  Click here for a print-friendly list of needed items.  This project has been subsidized by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Smell the popcorn at the Movie Night at St. Michael's .. get a head start on your Christmas shopping and help support the Adams County Relay for Life in Bendersville...read all about it and MORE on the Congregations Connections page of the synod Website.

Have an event, activity or idea to share?  Post your links, photos, events and thoughts on the synod Facebook page and spread the word about your congregation's ministries and outreach to the community!  Visit our Facebook page here.

Around Our Synod

Go to Germany with Lost and Found

Join Lutheran Christian musicians Lost and Found as they host a pilgrimage to Germany!   The Luther 500 Festival is an eight-day cultural immersion experience that brings the Reformation to life as you serve, learn, and celebrate in the places where Martin Luther did the same 500 years ago. This pilgrimage to Germany will revitalize your school or congregation as participants come face to face with the breadth and importance of the Reformation, make new friends, connect with their heritage, and experience first hand how Church history can be a whole lot of fun. Prepare to be transformed and re-formed.  Read more...

Join Our Conversation

For All the Saints

This Sunday, many of our congregations will be celebrating the Festival of All Saints. It is a holy time in the life of our churches, when we remember those saints that have gone before us, many of whom used to sit in the pews around us. We will remember, too, that like Lazarus, we still trail grave clothes behind us. But more than that: we will remember and hear that whether we live or whether we die, we belong to Christ.

When I first began serving as an Assistant to the Bishop here, there was a taskforce working on a manual for closing congregations-a resource to guide congregations through the grief-filled and difficult process of closing their doors. I joined the taskforce and in our work over that year it seemed that the easy part was understanding legalities about selling property and assets; the difficult part was writing about an understanding of death and dying for congregations. Difficult in the sense that it hurt our hearts; it seemed out of the order of things. If a congregation was planted 200 years ago, wasn't it supposed to continue on forever?  Read more on the Year of ReFORMation blog site...

The next synod Listening Post Conversation is scheduled for Sunday, November 11, 3:00 PM, at Quickel Lutheran Church, York.  Click here for directions and a complete schedule. 

Job Corner

Employment listings are provided to synod congregations and related agencies free of charge. This service is made possible by your Mission Support of Lower Susquehanna Synod and ELCA. Please provide a brief position description and contact information (as below) and a link to a complete position description on your web site (if desired). Send information to Pam Drenner at pdrenner@lss-elca.org. Positions are posted for 60 days unless extended.

Congregation: Grace, Camp Hill

Position: Administrative Assistant/Office Manager

Posted: 10/23/12

This 20 hour/week employee will provide clerical and administrative support to the Pastor and Council, overseeing the church office and congregational communication. Requirements: High School diploma or GED, at least one year of supervisory experience, proficiency with Microsoft Office and ability to learn PowerChurch Plus, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and ability to interact with church staff and congregation in a professional, positive, and courteous manner. Send resume to pastordetweiler@comcast.net.

Carings and Sharings is the e-newsletter of the Lower Susquehanna Synod. Its purpose is the sharing of news and events which raise up the mission and ministry of the synod and ELCA in our congregations, our synod, and the broader church. It is not intended to be an endorsement of every activity. Comments about this newsletter may be sent to Pam Drenner, editor, pdrenner@lss-elca.org.