|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Pr. Virginia Cover Accepts Call
Rev. Virginia Cover was called to Grace Lutheran Church, Camp Hill on June 2, 2013. She will begin her ministry on July 15, 2013. Pastor Cover has greatly enjoyed the opportunity and privilege to serve Bishop Hoover and the Lower Susquehanna Synod over the past three years as Assistant to the Bishop. She is looking forward to this new opportunity to serve Christ and the community.
"Virginia, in her relatively brief time as assistant to the bishop, has served Christ and his church with energy, dedication, and faithfulness," said Bishop Penrose Hoover. "Her youth, sharp intellect, and engaging personality will be missed in this office, but are gifts that will serve her new congregation well. We pray that God will bless her and the people of Grace Church as they begin their ministry together. Thank you, Virginia. God bless you."
|
Responding to Tornadoes: Help Still Needed
 The need for help continues in order to bring hope to our sisters and brothers affected by recent tornadoes in the midwest. Lutheran Disaster Response affiliates are on the ground, assessing the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the tornadoes. It will be a long recovery, and your gifts are needed now to help coordinate volunteers, rebuild homes and provide spiritual and emotional care to those in need. Your gifts designated to "U.S. Tornadoes" through Lutheran Disaster Response are used entirely, 100%, to help survivors rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
|
Celebrating Rural Ministry Conference Scheduled in July
 Calling all rostered leaders serving rural congregations! Want to connect with others serving in town and country settings, share ideas and best practices, hear inspirational speakers, and celebrate the Rural Church? Mark your calendars for July 9-10, 2013, and join us in Hagerstown, MD, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel to celebrate, equip, and inspire those who serve and lead in rural contexts.
The Celebrating Rural Ministry Event is a new initiative of the Delaware - Maryland Synodto get Rural Church leaders talking about the issues facing their ministry context and how the church can assist in the mission of the gospel in the Rural Setting.
The Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop will deliver the keynote address, and participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops facilitated by area rural church leaders. The cost is $95 (includes registration and meals for two days) plus $79 for lodging (two beds per room). Click here for the flyer.
Register on line at www.demdsynod.org or contact Pastor Stacy Marsh ( 717-495-5884 prstacy@hotmail.com).
|
Gettysburg Area Congregations Take Part in Historic 150th Celebration and Share their Stories
With some 200,000 visitors expected to pass through the area during the 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Battle of Gettysburg (June 28 - July 7), Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gettysburg and Flohrs Lutheran Church in Cashtown are opening their doors to share their
 | | Pastors Tom Darr and Austin Chinault |
story. It's a way of connecting with the community through hospitality and history, while also providing an opportunity for people not familiar with the congregations to come inside.
"One of the most exciting aspects of this event is that the last time it was offered on this magnitude was 50 years ago," said Flohrs Lutheran Church Pastor Tom Darr. "For me and many others this is a once in a lifetime endeavor. It is gratifying to see how our entire community is coming together to make this event a success."
The worshiping community at Flohrs and the Cashtown/McKnightstown UCC charge, served by Pastor Austin Chinault, are hosting a period worship service. A full slate of community activities is planned for the weekend, called "The Prelude to Gettysburg: Cashtown Road." Detailed information about the event is posted on the Flohrs Church website.
"We may not as yet be baptizing and teaching our neighbors, but we are making the connections," said Pastor Darr. "and they are connecting with us." This weekend-long event involves three Cashtown-area churches, the local scouts, the fire company, the Lions Club, among others. Meanwhile, a few miles away in Gettysburg, members of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church are planning for an expanded version of their regular summer offering for visitors to the town. Christ is the oldest building in Gettysburg in continual use as a church. The building served as a  | | Candlelight at Christ is both history and faithful witness. |
hospital during the battle, and its connections with the Seminary and Pennsylvania College afford it a unique place in the history of the spread of Lutheranism in the United States. The congregation regularly hosts three events in the summer: "Songs and Stories of a Civil Way Hospital--Candlelight at Christ Church," historic Gerrysburg church walking tours, and a Saturday Open House. Christ will also be included in a special National Park Service Battlefield Experience Program on July 1, and a special program is planned for that evening to "remember and honor those soldiers, surgeons, and citizen-nurses who struggled so valiantly to save lives in Christ Church." For more information, visit the CELC website.
By sharing their stories, exploring their history, gathering around song and shared witness to the enduring presence of God in the valley of the shadow of death and across time and space, both of these congregations continue to witness to the presence of Christ--the light the darkness cannot overcome. For more information about the Gettysburg 150th, click here.
|
 Tapping Thumbs & Flying Fingers
Social Media at Synod Assembly
Wondering why some of your colleagues and voting members seem to have a case of the flying fingers during the oddest and seeming "inappropriate" times at Synod Assembly? Chances are they are sharing the good news -- updating friends and colleagues about what's happening, or tweeting sermon notes or key points from the Bible study. It's 21st-century-style evangelism, and it's all good!
Social media allows us to share the gospel and create community in fresh ways. Get ready to hear more about Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Foursquare, Tumblr and other means to communicate and create a collaborative and creative sense of community. Check our Assembly website for information about how you can share the good news via your thumbs -- or at least support those who are engaged in this very real and exciting way of "being church."
Photo: Learninglark, Creative Commons
|
Reminder: Synod Office Schedule
Office and Resource Center Closed
Wednesday, June 5
Moving Day to Messiah College
Thursday through Saturday, June 6-8
Synod Assembly at Messiah College
Monday, June 10
Staff unloads trucks and unpacks boxes
Summer Schedule
Beginning the week of June 10, a summer schedule of office hours will go into effect for our synod's offices and Resource Center. Those hours will be 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The offices will be closed on Friday during the summer. In the event of an emergency situation occurring on a Friday, the telephone message will direct you to a member of the pastoral staff who is serving on call that day. This summer schedule will conclude on Friday, August 30. The Monday through Friday schedule will resume the following week.
|
|
| 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. |
|
Stay connected to Lower Susquehanna Synod, ELCA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
