New Life for Children in Tanzania

Thanks to the support of generous members of the ELCA and the work of ELCA missionaries Dr. Stephen Friberg and his wife, Bethany Friberg, children in rural Tanzania are getting the medical care they need.

The Friberg family

Stephen, a mission doctor, helps rural patients find the care they need for such conditions as heart defects and cleft palates. "Most of our patients would not get to specialized care without our help making the connections," says Bethany.

Elizabeth, a seven-year-old Maasai girl, was one of those patients. When the Fribergs discovered that rheumatic heart disease had gradually destroyed Elizabeth's mitral valve, leading to heart failure, they helped connect her to a mission hospital in Kenya for surgery.

 "Elizabeth had angels watching over her," Bethany says. 

"Her surgeon calls her a miracle," says Bethany. "Mission doctors know it is God who does the healing and pray before every operation."

Please remember our sisters and brothers who are affected by the Ebola crisis, particularly in Liberia (where the companion synod of the Upper Susquehanna Synod is located) and Sierra Leone. Click here to learn more about our response as the ELCA. Click here to give.

 Note: Do you have an idea from your congregation that you'd like to highlight? E-mail Sharron Blezard or contact any Global Missions Committee member. Thanks to Randy Barr for last week's article about Bishop Mwaipopo's Consecration!

Are You Leading a Zombie Parish?

Any teenager will tell you that zombies are all the rage these days in media and popular imagination. Typical of their kind, zombies in the hit show "Walking Dead" shuffle in a netherworld, neither enjoying the pleasures of life nor resting peacefully in death. Congregations can become like zombies, too, losing both the desire and the capacity to grow. In fact, some congregations may be on the path to zombiedom but not aware of it because leaders and members delude themselves into thinking that their inability to change or adapt is actually a strength that stems from a faithful commitment to tradition. And they can often maintain their undead existence for decades by consuming their own endowments or other resources that might otherwise go to healthier congregations. This 10-question quiz from the Episcopal Church Foundation takes a tongue-in-cheek approach but covers some pretty serious ground. Good discussion starter for your congregation council or congregational meeting. 

This year Pennsylvania became another state where same-gender couples may tie the knot. For many of our congregations this has stirred old controversies and raised new questions. The November Brown Bag Leadership Lunch will explore raising and handling the issue within a congregation. In our discussion we'll review the Guidelines on Same-Gender Marriage adopted by our Synod Council, as well as our denomination's 2009 Statement on Human Sexuality. Led by Assistant to the Bishop Rob Blezard.

The Brown-Bag Leadership Lunch is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the Lunchroom of our Synod Offices. Bring lunch and we'll have discussion and a meal together. Registration unnecessary.

It's easier than ever to make a gift to support the mission of our Lower Susquehanna Synod. All you have to do is visit our website (www.lss-elca.org) and click the "Donate Now" button on the bottom right side. It will take you to our secure donation site (the same one that hosts Thrivent's Simply Giving) so that you can easily support our work together. Make a one-time gift or set up a regular giving schedule. Together we are stronger and better able to feed others as we have been fed by Christ.

Resource Center Closed

The Resource Center will be closed on Thursday, October 23 and Friday, October 24 as Marsha Roscoe and Marty Shifflett attend the 2014 Association of Lutheran Resource Centers Conference in Chicago.    

Good New from Trindle Spring Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg!

As part of the congregation's 250 anniversary celebration, a group from Messiah College recently completed an archeological dig on the church property. "Our archeological dig was productive," said Joe Ricci. It revealed hand-cast nails typical of 1700's construction, a piece of pottery, plaster that was used between logs in buildings, and stone  typical of a floor or foundation. "The professor and students from Messiah College want to return to do further explorations," Ricci said. Click here to watch a Channel 27 news video and learn more about this exciting dig.

Leaders Wellness Retreat Registration Opens

Looking for a way to beat those winter blahs? Want to enjoy a time of renewal that will help you integrate faith and help? Sign up now for "Renewing our Spirits: Jesus' Spirituality as a Model of Wholeness" at the Hotel Hershey, February 2-3, 2015. Click here for a flyer with details. Click here to register. This retreat is subsidized by the Portico Health Assessment rebate and Thrivent Financial. NOTE: The deadline to register for this event is December 1, 2014, AND  all payments must be postmarked by December 31, 2014.

Conversations with Bishop Dunlop Scheduled

Bishop Dunlop is on the road again and coming to a congregation near you. This year, in addition to bringing you news about events and happenings across our synod, Bishop Dunlop will be leading a study on the ELCA document, "The Use and the Means of Grace" and facilitating a conversation about communion practices in the ELCA and how that informs who we are as Lutheran Christians. You can find this document on the ELCA website here as a downloadable PDF and additional resources for study at www.elca.org/worship. 

Join Bishop Dunlop at one of this year's Conversations. The first is this Sunday, October 19, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 132 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Check the Congregation Connections page on our synod website for additional dates, locations, and times.