August 6, 2015
We are Church Together
"So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another." (Romans 12:5)

Are you interested in meeting others from your region and synod who are passionate about bearing witness to Jesus Christ in word and deed, ending hunger, responding to disasters, global engagement, communicating and sharing the story of the ELCA? If so, do we have an opportunity for you and other leaders in your congregation. Join with others from across Region 8 (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia) for an opportunity to learn, share, and grow together. Best of all, it's right here on the territory of our Lower Susquehanna Synod, and registration is now open for the Region 8 ELCA Networks for Mission Event. Register now to:
Learn
Participate in workshops, understand how other networks are growing and connecting, discover new networking tools.
Collaborate
Meet others who have a passion for ministry, hear from leaders within your synod and region and share your opportunities and challenges.
Activate
Build your network, connect with the ELCA, share your story and move your ministry forward.

Through large-group sessions, skill workshops and strategic sharing with participating ELCA ministries and networks, you can return to your congregation and community re-energized and ready to better coordinate and collaborate for mission and ministry in the midst of a changing church. All are welcome! See details below. Click here for an agenda. Click here to be redirected to the registration site. To register over the phone, please call 800-638-3522 FREE, ext. 2713. Have questions? Email NetworkEvent@elca.org.

What: Region 8 ELCA Networks for Mission Event
When: Sept. 17-19, 2015
Where: Capital Retreat Center, Waynesboro, Pa.
Why? Because what we do as church matters and because we're all in this together.

Cost:
 $100 per person (includes double-occupancy lodging), $50 commuter rate,
$25 per person for Saturday-only participation.
We are pleased to offer this opportunity to you at a significantly subsidized rate.
This fee will cover onsite meals. Travel reimbursement available.

Registration deadline: Tuesday, Sept.1, 2015
 

Why are our Healthcare Costs Going Up?  

 

Congregational treasurers and rostered leaders have already received information about increases in contribution rates for 2016. Portico Benefits invites all congregational leaders to join them for an informational webinar, Aug. 28, 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. (Central Time), to see what drives ELCA health contribution rates, such as market trends and our collective use of care. Invite other decision-makers to attend, too

When:
Friday, August 28, 2015
Duration:

30 minutes

Description: Join Portico Benefit Services for a look at what drives ELCA health contribution rates, such as market trends and our faith community's use of care. This live, 30-minute webinar will include an opportunity to ask questions. Organizational decision-makers are invited to attend, such as congregation presidents, treasurers, senior pastors, or others who help shape their ministry's budget.

Access Link (or visit MyPortico or EmployerLink):
https://porticobenefitsevents.webex.com/porticobenefitsevents/onstage/g.php?d=668635279&t=a

Global Missions News & Opportunities

 

Instead of traveling the globe this week, we bring you a story from Lebanon, where a group of Lutherans from several Lower Suquehanna Synod congregations in that community have been traveling annually to West Virginia to love and serve their neighbors there. Thanks to Pastor Gretchen Ierian for the story and Paul Copenhaver for the photo!
 

Building the Body of Christ Through Summer Mission

Earlier this summer a group of about 60 people from Lebanon County congregations have been heading to West Virginia for, "the Mission Trip." For a week, a group of relative strangers come together from 6+ churches and form an intentional community gathered for a common goal. 

"It is a beautiful sight to see," commented Pr. Gretchen Ierien of Holy Trinity in Lebanon. "All of these congregations are coming together to spend a week of their life sleeping in tight quarters, eating cafeteria style, and working in hot conditions." 

This group, including volunteers from Salem, Zion, Zion's Jonestown, St. James, Trinity Colebrook, and Holy Trinity, have been traveling to Franklin County West Virginia for a number of years to with Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity. Their hope and ongoing goal is to make an impact on the quality of housing in that county. 

A common statement among the youth and adults who attend in equal numbers is that this random collection of people have become a family in short order.  "People keep coming back year after year because we get as much or more out of the experience than we are able to offer," adds Ierien. "These trips are hard work, but they offer a sense of belonging and purpose that keep pulling people back year after year. It is a needed reminder of what it means to be the body of Christ."

 Want to find a way to love your neighbor through involvement in global missions? Contact Pastor Sharron Blezard or any member of the Global Missions Committee.

Leadership Link of the Week

Our synod grows stronger because its dedicated leaders continue to learn new ways of approaching ministry and serving God's people. Check here each week for a link to a video, article, podcast, powerpoint presentation or other media that will help our leaders embrace new ideas and learn new insights into ministry. (Photo: Chris Carter, Creative Commons)

 

Essential Skills Next Generation Rostered Leaders Will Need

The U.S. religious landscape is changing and so too the old ways of doing church. Church leaders need to be far more creative and imaginative than older generations in connecting with members and creating community. In this article from Insights into Religion, four experts weigh in on the 10 most essential skills the next generation of religious leaders will need. (Surprise: technological skills didn't make the list!) For veteran leaders, the list will help identify skills they can develop to revitalize their own ministries. Which would work for you?
 

Fall Stewardship TED Talk, Sept. 3
Our synod's monthly Brown Bag Leadership Lunch program has been rebranded "TED Talks," which in our case stands for Theology, Evangelism and Discipleship. We'll offer monthly conversations about topics of interest to congregational leaders.

Far too many of our congregations lack a strategy to invite its members to participate more deeply in the life of the congregation through thoughtful, prayerful financial giving. And year after year, many of these congregations suffer from a shortage of resources that could help their ministries thrive.

If your congregation still has no plans for a fall stewardship campaign, it's no too late. Come to our TED Talk on Sept. 3 and we'll review a number of ideas, strategies, as well as several resources that can get your congregation going. The leader is the Rev. Rob Blezard, assistant to the bishop.

The TED Talk takes place from 10 a.m. - Noon on Sept. 3 in the boardroom of the United Church Center (where our synod office is located), 900 S. Arlington Ave., Harrisburg, Pa. Bring a lunch and we can share a fellowship meal and talk afterwards.

In order that we have enough resources to go around, please RSVP to Cathy Deitrich at the synod offices, cdeitrich@lss-elca.org.
prayers
Prayers and Updates 
  
Our synod prayer list is updated frequently and posted on the website. To be redirected to the complete prayer list click here.

...prayers for the family of the Rev. Earl Kutz, Jr. (retired), who died on August 3, 2015, at the age of 86. Click here to be redirected to the obituary.

Check out ELCA Prayer Ventures by clicking here and download daily prayer petitions each month.

 

Have a prayer request to share with others in our synod? Please contact Pr. Sharron Blezard at sblezard@lss-elca.org. 
Fighting World Hunger One Chicken Dinner at a Time

 

The congregation of St. John Lutheran Church in Boiling Springs is fighting world hunger one chicken at a time by hosting a "Chicken for Chickens" BBQ. "Our goal is to sell 400 meals and give more than $1200 to help fight hunger," said Interim Pastor Brian Berry. 

By purchasing a chicken dinner, individuals and families will both enjoy delicious food and fellowship while also helping to provide chickens for a hungry family.

The "Chicken for Chickens BBQ" at St. John will take place August 29, 2015 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  All proceeds will be donated to help provide chickens as a sustainable food source for hungry families through ELCA Good Gifts.  

Each meal is $8 and will include a half chicken, roll, potato chips, apple sauce, and a drink.  Tickets can be purchased at the church office from 10:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, as well as Saturday August 22 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.  If you can't make it to the church to purchase tickets but would like to attend the event, please email Pastor Brian Biery at pastor.biery@gmail.com. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Brett Garman at (717) 884-5306. St. John is located at 111 Walnut St. in Boiling Spring.

Give + Receive + Share = News to Use from our Synod Office


CLICK TO GIVE: It's Easier Than Ever to Make a Difference with your Mission Support!

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.

 

Don't miss the opportunity to maximize your congregation's hunger ministry.

Click here to download an application for this year's Lower Susquehanna Synod World Hunger Legacy Grant program. The Legacy Fund grant application is due August 30. Please download a copy of the application, fill it out, save it as a PDF and email it to sblezard@lss-elca.org. Please mail a copy of the signature page only (postmarked by August 30) to Pr. Sharron Blezard, Lower Susquehanna Synod, 900 S. Arlington Avenue, Suite 220B, Harrisburg, PA 17109. Grant recipients will be announced no later than September 30, 2015. Have questions about the grant process? Contact World Hunger Committee Chairperson Cheryl Burns at cherylsburns@gmail.com. Please reference "World Hunger Grant Question" in the subject box.

 

Summer Synod Office Schedule and Closings: Please Mark Your Calendar

Our synod office summer hours are Monday - Thursday, 8:30 - 4:00 p.m. The office is closed on Friday. Emergency contact information will be available on the main number answering machine. Regular office hours will resume Tuesday, September 8.
NOTE: Our office will be closed Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.

Check the Synod Calendar on our website for a complete listing of meetings and gatherings. Inclement weather closings of our office are announced on the answering machine (ext. 100) and our Facebook page.
books
Opportunities for Education... 
Visit our synod website for specific details and registration information about each event!
to be redirected to our website for detailed information about upcoming events.

 

August 15

Mental Health First Aid - Youth (Sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)

Tree of Life Lutheran Church, 1492 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg

August 29

Growing Faith in our Home: A Day Retreat for Leaders and their Families (Rescheduled for October 15, 2016--mark your calendar)

September 5

"Survey of the Lands of the Bible" free online course

Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg (For more information or to enroll click here.)

September 10

Bishop's Convocation: Participatory Proclamation & Faith Formation with David Lose

St. Matthew Lutheran Church, York

All are invited--rostered leaders, lay leaders, those interested in faith formation and proclamation--to this day of worship, education, and fellowship. Our presenter is the Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, President of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He will focus on participatory proclamation and faith formation for our time and contexts. The day includes worship, time with Bishop Dunlop, two interactive sessions with Rev. Lose, light breakfast, and lunch. Click here for more information, a flyer, and to register.

September 26

Seminary for a Day

Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA

October 5-7

Celebration of Biblical Preaching: The Courage to Preach

Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

October 13-14

Parish Secretaries' Seminar: "Checks & Balances"

Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, Bird-in-Hand, PA

October 23-26

"Lord, Let Our Eyes Be Opened: Breaking the Chains of Mass Incarceration," sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, Red Lion Hotel, Harrisburg. Visit http://pachurches.org/ for more information.
 November 1

Luther Rose Lectures "Martin Luther: Then & Now" with the Rev. Dr. Richard Carlson

Palm Lutheran Church, 11 W. Cherry St., Palmyra

January 31 - February 2

LSS Rostered Leaders' Wellness Retreat

Hotel Hershey, 100 Hotel Rd., Hershey, PA (Save the date!)

April 14-17

"White Privilege Conference: Understanding, Respecting, & Connecting"

 Philadelphia, PA (Hold the date and click here for information)

"Psalms: A Journey of Prayer" 

 
 Join Pastor Rob Myallis, the congregation of Zion's Lutheran Church, Jonestown, and others across the digital world in a six month reading, sharing, and study of the Psalms. Click here to join the Facebook group, and click here to visit the congregation's website where you'll find a host of useful resources to help you with this study, including an introductory video. (Note: The program began July 1, but feel free to join in at any time.)

 

 Coming up at Wittel Farm...

"Mark-ing" Scripture Together at the Wittel Farm in Elizabethtown, PA
This fall, Bishop Dunlop and Pastor Rob Myallis invite rostered leaders, worship planners, and faith formation leaders to gain insights, share ideas as we explore Mark's gospel together. All three sessions will be offered at the Wittel Farm from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
September 15 -"Mark-ing the end of Pentecost" Led by Bishop Dunlop
October 19 - "Mark-ing the Festivals" Led by Pastor Rob Myallis
November 16 - "Mark-ing Advent" Led by Pastor Rob Myallis.
Registration details coming soon.

Be sure to check the Center for Faith Formation webpage for information about upcoming events and links for registration. Added recently are . Click here to be redirected.

 

Visit the Congregation Connections page on our synod's website to keep up with the specific details (including event times, contact information, publications, and registration information) of the many good things happening in the worshiping communities of our synod. (Click the blue hotlink at the beginning of this paragraph to be redirected.)

Please keep us posted about what's happening in your congregation and community. We are able to post photos, pdf documents and flyers, and contact information on our Congregation Connections page. E-mail event information to sblezard@lss-elca.org.

 

August 9
Rejoicing Spirits Worship (a disABILITIES ministry), St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 30 W. Main St., New Kingstown
August 12
Memory Cafe, Trinity Lutheran Church, 2000 Chestnut St., Camp Hill
August 21-22
Travel with St. Matthew Lutheran (Hanover) by chartered coach to the Women of Faith Conference in Philadelphia.
August 29

"Chicken for Chickens" BBQ to Benefit World Hunger, St. John Lutheran Church, 111 Walnut St., Boiling Springs

"Lobster Fest", Tree of Life Lutheran Church, 1492 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg

September 6

Rejoicing Spirits Worship (a disABILITIES ministry), St. Luke Lutheran Church, 2695 Luther Dr., Chambersburg 

September 12
"Queens Who Cook" Fundraiser to benefit the St. Barnabas Center, Tree of Life Lutheran Church, 1492 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg
September 13
"God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday (and LAMPa's "God's Work. Our Hands. Our Voices" Sunday)

To Share: 

Need hymnals, tables, a video camera, or light bulbs? Check the Congregation Connections page of our Synod's website for a list of offerings by congregations who are willing to share what they no longer need. Have something to share with others? Let us know!

 

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, contact information, and a link to a complete position description on your web site (if desired).  Send information to Sharron Blezard at sblezard@lss-elca.org. Positions are posted for 60 days unless extended.

  

Visit the Employment Opportunities page on our website for a complete list of current job openings with more details (including jobs that have been extended).

Congregation: St. Stephen Lutheran Church, New Kingstown and St. Mark, Mechanicsburg
Position: Youth and Family Ministry Director (Posted 7/28/15)
Congregation: First Lutheran Church, Carlisle
Position: Part-time Financial Secretary (Posted 7/6/15)
Congregation: Trindle Spring Lutheran Church, Mechanicsburg
Position: Choir Director and/or Organist (Posted 6/24/15)
Congregation: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, York Springs
Position: Part-time Organist and Sr. Choir Director (Posted 6/24/15)
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 Sharron Blezard, editor,  sblezard@lss-elca.org.
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