Headlines: Inquires Day of Reflection, Malaria Campaign Reaches Goal, Growing in God's Mission Grants, LTSS Guest Lecture, and more.
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The South Carolina Lutheran eNews
Two Recent Deaths
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Please keep the families of the following in your prayers.
  
Annette Crumley who was the widow of The Rev. James R. Crumley, Jr., former presiding bishop of the Lutheran Church in America, died on September 9th. 
  
The Rev. Ruben H. "Olie" Olawsky died last night.
  
We will be sending more formal notices when more information is made available.
Growing in God's Mission Community Engagement Grant: Request for Applications
The South Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is pleased to announce this request for applications for Growing in God's Mission Community Engagement Grant. Because of the generous gifts from congregations in the South Carolina Synod, ELCA to the Growing in God's Mission appeal, funds are available to South Carolina Synod congregations to initiate new, meaningful connections and relationships with their community.
  
Applications for the Growing in God's Mission Community Engagement Grant should be completed in full for request to be considered. Completed applications are due October 1, 2015. Applications are available online at www.scsynod.com. Locate the cover letter and application by going to "Documents," scroll down to "Growing In God's Mission", access the 2015 Growing in God's Mission Cover Letter and the 2015 Growing in God's Mission Grant Application. Completed applications must be mailed to the South Carolina Synod. Congregations will be notified of their award status by November 1, 2015. Submit completed applications to:
  
South Carolina Synod, ELCA
Growing In God's Mission Community Engagement Grant
1003 Richland St.
Columbia, SC 29201
  
Contact Melanie Wessinger, Growing in God's Mission Grant Committee Chair, with questions regarding the grant application process. Melanie may be reached by email at [email protected] or 864-228-0368.
  
Concerned your congregation won't be ready to submit an application by October? No problem! There will be another request for proposals in the spring of 2016.
2015 Inquirer's Day of Reflection
The 2015 inquirer's Day of Reflection is a one day retreat is sponsored by your South Carolina Synod and hosted by the Invitation to Service Task Force. This year's event will be held Saturday, September 19th. It is designed for all Inquirers who are interested in attending seminary, and for those who will take this journey with them, including but not limited to spouse, family members, and pastor.
  
The day begins with coffee and fellowship at 9:00am, followed by our presentation panels. We will wrap up by 2:00pm. Lunch will be provided.
  
RSVPs were due on September 11th. If you need more information contact Pastor Ginny Aebischer by email: [email protected] or Mrs. Jenny Spearen by telephone 803-765-0590 .
ELCA Malaria Campaign hits $15 million goal
By Melissa Ramirez Cooper, Associate Director, Publications & Public Relations
  
The 3.8 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is celebrating a significant milestone in reaching a five-year goal of raising $15 million for the ELCA Malaria Campaign.
  
Since the start of the campaign, ELCA members and others have joined with Lutheran companion churches and partners in 13 African countries to support programs designed to save people's lives from malaria - a preventable and treatable disease - by providing mosquito nets, insecticides, medication, health care services, education and more.
  
As a result of campaign contributions, malaria programs in 13 African countries have been fully funded. Millions of community members were educated about the disease, nearly 10,000 local volunteers were trained on disease prevention and treatment methods, 50,000 nets were distributed, 32,000 pregnant women received prevention medication and more. Although the campaign's financial goal has been met, the ELCA will continue its anti-malaria work post 2015 through ELCA World Hunger.
  
"We began the ELCA Malaria Campaign in the depths of the Great Recession and at a time of considerable turmoil in this church. The goal of raising $15 million might have sounded improbable at the time, but our people responded generously," said the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop. "We are honored to accompany our global companions in the Lutheran churches in Africa in their work to make malaria history."
  
  
Through the ELCA Malaria Campaign, ELCA members and congregations have given more than $15 million to fund the initiatives of our Lutheran companions and partners in Africa. Thank you!
Through the ELCA Malaria Campaign, ELCA members and congregations have given more than $15 million to fund the initiatives of our Lutheran companions and partners in Africa. Thank you!
  
Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies to speak at LTSS
By The Rev. Jennifer Casey, Director of Enrollment Management at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
  
As part of its 2015-16 Speaker Series, Lenoir-Rhyne University's Institute for Faith and Learning (IFL) will welcome Amy-Jill Levine to the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS). This event is co-sponsored by the seminary's Academy of Faith and Leadership. She will speak Friday, September 25 at 1:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel. Dr. Levine will also speak at LR's Hickory campus on the previous evening - Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Grace Chapel.
  
Dr. Levine's presentation is entitled "Understanding Jesus means Understanding Judaism." Jesus and his first followers were Jews, thoroughly grounded in Jewish Scripture, Jewish ethics and theology, and Jewish hopes. To understand the New Testament materials is thus to recover Jewish history. Dr. Levine poses the questions: How have misunderstandings of Judaism led to Christian teachings that create or reinforce anti-Jewish views? How might understanding the New Testament in its historical context provide a new way of understanding the Good News of the Gospel? At her presentation in Hickory, Dr. Levine will speak on another thought-provoking topic entitled, "On Pearls and Prodigals - Hearing Jesus' Parables through Jewish Ears."
  
Dr. Levine's books include Short Stories by Jesus: the Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi and The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. She is the co-editor of The Jewish Annotated New Testament. Dr. Levine combines scholarship and humor to combat anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies.
  
All IFL events are open to the public, and free for all guests. Reservations for the Columbia event and can be made online or by calling (803) 461-3217. Reservations are not necessary for the event in Hickory; for more information, call (828) 328-7183.
Tidbits
NC/SC Reformation Collaborative Worship
As church communities around the world look toward the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we would like to invite and encourage you to participate in a collaborative worship service to kick-off the countdown to Reformation 2017. We will gather together - the North and South Carolina Synods - at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte (4519 Providence Rd.) on Sunday, September 20, at 4:00 p.m. for worship and Eucharist. Bishop Tim Smith of the North Carolina Synod will preside, and Bishop Herman Yoos of the South Carolina Synod will preach. A reception will follow the worship service. Clergy in both synods are invited to process; the color for the day will be green.
  
Young Adults in Global Mission begin service
Seventy-three Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) will be serving this year and most have departed for their year of service after a weeklong orientation in August. In case you missed it, YAGM alum Sarah Funkhouser shared experiences from her year in Jerusalem/West Bank at the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering and talked about the first few lessons she gave at the school where she taught. Help support the program at large or any of the newly sent YAGMs by making a gift here.
  
white-dog-polaroid.jpgBlessing of the Animals
Our Saviour Lutheran Church in West Columbia will host a Blessing of the Animals at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at West Columbia's Riverside Amphitheater. The public and their pets are cordially invited. For more information call (803)794-8180 or see oursaviour.net.
  
Partners in Education
P.I.E. (Partners in Education) is a newly-formed group of school educators and colleagues who gather quarterly for support, affirmation, prayer, and fellowship - as they find strength in their faith to carry out their various callings in Midlands-area schools of all levels. Initial gathering for 2015-16 will be held at Livings Springs Lutheran (4224 Hardscrabble Rd, Columbia) on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 6:15-7:30, with food and program provided. RSVP by Sept. 24 to 803-736-0661 or [email protected]. For more details, you may also contact Rev. Eric Fink or AIM Lexanne Graves at Living Springs.
And a time to laugh...
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