Headlines: Flood Updates, Refugees, Racism, and more.
Joining neighbors, serving boldly, loving all, through Christ.
The South Carolina Lutheran eNews
Reminder: The Synod Office will be closed
Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 for Thanksgiving.
Growing in God's Mission Opportunity
A generous donor has pledged $20,000 for end of the year matching gifts to be used for South Carolina seminarian scholarship assistance. Our GGM Appeal goal was for $100,000 for endowment scholarships but we only received $60,000 for this need. Currently the average cost of one year of seminary is between $40,000 to $45,000. Most of our students graduate with significant debt. With your help and the help of this generous donor we can provide significant support for future leaders who seek to serve Jesus Christ and the church. Please make your check to Growing in God's Mission and indicate for Scholarship Assistance.
  
The South Carolina Synod now has online giving available. You may donate to this program through our giving program here. Our online giving has the ability to accept donation via credit card and by bank transfer. As always, donations may be sent directly to the Synod Office at 1003, Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Make sure the envelope is to the attention of Growing God's Mission.
Flood Volunteer Update
By Rev. Roy Butler, Pastor of Bethel, White Rock and Disaster Volunteer Coordinator
  
Contact the following regarding volunteer opportunities-
  • Roy Butler at [email protected] with questions/concerns/wishing to volunteer/needs
  • Sandra Holland at [email protected] in Richland County
  • Vickie Powell at843-344-2585 in Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties
George Knox of Lutheran Services of the Carolinas provided the following website and associated information:
www.crisiscleanup.org (On this website, you can click on maps at the top, and then on the left will be a list of current disasters being worked. Go down to the South Carolina flood, and then the SC map will pop up with marks on it with all of the places looking for help. You can click on the marks, and then claim a case and go out and do that work. Wherever you send workers, they should contact that counties emergency management to let them know what they are doing.)
  
Richland County Area needs:
Continued need in the Denny Terrace area
Continued need in the Lower Richland/Hopkins area
  
Georgetown and Williamsburg County Area needs
High need for recovery assistance of all kinds in Williamsburg/Georgetown counties.
  
At present there remains a need for nonperishable food, diapers, and cleaning supplies(especially bleach), etc. Please no clothes.
  
Recent needs are furniture, etc., to replace that destroyed by the floods.
  
The South Carolina Synod has set up online giving to assist with this process. To donate visit http://bit.ly/scsynodgiving.
South Carolina survivors have two weeks to apply for FEMA assistance
By George Knox, Lutheran Services Carolinas
  
Two weeks remain for survivors of the Oct. 1-23 storms and flooding in South Carolina to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and submit loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
  
The registration deadline is Friday, Dec. 4. Once registered, you're in the system. There is no need to register again.
  
Assistance can include money for temporary housing and essential home repairs for primary homes, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help survivors recover from the effects of the disaster.
  
There are several ways to register for federal assistance. Individuals can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Multilingual operators are available. Survivors may also get assistance from a Disaster Survivor Assistance team member working in their communities.
  
Although it is not necessary to visit a disaster recovery center in the 24 disaster-designated counties, some survivors may want to visit a center where they can have access to FEMA program specialists and other federal representatives. For the 29 center locations currently open, visit: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.
  
Survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 or Video Relay Service or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362.
  
The SBA deadline for homeowners, renters and businesses to submit loan applications for physical damage is also Dec. 4. Survivors may obtain information by visiting the SBA website www.sba.gov/disaster; applying online via SBA's secure website https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; or calling SBA's disaster assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955.
  
At the disaster recovery centers, SBA customer service representatives can answers questions, help complete loan applications and close loans. The SBA also operates business recovery centers in Charleston, Horry, Richland and Sumter counties.
  
For more information on South Carolina's disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4241, twitter.com/FEMARegion4, www.facebook.com/FEMA and www.fema.gov/blog.
LSC response to Syrian refugee crisis
By Ted. W. Goins, Jr., President of Lutheran Services Carolinas
  
As the United States joins the world in mourning the victims of the horrific ISIL terrorist attacks in Paris, decisions are being made about how to keep the United States safe. There is worry, and justifiably so, about similar attacks in this country from terrorist infiltrators or from homegrown terrorists.
  
One response to these fears has been a push to prevent Syrian refugees from coming to the U.S. The reality is that Syrian refugees are also victims of ISIL. They have fled the kind of terror that played out in Paris, and many escaped Syria with little more than their lives and their hope for a future free from violence and persecution.
  
As president of Lutheran Services Carolinas, I am proud of our organization's work to welcome refugees from around the world. LSC always tries to avoid political issues and just serve people. That is becoming increasingly difficult in these turbulent and divisive times.
  
While as a state and a country we determine how to respond both rationally and compassionately in the wake of the ISIL attacks in Europe, there are some things that are important to remember. Refugees are not immigrants who choose to resettle in another country; they are victims of violence and persecution who are forced to flee. All refugees who enter this country are handpicked and go through multiple layers of security checks involving the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. They are among the most thoroughly vetted individuals to set foot on American soil. The process is lengthy and grueling, and it protects U.S. citizens.
  
We are indeed fortunate in this country. We are largely insulated from the tidal wave of human suffering that threatens to drown other parts of the world. But it's lapping at our shores now, and we must decide: "How will we respond?"
  
Quoting Matthew, "...I was a stranger and you welcomed me." LSC will continue to resettle refugees assigned to the Carolinas in accordance with all laws and regulations. LSC encourages all U.S. citizens to actively participate in the political process. Should the law change to eliminate refugee resettlement, LSC will comply.
  
Thank you for your prayers for LSC as we stand for welcome for people who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and as we continue to navigate these difficult societal issues. Please go to www.lscarolinas.net for more information about refugee resettlement.
ELCA presiding bishop continues call to confront racism
By Melissa Ramirez Cooper, Associate Director, ELCA Publications and Public Relations
  
As racism remains an enduring crisis in the United States, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is continuing her call to the 3.7 million member church to address the complexity and implications of the issue in "Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning" - a live webcast Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. (CST). This is Eaton's second live webcast on the topic of racism.
  
Among other topics, the January webcast will raise the question of the racial disparity in the U.S. criminal justice system, emphasizing the ELCA's commitment to pray for the incarcerated, their families and communities, and those wrongly convicted, as well as to pray for law enforcers and those who work in the system. The webcast will also underscore the denomination's declaration to name racism as a sin and highlight the ELCA's ongoing work to eliminate racial, ethnic discrimination in the church and society.
  
"Racism still exits. One webcast or one call for a conversation about race in our church and society will not address this reality. We must continue our work as a church even when some other issue has grabbed the headlines. The Jan. 14, 2016 live webcast keeps the conversation going and provides an opportunity for members and congregations to go deeper in our listening and in building relationships," said Eaton.
  
William B. Horne II, a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Fla., and a former member of the ELCA Church Council, will serve as webcast host.
  
  
visit http://www.giftsofhopesc.com for more information.
Tidbits
The South Carolina Lutheran: Special Issue
There is a special electronic only issue of The South Carolina Lutheran, called From Charleston to Selma, that shares our efforts to confront racism. This edition contains a compilation of articles and information from this year's publications in one place. You are encouraged to download this special issue and continue the conversations that have already started across South Carolina in your context.
  
The Church Groundskeepers' Christmas Pageant
The St. Paul's Players presents an original play with hymns in the Good Shepherd Room Theater at St. Paul's, Columbia. Performances are free of charge and will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4 and 11. Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. and costs $5.00. Dinner reservations are required and may be made by calling 803-779-0030.
  
How many different nativity sets can you imagine?
Share your nativity set or collection or other religious art of the Christmas season for Sights and Sounds of Nativity one December 6 from 4-6 pm at Reformation Church. Reserve space for your set(s) or your collection. We will set up individual sets for you or you can reserve a table(s) and set up your own special collection. Reserve a table or bring individual sets to Reformation Church by December 1. Last year there were more than 100 nativities on display. This year is promising to be even larger. If you know people who have art they might share, invite them to share it with us for this event. Help us plan for the space needed by registering your collection or set(s) in an email to [email protected]. Our church musicians will provide seasonal music as you tour.
  
Two free organs available
There are two church organs available to a good home at no charge. The first is a Hammond church organ with a Triple keyboard; 30 stops; foot pedals; speakers; electric; second biggest made. The second is a smaller Hammond XCB3 with speakers. The organs are located in the Columbia area.
If interested, call Bill Stubbs at (803) 407-0649.
  
The Fall edition of The Ripple
The latest edition of The Ripple is now available. See the latest news from your sisters in the South Carolina Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Chruch in America.
  
Stand-Up Sunday
Stand-Up Sunday, endorsed by the South Carolina Christan Action Council and Gun Sense SC, is a day when we all stand up for the nine killed at Emanuel AME in Charleston. Already 1,100 churches are setting Sunday, January 31, as a time to support legislation in South Carolina that would close existing loop holes in the law calling for stricter compliance of background checks.
  
2016 Stewardship Symposium
Stewardship in a digital age pushes us to new ways of electronic giving in congregations, but also to tackle new questions of how to steward technology itself. Grounded in the essentials of biblical stewardship, Copeland's presentations will address electronic giving tools like automatic bank drafts, crowd funding, and digital storytelling. Additionally, he will consider how our digital age calls us to steward technology and develop a gospel-centered digital wisdom. Register online here or click here for the hard copy registration form. Questions? Contact Jim Johnson by email or 803-609-2338 Registration Deadline: January 25. Lunch is include in your registration. This event is presented by the LTSS Speakers and Events Committee and the LTSS/Region 9 ELCA Council for Stewardship Education.
  
ELCA Church Council adopts message on gender-based violence
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a social message on gender-based violence and adopted an accompanying foundational document designed for in-depth study and analysis when it met here Nov. 12-15. The council, which serves as the ELCA's board of directors, also took action on a variety of matters designed to help move forward the church's mission and ministries.
  
ELCA celebrates 45 years of ordaining women
On the 45th anniversary of the ordination of Lutheran women in the United States, "I give thanks for my sisters who were the first women pastors," said the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "I give thanks for all women in ministry. We are doing what Mary, the mother of our Lord, and Mary Magdalene did before us - proclaiming the gospel."
  
ELCA, local partners break ground on Lutheran center, clinic in South Sudan
As part of ongoing work to bring peace and reconciliation in South Sudan, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and local partners broke ground on a new Lutheran center and clinic in the nation's capital, Juba, earlier this month.
  
Organizing and administering congregational annual meetings
As congregational annual meetings approach, perhaps you are wondering how you can run a great meeting that is engaging for participants, productive for your congregation and a great investment of everyone's time.
  
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a longstanding expression of the ecumenical movement - a worldwide movement among Christians to heal divisions within the Church. It also promotes dialogue among churches and Christian communities and encourages Christians everywhere to better understand and reflect the implications of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Each year from January 18-25, Christians are encouraged to pray together as a sign of the unity that is already theirs in Christ.
And a time to laugh...
A girl was watching her father, a pastor, write a sermon.
"How do you know what to say?" she asked.
He said, "Why, God tells me."
She replied, "Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"
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