Celebrating the confirmation of Betty Anderson (center) were (front, left) her son, Robert H. Anderson III, and his wife, Esther Anderson, and Pastor Rick Goeres; (rear) Pastors Lauren and Paul Carlson of First Lutheran, Norfolk.

Betty Anderson, 86, of First Lutheran, Norfolk, has completed confirmation 75 years after she started! Her confirmation study in Liverpool, England, was interrupted on Sept. 3, 1939 when England declared war against Germany.

            Heavy bombing by the German Luftwaffe caused a mandatory evacuation and delay of her confirmation studies in the Church of England. School children were issued gas masks and her family was evacuated to a safe house of relatives in Wales. When they returned weeks later, their street was rubble and church records were burned.

            Some years later, she met a U.S. Naval officer, Robert Homer Anderson Jr.,of Roanoke who came in for a Coca-Cola at the Red Cross club where she was volunteering. She later married Anderson and they moved to the states. He became a lawyer in Norfolk

            Seventy-five years after she started her confirmation journey, she celebrated her baptism with family and friends at First Church, according to Pastor Rick Goeres.

            She married into a prominent Lutheran family. Her late father-in-law was Dr. Homer Anderson, superintendent of the old Virginia Synod from 1928 to 1958.

Lutherans in the news

Campbell

Pastor Russell T. Campbell has moved from St. Peter Lutheran, Georgetown, Texas, to accept a call to Lakeside Lutheran, Littleton, N.C. A native of Seguin, Texas, he's a graduate of Texas A&M University and the Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest, Austin, Texas. He served as youth director of parish education and worked in a family floor carpet business until he was ordained in 1998. He served at Atonement, San Antonio, Texas, before moving to St. Peter in 2006. His wife, Sylvie Gregory, a former United Methodist minister, is a graduate of Medical College of Virginia and Duke Divinity School.

            Roanoke College Chaplain Paul Henrickson sent a check for $943.94, part of an offering at the Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols, to Pastor John Colls, Faith Lutheran, Lavallette, N.J., to help with recovery efforts from the Sandy disaster last fall. Bridget Gautieri, a Roanoke freshman from the New Jersey Synod, identified Faith Lutheran as "a great place to send our money," Henrickson said.

            Two Synod pastors have retired. Pastor Karen Church, Trinity, Keezletown, retired on Jan. 1 and Pastor Gary Chenoweth, Redemeer, Bristol, retired Oct. 7.

            Prof. Hans Tiefel, recently retired from the College of William and Mary Religion Department and a member of St. Stephen, Williamsburg, will be the Theologian in Residence at his home congregation on April 26-28. His theme will be "God, Politics and Citizenship-a Christian Ethical Perspective."

            Pastor  Harvey Atkinson, Walker Mountain Parish in Wythe County, is co-cordinator of a project to provide weekend food for children of families in need at Spiller Elementary School in Wytheville. Li'l Maroon Packs are distributed to 170 children on Fridays. The program "definitely meets a need in our community and the community has been great with its support," Atkinson said.

             A Capital Improvement Campaign at Reformation, Newport News, raised $26,000 toward an anticipated matching grant from the ELCA Mission Investment Fund. If that is approved, the funds will be used for installation of gutters and repairs to the church roof, restroom, kitchen and a painting project.

             Trinity, Stephens City, has launched a three-year "Growing in God's Grace" capital appeal and design work is under way for a major remodeling project. After Easter, the congregation will worship in temporary quarters at Jones Funeral Home during construction work.  The congregation has donated 1,090 diapers and 1,392 wipes to families in need through the CCAP program. Also, Trinity members were invited to join Emmanuel United Methodist Church on a bus trip to see "Noah," a musical, at Lancaster, Pa.

            At St. Mark, Yorktown, 50 volunteers provided shelter and hospitality for 71 homeless men, women and children under the PORT (People Offering Resources Together) program. Also, a touring choir from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., will give a concert at St. Mark on Friday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

            The 6^th annual Hunger Summit, sponsored by the Society of St. Andrew, will be held by members of churches, food pantries and farmers helping with gleaning, at Stephens City United Methodist Church, on Sunday, April 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. Information will be shared and plans made for a new season of gleaning.

            Christ, Radford, has strived to be a good environmental steward by replacing broken basement windows, recycling, upgrading worn light fixtures, replacing an inefficient heating/air conditioning system, increasing insulation and other actions. Council members from Our Saviour, Christiansburg, and Trinity, Pulaski, joined council members at Christ for a Leadership Seminar, led by Pastors Terrie Sternberg, Trinity, Fred Hodges, Our Saviour, and Conrad Braaten, Christ.

            First, Norfolk, has been selected as the first non-residential building to be listed on the 2013 Norfolk Home and Garden Tour to be held on April 25. The theme will be "Weddings," to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of Historic Garden Week in Virginia. First Lutheran is planning a display of photos weddings held at the church since 1929. Four homes, a garden and the church will be open. First Lutheran youth planned a Hunger Rumble with their friends at Epiphany Lutheran, Richmond, on Feb. 22. In a January blood drive, 60 pints were collected at First Lutheran.

A Lenten Mid-Day Recital Series is planned by a number of musicians at Muhlenberg, Harrisonburg, on Thursdays during Lent.

Pastor Jim Utt, Grace, Winchester, is recalling events in the 260-year history of the congregation in a series of Lenten Sunday School classes as he plans his retirement on July 1. On April 14, the congregation plans a colonial-times service, using liturgy from the days of Lutheran settlers in the Shenandoah Valley.  Daniel Hanneman, Grace organist, has scheduled a series of Lenten noonday pipe organ concerts on Tuesdays.

Is it time to reinvigorate and train folks in your congregation for stewardship ministry?  Pastor CeCee Mills and I will be presenting the well-tested series of workshops called "Ventures in Growing Stewards" in two places in the Virginia Synod in 2013.  The series consists of four workshops, intended for congregation groups consisting of stewardship team members, the pastor, the church treasurer and/or the head of the finance team.  The goal of the series is to plan a congregation's ministry in stewardship for the coming three years.

Two Ventures Information Meetings will take place in the spring.  The first will be on Sunday, April 21, 3:00 p.m., at Emanuel, Woodstock.  The second will take place on Sunday, April 28, 3:00 p.m., at St. Michael, Blacksburg. The cost for each congregation to participate in Ventures is $450.  Up to 10 persons per congregation may participate, and scholarship funds are available.

Seven Virginia Synod congregations participated in the Ventures Workshops in 2012: Trinity, Newport News; Emmanuel, Virginia Beach; St. Mark's and Peace, Charlottesville; First English, Richmond; St. Luke's, Culpeper; and Resurrection, Fredericksburg.

A highlight of the workshops is hearing what other congregations are doing in stewardship.  Other ingredients of the workshops include: year-round stewardship; providing a variety of ways for folks to give offerings; different ways to present the annual mission and ministry appeal; stewardship beyond dollars and separating the budget from financial commitments.

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Maltman

            Thomas Maltman, an award-winning novelist from Minneapolis, Minn., will be featured at the annual writing workshop and spring symposium of the Lutheran Writers Project at Roanoke College on Tuesday, April 9. A Summer Writers Workshop in poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction will be led by Robert Schultz, an English professor at the college, on June 17-20.

            Maltman will host a workshop on "Writing about Nature" at 3 p.m. and he will lead a symposium with a reading, an interview and discussion at 7:30.m. Registration with a $10 fee is required for the workshop and the symposium is free. To register for the workshop contact Paul Shepherd, director of the writers project,  at paul@paulkshepherd.com. The workshop will be in a classroom and the symposium will be in the Pickle Lounge in Colket Center.

            Maltman teaches at Normandale Community College in Minnesota and is married to a Lutheran pastor. His first novel, The Night Birds, won Alex, Spur and Friends of American Wriers Literary awards. The American Library Association chose it as an "outstanding book for the college bound." His second novel, Little Wolves, also has been acclaimed.

           The June workshop will be limited to 14 persons. Writers' manuscripts will be reviewed in advance by Robert Schultz and discussed with him in individual conferences and with the other participants in a workshop. Schultz will discuss craft issues, spiritual and imaginative courage, "reading like a writer" and professional aspects of the writing life. A participation fee of $286 will be charged for four days of workshop critique and instruction and lodging and meals on the college campus. Shepherd also has information on this workshop.

             Schultz, who has taught at Luther College, University of Virginia and Cornell University, has been on the Roanoke faculty as the John P. Fishwick Professor of English since 2004. He holds graduate degrees from Cornell. He has written two collections of poetry and a non-fiction work and he received a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Award in fiction.

March 15 is the deadline for the Hearts and Hands service awards nominations sponsored by Lutheran Family Services of Virginia in honor of 125^th anniversary. Help us honor good people doing good God's work!

Nominees must be members of the Lutheran community who are making a difference in their church or community, near or far. Their contribution may be paid or volunteer.

            There are two categories for nominations: youth and adult. Youth members must be between the ages of 14 and 24 and adults 25 years of age and over. The top adult winner will receive $1,000; the top youth winner $500 and three runners up $250.

Cash awards are given with the understanding that they will be used to further the ministry of the recipient's choice. Winners will be honored at the Synod Assembly in June. You can download a copy of the nomination form here. Questions? Call Carole Todd at 757.722.4707, ext. 1319, or email ctodd@lfsva.org.

(Pastor Scott Mims of Good Shepherd, Virginia Beach, wrote this promotion for a Junior High Servant Event for 6^th-8^th graders and rising 7^th-9^th graders  to be held July 28-Aug. 2)

What is the antidote to 'spoiling children'? How can a young person understand poverty? How can a teen learn to care for others and not just themselves? How can a student learn to blend the biblical call and our chance to act? Can a kid really do something? Make a difference?

"Come and See!" Come and see what you can do at the Junior High Servant Event. Come and see how you can play games, eat, play in the water, have lots of time to talk...while serving God and our neighbors. Come and see how is it that teens can have this much fun learning and working this hard.

Sunday night we will form small group working teams, play, sing, and worship together...and will already be able to name most by the end of the evening. In the days to come, we will walk where the homeless walk to get lunch each day. We will do things like work at a farm picking food (to be donated), work at a horse farm which serves kids with limitations, and organize things at a thrift store (supporting those in poverty).

Some of the most meaningful remembrances have come from talking with those who work serving others and discussing with someone who has been there...who knows what it is like to be homeless. All this is tied in with the reading and discussion of biblical faith and time for contemplation.

You will also learn servanthood and self-reliance back 'home' at the church, because the teams all take turns cooking, setting up/taking down, and cleaning, as well as making and packing lunches in the morning. And, yes - you also get to go to the BEACH!

Can kids learn?  Can teens change? Last year, an 8^th grader (3^rd year with us) pointed out a 6^th grader acting a bit obnoxious and selfish and asked, "Was I like that?" The pastor answered with some certitude, "Oh...Yeah".

Mail Registration and $125 check to: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1489 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, VA  23451.

Phone:  Pr. Scott Mims: 757-428-4052

           We will include the first 40 kids to register. All youth must be accompanied by an adult with a vehicle to transport them to our various events.

Holtzman

            William B. Holtzman, a Shenandoah County entrepreneur with a network of oil, gas and ice operations, restaurants and convenience stores, who is a member of Mount Calvary Lutheran at Mount Jackson, was selected as the Outstanding Virginian of the Year for 2012 by the General Assembly on Feb. 14.

             Known as Bill Holtzman throughout the valley, he has a simple explanation for his business operations and his strong support of many community projects. "I like to put back in the community," he said. "I've had reasonable success in business, dealing with people in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland and it's important to be willing to put back." At 75, he isn't ready to retire. "I keep working."

            At Mount Calvary, he has been a member of council and the Finance Committee and a trustee and he's served on the boards of Southern Seminary and Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp and Retreat Center. Pastor Matthew Diehl of Mount Calvary said Holtzman "truly has a servant's heart. He has been a faithful supporter of the mission and ministry" of the congregation for many years. He was instrumental in sanctuary renovations and he and his wife, Ann, helped establish a daycare center at the church.

            In a joint resolution approved by the House and Senate, Del. C. Todd Gilbert of Woodstock called Holtzman "an influential business leader, dedicated community advocate and thoughtful philanthropist." The General Assembly annually selects a person "whose life has significantly improved the community."  The resolution said Holtzman, "a respected business leader...takes pride in providing superior service and products to his customers, operating on a foundation of honesty, integrity and fair dealing and has made many contributions to his industry."

            A graduate of  Massanutten Military Academy and Virginia Tech, he served in the Army and earned a master's degree at Cornell University, worked in the Byrd family's apple business and then started Holzman Oil Corp., Holtzman Propane and Valley Ice, with an interest in Liberty Petroleum. He built 80 convenience stores and 10 fast-food restaurants.

Holtzman's list of business and civic positions is long. He's been a leader in Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia State Horticultural Society, Mt. Jackson Town Council, Shenandoah County School Board, Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital and Community Foundation and the board of Shenandoah University. The Virginia Tech Alumni Association named its center for him and he's served on the Tech board of visitors and as a leader of the $1 billion fund drive of Virginia Tech.

            His daughter, Jill Vogel, is a state senator from Winchester. Todd Hotzman, his son, runs the propane and ice business. He has two stepchildren, Justin, a physician's assistant in Richmond, and Melanie, a paralegal in Harrisonburg. Holtzman and his wife, Ann, live between Mt. Jackson and Edinburg.

            Speakers have been selected for discussion of the 5Ks (5 Knows) at the Synod Assembly on June 7-9 at Roanoke College. Dr. Shauna Hannan, professor of homiletics at Southern Seminary, will lead a session on "Know Jesus and the Scriptures"; Dr. Paul Hinlicky, Tise professor in Lutheran Studies at Roanoke College, will speak on "Know Luther and the Confessions"; Dr. Darryl S. "Tony" Everett, professor of pastoral care at Southern Seminary, "Know your people"; Dr. Marcus Miller, retired president of Southern Seminary, "Know your colleagues," and the Rev. Deborah Stehlin, director for evangelical mission in the Minneapolis Synod, "Know your neighborhood."

             Musicians for the Assembly will be Pastor David Delaney, Synod director of youth and young adult ministry, and his wife, Nancy Delaney. George "Skip" Zubrod is Synod Assembly coordinator, and the Rev. John McCandlish is handling arrangements for worship.

The first residents moved into two households at the Village at Orchard Ridge at Winchester on Feb. 4 and two more are expected to move in daily through the summer months. The Village, a unit of the National Lutheran Communities and Services, formerly National Lutheran Home, will have all levels of care in a continuing care retirement community. It is located on National Lutheran Boulevard, off Rt. 50.

            Lisa Behr, president of the Village board, and Pastor Martha Sims, secretary, are at Grace, Winchester.

Chaplain Lynn Robinson of Deerfield Correctional Center is shown with a group of Santa's helpers in a Christmas photo.

            After attending a board meeting of Chaplain Service Prison Ministries of Virginia, Ellen Hinlicky, new director of Lutheran Partners in Mission, said she was

"astonished to learn all the different ways in which chaplains serve our Virginia prison population."  Their list of duties:

o   Leading worship services in prison

o   Baptizing new Christians

o   Staying in contact with prisoners' families

o   Dressing as Santa Claus to give Christmas gifts  to prisoners with a message of God's love

o   Recruiting and training community volunteers to help out at prisons

o   Teaching Bible studies and ensuring that every prisoner who wants a Bible gets one

o   Keeping in touch with prisoners after they're released

o   Arranging guest speakers and workshops for prisoners

o   Helping prisoners find "interview clothes" when they seek employment upon release

o   Comforting and praying with prisoners who are on death row

o   Offering hospice care to prisoners who are terminally ill

o   Loving, preaching, praying, teaching, talking, listening

o   All this while usually pastoring their own congregation

            If there is a prison or juvenile correctional facility in or near a community, Chaplain Service Prison Ministry is there, ensuring that prisoners receive spiritual and emotional care. Chaplain Service Prison Ministry is one of the eight Mission Partners in the United Lutheran Appeal.

Two important dates are coming up which your congregation may want to give some consideration for special attention as you make plans for your Sunday activities in April.  A celebration of Earth Day will be on April 21 and World Malaria Sunday will be given special attention on April 28^th..

Is your congregation planning anything special for either or both of these days?  If you aren't, what are some ways that you might want to call these special days to the attention of your congregation?   As you know the ELCA Malaria Campaign is in full swing and World Malaria Day (April 25^th) would be an excellent opportunity to get your congregation involved in this important activity.

If you need help with planning what to do on either of these Sundays, contact us at Team2017@VaSYnod.org.  Additional information is available at:  www.team2017.org/malaria/ and on http://www.facebook.com/Team2017.

          Thank you for giving your congregation a chance to get involved!