|
Get to Know Rev. Kimberly Vaughn, the New Assistant to the Bishop!
|
|
|
Tell us a little about you:
I am a native of Cleveland, Ohio, baptized and confirmed at Advent Lutheran Church (Cleveland). I started my "church career" as a volunteer at Advent, then campus
ministry at Cleveland State University. From there, I did a 2-year ELCA youth ministry internship in Youngstown, Ohio, including outdoor ministry at Camp Frederick in Rogers, OH. After that, I worked at Lutheran Memorial Camp in Fulton, OH, and then two years at Resurrection Lutheran in Lebanon, OH as a Youth & Family Minister. From 1998-2004 I worked as a legal secretary and completed my B.A. in history.
In 2004, I enrolled at The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, graduating in 2008 with a Master of Divinity and an emphasis on Urban Ministry. I was ordained on Jan. 31, 2009 to serve as co-pastor at Genesis Lutheran Church (Detroit). I also served as Director of Youth Ministry for Southeast Michigan Synod and as part-time contract pastor at Cross Lutheran Church (Clinton Twp.).
In 2010, I moved back to Ohio where I served as Associate Pastor at St. Stephen Martyr Lutheran Church (Canton, OH) for four years. In December 2014, I moved to Round Rock, Texas to serve as Associate Pastor at Palm Valley Lutheran Church. At the end of 2015, I accepted the call to serve as Assistant to the Bishop of New Jersey.
When the opportunity to serve as Assistant to the Bishop for Multicultural Ministry arose, it was an exciting opportunity to participate in helping congregations reflect the reign of God on earth. The idea of encouraging and coaching congregations in ways to resemble their communities was irresistible. The chance to work with others on issues of race and poverty was also important to me.
What Bible stories do you find most meaningful?
-Mary's Magnificat Luke 1:46-56) - God's justice comes in ways different than we expect. Proclamation of the Good News coming from a girl
-Micah 6:8 - do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God
-The story of Hagar - Gen. 16, 21: mistreatment of slave girl and her son, God's protective blessing over them
-Revelation 7 - the vision of all nations worshipping together at God's throne
What brings you joy?
-The smiles and laughter of children
-Seeing someone get a chance at a better life
-Sharing in the sacraments and experiencing God's grace
-A Cleveland sports team with a winning season (a rare joy!)
-Time with family and friends
Where is Jesus leading us?
-To those marginal places where people seldom experience grace, health and wholeness. Out of our comfort zones, into the streets, to wherever someone feels abandoned by everyone. To whomever needs to hear and feel God's abundant grace and love. Jesus is also leading us to look deeper into ourselves to those shadowy places that can't accept God's grace for ourselves.
How can we contact you?
|
|
|
 |
|
News from the ELCA
|
|
|
Portico Benefits- 1% Health Contribution Discount
ELCA congregations can earn a 1% discount on the current year's ELCA health
contributions if 65% or more of the ELCA-Primary health plan members and eligible spouses within a synod, seminary, or churchwide ministry take the online
Mayo Clinic health assessment between Jan. 1 and April 30 of that year. What if the health assessment wasn't the finish line, but the beginning of something bigger? Yes
, valuable financial incentives are at stake, but this could be the start of a healthier lifestyle. So take the
health assessment
today!
ELCA World Hunger's Hogs N Kisses
This year, the first Sunday in Lent falls on Valentine's Day. Share the love by hosting a Valentine's Day fundraiser in support of ELCA World Hunger and causes that you care about. Order or download special ELCA Good Gifts grams, like "
Hogs 'n' Kisses!" and offer them before or after worship as a way to celebrate the holiday. Get kids involved with
special coloring sheets. Money raised counts toward ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving to help end hunger here at home and around the world. Click here for more info.
ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving
This Lent, ELCA World Hunger invites you to join us for a special 40-day journey as we take a deeper look at our work throughout the world. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 7, and extending through the season of Lent, congregations across the ELCA will join together in ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving to lift up this life-changing work through new levels of giving - spiritually, intellectually and financially.
Click here for a devotional, study guide, and other Lenten resources.
|
|
|
|
|
Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry of New Jersey
|
|
|
Join us in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 from 12:30-3pm as we urge Congress to "Stop the Cuts." O
n Tuesday, April 5, 2016, advocates from New Jersey concerned about the needs for affordable homes will travel to Washington, DC for a
Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill.
Low-income families, the homeless and those with special needs are hurting from the effect of budget cuts at the same time that the urgent need for housing still exists. To learn more about this event, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
Youth Ministry
|
|
|
Winter Youth Assembly
This weekend, young people and adults will gather in Harvey Cedars to explore God's love for this world. Please keep in prayer all those who will gather here!
Detroit Servant Trip - Summer of 2016
This summer we are sending a group of senior high youth and adults to Detroit for a new summer servant trip - Detroit Hope 2016! The group will gather at Cross Roads on Sunday, August 21 and leave bright and early on that Monday for Detroit. Tues-Thurs are our work & play days; then we drive back to NJ on Friday. We'll be working and staying with
Rippling Hope, a ministry in the heart of Detroit that works hard to care for the poor and those in need in their city. Some of our synod's groups worked with them at the ELCA Youth Gathering there last summer. There is a trip flyer and interest list you can sign up for at
www.njsynod.org/youth. There is an interest meeting during the Winter Youth Assembly.
|
|
|
|
|
The Lutheran Seminary At Philadelphia
|
|
|
Pennsylvania Lutheran Seminaries Declare Intent to Form "New School of Theology
In simultaneous meetings held on their respective campuses January 12-13, 2016, the boards of Philadelphia and Gettysburg Lutheran seminaries adopted identical resolutions calling for "the creation of a new school of theology and leadership formation." Both Boards' resolutions stated their actions were taken "in the conviction that God and the church are calling us into a new venture of theological education, with a mission of preparing faithful Christian leaders for the church and the world." The Boards' unanimous actions authorized the two schools' presidents and other officers to take all necessary steps required prior to their April 2016 board meetings that would launch the process of creating a unified Lutheran seminary. (
Continue Reading)
"Our God" and "Your God": Christian Faith Among Other Faiths
Five consecutive Thursdays, February 18-March 17, 2016 | 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
This short course explores some of the challenges in Christian relations with people of other religions in a pluralistic society. To learn more,
click here.
|
|
|
|
|
Bosnia IST
|
|
|
In such a time as these, the ministry of our synod in Bosnia-Herzegovina takes on an added importance. Now is the time to for people to apply to serve on the Travel Team for our Bosnia International Servant Trip (IST). This opportunity to live, serve, and explore peace and hope alongside Christians and Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina is a life-changing, faith-deepening experience. Trip information and the online application are on our website:
www.servanttrips.org
. Photos, videos and more are on our facebook page -
BosniaIST.
Please contact Youth Ministry Specialist Jason Reed,
[email protected]
, if you have questions.
New Bosnia IST Mission Scholarship Opportunity
We have a new scholarship opportunity to help two urban congregations send and support a young person on the Bosnia IST 2016 Travel Team. This will be a great chance to strengthen a young leader and their congregation, and to help our Bosnia Ministry better reflect the wonderful diversity of the New Jersey Synod. Applicants should be ages 16-24, a person of color or whose language of origin is other than English, and is a member of a New Jersey Synod congregation. The application is available at
www.servanttrips.org. If you have any questions, please contact Jason Reed at
[email protected].
|
|
|
|
|
News from around the New Jersey Synod
|
|
|
Parochial Reports Are In!
Annual Congregation Parochial Report Forms A & C were mailed directly to congregations from the ELCA Office of the Secretary along with congregation identification numbers and passwords. Please make sure to fill these out!
Along with the usual categories asking for numbers - of people and finances, there is additional reporting that asks for an assessment of ministry that is less numbers focused. Some of you have been asking for this type of tool and here it is! You can follow-up with more in-depth analysis and conversation regarding this assessment by contacting Pastor Maristela Freiberg, Director of Evangelical Ministry.
Mission Support Intents
Mission Support intents for 2016 should be submitted as soon as they are approved by your congregation. You can submit those intents by going to the
Stewardship page of our website and clicking the green "share your mission support intent" button to the right. Thank you for sharing those in a timely fashion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prayer Concerns
|
|
|
Keep in Prayer
Roberta Schantzenbach, mother of Rev. Scott Schantzenbach (NJ Synod), who is in the hospital.
Rev. Dallas Dorward (Retired), who is recovering at home after a recent hospitalization.
Rev. Peggy Hayes (Our Redeemer, Dumont), who is recovering from surgery.
Congratulations
to Abby Ferjak, who was called to serve as Diaconal Minister at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.
f
or the birth of Dan Beeson-Thelen, child of Rev. Rose Beeson (St. Matthew-Trinity, Hoboken) and Richie Thelen. Danny was born on January 22.
For these congregations in our Synod
First Lutheran in Kearny; St. James Lutheran in Philippsburg; St. Luke Lutheran in Willingboro.
For our sisters and brothers around the world
Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA; Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania;
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, North West Diocese.
|
|
|
|
|
Memorial Service for
Luther Hodge
|
|
|
|
There will be a memorial service for Luther Hodge, spouse of Gladys Hodge (former Vice President of the New Jersey Synod) and grandfather of Arundel Clarke (Vice President of the New Jersey Synod) on Saturday, February 20 at 10:30am. The worship will take place at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Teaneck.
|
|
|
|
District Meetings
|
|
|
Make a note to attend and be involved at the annual district meeting:
- Middle Mission District
Saturday, February 13, (9:30 AM) Hope, Freehold
- Western Mission District
Tuesday, February 16, (7:00 PM) St. Mark, Morristown
- Shore Mission District
Sunday, February 21, (2:00 PM) St. Paul, Beachwood
- Delaware Mission District
Sunday, March 6, (3:30 PM)
Holy Trinity, Magnolia
|
|
|
|
Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center
|
|
|
Sign up for the new email newsletter from Cross Roads! This will give you up-to-date information on all that is happening.
|
|
|
|
Diakonia 2016 Gathering
|
|
|
|
Saturday, March 5, 10am-3:30pm
Join us for an opportunity to learn, worship and rediscover! Dr. Timothy Wengert will present lectures on "Nailing the 95 Theses in History and Practice." More info can be found
here.
|
|
|
|
IRS Mileage Reimbursement
|
|
|
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, the standard mileage rates for the use of cars, vans, pickups and panel trucks will be:
-54 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from 57.5 cents for 2015
-19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down from 23 cents for 2015
-14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
|
|
|
|
Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive
|
|
|
May 29, 2016 - June 3, 2016
The Summer Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive is a resource for Lutherans and those of other denominations who recognize the growing need for competency in the Spanish language and an understanding of Hispanic culture in light of the increasing Hispanic population in this country and in the church. The course focuses on study of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Learn more by
clicking here.
|
|
|
|
Youth Philanthropy Academy
|
|
|
The Youth Philanthropy Academy is a one-year program for Christian youth whose faith compels them to serve their communities and the world. Through intensive training and year-round support, the youth in the Youth Philanthropy Academy are enabled to launch their own philanthropic organizations. To learn more,
click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
