E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter | April 8, 2025 | | |
Don't Miss This Year's Speakers at Synod Assembly!
This year’s Assembly features an inspiring lineup of speakers who will challenge and encourage us in our mission.
Rev. Emily Harkins is a nationally recognized speaker and pastor of The Dwelling in Winston-Salem, NC. She brings a powerful message of justice, grace, and radical love, rooted in ministry with people on the margins.
Pastor Louise N. Johnson, ELCA Executive for Vision, is a dynamic leader known for guiding the church into bold, faithful futures through innovation, leadership development, and deep spiritual grounding.
Pastor Kevin Jacobson, ELCA Director for Global Personnel, brings decades of global experience in leadership development and mission rooted in accompaniment and cross-cultural connection.
We’re also honored to welcome Rev. Dr. Sharon Austin as our ecumenical guest. A bold preacher and justice leader in The United Methodist Church, Dr. Austin’s life and ministry are marked by courage, compassion, and a passion for community transformation.
Register now and join us for a Spirit-filled Assembly you won’t forget!
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Don't miss out on early bird rates! Register by May 10, 2025, to secure
the best price. After this date, the registration fee will increase by $50. Late registration will be open from May 11-20, 2025—be sure to get in before the deadline!
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Installations & Ordinations
June 1 at 2 PM: Rev. Carl Taylor will be installed as Senior Pastor at Advent in Melbourne; Bishop Suarez will preside.
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Global Mission Table Haiti Update
In 2024, the Florida-Bahamas Synod partnered with the ELCA in a $300,000 Lutheran World Federation initiative in Haiti. The project is multifaceted, spanning areas ranging from cash assistance to gender-based violence training and support to disaster response planning. Despite ongoing turmoil in Haiti, local partners in the country are able to continue their important work. Recently, the ELCA churchwide office provided the Global Mission Table with a few highlights of accomplishments thus far:
- Assistance in the form of cash gifts went to 1,140 households, including 792 women heads of households, in Les Palmes and Maniche regions.
- Training on gender-based violence, sexual exploitation prevention, and child protection was given to 6,478 people in the South and 8,282 in Les Palmes.
- Awareness campaigns on gender-based violence and initiatives promoting hygiene during a cholera outbreak were provided to 4,378 students and 10,382 community members.
- Psychosocial support was provided to internally displaced persons.
- 50 church and community leaders received training on gender-based violence prevention and support.
- Training programs and workshops in disaster response and risk management have been offered in Grand Goave and Palmes to strengthen the logistical and operational capacities of civil protection. Information about disaster risk management is also provided to the larger community through radio programming.
Your gifts are making a difference in people's lives. Thank you, thank you. The Global Mission Table and the ELCA are deeply grateful for your steadfast support for Haiti.
If you would like to learn more about Global Mission, contact Rev. Katie Carroll, Global Mission Table Chair, at revkhc@gmail.com.
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Apply for a V2A Grant
As V2A Introductory workshops continue (register here), explore some the many ideas featured on the V2A website. Here you will find grant impact stories featuring a handful of the 62 different grants awarded through V2A in its first two years. Spend some time, too, with the project ideas found in the V2A Intro Guide. And remember that two pre-packaged grant opportunities might suit your context. These include Dinner Church and Building Bridges-Latino Ministry. The time to dream is now! Questions? Email grants@fbsynod.org.
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Apply Today for a Hunger Mini-Grant!
The Florida-Bahamas Synod Hunger Team is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Mini-Grant Season. All ELCA congregations of the Florida-Bahamas Synod are eligible to apply for a mini-grant of up to $300 to support a hunger-related ministry. In prior years, uses of mini-grant funds have ranged from buying a freezer, to adding fresh fruit to grocery bags, to acquiring educational materials, to encouraging advocacy activities. What exciting ministry in your congregation might qualify for a mini-grant?
The 2025 Hunger Mini-Grant season runs until June 15. Grant requests will be reviewed and decided upon within two weeks of submission. Funding is distributed as soon as an application is approved. To apply, please complete and submit online the form found here.
Questions? Email Synod Hunger Team Chair Barbara Miller at barbaramercerm@icloud.com.
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Grace in Action April Zoom Gathering & Training
The Just Love mission is to see love established in public, which creates justice for all. With so many policy changes at every level and many of our neighbors, and ourselves, experiencing fear, anxiety, job loss, and/or insecurity around food, housing, and healthcare, where does one start to establish love in public that creates justice for all? Join the Just Love team for a Zoom gathering and training to lament, encourage one another, and dream together of a future where God’s kingdom comes and God’s will is done, where we can experience and participate in God’s grace in action: Thursday, April 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
We will also share some of the work of Just Love in the coming months, including some justice and advocacy trainings around the synod.
Zoom details:
Click here to join via Zoom.
Passcode: 643842
Meeting id: 827 5503 3514
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Fireside Chat: Exploring Diaconal Ministry in the ELCA
Join the Seminaries of the ELCA for a virtual fireside chat with Deacon Krista Anderson and Deacon Beth Anderson, delving into the role and impact of Diaconal Ministry in the ELCA on Thursday, April 10 from 8–9:15 p.m. ET. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and engage in conversation about this vital ministry! Click here to register today.
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Final Reminder: Annual Congregation Report Due April 11
This is your final reminder to submit the Annual Congregation Report. The online system will close at 5 p.m. Central on Friday, April 11.
If you haven’t submitted Form A yet, please do so to ensure your congregation is included in the 2024 ELCA statistics and synod reports. Once submitted, a copy will be emailed to you, and the data will be shared with your synod and the churchwide office.
Your congregation should have received a report letter by mail in January. If not, visit elca.org/reportinstructions for a copy of the letter, Form A, instructions, and a financial worksheet. The online form is generic and does not include your password. To retrieve it, go to elca.org/congregationreport.
Questions? Email research@elca.org. Thank you for your partnership in this important work!
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A Draft Social Message on Child Protection
The prevalence of child maltreatment in the U.S. is staggering. The ELCA's draft social message on child protection outlines the church's sacred responsibility to protect and nurture children. To strengthen this draft, share your suggestions during the public comment period by June 30.
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June 12-14: Synod Assembly, Embassy Suites, Kissimmee
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September 20: School of Lay Ministry Graduation Retreat & Worship, New Life Lutheran Church, Sarasota
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September 29-October 1: Conference on Ministry, Mission Resort & Club, Howey-In-The-Hills
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