E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter | April 15, 2025 | | |
Nominations Committee Update
With joy and great anticipation, the Florida-Bahamas Synod Nominations Committee puts forth Pastor Ken Blyth for the office of Synod Secretary and Linda Rosche for the office of Synod Council Vice President. These faithful leaders embody wisdom, energy, and a deep love for the Church. Their gifts for service and vision for ministry will be a blessing to the whole synod as their names are brought forward at the upcoming Synod Assembly.
Pastor Ken Blyth brings years of faithful pastoral leadership and a deep commitment to the mission of the Church. His steady presence, clear communication, and organizational insight make him well-suited to serve as Secretary, a role vital to the life and governance of our synod.
Linda Rosche has long been a trusted voice of wisdom and grace within the Florida-Bahamas Synod. Her dedication to collaborative ministry and her gift for lay leadership exemplify the kind of servant-hearted guidance that helps our synod thrive. As Vice President, she would continue a legacy of thoughtful, Spirit-led service.
These nominations will be brought before the Synod Assembly for a vote. We give thanks to God for the many ways the Holy Spirit raises up leaders among us to serve with faith, humility, and courage.
As we move forward together, we are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul:
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord.”— 1 Corinthians 12:4–5 (NRSV)
Let us hold Pastor Ken and Linda in prayer as they discern this call and let us rejoice in all those who offer themselves in service to Christ’s Church.
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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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Holy Week Reflection
As we journey through this Holy Week, take a moment to hear this reflection from Pastor Rob Rose, the acting bishop.
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Adventures in Renewal
What resources are available to help our congregations navigate a changing world and find spiritual renewal? We’re glad you asked. Our Directors of Evangelical Mission have been collaborating with the Greater Milwaukee Synod to utilize a collection of tools they have created called “Adventures in Renewal.”
We are piloting these resources in a variety of ways. We have some congregations that are in the early stages of using them, and we recently gathered a group of pastors from around the synod to test some coaching and resource training. The energy of the event was evidence that the Spirit is at work among us. We learned a lot from this pilot effort and will be refining the training to roll out a second version later this year with the help of a Vision to Action grant.
Adventures in Renewal is a journey of accompaniment where leaders within and between congregations travel with one another…being church together. We are laying the tracks for this process as the train travels and will have further updates and invitations along the way. At its core, Adventures in Renewal is about cultivating a curiosity of what God is up to in our neighborhoods. Be curious!
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Save the Date! Stewardship of Property Webinar
On Monday, May 12, we will be hosting a Zoom webinar on the stewardship of our property resources. Pastor Tim Brown, the ELCA’s Director for Congregational Stewardship, will join us to share wisdom about how we steward our buildings and properties as tools for mission. The event will be at 7:00 p.m., and we will send out the link closer to the date.
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Installations & Ordinations
May 10: Rev. Nathan Strong will be installed as Pastor at Calvary Lutheran in Ruskin; Pr. Rob Rose will preside.
June 1 at 2 PM: Rev. Carl Taylor will be installed as Senior Pastor at Advent in Melbourne; Bishop Suarez will preside.
| | | MINISTRY & PARTNER UPDATES |
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Upcoming Introductory Workshops
If you are considering applying for a V2A grant in the 2025 season, register for one of the upcoming workshops, including one on Wednesday, April 23 @ 11 a.m. or one the following week on Monday, April 28 @ 7 p.m. Attending a workshop is required of all applicants including those who have applied in prior grants cycles. Hope to see you soon! 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
| | | Photo of the Week: South Miami Lutheran Church | | | |
South Miami Lutheran Church kicked off Holy Week with an original drama titled “The Showdown,” presenting the events of Holy Week and the interactions of Jesus, Caiaphas and Pilate. The event brought together members from several other area Lutheran churches, along with members of the community. Over 90 people attended and also enjoyed a wonderful pasta dinner afterwards.
Have a photo you would like to submit? Email comms@fbsynod.org.
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The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gathered at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, April 3-6. The council serves as the ELCA churchwide organization’s board of directors and interim legislative authority between meetings of a churchwide assembly. The council’s work, grounded in faith in Jesus Christ, focused on actions that will go before the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix, July 26-August. 2. Read more...
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Student Loan Payments: You’ve got Questions – We’ve got Answers!
There have been a lot of announcements lately regarding federal student loans. As a result, you may be experiencing some confusion and asking a lot of questions.
If you are currently employed by the churchwide organization, a synod, a congregation, or a non-profit organization, Resourceful Servants and Portico Benefit Services invite you to an online presentation and Q&A session with Kim Miller, Senior Program Manager for Partnerships and Financial Education at LSS Financial Counseling, on Tuesday, April 29, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time.
Kim will share information about the changes in federal student loan repayment and answer your specific questions. The likelihood is that if you have a question, someone else does as well. Click here to register.
To protect the privacy of the attendees, this session will NOT be recorded. If you are unable to make it and you would like to make a free appointment with a certified student loan counselor, please call 800.528.2926.
In the meantime, Kim has prepared this brief video which begins to tackle some of the issues that will be addressed in the presentation. We encourage you to watch it, whether you are able to attend the session or not.
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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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