E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter | April 1, 2025 | | |
Help Support Hope Partnership at Synod Assembly!
Our service project this year is with Hope Partnership in Kissimmee. The organization was formed in 2011 to meet the needs of the growing number of families and children experiencing poverty and living in hotels and motels along Highway 192. They have grown by providing a holistic community to meet the needs of the poor and homeless. There will be a hands-on portion of the Service project on Friday, June 13 at 1 p.m.
Donate Items Online!
If you prefer to shop online, you can support us through the Hope Partnership Amazon Wishlist. All items purchased through this link will be shipped directly to the organization.
To learn more about Hope Partnership, watch the video below. For more information, email Tina Fritz at tinaf@fbsynod.org.
| | | | |
Installations & Ordinations
April 5 & 6: Rev. Chelsey Weech will be installed as Pastor at Our Savior, Vero Beach during all worship services, Saturday, April 5, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 6, at 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. Rev. Nicole Eastwood 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 |
| | | |
Apply for a V2A Grant
Did you know there are different options as you consider your application for a V2A Grant? Consider which best suits you then register for one of the required orientation workshops including one this week on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m.
Most congregations and organizations apply for V2A funding after developing their own project, following the roadmap outlined on the website. The roadmap leads you through a variety of steps to create a unique project: one that that emerges from your context and utilizes the resources you have to bring to bear in the community.
A second option is to apply for a Pre-Packaged grant. Think of it as a “grant in a box” with the basic idea and parameters of the project, the timeline and the budget all laid out and ready to implement in your context. This year there are two pre-packaged grants to choose from:
- launching a Dinner Church; and
-
launching Building Bridges, a Latino ministry.
While the project is pre-set, congregations and organizations exploring this option will nevertheless need to engage in a community study and inventory their own resources to determine why the pre-packaged grant is right for them. Further, they must determine which V2A goal(s) they are addressing and how they will form a new faith community through their initiative. In 2024, three congregations received a Dinner Church grant, and two congregations received a Building Bridges grant.
Now is the time to assemble a team of people who are passionate about community outreach and the church and have skills that can contribute to the project.
Questions? Email grants@fbsynod.org.
| | |
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.
| | |
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: St. Paul Lutheran Church, Sarasota | | | |
On March 9, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sarasota celebrated both the First Sunday of Lent and the 70th anniversary of its founding.
To mark this special occasion, Pastor Ashley Nicolls and the church council invited Pr. Carlos Ham, Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission (South), to bring greetings on behalf of the Florida-Bahamas Synod. Pr. Ham also delivered the sermon, reflecting on The Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), offering insights into faith, resilience, and trust in God’s provision.
This Sunday also marked the launch of St. Paul’s Lenten stewardship appeal, a season-long initiative focused on generosity and mission support. On this particular day, the congregation emphasized its commitment to the wider church, including Lutheran Disaster Response and the ministries of the Synod. In recognition of St. Paul’s ongoing generosity—especially its 10% first-fruits giving—Pr. Ham expressed the Synod’s sincere appreciation for the congregation’s faithful and impactful support.
| | |
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.
| | |
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.
| | | -
June 12-14: Synod Assembly, Embassy Suites, Kissimmee
| -
September 20: School of Lay Ministry Graduation Retreat & Worship, New Life Lutheran Church, Sarasota
| | -
September 29-October 1: Conference on Ministry, Mission Resort & Club, Howey-In-The-Hills
| | | | |
