E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter | January 30, 2024 | |
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JUST Love Ministry Presents Harmonies of Heritage: Music's Journey through Black Church History
To honor Black History Month in the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, the JUST Love Team presents “Harmonies of Heritage: Music’s Journey Through Black Church History.” We present four genres of music that impacted the heart and soul of America.
- African Drumming/Call Response
- Negro Spirituals
- Gospel/Civil Rights
- Contemporary
We ask each congregation to present the Harmonies of Heritage: Music’s Journey Through Black Church History summary each week in February. It can be done during announcements, a bulletin insert, or wherever fits best into the service. Each week we offer songs and prayers for use during the service.
Click here to download Week 1: African Drumming/Call Response.
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Installations and Ordinations
Rev. Donna Batchelor will be installed as pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Nokomis on February 4 at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Khader El-Yateem officiating.
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Weekly Prayer Focus | | Compassionate God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Savior. Bring wholeness to all that is broken and speak truth to us in our confusion, that all creation will see and know your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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| MINISTRY & PARTNER UPDATES |
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Reflecting on Fourteen Years of Together in Mission
Fourteen years ago, our Synod, with Bishop Ed Benoway at the helm, put together a dream of a grant program to match our generous members and congregations with “a new vision for a growing and evangelizing church.” The name of this new project launch was Together in Mission, also known as TiM.
One of the priorities in TiM is in the name. TiM encouraged non-profits or congregations seeking grants to work together with other congregations, other non-profits, local government agencies or groups to reach out to the communities where they are located.
TiM started about the same time as the terrible 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Because of that, a percentage of funds donated to TiM are designated to important needs of the Eglise Lutherienne d’Haiti (ELH), the Lutheran Church in Haiti.
Over the years TiM was funded by generous individuals and congregations. These donations were put to tremendous mission work across our Synod and the communities we serve. Since 2011, TiM has funded over 70 projects with approximately $700,000 with $150,000 going to Haiti. We are deeply grateful to all of you that generously donated to support so many missions, those of you who took the time to fully complete and submit our somewhat challenging grant application and those of you who labored to make your communities a better place.
Vision to Action (V2A) is now our Synod’s grant program, and the Together in Mission grant process was closed effective December 31, 2023, and remaining funds for domestic projects were moved to the V2A fund. The remaining Haiti funds were moved to the synod Global Mission fund for Haiti. We are confident that all of you that supported the mission of Together in Mission will continue to support and use Vision to Action as well.
TiM Grant Team
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Luther Springs' New Environmental Education Program Needs Your Support!
Luther Springs now has an environmental education program! We are looking to connect with your school districts to offer teacher trainings for continuing education and want to connect with your school groups to host field trips. We will also need informal educators to help with lessons on school field trips. If you are connected to teacher networks, school districts, or interested in becoming an educator, Luther Springs would love to connect with you! Please contact Deacon Macy Kennedy at mkennedy@novusway.org or 239-789-0408.
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MYTE Ministries Presents: Cultivating the Craft of Asking
Join peers in interactive sessions to develop your skills and confidence in asking donors for financial support. Through the five online sessions, you will learn techniques to help you deepen donor relationships to connect vision to mission while actively making progress on your own ministry goals – from a capital campaign to funding mission work.
Next cohort begins soon on February 13.
Register today at: http://www.myteministries.org/webinars.
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Two Free Compositions from LSM
Introducing two FREE compositions from Lutheran Summer Music by Anne Krentz Organ: Holy Manna, for solo instrument with keyboard accompaniment, and Be Thankful, for SATB chorus, descant, keyboard accompaniment, optional: assembly, handbells. Free sheet music download: https://www.lsmacademy.org/resources
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Refresh and Renew Retreat
Calling all Synod Parish Deacons! Time to register for our next retreat April 19 - 20 in Lakeland, FL. Come "Refresh and Renew" as we remember our baptismal promise!
For more information go to http://www.diakoniafl.org and click on the SPD registration page. For more information please reach out to Darlene Kaiser, SPD Chair at Deaconchair@yahoo.com.
Click here to download the flyer.
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It's Time to Submit Your Annual Reports
These reports are another point of connection between your congregation and the Bishop's Office. They help us track categories like attendance, baptisms, expenses, mission support, and more. They also help us plan programs and events to best support the ministries of the congregations throughout our synod.
Annual Parochial Reports (January-December 2023)
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Deadline to file online with the ELCA’s Office of the Secretary by March 1, 2024.
- If you cannot file online, a paper copy can be completed and mailed to the Synod House by February 15, 2023.
Annual Rostered Leader’s Report to the Bishop
- To be submitted by March 1, 2024. All ordained ministers rostered in the Florida-Bahamas Synod under call, on leave from call, on disability, or retired, must file a report.
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Go to https://fbsynod.com/forms-2/ and click on the “Annual Rostered Leader Report” link. Select and download the report that corresponds to your roster status and save it to your computer. Upon completion of report, save again, and attach to an email message to ileanas@fbsynod.org.
Mission Support (current year)
- The synod’s fiscal year extends through January 31, 2023.
- Please ask your congregational treasurer to forward any outstanding 2023 mission support balances to the Synod House by January 31, 2023. Mission support received after January 31, per auditor requirements, is applied to the congregation’s covenant for 2024.
Mission Support Covenants 2024
- Covenants may be filed after the annual congregation meeting, or by January 31, 2024.
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You may file your covenant online at https://fbsynod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2023-MS-Form-website.pdf, or by retuning the card via US mail.
- Please prayerfully consider an increase in your mission support to grow the work that we do together as synod and churchwide expressions.
- This year, the Florida-Bahamas Synod will forward 46% of our mission support dollars to the ELCA Churchwide ministries.
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‘Laughter Saves Lives’ Participants Are Reminded that Laughter is a Gift from God
During an interesting and fun-filled session, people from Faith, New Life and St. Paul’s Lutheran churches in Sarasota gathered Jan. 22 in the Faith fellowship hall with Al Ernst, professional comedian and Faith-based humorist in residence, to explore how laughter is a gift from God that can help us do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God and neighbors.
Through the fun presentation – using lessons and a little help from Jesus, Martin Luther, Ted Lasso and more – participants laughed, then took home some new ways to enjoy their daily faith as the gospel teachers – with joy, gratitude and faith. The presentation was not designed to teach anyone how to tell jokes, be a comedian or “make lemonade out of lemons.” Rather, its purpose was to help participants make their Christian walk more fun, joyful and optimistic.
The fun and learning will continue at 2-3:30 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 19-March 18 at Faith, as Al leads a weekly “Here I Stand Up Comedy Academy” through which participants will learn more about how to act on Martin Luther’s words: “You have as much laughter as you have faith.”
This new learning series was funded through a grant from the Florida-Bahamas Synod.
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Atonement, Sebring Offers Healing and Wholeness Service
Are you in need of healing prayer, or wondering if there is something blocking your healing? Do you need some time to "be soaking," in prayer and God's healing presence? Learn to give and receive Blessing Prayers, and experience the healing power of both forgiveness and of joy.
Our Speaker
For over 30 years the Rev. John Rice, a retired pastor, has taught and preached on Jesus' healing prayer ministry in churches, OSL groups throughout the United States, and northeast area of India. In 2012, John left parish ministry in response to God's call to focus more of his time and energy on healing prayer ministry. His new job description, received during a time of prayer, is "to encourage, equip, and empower God's people for Jesus' healing ministry."
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All Saints, Lutz and St. Paul, Tampa Invite You to Join them for Bay Area Pride Events
The advocacy teams at All Saints and St. Paul are combining to attend both Pasco Pride (on February 24, from noon - 6 p.m. at Heritage Park in Land O'Lakes - 5401 Land O'Lakes Blvd) and Tampa Pride (on March 23, beginning at 10:45 am, in Ybor City).
You are welcome to join our booths. Our goal is to support all people and let everyone know that they are welcome at our churches. Contacts are Marcia Greensfelder at All Saints (mgreens@tampabay.rr.com) and Brian Scott at St. Paul (bscott9744@aol.com). Hope to see you there!
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Learn about MMIW in Lent
The ELCA Task Force on Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery (the folks who brought you the Truth and Healing Initiative) encourages congregations and ministries to learn more about missing and murdered Indigenous people during Lent. For resources go to elca.org/indigenous and click on “Truth and Healing” or “MMIW.” You'll find education resources and resources for planning a recognition on May 5, MMIW Day.
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April 19-20: Synod Parish Deacon Retreat, Lakeland, FL
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May 31 - June 2: Synod Assembly, Embassy Suites, Orlando Lake Buena Vista South
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September 16-18: Conference on Ministry, Mission Inn, Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
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September 21: School of Lay Ministry Annual Retreat and Graduation Worship, Mandarin Lutheran Church, Jacksonville
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