All rostered ministers are invited to a Chrism Mass—a time to worship with colleagues, reaffirm ordination promises, and receive the three oils used in ministry: chrism, catechumen, and oil of the sick. The oils will be blessed in worship and then can be used throughout the year. Four worship opportunities will be offered across the synod:

• Monday, February 12 at Abiding Savior, Durham, at 10:30 a.m.
• Monday, February 12 at Our Savior, Jacksonville, at 3:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 13 at Emmanuel, High Point, at 10:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, February 13 at Calvary, Morganton, at 3:00 p.m.

The bishop’s staff will be present at all four gatherings. Rostered ministers are invited to come—come and simply worship, without leading worship. Come to be fed by God’s word and at God’s table as you prepare to lead your communities of faith to the cross and empty tomb. Come to renew your sense of call to ministry. Come to be blessed so that you might be a blessing to others.

Join us for the first group meeting of 2024 via Zoom on Wednesday, January 17, at 1:00 p.m. We will be introducing some new procedures and processes, discussing the synod website, and answering any questions about year-end reports to the churchwide coaching ministry. In an effort to streamline communication, we have created a Google group. If you are a trained coach, but are not receiving our emails, please fill out this form. Questions? Contact Heidi Kleine, heidi@heidikleine.com, NC Synod Coach Coordinator.

Use this link to join the Zoom.

If you haven't registered for this year's ELCA Children, Youth, and Family Network's Extravaganza yet, never fear. You still can! Join the Extravaganza virtually! Be part of the General Sessions live and experience workshops via Zoom.

Register today! (Tip: Save by joining the Network first.)

Order your children's ministry Lent Kits soon! Items will be shipped to the church with assembly instructions. You will receive all of the supplies in one box which can then be separated for each child. Kits are available for pre-reader and reader age groups (approximately toddlers through elementary school ages). The deadline for ordering is Thursday, February 1, and the cost is $12 per kit. Questions? Contact Lexi Barnhill.

Complete this order form by February 1.

LDR Carolinas is pleased to offer a limited number of mini-grants (typically $500) to assist congregations in the NC and SC Synods. These should be used toward congregational preparedness projects, including purchases like security equipment, generators, AEDs, and first aid kits or training. Thanks to the NC Synod's Michael Peeler/Virginia Casey Funds and the South Carolina Endowment Fund for funding this LDR Carolinas project. The first

round of applications are due by Thursday, February 15. Funds should be distributed in early March. Questions? Contact LDR Carolinas Coordinators Ray or Ruth Ann Sipe.

Use this link to apply today!

It’s not too late to join the LDR Carolinas Book Study via Zoom using A Ready Hope on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. through February 6. The book is a case study of a congregation affected by a major disaster; how they planned, adapted, partnered, and responded. One free copy of the book will be available for each participating NC or SC Synod congregation. All are welcome. Register here.

LDR Carolinas coordinators, Ray & Ruth Ann Sipe, will lead a service trip to New Bern, Monday through Friday, February 26 through March 1, to work in the continuing recovery following Hurricane Florence in 2018. If you have wanted to volunteer to rebuild but did not want to go alone or travel very far, this trip is for you! All kinds of skills are needed. Learn more and register by February 1.

The NC Synod expresses its sincere thanks to Pastor Sara Yoos and Pastor Matt Canniff-Kesecker who shared their gifts as part-time staff in the ministry area of Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) through the end of 2023. A visioning process that was begun in November will hopefully lead to a new staffing plan for the synod's CYF Ministry going forward. For CYF needs during this interim time, please reach out to Pastor Melody Simpkins or Pastor Cassie Overcash.

It's time! Bring your middle and high school youth to LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization) Assembly in Greensboro, February 23-25. This youth-led event is planned and facilitated by the LYO Board made up of youth from across the synod. Our theme this year is: Y'all Means All. Be sure to read about registration carefully as it is different this year than in previous years. The last day to register is Thursday, February 1. Also, for those heading to the ELCA Youth Gathering, Deacon Beka Forst will lead a Gathering Info Meeting at the LYO Assembly!

Visit the LYO Assembly webpage to learn more and register.

The synod’s Engage the Bible Ministry Team is hosting the TikTok Tell It Contest again! The challenge from this year's LYO Assembly planning team is to tell a story from Scripture that highlights these the themes of welcome, hospitality, and/or inclusion. With Christ, Y’all Means All! Submission deadline is Monday, February 12.

Learn more.

Resolved to feel more financially prepared for the future? Check out Portico’s Retirement Readiness Series from Fidelity starting at the end of January. Register for live webinars covering topics like turning your savings into retirement income, understanding Social Security, and estate planning basics. Recorded versions of these topics—and many more—are available on demand on myPortico.

Take 30 minutes to boost your mental well-being by joining a live webinar led by the Learn to Live Clinical Team. January topics include making effective habit change, mindful eating, and creating a positive mindset by avoiding negative thinking traps. View the webinar schedule, as well as their library of previous topics; use the access code PORTICO.

Bishop Tim Smith will offer an online Bible study on the book of Micah during Lent—specifically, the five Thursdays beginning February 22 and concluding on March 21—from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Don't miss this opportunity to study Micah with other Lutherans across the synod!

Register now to receive the Zoom link!

All are invited to the Installation of Pastor Judy Drysdale as pastor at Emmanuel, Lincolnton, on Sunday, January 28, at 3:00 p.m. She began this call on January 14.

Pastor Daniel Pugh was called to be senior pastor at Christ the King, Cary. He will begin in this role on February 15.

Of Mourning

Malcolm Francis Schaeffer, husband of Pastor Dawn Schaeffer (Amazing Grace, Granite Falls), died December 21, 2023. We mourn with his family. Read the full obituary.

Ta'Kera Monique Nichols, granddaughter of Pastor Michael Wendt (retired, Durham), died December 20, 2023. We mourn with her family. Read the full obituary.

Daniel Nicholas Kosanovich, father of Pastor Danielle DeNise (ELCA Director for Evangelical Mission serving in the NC Synod, Salisbury), died on January 4. We mourn with his family. Read the full obituary.

Cameron Wilton Hawkins, father of Pastor Bob Hawkins (retired, Burlington), died on January 3. We mourn with his family. Read the full obituary.

Of Healing

Pastor Christina Auch (Grace, Hendersonville) had surgery on December 27 and will be recovering at home through January.

Pastor David Mielke (interim, St. John's/Taylorsville) has been undergoing radiation therapy at Duke University from mid-December through January 9. Following that, he will be receiving chemotherapy.

Pastor Michael Frye (retired, Waxhaw) continues to recover from heart surgery and shoulder replacement surgery.

Liz Propst, wife of Pastor John Propst (retired, Asheville), was hospitalized during recent a trip to Washington D.C. for a family funeral. She is recovering now at home.

Pastor John Futterer (Kimball, Kannapolis) had surgery last week to repair a torn quadriceps muscle. 

Of Thanksgiving

Bishop Tim Smith continues his sabbatical through the end of February. We wish him safety for his travels and the blessings of rest, relaxation, and time with family.

We are grateful for the leadership of Pastor Phil Tonnesen who served as Acting Bishop from December 3 through January 15.

We pray for strength and wisdom for Pastor CeCee Mills, Acting Bishop, who will serve in that role from today through February 29.

For Peace and Faith

Dearest Jesus, come and sit with us today. Show us the lies that are still embedded in the soul of America’s consciousness. Unmask the untruths we have made our best friends. For they seek our destruction. And we are being destroyed, Lord. Reveal the ways the lies have distorted and destroyed our relationships. They break your shalom . . . daily. Jesus, give us courage to embrace the truth about ourselves and you and our world. Truth: We are all made in your image. Truth: You are God; we are not. You are God; money is not. You are God; jails, bombs and bullets are not.

And Jesus, give us faith to believe: Redemption of people, relationships, communities and whole nations is possible! Give us faith enough to renounce the lies and tear down the walls that separate us with our hands, with our feet, and with our votes!

(a prayer from Martin Luther King, Jr. cited in “Prayers of Martin Luther King Jr.,” Prayer and Politiks.)

Hood Seminary is offering two opportunities for learning. Their free 2024 Virtual Heritage Lecture Series will feature the Rev. Dr. Vanessa Lovelace, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary, on Friday, February 9, (7:00-8:00 p.m.) and Saturday, February 10, (10:00-11:00 a.m.). Also, The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus' Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted is a free online course presented by the Pathways For Tomorrow Initiative of the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and facilitated by Obery Hendricks, Jr., Ph.D. This course will be on Mondays, February 5 through March 11 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will explore the political dimensions of Jesus’ ministry and their crucial implications for the Church. Learn more and register here to receive the Zoom link.

The Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South is co-sponsoring a free, event: Dignity, Justice, and Joy: Holding on to Our Humanity in Challenging Times with Cole Arthur Riley on Friday, February 16, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and again from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at two different locations in Durham. Cole Arthur Riley is author of This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us. Cole is also the creator and writer of Black Liturgies, a project integrating spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body.

Learn more; register here.

Join the Come to the Table team, with Curanopy, on Wednesday, February 6, at a Listening & Sharing Sacred Stories event in Greenville, NC! This interactive workshop will lead participants through examples of effective storytelling practices for individuals, congregations, and ministries. The workshop will equip faith leaders with practices to take back to their congregation, focusing on the importance of deep listening and community building. Participants are encouraged to bring a friend, and lunch and mileage reimbursements will be offered.

Learn more and register.

Pastors for NC Children is offering Introduction to Mission Amplify to get congregations and groups started using their advocacy small group curriculum to support local public schools. Once a group leader

completes the training, PNCC sends them the curriculum and supplies to get started! Trainings are the same; join the one that fits your schedule:

• Tuesday, January 16 7:00-8:15 p.m.
• Thursday, January 18 10-11:15 a.m.
• Tuesday, February 13 7:00-8:15 p.m.
• Thursday, February 15 at 10-11:15 a.m.
• Tuesday, March 5 10-11:15 a.m. or 7:00-8:15 p.m.

Register today!

Ken Kroohs, retired Episcopal priest has a passion for helping congregations reach out to new people to help them know God’s love. Join Pastor Ken for some free Lent/Easter Evangelism Classes to learn ways to take advantage of new people who find their way to you during the upcoming season of Lent. Upcoming classes are Wednesday, January 17, (11 a.m. or 7 p.m.) and Wednesday, February 28, (11 a.m. or 7 p.m.).

Learn more and register today! 

You are invited to register for three great courses to grow stewardship and cultivate large gifts with your local congregation.

1. Financial Empowerment for Missional Leaders is a monthly webinar tailored to you starting Wednesday, January 24. The cost for 8 monthly sessions for one pastor and one lay leader is $200. Register today.
2. Cultivating the Craft of Asking, is five webinars over 10 weeks beginning Saturday, February 17. Learn to develop a donor base and ask for large donations. Register today.
3. African Descent and African National Financial Empowerment in Our Contexts This online class is scheduled for Saturday, February 17 at 10 a.m. Register today. (Ignore the dates on the form.)

Feel like you've got way too much going on but you're not doing enough? Tired of second guessing yourself with every decision? Join Crystal Hall, MDiv, PhD, for Cultivate Confidence: Lead Powerfully as a Woman in Ministry, a free five-day series of learning and group coaching to cultivate the confidence to lead meaningfully. Unlock your power as a woman in ministry. Join Monday, January 29 at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1 at 12 noon, and Friday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m.

Register today.

Trinity Church Wall Street, an Episcopal parish in New York City, invites you to apply to be a Trinity Leadership Fellow and join a diverse cohort of emerging leaders on a two-year journey of faith-inspired, values-driven, and community-oriented learning and mentorship. The Trinity Leadership Fellows Program is for individuals seeking to deepen the mind-sets and skills needed to effectively lead organizations and serve communities in contemporary society, while also building lifelong supporting peer and mentoring relationships. This nonresidential, free program will prepare professional and community leaders who are people of faith and ordained leaders across faith traditions with the mindsets and practical skills they need to energize and empower their congregations and communities in ways that heal divides and disrupt injustice. Applications for the 2024–26 cohort are due by January 31.

Learn more.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech proposed a big dream for what America can become. What big dreams do you have for your congregation and community? Lewis Center Director Doug Powe shares four key characteristics of big dreams that propel us toward a future shaped by participating in God’s transforming work. 

Read more now.

Most congregations have ideas about how they’d like to innovate. However, things fall flat when it comes to recruiting volunteers to carry out those ideas. Discover how you can strengthen the practice of influence, ethically persuading others to invest time and energy in a new idea. If you follow the right principles, more volunteers will say yes.

Read more from Congregational Consulting Group.

Theologians and practitioners have used the word “liminal space” or “liminal time” to describe these experiences. They are the point at which you become aware that a transition is about to occur. Liminal literally means, “threshold”. Think of walking through a doorway and going through/over a threshold. You are neither in one room nor the other; you are in-between. However, you can see both, one behind and in front.

Read more from Church Anew.

Many of us are on the search for the perfect planner. If we could just find it, we would be able to do all the things! Laura Stephens Reed has created a resource, A Year of Intention: Reflection Prompts and Planning Tools for Clergy, that might be useful for organizational purposes. She hopes that it can help you focus on what is most important in your professional and personal lives and name the behaviors and supports that will undergird that focus.

Click to learn more.

Lent is coming soon...Church Anew can help! They've got all the resources you need for your congregation to have a meaningful Lenten journey: sermon prompts, art-based devotionals, worship resources, graphics, and children, youth, and family ideas. This year's theme is Altered by the Spirit and through the Acts or Lectionary-based sermon prompts, your community will see how the Spirit alters our perspective, transforms us, and consistently blazes a trail ahead of us.

Learn more.

Is your church group interested in learning about, caring for, and healing God’s marine creation? Join us for a week of faithful ocean advocacy in 2024! Registration is now open for Blue Theology: Summer 2024. Blue Theology hosts week-long learning and serving experiences in ocean conservation for youth groups, adult groups, and intergenerational groups. Blue Theology is all about developing a heart connection with the ocean.

Learn more; submit your interest form today.

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