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Synod Assembly Information


Synod Assembly

imago dei

May 29-30

Trinity Lutheran, Lansdale

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There's still time to join!

Assembly Choir

All are invited to be part of the SEPA Synod Assembly Choir, supporting the hymns, leading liturgy, and offering special music at the Closing Worship Service on Saturday, May 30th at 5:30pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. You do not have to be a voting member of the assembly to be part of the choir, or even to attend worship. We will rehearse at 4:00 pm that day--and have scheduled rehearsals at other times. When you sign up here, you will receive more information. All are welcome!


Rehearsal Dates and Times


Saturday, May 16 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

132 E. Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia

 

Saturday, May 23 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Spirit & Truth Worship Center

1000 Church Ln., Yeadon 

 

Saturday, May 30 | 4:00 pm

(before the Closing Worship Service) 

Trinity Lutheran Church 

1000 W. Main St., Lansdale


More information or questions

Informational Flyer

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Pre-Assembly Finance Zoom

You are invited to attend the Pre-Assembly Finance Zoom on May 11, 2026 at 7:00 pm.

Get your questions about the Synod's budget and finances answered prior to Assembly.

REGISTER HERE

In our prayers...

Those serving in the military and their families, especially those deployed to active war zones.


The families of the victims of gun violence especially those in Louisiana and Ohio.

Reserve your seats now!

Lutheran Night at the Phillies

June 5

The Phillies take on the Chicago White Sox.

Use Code LUTHERAN


Join with your family and friends to cheer on the Phillies. Make a day of it and start your America 250 celebration early by visiting local historical sites ahead of the crowds!

Ascension Worship Service to host ULS Dean Rev. Dr. Teresa Smallwood as preacher

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Reformation Lutheran Church

102 W Rose Tree Rd, Media


6:30 pm Light Dinner

7:30 pm Worship Service


Rev. Dr. Teresa Smallwood  is the Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs and The James Franklin Kelly and Hope Eyster Kelly Associate Professor of Public Theology at United Lutheran Seminary.


Dr. Smallwood’s career includes over 20 years as a practicing attorney in several capacities:  as staff attorney with Legal Services of the Southern Piedmont in Charlotte, NC and the Children’s Law Center; as Assistant District Attorney; and as proprietor of a private law practice.

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NEW! Sweet Sounds of Spring

June 7 + 7:00 pm

Emmaus Road Lutheran Church

2185 Bristol Oxford Valley Road, Levittown


Join us for an evening of joyful music as we celebrate the season at our Sweet Sounds of Spring Concert.


This special program will feature the uplifting sounds of The Acclamation Ringers Bell Choir and the inspiring brass ensemble A Wing and a Prayer. Together, these talented musicians will present a program filled with beauty, energy, and springtime spirit.


The first-ever $1,000 A Wing and a Prayer Instrumental Music Scholarship. will be awarded to a local high school senior who plans to continue their education in music.


All are welcome to attend this event and share in a night of music, celebration, and community.

Admission – Free will donation to A Wing and a Prayer Scholarship Fund

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NEW! St. Luke's Flea Market

May 29-30, 2026

8:00 am to Noon

St. Luke's Lutheran Church

3206 Big Road, Zieglerville

INFORMATIONAL FLYER

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NEW! Annual Report to Pennsylvania

Due by Tuesday, June 30


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires that each corporation—including not for profit corporations—file an annual report online. This was a new process as of last year; your congregation would have made an online account and was encouraged to save that login information for annual use. For additional help, see this step-by-step guide.


Each congregation is encouraged to review whether the Annual Report to Pennsylvania filing applies to their specific situation. Sharing this reminder through synod communications is simply to raise awareness, as it is our understanding from last year that this requirement applies to most of our congregations.


Congregations are not required to hire a third party to complete the filing. However, they may wish to consult with their own accountant or attorney if they have questions about their specific situation or exemption status.

Department of State Filing Site

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Available Items


Choir Robes

St Matthew’s, Chester Springs has 16 choir robes of various sizes to donate. The robes are navy blue and white; the collar sash is reversible. they are in good condition but might need some cleaning here and there.

For more information, contact Sue Hummerston 



PICTURES

Upcoming Ordination


Sarajean Grainson

Friday, May 8 + 5:00 pm

St. Michael Lutheran Church

109 E. Doe Run Road

Unionville, PA



Rostered Ministers and seminarians are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is red.

A dinner reception will follow.

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Upcoming Installations

The Rev. Matthew Finney

Thursday May 14 + 7:00 pm

Christ Lutheran Church, Kulpsville

2211 Mainland Road, Harleysville


The color of the day is white.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the service. 

Pastor Christopher Drummond

Sunday, May 17 + 3:00 pm

Holy Spirit Evangelical Lutheran Church

2545 Franklin Avenue, Secane


Color of the day is white.

A reception will follow the service.

"True love invokes (and provokes) the imagination. It leads to creativity, breaking rules that serve only to prop up the status quo. What is the world we want? What is the world God wants for us? How do we unite God’s imagination and our world? And what are we going to do to change the world?"
--Bishop Dwayne Royster


Save The Date!

Faith Alive Worship Learning Lab 2

Saturday, August 15

9:00 am-3:00 pm

United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia


Another opportunity to gather and learn more about how our congregations can welcome and support our youngest friends. Make plans now to attend this informative and fun event.

NEW! Ways You Can Support Bear Creek

Contribute something from their WISH LIST


VOLUNTEER to help with camp or work day


GIVE toward Summer Staff Meals


And DONATE any amount to help support the great work that Bear Creek does with children and youth in our region.

Partner Opportunities

NEW! National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Women (MMIW) Toolkit

May 5th is an annual National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Women, Girls, & Relatives (MMIWGR). MMIWGR is a movement that works to raise awareness about this crisis, seeks to offer support to communities and families with missing and murdered individuals and address the underlying causes of this crisis.


This toolkit has been created by the ELCA Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Taskforce for individuals and teams from across and beyond the three expressions of this church to be able to learn more about, and join in the participation of, this National Day of Awareness.

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LUNCH AND LEARN FROM NAMI: Mental Health Needs in my Faith Community: How Can I Respond Effectively

May 7 at Noon

REGISTER HERE for this informative webinar directed toward faith communities and their response to the mental health issues in their communities.

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NEW! Interfaith Philadelphia to host FREE Movie Screening


Monday, May 18, 2026

7:00-9:00 PM

Christ Church Neighborhood House

20 N American St, Philadelphia, PA 19106


Join us for a special screening of the PBS documentary Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty, hosted by journalist and historian Richard Brookhiser.

Discover how the promise of liberty has been challenged, expanded, and reimagined, and why it still matters today.

Hosted in partnership with Christ Church Preservation Trust.


GET TICKETS

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NEW! ELCA Awarded Grant for Total Inclusion!

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has received a generous grant for ongoing support of Total Inclusion!: Widening the Welcome at ELCA Outdoor Ministries. The program, a collaboration of the ELCA churchwide organization and the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Network (LOM), equips and empowers outdoor ministry organizations as they move toward more intentional welcome of all youth, including those who historically have been marginalized in the church — especially youth of color, youth with disabilities and youth who identify as LGBTQIA+. Read entire news release.

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Indian Boarding Schools: ELCA Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative – Join the work

The Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative is leading a coordinated effort to research Lutheran involvement in Indian boarding and day schools dating back to the 1820s. We are seeking both clergy and lay volunteers who want to be part of this initiative. All are welcome, including those with skills in research, data collection, organizing, education, and leadership. The goals are to find and gather information in order to share it with impacted Indigenous individuals, families, and communities; for our church members to know our history of church-sponsored Indian boarding schools and their devastating impacts on Native communities; all as part of an ongoing truth and healing process.

We started in 2022 with 15 synods across four states. In May 2023, we expanded to 27 synods across ten states. We are now expanding to all synods across all states. We welcome you!


To learn more and to get involved, click HERE.

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Register today!

Lutheran Congregational Services Lay Eucharistic Training

Eucharistic Visitors are members of the congregation who are selected by their pastor and trained to bring the communion meal from worship to ill and homebound members of their congregation who are unable to attend service.

LCS’s training ministry engages learners in the Biblical and theological background of the Sacrament of Holy Communion and teaches potential Eucharistic Visitors about visitation and administration of the sacrament.


Saturday, May 23, 2026

9:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Advent Lutheran Church

1601 Green Lane, West Chester, PA 19382


To register for training, please complete the online form and submit the $30.00 fee per person.

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Creation Care Film Series Features ELCA Faith Leaders

 Four leaders from ministries across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) share how their faith journeys intersect with their commitment to creation care in the seven-part short film series “Caring for the Earth: Stories From Faith Communities.”


The free-to-access series premiered online April 25 as part of this year’s National Faith + Climate Forum

 

A free study guide is available for each 20-minute film in the series, containing discussion questions, Scripture, prayers and practical next steps for faith communities to help implement positive changes. 

 

Discover more about the ELCA’s work on creation care and climate justice by reading the ELCA’s social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice (1993) and social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” (2023). Click the links below to learn more about the work of the ELCA’s affiliated organizations: Lutherans Restoring Creation And the Center for Climate Justice and Faith.


Read more here: Creation Care Film Series Features ELCA Faith Leaders

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Thrivent Celebration of Membership

Saturday, May 16, 2026

12:00 p.m.


In honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding and more than 110 years of Thrivent, you are invited to join us at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA.


Attendees will enjoy:

  • A buffet lunch
  • An update on Thrivent and the impact members are making across the region
  • Hands-on generosity activities
  • Access to museum exhibits


This complimentary event is hosted by the Thrivent Member Network – Northeast and is open to all Thrivent members in the region. Each member may bring one guest, whether the guest is a fellow Thrivent member or a non‑member.


Space is limited, and pre‑registration is required. REGISTER TODAY

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Holy Transitions: Spirituality, Aging, and the Work of Accompaniment

May 7, 2026 + 7:00 pm (Zoom)

LFCNA's 5th Annual Valborg Tollefsrud Educational Event with Rev. Dr. Lorraine Leist, BCC-PCHAC

Sponsored by the Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association

Date: 

More information and registration

 

Aging is not only a biological or psychological process – it is a deeply spiritual journey marked by loss, meaning-making, resilience, and hope. This two-hour presentation invites Faith Community Nurses* to explore the spiritual dimensions of aging through theological reflection, case examples, and guided conversation.

 

*While the primary audience for this event is Faith Community Nurses, nurses who are not members of LFCNA, and non-nurses are encouraged to attend.

This may include clergy, lay leaders and others. All are welcome. 

ELCA Youth Gathering 2027:

Imagine More

June 27-28, 2027

PRE-EVENTS

Multicultural Youth Leadership Event + the tAble

June 28 - July 2, 2027

THE MAIN EVENT

ELCA Youth Gathering + Young Adult Gathering


The 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering is more than an event — it’s a movement where young people and leaders come alive in faith, grow in hope and move with purpose. This is where the church comes to life.


Stay up-to-date with ELCA Youth Gathering news and deadlines by subscribing to the Gathering newsletter.


Region 7 Gathering Facebook Page

Get connected to others in our region who plan to attend the Gathering.


SEPA's Regional Representative for The National Youth Gathering is Pastor Cassie Hartnett. Congregational representatives can email her with questions.


UPCOMING WEBINARS

More information and registration

Faith and Civic Life Study Guide

LAMPa is delighted to have available for congregational use a curriculum to help study and understand the ELCA social statement, Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All.


This six-week curriculum walks congregations and faith communities through important parts of the social statement and offers a starting point for conversation and discernment around topics brought up by the statement.

DOWNLOAD STUDY GUIDE HERE

Kindling Faith Events and Training

Kindling Faith of United Lutheran Seminary has a new website with events and training listings updated regularly. Visit their site to register for informative events and continuing education.


Queerly Created: Co-Creating a World Where Queerness Thrives

June 8 @ 2:00 pm - June 11 @ 11:30 am


During Pride Month, United Lutheran Seminary will host a gathering on the Gettysburg campus for queer rostered leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This event will provide space for meaningful conversation, shared learning, rest, and mutual care among pastors and deacons who serve across the church. Participants will engage a panel of queer ELCA bishops and other keynote leaders who will reflect on ministry, leadership, and the witness of queer Christians within the life of the church today. Alongside these presentations, the gathering will offer opportunities for fellowship, reflection, and renewal in a supportive community of peers. This is a time to nurture resilience, deepen

relationships, and celebrate the gifts queer leaders bring to the ELCA.

REGISTER HERE

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