This past Saturday, the Sierra Central Valley Conference 8 gathered for their Fall Conference Gathering! They gathered at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Modesto, CA for a day of conversation, worship, and discernment. Thank you to everyone who joined, Conference Dean Rev. Mark Price for organizing, and Rev. Lyn Crase for hosting.

Yesterday, the Central San Joaquin Conference 9 gathered for their Conference Gathering! They gathered at Christ Lutheran Church in Visalia, CA as lay and rostered folks from throughout the Central Valley joined together. Thank you to Conference Dean Rev. Jodi Golden-Lund for organizing the gathering and to Rev. Brian Malison for hosting!

This past weekend, the Youth Core Leadership Team welcomed high school youth from across the country to Nebraska for the ELCA Youth Leadership Summit! "The ELCA Youth Leadership Summit is an annual gathering for high school youth identified as leaders and an adult representative from each synod."

Two youth from the Sierra Pacific Synod, Anika Smuts and Teaghan Brostrom, serve on the Core Leadership Team. High schoolers Journey Bost and Charlie Thoma, along with Rev. John Bost, had the opportunity to attend the Summit on behalf of our synod!

Last week, the Afghan, Arab and Middle Eastern Ministry, a new Mission Start in the Sacramento, CA area, gathered with local and national supporters to dream about the future of this ministry. Pictured here (from left to right) is Rev. Khader El-Yateem, Assistant to the Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, Rev. Dawn Roginski, Interim DEM, Charbel Zgheib, Mission Developer, Bishop Claire Burkat, Rev. Amy Kienzle, Pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church, and Rev. Khader Khalilia, Program Director for ELCA Arab and Middle Eastern Ministries.

Last weekend, the Lutheran Church of Arcata celebrated 50 years of ministry in Arcata, CA! At their celebratory worship service, they welcomed former Pastors Jim Kabel and Don Schatz, alongside current Pastors Rick Barklage and Taylor Hagbo. We join you in celebratory 50 years of proclaiming the good news and serving the Arcata community, here's to the next 50 years.

Additionally, the local Humboldt County Paper, Times Standard, wrote a piece on the congregations celebratory weekend. You can read the piece here.

Rev. Manda Truchinski had the pleasure of worshipping with Hope Lutheran Church of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, CA, who is currently being served by Bridge Pastor Rev. Andreas Pielhoop. Here, Rev. Manda is pictured with the congregation's Call Committee. Blessings on this season ahead!

When your Pastor is on sabbatical, the congregation finds different ways to gather as a faith community and worship together! Faith Lutheran Church in Meadow Vista, CA held a lay-led service of Word, Prayer and Healing, that included guest signer Ricardo Campero. You are welcome to watch the service here.

In between Conference Gatherings, Bishop Claire and Vice President Simon joined Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fresno, CA for Sunday morning worship. A wonderful service with Rev. Ted Niemi and the community of Good Shepherd!

Final Fall Conference Gathering!

Our final Fall Conference Gathering is this weekend! Conference 6 will gather on Saturday, November 12th at Advent Lutheran Church in Morgan Hill, CA from 10:00am-3:00pm.

A full itinerary and RSVP information can be found here.

SPSYC Elementary & Middle School Retreat

November 18-20, 2022

at Mt. Cross Ministries, Ben Lomond, CA

The Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC) invites elementary and middle school aged youth to attend the Retreat this November! Gathering around the theme "God's Love: Inside Out", the retreat will stay rooted in 1 John 4:19. Some events at this retreat will be combined, and others will separate elementary and middle schoolers, but all are welcome! Join us November 18-20, 2022 at Mt. Cross Ministries for an incredible weekend.

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Registration closes November 11th! Learn more and register to attend here.

SPS Children & Youth Ministry Monthly Newsletter

Introducing: the SPS Children & Youth Ministry Newsletter! Once a month, we'll send out an email to individuals throughout the synod who are a part of the Children, Youth, and Family ministry in their congregation. These emails will provide important updates, upcoming events, and serve as a connection point for our vast synod.

Check out Novembers Newsletter here.

Email catherine@spselca.org to be added to the monthly newsletter.

Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) Applications Now Open

"Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) is a one-year, international service-learning and faith-formation opportunity in churches and social service ministries for young adults, ages 21-29." Applications are open now through February 1, 2023 - encourage a young-adult in your community to consider YAGM today!

More information can be found here.

Lutheran Social Services Holiday Gift Drive

Make a difference in the lives of your vulnerable neighbors this holiday season by participating in the Lutheran Social Services of Northern California annual holiday gift drive. This year, they are providing gifts to 4,500 adults, children, youth and seniors who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness.

Learn about how you can participate in this year's Holiday Gift Drive here. 

Office of the Bishop Weekly Recap

Office of the Bishop Weekly Recap! At the end of each week, the office of the bishop will be sharing focus areas from our previous week. Here's are this past week's focus areas:

• Met with new Mission Starts.

• Hosted a Conference Gathering in Conference 4.

• Onboarded a new Property Management Volunteer.

• Dedicated a newly Renovated Sanctuary.

• Reconciled all synod council roster actions with the ELCA database.

• Met with synod campus ministry leaders.

• Developed plans for the 2023 synod assembly.

• Prepared candidates for ministry.

• Met with congregations.

• Onboarded Conference Deans.

Spirit-Centered Moment

A Reflection by the Rev. Sara Wilson

Director of Seminary Relations, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, California Lutheran University

Pause.

Breathe.

Pray. 

Repeat.

This simple contemplative mantra has carried me through countless tough times and saved me from hitting “send” too soon on many replies to upsetting and unsettling emails, texts, and social media posts.

We live in a time where responses are expected promptly, our minds are conditioned to want to respond immediately, and our fingers move on keyboards and smartphones like they have been pre-programmed with answers before questions have even been asked. It should therefore not be a surprise that our brains are often tired and we feel “hooked” on the need to be tethered to devices and people all the time.

Somehow in the quest for greater connection, we have become more disconnected from God and our own spirits than ever before.

In today’s Spirit-centered moment, I invite you to engage with me in a spiritual practice called contemplative photography. That’s right…use your device! Try this. Take a short “holy pause” break and go find something or someplace that will give you a Spirit-centered moment with God. The contemplative photo I am sharing with you today is a photo that I took during a short hike up a hill at Cal Lutheran last February at sunrise. As you take your photo, receive from God the gifts of that moment and receive the photograph of that time and space and experience. Hold that moment in your heart and give thanks for what it is. Take a few more moments to receive the peace that surpasses all understanding with God and then continue on with your day. And maybe share your photo with someone else who needs a little support in finding a holy pause and prayer in their day, too.

You are a blessing.

Email your contemplative photos and wonderings about life, faith, PLTS, and CLU to swilson@plts.edu.

Connect with Synod Staff & Your Conference Dean

Bishop Claire S. Burkat

Interim Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod

bishop@spselca.org

JJ Godwin

Executive Assistant to the Bishop

jj@spselca.org

Debbie Cook

Finance Assistant Contractor

debbie@spselca.org

Rev. Manda Truchinski

Assistant to the Bishop for Leadership & Strategic Organization

manda@spselca.org

Catherine Slabaugh

Communications & Connections Coordinator

catherine@spselca.org

Rev. Dr. Dawn Roginski

Interim Assistant Director of Evangelical Mission

dawn@spselca.org

Rev. Ben Colahan 

Dean, Redwood Mountain Conference 1

conference1@spselca.org

Rev. Dave Miller

Dean, Bridges Conference 2

conference2@spselca.org

Rev. Dr. Gabriele Schroeder

Dean, Capitol Valley Conference 3

conference3@spselca.org

Rev. Charlane Lines

Dean, Sierra Nevada Foothills Conference 4

conference4@spselca.org

Rev. John Kuehner

Dean, San Francisco Peninsula Conference 5

conference5@spselca.org

Rev. Cristina Beauchemin

Dean, El Camino Real Conference 6

conference6@spselca.org

Rev. Dr. John Valentine

Dean, Mt. Diablo Conference 7

conference7@spselca.org

Rev. Mark Price

Dean, Sierra Central Valley Conference 8

conference8@spselca.org

Rev. Jodi Golden-Lund

Dean, Central San Joaquin Conference 9

conference9@spselca.org

Rev. Cindy Beck

Dean, Interim Ministry

interims@spselca.org