Pacifica Synod News & Notes
July 28, 2022
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We share with you the following news, resources, information and event updates taking place within our synod and throughout the ELCA.
If you have items or information to share, please email Terri Robertson at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org. If you know of others who aren't receiving our emails, please share this with them and encourage them to contact us using the above email or sign up here.
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Current Synod News & Resources |
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Farewell & Godspeed
Bishop Andy & Rachel!
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As the month of July comes to a close, here in the Pacifica Synod Office of the Bishop we are in the midst of many transitions as Bishop Andy Taylor's term ends and we welcome Bishop Dave Nagler to the role of bishop. In addition, Rachel Line, the Executive Assistant to Bishop Andy, will be leaving her position as of July 31 (please click here to read her announcement on June 13).
We ask that you hold both Bishop Andy and Rachel in your prayers as they both embark on new adventures. They have served faithfully in this office for six years and within our synod for many years prior to that. We wish them time of rest and renewal and look forward to seeing what God has planned for them next! You both will be missed!
To read Bishop Andy's July 27 farewell letter to the synod, click here.
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Coaching for All Seasons
Monthly Gathering for Rostered & Lay Leaders
Thursday, August 4
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“We Need To Talk About It”
with Pacifica Synod Coaches
Thursday, August 4
11:00 a.m. to noon PDT/8:00 to 9:00 a.m. HST
Pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link to attend.
Click HERE to register now!
Brought to you by your Pacifica Synod Coaching Team to support Synod leaders during challenging times. Each monthly offering brings a presentation on a current topic and an opportunity to discuss it in a small group facilitated by an ELCA coach.
It’s done. Roe Vs Wade has been overturned and we need to be talking about it. Evangelism means different things to different people. “I’m a Christian.” Is a more ambiguous statement. How do we reconcile the faith we practice, with the characterization of our faith now that Roe Vs Wade has been overturned? This is an essential question we must all face. Join Pacifica Synod Coaching as we absorb how this makes us feel and learn how to turn our fights over one of the most contentious topics into a win-win by brainstorming solutions and creating buy-in from both sides.
Join Coaching For All Seasons on Thursday, August 4, at 11:00 AM for what we hope will be a promising skill-set for creating positive outcomes in heated discussions.
Pacifica Synod has invested in training coaches to work with rostered and lay leaders one-on-one or in groups. A coach's role is to support leaders in naming challenging issues and identifying constructive responses to them.
For more information:
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Theoasis Registrations Opens Soon! |
Monday, October 17 through Wednesday, October 19
Embassy Suites, La Quinta
A joint church leaders’ event (a theological oasis):
Rostered leaders, professional lay church staff, youth leaders, church administrators, office managers, outdoor ministry leaders, worship leaders… ALL are welcome!
Watch for more details and the link to register coming very soon!
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Now is the Time Study Series
August 17 to September 14
Weekly Over Zoom
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Registration will open next week for the Pacifica Synod's "Now is the Time" Study Series. This weekly series (held over Zoom) is for Pacifica Synod rostered leaders and lay persons interested in promoting racial justice within their communities, congregations and throughout the ELCA.
The study, led by members of the synod's Anti-Racism Team, will focus on the “Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent” which was adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Council in 2019. The “Now is the Time Study Series” and guide provide an avenue for the realization, self-examination and accountability required to “apologize to people of African descent for the [church’s] complicity in slavery and its enduring legacy of racism in the United States and globally.”
Watch for an email early next week with the link to register for the series. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to join and to be sent resources and material each week. Please share that invitation with others. If you have any questions or would like to ensure you receive information about this series, please contact Terri Robertson at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org.
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Global Engagement Mission (GEM) Fund Grant
Application Period Now Open!
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The application period for the 2022 Global Engagement Mission (GEM) Fund Grants is now open. The goals of the fund are:
- To assist congregations of the Pacifica Synod in their Global Mission efforts;
- To initiate and/or continue direct support of present and future Companion Synods of the Pacifica Synod;
- To share in ministry with God's people as we strive together for a lasting world peace.
Distribution of funds may be given to increase awareness of global mission work and to fund domestic and/or foreign projects related to Pacifica Companion Synod(s) and Lutheran partners and to provide assistance for travel expenses related to the fund's stated goals.
Requirements of the grant may be found the 2022 GEM Grant Fund application. Download and complete the application and submit it along with a one-page description of the project/program and how the funds will be used. Be specific as to how the project/program meets the goals of this grant and the outcomes anticipated.
The maximum amount that can be requested is $3,000. The application deadline is September 15, 2022. The completed application and description may be returned by mail or email using the instructions provided on the application.
Please note: 2021 GEM Grant Fund recipients MUST have filed the required reporting (as described in the letter sent with your reward) before applying for a 2022 grant.
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People's Anti-Racism Roundtable (Hybrid)
Sunday, August 28
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Global Mission Update
Hitoshi & Satoko Adachi
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Pastor Hitoshi Adachi and his wife, Satoko, are currently serving as missionaries with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kumamoto, Japan. To learn more about what is taking place in their ministry, please click here for their July 2022 newsletter.
The brochure attached here details the Adachi's ministry in Japan and how to best support them. You can give through the synod office or mail your check to Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009. Make checks payable to “ELCA Missionaries” with “(Hitoshi and Satoko) Adachi GCS2051” in the memo line.
To donate by credit or debit card, go to https://community.elca.org/Japan or call 800-638-3522 and specify “(Hitoshi and Satoko) Adachi GCS2051”. To set up an automatic monthly bank withdrawal or to establish a covenant of prayer, communication, and support, please contact 800-638-3522, ext. 2657, or globalchurch@elca.org.
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From the Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton
A statement on the killing of Jayland Walker
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July 15, 2022
"I prayed with head bowed on my bosom, as though I grieved for a friend or a brother; I went about as one who laments for a mother, bowed down and in mourning" (Psalm 35:13b-14, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition).
Dear Church,
Our prayers are with the family of Jayland Walker as they laid him to rest on Wednesday in Akron, Ohio, a place I know well and a community dear to my heart. We join all who gathered to mourn the brutal killing of their loved one. We remember also Daunte Wright, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile and Patrick Lyoya — just a handful of the multitude of other cases where a “routine” traffic stop ended with the death of a Black person. As we mourn, remember and await justice, so also must we act.
As people of hope, we must ask, when will such killings end? When will we no longer have to mourn the death of another like Jayland Walker, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright or George Floyd? As a church, we have acknowledged that "rooted in slavery, racism is manifested through the history of Jim Crow policies, racial segregation, the terror of lynching, extrajudicial killings by law enforcement, and the disproportionate incarceration of people of color" ("Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent," p. 2).
Sadly, we know this will not end until the system is reformed. Police forces throughout this nation are designed to protect and serve, but clearly the system does not protect and serve everybody. Police departments, like many institutions, including the church, sustain structural racism. We cannot fault the individual officer for their racist actions without also faulting the overall system for enabling, and even encouraging, those actions. Structural racism is the reason that, since 2017, nearly 600 people have been killed by police after routine traffic stops (MappingPoliceViolence.us). In 2021, 28% of innocent people whose deaths were caused by police were Black, despite being only 13% of the U.S. population.
We must continue to educate ourselves about problems in policing and the police system today. Resources such as Campaign Zero show us that there are obstacles to effective reform but also that meaningful reform is possible and even necessary. For example, in Lansing, Michigan, changing the reasons for traffic stops reduces the chances of violence, but there is still a massive disparity between the number of Black and white drivers pulled over. In other words, the work must continue beyond learning about the problem, lamenting the problem and taking small steps toward reducing the problem. Long-term, meaningful action must be initiated and sustained.
We, as a church, must join in the call to reform our police forces to ensure that they not only continue to serve and protect but also serve everyone in our communities, regardless of skin color, ethnic background, gender identity, sexuality or creed. We call on the U.S. Senate, following the action already taken by the House, to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and for the enactment of similar police reform proposals under consideration at the state level, such as HB 1267, passed into law in 2021 in Washington state.
Jayland Walker’s death could have been prevented if we had a police system that acted without prejudice in every instance, respecting each person's dignity.
In Christ,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Embody the Word Bible Study Sessions
2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Pre-Events
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The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be held in Columbus, Ohio, August 8 -12 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center under the theme Embody the Word.
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the primary decision-making body of the church, is a process of communal spiritual discernment. Voting members are chosen locally from across the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, representing the diverse communities, congregations, synods, perspectives and geographic contexts of the ELCA.
Churchwide Assembly Voting Members elected to represent the Pacifica Synod at the 2022 assembly in August are: Ms. Melanie Hendrickson, The Rev. James Pike, Mr. Lloyd Puckett, The Rev. Maria Santa Cruz, Ms. Salud Esmeralda Vences, Mr. Maurizio Zarate. Bishop Dave Nagler and Synod Vice-President Nicolette Rohr will also attend as voting members. Please keep them and all attending and leading this assembly in your prayers.
To learn more about the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, including livestream information, click here.
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ELCAVotes Copresents Advocacy Cafe
Last Tuesday of the Month
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With election season fervor escalating, many of us embrace the potential we have as U.S. residents and as people of faith in ensuring our election systems promote dignity and respect for all through fair elections in which each person is assured of their vote.
Advocacy Cafe is being launched with 4 sessions, once per month, between now and the national election in November. Held the last Tuesday of the month, the webinar format includes a 30-minute topic presentation, repeated during day hours and evening in most time zones. The day session will be followed by a standard 15-minute Q&A session, but the evening session will be followed by a longer, smaller break-out room arrangement for people to get to know one another and their local initiatives, concerns and mutual support.
Here are the basics: Last Tuesday of Month
Day Session: 1 p.m. ET (noon CT, 10 a.m. PT)
Evening Session: 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. PT)
- July 26 August Recess
- Aug. 30 Civic Engagement Actions (ELCAvotes)
- Sept. 27 Barriers to Voting (ELCAvotes)
- Oct. 25 Public Discourse (ELCAvotes)
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ELCA Fund for Leaders Celebrates 25 Years! |
Twenty-five years ago, our church’s leaders took a bold step and invested in the future by creating the ELCA Fund for Leaders (FFL). Since then, FFL has been providing scholarships for talented and passionate seminary students. In honor of the 25th anniversary of FFL, we are hosting the first-ever Day of Giving on August 16. All gifts to FFL will be matched dollar for dollar until we reach $25,000.
You can help us celebrate by lifting up this important ministry in your congregation on Sunday, August 14. Here are resources you can use in your worship services and church communities:
You can find these resources and more at ELCA.org/FundforLeaders25. Also, be sure to check Facebook and Instagram for new FFL stories on August 16. Thank you for helping to spread the word! Freeing our future pastors and deacons from the burden of student debt remains one of the most important tasks before us as a church.
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ELCA Youth Ministry Network
Extravaganza 2023 (in Anaheim & Online)
Registration Now Open
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We are excited for the 2023 EXTRAVAGANZA!
Sign-up today and invite your friends!
One event, two expressions.
Extravaganza 2023 is one live experience, with two options:
onsite in Anaheim or online from your computer.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
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Choose Onsite Registration to attend the Extravaganza in person at the Hyatt Regency Orange County.
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Choose Online Registration to attend the Extravaganza via your computer from your community.
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Network Membership IS REQUIRED to access these great rates! Click here to join the Network! Individual, multi-year and congregation team membership are available.
- Spouse/Partner rates are available! To receive this special rate, these special guests must register at the same time. Network membership is required for each person to access these discounted rates. Unique email addresses are needed for each registrant.
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A limited number of scholarships are available.
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We have updated our cancellation policies due to the low rates and online nature of the event. Please read through these before registering.
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Exhibitors and Partners: Please visit the Exhibitor Information page to register.
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New Resources for God's Work. Our Hands. Sunday |
On Sunday, September 11, congregations of the ELCA will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, our annual day of service.
As you explore opportunities to participate in your community, ELCA.org/DayofService has everything you need to plan and promote your day:
Old Lutheran has T-shirts and other items available for purchase. The deadline for ordering your congregation’s personalized T-shirts is August 19.
Don’t forget to share your congregation’s participation with the ELCA! Send stories and photos to LivingLutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God accomplishes through you.
Participate on social media using #GodsWorkOurHands.
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Ukraine & Eastern Europe Crisis Response |
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Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, millions of people have fled the country and are seeking refuge in neighboring countries including Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. There are major humanitarian concerns for both internally displaced people and refugees. Many of these Ukrainians fleeing their homes need shelter and such basic necessities as food, water and toiletries. Care for people also includes pastoral and psychological support to address the trauma they’ve endured.
There are a number of ways that you can support relief efforts through your financial gifts. Below are some of the Lutheran organizations involved in these efforts.
Lutheran Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying our companions in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as such ecumenical partners as Lutheran World Federation and Church World Service, in their humanitarian responses to the crisis. These partners provide refugees with immediate support and supplies such as food, blankets, water and hygiene kits. Click here to learn more.
You are invited to watch this video from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton about the situation in Eastern Europe and the ELCA’s response. To share this information with your congregations, download this bulletin insert.
Lutheran World Relief
Right now, Lutheran World Relief teams are working with partners in and around Ukraine. Your congregation’s gift will deliver urgent support and care, like: food, shelter and other critically needed items; Mission Quilts and Kits for families who fled their homes; and medicine and supplies for clinics. You can give online at www.lwr.org/match or by mailing to LWR, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061. Please write “Ukraine" in the memo line.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
LIRS stands committed to providing the absolute best care to refugees and immigrants who arrive in the United States, and we are working hard to bolster the refugee resettlement program to welcome more new Americans. To make a gift that will impact the lives of those we are serving domestically, visit lirs.org/give.
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Contemplative Action Cohorts Forming Now! |
Thriving Leadership Formation (TLF) is currently recruiting leaders and participants for the next round of Contemplative Action Cohorts – open to all rostered and non-rostered leaders in the 11 Synods of Regions 1 and 2. Watch this video to hear from those who have found community and meaning through their Cohort.
The goal of the Contemplative Action Cohorts is to foster and equip spiritual leaders for new models of ministry and church. These small groups are communities of practice, learning and friendship… places for you and others to form meaningful relationships built on trust.
If you are interested in joining a cohort, click here.
TLF is also seeking individuals to serve as Cohort Leaders for both Synod and At Large groups. Each leader will receive a $2,000 stipend. Leaders will receive training in spiritual practices, implement a guided curriculum, and gain access to other leadership opportunities and support. View the Leader Position Description here. If you are interested in serving as a Cohort Leader, click here.
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Lay Preaching
With Rev. Dr. Shauna Hannan
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REVITALIZE YOUR CONGREGATION’S PREACHING MINISTRY...
by making the practice of preaching more collaborative and participatory.
Led by Rev. Dr. Shaunna Hannan, Professor of Homiletics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (of California Lutheran University).
Seeking congregations interested in revitalizing their congregation’s preaching ministry!
What you need: 4-5 lay people from a congregation along with their Rostered Leader to form a small group to journey through this program together.
Six sessions with your congregation team joining several other congregations teams including some individual time with Shauna Hannan, Professor of Homiletics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (of California Lutheran University).
This is a gift to you from California Lutheran University Congregational Relations. We hope to lighten the load of Rostered Leaders, increase the capacity of lay leaders and come alongside congregations to strengthen your preaching capacity.
Questions?
Director of Congregational Relations, Cal Lutheran
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Building an Anti-Racism Team Webinar Series |
Hosted by: The ELCA European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ)
Audience/For whom: Anybody in the ELCA, specifically interested in connecting with other folks building or working at a synod, campus or congregational anti-racist team.
This is a follow up series to the ELCA European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ) webinar around How to Build a Congregation, Synod and/or Campus Anti-Racism team. As with any team, having shared goals is really important for doing effective work. The team should decide what their function will be by identifying their goals. Each racial justice team is unique to a specific congregation and community context. The goals of the team should be defined keeping that in mind. The main areas that a team focuses on falls into three areas: internal team goals, congregational goals, and community goals.
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LRCC's Christian Camp Classic Golf Tournament
September 29
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Come golf with LRCC! 31 years ago, the Christian Camp Classic Golf Tournament was organized to benefit our local Lutheran bible camp, El Camino Pines.
Tournament is a 4 player scramble. $170 tournament fee includes green fees, cart, dinner and a small donation to camp. Bring your friends for a day of golf and fun. Sign up your foursome today!
Raffle and dinner to follow the tournament. Non-golfers are welcome to attend the banquet and raffle. Dinner tickets are $35
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Care Connections Network
Fabulous Forever Gala
September 24
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ELCA & Other Partners
News & Ministry Links
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ELCA Lutheran Men in Mission Ambassador-Gram - July 2022
ELEA - ELCA Schools Scoops - July 1
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Office Administrator (Part-Time)
Ascension Lutheran, San Diego
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Ascension Lutheran Church in San Diego is seeking a part-time Office Administrator. The Office Administrator is responsible for a wide variety of managerial, technical, and clerical responsibilities supporting the ministries and mission of the church.
The position is part-time (20 hours per week). Wage is based on experience. A detailed job description may be found HERE.
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Organist/Pianist (Part-Time)
Our Saviour's, Orange
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Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Orange would like to fill the position of a part time Organist/Pianist. The salary is $14K per year and has a very minimal time requirement (Sundays/Wednesdays). Applicants must be adept at the piano and organ, a proficient sight reader, capable of improvisation, and skilled at accompanying. Proficiency in performing of a wide range of music including classical, gospel, contemporary styles, and secular music is necessary. An extensive knowledge of organ and piano repertoire is required. A working knowledge of Lutheran liturgy and worship and a theological understanding of church music is strongly recommended. The ability to communicate well and in a friendly manner with fellow staff members and the congregation is a must.
Please send resumes to the Director of Music and Pastor or you may contact us for more information regarding the position.
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Church Administrator (Part-Time)
First Lutheran, San Diego
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First Lutheran Church in downtown San Diego is looking for a part-time Church Administrator. The Church Administrator position includes both office administration and ministry coordination tasks. The position will be responsible for supporting the Pastor and volunteers in their ministry work as well as a myriad of administrative, financial, communication, and facility related duties. The position requires a proactive individual who can plan, prioritize, manage activities and make decisions with minimal supervision. An outgoing and welcoming personality is necessary in order to support the work of the Church and to coordinate with Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) that is co-located on the site. Additionally, the individual must have knowledge and appreciation of the Christian faith and the workings of a congregation. The ability to handle sensitive issues and confidential information is essential.
The position is for a 30-hour work week in the office with flexibility for evening meetings as needed and approved. The position is as a non-exempt employee. Contact administrator@firstlutheransd.org or leave message at 619-234-6149, Ext. 1 for more information.
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Organist, Accompanist, and Pianist/Keyboardist
Our Redeemer, Garden Grove
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Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Garden Grove is looking for an organist, accompanist, and pianist/keyboardist for contemporary worship. One or more persons could do one or all phases of the job. Compensation to be determined. Organist will play for traditional liturgical worship services. Accompanist will play piano for choirs, ensembles and soloists. Contemporary service pianist/keyboardist will play with praise band – being able to lead from piano/keys is a plus.
Please contact the church office at 714-539-9541. Applications are being accepted until July 15, 2022.
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Webinars and Other Events |
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We Remember in Our Prayers |
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We ask that you hold the following people and situations in your thoughts and prayers:
- For Bishop Emeritus Andy Taylor and Rachel Line as they end their time as Office of the Bishop staff members.
- For Bishop-elect Dave Nagler as he prepares to begin his term on August 1, 2022.
- For Larry Dodson (Pacifica Synod Council member).
- For the Sierra Pacific Synod, this church and all who are experiencing pain and have been hurt due to recent events.
- For Matt Deming, son of Deacon Phil Deming.
- For the people of Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries affected by this violent conflict.
- For the Afghan people, our allies, and vulnerable populations in the midst of this humanitarian disaster.
- For the people of Haiti in the face of earthquakes, tropical storms and political unrest.
- Those affected by wildfires, floods, tropical storms and other natural disasters, as well as emergency personnel responding to these situations.
- For those in countries facing political and civil unrest - Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Myanmar and others.
- For peace in Palestine and Israel and for those who have lost loved ones and their homes due to violence and unrest.
- Our nation and its leaders.
- Those affected with the COVID-19 virus and those who have lost loved ones.
- Our healthcare providers, first responders and all who continue to care for those battling COVID-19.
In our synod e-newsletter, prayer requests may be shared for our synod's rostered ministers, spouses, key lay leaders and congregations.
Prayer requests included are subject to the following guidelines:
- Only the names of those to be prayed for will be included in our communications. Additional information (with permission) may be shared with the bishop or synod staff, but will not be publicized.
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Those being prayed for must have provided the requester with explicit permission for their names to be shared with the synod.
- Names will remain in the synod communications for one month, unless we are notified by the Conference Prayer Coordinator to extend the request.
- Prayers MUST be added through your Conference Prayer Coordinator, who will submit the prayers to the synod office for distribution.
The following people are serving as your Conference Prayer Coordinators:
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Pacifica Synod - ELCA
Lutheran Center for Mission & Learning
1801 Park Court Place, Bldg. C, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714.692.2791
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