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On Sunday, January 22nd Paul Larson was Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA! Rev. Paul was also Installed as Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Salinas, CA. The beautiful service concluded with a catered Taco Dinner and a lively Mariachi Band performance. Blessings to Rev. Paul and the people of Good Shepherd in this new season of ministry.

Synod Vice President Simon Wong and his family share a very Happy Lunar New Year with the synod! You can learn more about Lunar New Year and how Lutherans in our synod celebrate this day here.

Members of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek, CA collected two truck-loads of food to be donated to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Concord, CA - who runs the Friends Feeding Friends food pantry. A wonderful local partnership!

On Friday evening, the Sierra Pacific Synod Council Installed their newest Council members, Rev. Eduardo Trejo Soto, Kezia Darla, Christine Sinnott, and John Brett. Blessings to these four as they serve faithfully!

Send your ministry pictures to catherine@spselca.org or (650) 302-0364 be featured in the Synod Newsletter!

Synod Council Meeting Recap

The Sierra Pacific Synod Council gathered on Friday, January 20th and Saturday, January 21st at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oakland, CA for a Synod Council meeting. At this meeting the Synod Council:

• Installed new Synod Council members
• Appointed 4 individuals to the Synod Staff Support Committee
• Received a Proposal from Mt. Cross Ministries
• Received updates and a budget proposal from the Synod Assembly Planning Team
• Appointed 8 individuals to the Bishop's Election Committee
• Toured the newly renovated Synod Office
• Discussed and Discerned next steps for reconciliation across the synod

A special thank you to St. Paul for their hospitality in hosting the Synod Council this weekend!

Parochial Reports and Bishop Reports Information

Earlier this month, all Rostered Ministers and Congregational Officers were sent an email with information regarding Parochial Reports and Bishop Reports. These Reports give all of us greater capacity to address the needs of our ministries and participate in the proclamation of the Good News. All Reports are due no later than March 1, 2023.

Parochial Reports are now available for online submission here. Blank copies of the Parochial Reports can be accessed and downloaded here.

If you did not receive one of these emails and believe that you should have, please email catherine@spselca.org and she will pass along all necessary information.

Upcoming Synod-Wide Events

Cheers to the Belfry Beer

Tasting Fundraiser

Saturday, January 28th at 4:00pm

Episcopal Church of St. Martin, Davis, CA

Looking for an activity next Saturday night? Consider attending The Belfry Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry fundraiser, "Cheers to the Belfry"! The Belfry is hosting a guided beer tasting fundraiser next Saturday, January 28th at 4:00pm. Learn from U.C. Davis Professor Emeritus of Brewing Science Charlie Bamforth and Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Science Glen Fox during this wonderful tasting.

This event is for individuals aged 21+, learn more and purchase your ticket here.

Credentialing Workshop for

Rostered Ministers

February 8th and 9th at 12:00pm via Zoom

This February, Rev. Manda Truchinski, in partnership with the Conference Deans, will offer a workshop for all Rostered Ministers of the Sierra Pacific Synod. This workshop will be a presentation of the covenants and processes of being credentialed in the ELCA.

This workshop will cover:

• What happens when you want to seek a new call
• The difference between a synod call and a congregation call
• Requirements for being in good standing
• How to request a change in roster status
• The difference between a contract and a call
• Serving in a partner denomination
• And more!

This workshop will be offered on two occasions: Wednesday, February 8th and Thursday February 9th, each day from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. The meeting will not be recorded. 

To attend, register here. Registered persons will receive a Zoom link the Sunday before the workshops occur.

Synod Lunch at the Extravaganza

Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 12:30pm

at La Casa Garcia, Anaheim

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Are you attending the ELCA Extravaganza in Anaheim, CA this February? If so, we invite you to join us for a synod-wide lunch! On Saturday, February 4, in-person participants of the Extravaganza are invited to join their synod for a lunch. The Sierra Pacific Synod will gather in the lobby of the hotel and walk to La Casa Garcia, 531 W Chapman Ave.

​

If you're able to attend, please RSVP by emailing catherine@spselca.org or texting (650) 302-0364.

SPSYC High School Retreat

February 24-26, 2023

at Mt. Cross Ministries, Ben Lomond, CA

The Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC) is hosting their annual High School Retreat this February 24-26, 2023 at Mt. Cross Ministries in Ben Lomond, CA. The Retreat will center around the theme "God's Love: Inside Out", rooted in 1 John 4:19. Registration for the retreat is now open here!

At this retreat, eligible high school students will have the opportunity to join and serve on the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee! Learn more about serving on SPSYC here.

The Ordination of the first female Palestinian pastor in the Holy Land

On Sunday, January 22nd, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) ordained the first female Palestinian Pastor! Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Pastors from throughout the ELCA gathered in the Holy Land to celebrate Sally Azar's historic ordination.

We invite you to watch this short documentary about the ordination of women in the ELCJHL, read Bishop Eaton's letter on the ordination here, and watch the livestream of the ordination service here. We join in celebrating the Rev. Sally Azar!

Photo courtesy of the Lutheran World Federation.

God's Love On Tour!

Mt. Cross Ministries 2023 Summer Schedule

Mt. Cross Ministries just announced their 2023 Summer Schedule and programming! They'll begin the summer with 3 weeks of on-site programming for all ages, then hit the road for off-site day camp, then finish out with more on-site programming, but this week at Sly Park Recreation Area in Pollock Pines, CA.

Registration opens February 1st - you can learn more here.

New IRS Standard Mileage Rate

At the end of December, the IRS issued a new standard mileage rate. The new rates are as follows:

• 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use
• 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

You can learn more about these changes here.

Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church

"At the 2022 Churchwide Assembly last August, voting members adopted a memorial concerning restructuring the ELCA’s governance, and in November the Church Council responded to this by authorizing the establishment of a Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. Individuals who wish to be nominated for the commission or to nominate another person can learn more here. Nominations are open through March 9."

A Gun Violence Litany following

the Shooting in Monterey Park

Today we remember

those who have died by gun violence,

those who have survived gun violence,

those who mourn deaths of family and friends by gun violence.

Aching with sorrow

we grieve this pain and death that surrounds and fills us.

Today we remember

mass killings in places of prayer,

in synagogues, mosques, and churches.

Rejecting the viciousness

we give ourselves to one another in love and care.

Today we remember

deaths and fears of death

rampant in schools, homes, and workplaces.

Marching for their lives, young people awaken us to action.

Listening at last

we rise up to face the horror; we confess ourselves complicit.

Let us pray together.

Forgive, O God, our wrongful action and our inaction.

Forgive our silence and indifference.

Lead us in love, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.

May God who is our hope

inscribe our hearts with justice and guide us in the ways of peace. Amen.

Written by the Rev. Joanne Engquist and provided by ELCA Worship.

Connect with Synod Staff & Your Conference Dean

Bishop Claire S. Burkat

Interim Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod

bishop@spselca.org

Deacon JJ Godwin

Executive Assistant to the Bishop

jj@spselca.org

Dale Loepp

Director of Finance Contractor

dale@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