This year’s NC Synod Assembly celebrated collaboration between the Moravian and Lutheran churches, a relationship as old as the denominations themselves.

The first-ever online NC Synod Assembly is in the books. Whether you were a voting member or a Facebook Live watcher, we want to hear from you! Please complete this assembly evaluation survey ASAP so we might improve assemblies in the future. Tell us what you think!

Long-awaited guidance from the Ecumenical Consultation on Protocols for Worship, Fellowship and Sacraments, released June 8, advises houses of worship to go slowly with in-person gatherings where vaccinated and unvaccinated persons occupy the same space.

On Wednesday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m., the consultation will host a webinar titled “Leading the Church in a Lingering Pandemic,” a roundtable discussion with public health experts and pastors in a time of progress and uncertainty concerning the pandemic. How will congregations minister to those who are vaccinated and those who are not vaccinated in multigenerational settings? What activities should we continue to adapt or avoid, such as congregational singing or shaking hands?

This event on Thursday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m. will help congregations get in the right frame of mind to successfully navigate post-COVID challenges and come out more vital than before. During the event, you will learn the basic concepts and tools. Study resources and a leader guide for congregations are available to download now. These Scripture-based study resources are designed to help congregations release the burdens of the pandemic, promote deeper faith in the Spirit’s power at work in their midst, and empower their future mission. Watch a two-minute preview video.

During the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted a resolution designating June 17 as a commemoration of the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine—the nine people shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. A collection of resources is available to help mark this commemoration and can be adapted for virtual worship, online conversation, or individual reflection and devotion. Congregations are encouraged to mark this commemoration locally.

Join Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) in Celebrating World Refugee Day! World Refugee Day is June 20, but LIRS is honoring our refugee neighbors all month long! We celebrate the incredible resilience and courage of refugees here in America and recognize the adversity faced by nearly 80 million people displaced worldwide. Also, in honor of World Refugee Day, LIRS spoke with several former refugees about what the day means to them. Watch the video.

EDLARJ (European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice) is offering a free online workshop on Tuesday, June 22 to help congregations start a racial justice or anti-racism team. The workshop is presented by Brenda Blackhawk, Congregational Organizer for Racial Justice in the Minneapolis Area Synod. EDLARJ will be facilitating follow-up to the workshop and support/accountability groups for those interested in continuing the conversation.

Bettie Louise Misenheimer Rogers, mother-in-law of Pastor Terrell Long (retired, Granite Falls), died on May 17. We mourn with her family. Read the full obituary.

Thelma Odom Goff, sister-in-law of Pastor Ed Harper (retired, Salisbury), died on May 25. We mourn with her family. Read the full obituary.

Bonita Voigt, sister of Pastor Marcus Hovis (retired, Clayton), died on May 19. We mourn with her family. Read the full obituary.

Pastor Joanna Stallings (Good Shepherd, Goldsboro) had surgery on June 1 to repair a broken elbow following a recent fall.

Mary Ann Nelson, wife of Pastor David Nelson (retired, Salisbury), has been in the hospital and is going to rehab to help her get her strength back.

Clarence Schulze, father of Pastor Sharon Schulze (South Durham Connections, Durham), has bladder cancer.

Vicar Denise Henry (Mt. Olive, Hickory) married Sam Bickley on May 29 at Epiphany, Winston-Salem. Congratulations!

For all those who see “home” and all it means disappear behind them; For all those who cannot see a home in the days ahead of them; For all those who dwell in daily insecurity; For all those who are weary and without a safe place to rest their heads; For all families migrating we pray. As we are blessed with returning to a home, may we also be blessed with compassion for those still weary, still seeking, still with so far to go. We pray.

Pastor Jennifer Ginn, interim pastor at St. Luke's, Lexington, has a reflection featured in the June issue of Gather magazine (formerly Lutheran Woman Today). If you are already a subscriber, you will find "Isabel and the Zebra" on page six. If not, please consider subscribing for just $9.95 per year for inspiring articles and Bible studies. Congratulations, Pastor Jennifer!

Lutheran summer camps are scattered across our denomination. In fact, in seminary we would joke that our introductions frequently included the Lutheran outdoor ministry sites where we went as kids, served as staff and hoped to return as pastors. The experiences one finds at church camp can drastically change whole trajectories—at least, they did for me.

Read more from Living Lutheran.

Tara loves dancing and, from childhood, always wanted to dance in front of an audience. Now 30 years old, she often performs at festivals and cultural functions, her performances described as “heart-touching.” Tara even performed at the Bali Jatra festival, a popular trade fair and market in Cuttack, India, where she lives.

So many of us have lost a friend, family member, or loved one to addiction. That loss may have been slow or sudden but no matter how it happened, the sense of grief and loss is always deep. The ongoing stigma around addiction and overdose can make a difficult grieving process even harder and lonelier. The Center of Addiction and Faith will host a panel discussion on Thursday, June 24, with those who have lost loved ones and practical information on how to support others who are grieving.

Could "science and technology make our faith obsolete?" Many leaders, pastors, and people of faith are wrestling with this vital question. Come explore this question and many more on Wednesdays—July 7, 14, 21, 28—via Webcast in this online course and continuing education event sponsored by Faith+Lead of Luther Seminary and led by Dr. Greg Cootsona of Science for the Church.

How is travel guru Rick Steves going to help you refocus your church marketing efforts? Find out on the latest episode of the MyCom Podcast.

Morning Star, Matthews, is searching for a part-time Minister with Youth. Through the establishment of authentic relationships with the children and youth in the MSLC community, the Minister will provide opportunities for young people to develop a mature faith, form spiritually healthy relationships, and grow in daily discipleship. Learn more.

Living Springs, Columbia, SC, is searching for a Missional Worship & Music Leader. We seek to share the Spirit’s call with a vibrant, innovative partner who has vision, passion, and energy for the ever-evolving worship-music ministry of Christ’s church. Learn more.  

Stock up for summer reading with Paraclete Press! We've cleaned out our warehouse and have lots of books in excellent, gently-used condition to offer at deeply discounted prices. It's just $2 per book; order while supplies last! Learn more; order today.