When the COVID-19 pandemic forced congregations to suspend public gatherings, Pastor Russell Peek of Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Winston-Salem was amazed by how his congregation mobilized to bring their worship services online. “At first, I started navigating digital worship on my own,” he says. “But then more and more folks joined me in that effort pretty quickly. So then the idea became, let’s try to get as many people as possible involved in the worship services.”

Are you a voting member for this year's assembly? Be sure to attend one—or more!—of the three Assembly Information Sessions. These will be held on Zoom and you will be able to practice voting, participating in a Zoom poll, or using Zoom chat to participate in the business sessions. Voting members are invited—actually, strongly encouraged!—to join at least one of these sessions. Or, join all three to ensure you are comfortable with the Zoom platform.

Are you NOT a voting member but are curious about this year's online assembly? Join an Info Session to learn more and see how it will work!

ASSEMBLY INFORMATION SESSIONS will be held:

Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. Zoom link

Sunday, May 23, at 3 p.m. Zoom link

and Tuesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. Zoom link

You are invited to lend your singing voice to the 2021 Synod Assembly online worship service. The link below provides recording instructions for at-a-distance participation in three hymns: "Built on a Rock," "Lead Me, Guide Me," and "Rise, Shine, You People." All are welcome. Nobody's individual voice will be heard, but everybody's voice will help the cause. You can record one, two, or all three hymns. Submission deadline is Thurs., May 27, 11:59 p.m.

"Christ builds a house of living stones: we are his own habitation." These words from the hymn "Built on a Rock" imply that the Church is not limited to a physical building and serve as a helpful reminder during a year when many have worshiped from a distance. You are invited to upload photos of how your church community has adapted to provide ministry during this time of pandemic. Select photos will be shown as part of the virtual singing of "Built

on the Rock" during June's Synod assembly Worship. Upload photos here (preferred) or email them to Ryan Luhrs. Submission deadline is Thurs., May 27, 11:59 p.m.

Plan to join this year's NC Synod Assembly in two ways. Voting members are pre-registered and will join by Zoom using a link sent to them by email. Guests and visitors may participate by visiting the synod's Facebook page or YouTube channel. We can't wait! See you soon!

In her May column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton notes that music, like God’s love, is at the same time deeply personal, sounding deep within an individual’s soul, and universal, ringing out to an entire community. Read her column in English and in Spanish.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, in this video, calls for support of peace with justice in Palestine and Israel. She asks for people to write President Biden and members of Congress urging they send a message to Israel to halt the illegal removal of East Jerusalem families from their homes and respect the Status Quo agreement and holy sites in Jerusalem.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many churches worship and minister, renewing focus on the church’s role in health and healing. How can churches address physical and mental health concerns of members? The online FAN program can help! Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) is a free online resource which includes 8 self-paced, interactive weekly lessons that can be completed in about an hour. The program also includes 12 months of free materials and resources to help your church launch FAN and sustain it over the first year.

Relationships between church members became more important than ever in the past year. Now the church has a chance to re-focus on relationships and introduce new strategies for church members to really listen and connect with one another. This session, on Thursday, June 10 at 2 p.m., from Practical Resources for Churches (PRC) will cover getting to know people who are new to your congregation and reaching out to include people on the “fringes” of congregational life.

All are invited to an outdoor service of the Installation of the Rev. Anna Carter as pastor at Holly Grove, Lexington, on Sunday, June 6, at 3 p.m. The Yadkin Conference Dean, Pastor Cassie McIntosh Overcash, will install, and Pastor Scott Anderson will preach. Social distancing and masks covering both the nose and mouth are required for the entire service. Bring your own lawn chair or watch via Facebook Live.

Madeline Susan Locke, grandaughter of Pastor John and Anna Lisa Locke (St. James, Fayetteville), was born on May 13 in Jacksonville, FL. Pastor Daniel, Pastor Sarah, and big brother, Bennet, are thrilled to welcome her into their family!

Long-time St. Mark's, Charlotte, member, Virginia Stackel, celebrated her 103rd birthday on January 7. Happy belated birthday!

O God, who creates many races and cultures, we thank you for the gift of many languages that build up the church. You have given us the special gift of bilingualism so that we may know more of your world. Even when our language skills fail us, help us to hold on to the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to understand your love among us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. — from Together we Pray: Meditations for Korean American Families, Hea Sun Kim (Abingdon Press, 1998), 49.

Over the past two months, a surge of COVID-19 cases has ravaged India. Lutheran Disaster Response is helping Padhar Hospital, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh, purchase an oxygen generator for its COVID-19 ward so it can treat more patients and not have to turn away people suffering with COVID-19.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first swept the world, the ELCA asked mission personnel to come back to the United States for a period. Since then, almost all missionaries have been able to return to their countries of service. A year later, many ELCA members have asked, “Are missionaries still serving internationally?” The answer is: Yes! The ELCA continues to send missionaries into the world to serve alongside our companions and partners in ministry, based on their needs and requests.

Download the latest Archival Survey, the newsletter of the Crumley Archives, the ELCA Region 9 located in Columbia, SC, which has the latest information about events and online courses available for you. Plan now to join them for an online workshop, Archiving Your Congregation, on Tuesday, June 22, at 10:00 a.m.

Download Archival Survey.

The Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod invites all our siblings from across the ELCA to join us digitally for the 2021 John Hope Franklin Reconciliation in America National Symposium, May 26-29. This year's theme is The Future of Tulsa’s Past: The Centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and Beyond.

After the Symposium, on the afternoon of May 29, everyone is invited to join a Zoom conversation where we will continue addressing the themes of the Symposium, talking about how those themes speak to us as a church. (Attending the Symposium is not required in order to join the Zoom conversation.)

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) invites your congregation to go on a world tour with a virtual adult forum. Through videos and stories, the team at LWR is ready to take your congregation around the world and show you how your love is at work through rooftop farming in India, quilt and kit distributions in Lebanon, keeping our neighbors safe from COVID-19 in Africa, and much more. Staff are available to visit via live Zoom or prerecorded video.

Plan for hurricane season and be ready to take action. Today you can determine your hurricane risk and review and update your insurance policies, make a list of emergency supplies and prepare your facilities.

Join the National Lutheran Choir for Light Dawns on Sunday, May 23, at 5:00 p.m. At Light Dawns, you will be able to help NLC come back strong, connect with the community, learn about upcoming plans, listen to the music you love, and more!