Upcoming Events
& Opportunities
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2022 Pacifica Synod Assembly Begins Thursday! |
This Thursday, May 19, our 2022 Pacifica Synod Assembly begins in Irvine. Our staff will began arriving at the Irvine Marriott Tuesday evening to begin preparations for the start of the Assembly on Thursday.
Our Synod office will be closed Wednesday, May 18 through Monday, May 23. The office will reopen on Tuesday, May 24. In the event of an emergency during this time, our staff may be reached at 619-333-0828.
Synod Assembly business sessions and worship will be livestreamed on our Pacifica Synod YouTube Channel. Share this information with those in your congregation!
We encourage those in attendance to share your Assembly experiences through social media by using the hashtag #PacSynod22. Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page for the latest updates.
We give thanks for the many hours of hard work by our Assembly Planning Team members and the many volunteers who give so generously of their time to make our Assembly happen. We are grateful for your prayers for our Synod staff (including Bishop Andy and our Bishop-Elect), Assembly voting members, guests, hotel staff, vendors, and volunteers.
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New ELCA Government and Civic Engagement
Social Statement
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What is important to you when you think about government? What about how the church and the state relate to each other?
A task force is at work on a new social statement about civics and faith, and it wants to hear from you. This social statement was requested by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. A key piece of this process is hearing from ELCA members about their priorities and perspectives.
Social statements establish the basis for the ELCA’s public voice and policy decisions. They also serve as a teaching tool to help people discern and discuss their views on an issue.
This month you can connect directly with the task force to let them know what’s important to you!
Join members of the ELCA social statement task force for an ELCA-wide virtual listening event. The event will introduce what social statements are and how they’re developed. Then, participants will have a chance to share with task force members directly in breakout groups. The main questions will be:
- What themes, ideas or topics do you think the task force needs to talk about or consider for the social statement?
- What is important for the task force to consider in creating an effective social statement?
There are two opportunities to participate:
Tuesday, May 24, 7-8:15 p.m. Central time
Wednesday, May 25, 7-8:15 p.m. Central time
To learn more about the social statement process, visit elca.org/civicsandfaith. For more on our preexisting social statements and study materials, including a new study guide on Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action, visit elca.org/socialstatements.
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Woven Image in Concert to Benefit Ukraine
Saturday, May 28
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Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Cypress is proud to announce its upcoming concert by the renowned musical group, Woven Image, on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. A free-will offering will be collected, the proceeds of which will benefit the people of Ukraine through Lutheran World Relief (LWR.org). The group is led by Mount Calvary’s Pastor Carole Parmeter Dyer and her husband, Tom.
Woven Image performs songs from a wide range of styles drawing on folk, Celtic, jazz, and world music. This ensemble gives concerts all around Southern California that create community and raise money and awareness for social justice causes. The group has produced five CD recordings, including Woven Image, a self-titled recording of their band’s music which is available on iTunes.
Founded in 1992, by Carole and Tom Parmeter Dyer and Alan Cook, the core members of the group are: Thomas Parmeter Dyer (Piano, Vocals), Carole Parmeter Dyer (Vocals), Larry Klevos (Vocals), Sharon Edmondson (Vocals, Flute), Claudia Fitzpatrick (Cello), Maggie Fitzpatrick (Violin), David James (Guitar, Mandolin), and Susan Rishik (Violin).
Light refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall following the concert. Mount Calvary is located at 5895 Ball Road in Cypress. If you have any questions, please contact the church at (714) 527-6311.
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People's Anti-Racism Roundtable
Sunday, May 29
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We invite you to be with us for our next roundtable conversation on anti-racism on Sunday, May 29 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. We will meet in-person at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 111 W. Las Palmas Drive, Fullerton. We will also have the opportunity for you to join via Zoom. To receive the Zoom link to join, please email Sarah Tees at sarahtees@hotmail.com.
Our conversations center on education and current topics and news. All are welcome either in person or online.
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Coaching for All Seasons
Monthly Online Gathering for
Pacifica Synod Rostered & Lay Leaders
Thursday, June 2
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“Swimming in a Sea of Loss and Grief:
Recovery is Possible”
Thursday, June 2
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!
A fish only knows the waters it swims in. For the past two-plus years, we’ve been swimming in waters filled with trauma due to pandemic isolation and death, racial inequality and strife, and international conflict and war. How do we come to terms with the losses and the accompanying grief?
Grief Recovery Method Specialist Margie Neugebauer, CGRM®, MA, LPC, will introduce us to the Grief Recovery Method, which offers options for moving forward from the very real pain associated with loss. Margie has a Master’s Degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Coach, a Synod Transformational Ministry/ReDevelopment trainer, and a pastor’s spouse. She works in a variety of educational and religious settings. A native South Dakotan, Margie loves living in the Black Hills.
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.
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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"Motivating the Exhausted" Workshop
for Congregation Leaders in SWCA & Pacifica Synods
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
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1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (PDT) / 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (HST)
Online over Zoom
with Rev. Dr. Marjorie Funk-Pihl
This pandemic has gone on and on. It's taking a toll on everyone in just about every area of our lives. This 3-hour workshop will give you tools to lead your congregation to channel their exhaustion and frustration in creative ways that inspire curiosity and lead to constructive change. The appreciative inquiry process will provide the strategy and the underlying principles, so you'll learn a bit about that too.
This workshop is for leaders of congregations in the SWCA and Pacifica synods. This workshop benefits from your full participation. There will be one-on-one interviews and small group gatherings. Please expect to be present for the full three hours.
There is no cost to attend. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email that contains the Zoom link to join on June 7.
The Rev. Dr. Marjorie Funk-Pihl is the primary consultant for Living the Resurrection, a church vitality ministry. Marj uses change strategies and motivational psychology in her work with congregations and has seen the impact the pandemic is having on our life together.
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