See What's Happening at the SWCA Synod!
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Visit the synod website to find out about
upcoming events
. Please share this information as you are able. You can sign up to receive newsletters and special emails from the synod office
here
.
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Are You Ready for "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday?
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"God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday is September 9, 2018*. This is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
You work every day to make your community a better place. Let us continue doing this work together in 2018! View the
video
and access
resources
to guide your congregation’s planning, promotion and more.
*Although September 9 is the ELCA's "official" #GWOH Sunday, your congregation can make their Day of Service any day. Be sure to send pictures of your #GWOH event to [email protected]!
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Sarah W. Heath Center for Equality and Justice
Fall Events at Cal Lutheran
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The Sarah W. Heath Center for Equality and Justice (CEJ) supports Cal Lutheran's mission to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice.
Fall 2018 events include the Reel Justice Film Series:
The Unafraid
, a feature length documentary that follows the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia and
A Place at the Table
, which tells the powerful stories of three Americans who maintain their dignity even as they struggle just to eat; a lecture on Fake News with Russell Contreras, a reporter with The Associated Press in Albuquerque, N.M., who is a member of the AP's national race and ethnicity team; an “Eat Less Water” cooking demonstration; and World AIDS Day.
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Human Trafficking Forum
Wednesday, September 12 in Thousand Oaks
Ascension, Thousand Oaks is co-hosting a forum to raise awareness and educate community members about what constitutes human trafficking, how to recognize the signs, and how to combat it.
Download the informational flyer here
.
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Create a Safety Plan for Your Church
Saturday, September 15
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Santa Ana
This whole church approach is for anyone seeking to intentionally create a peaceful environment for people of all ages. Walk away with a customized guide and training method useful in addressing all your unique building, people, and activity concerns.
Find out more here
!
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All are welcome to attend (pastors, youth ministers, youth directors and volunteers) from both Southwest California and Pacifica Synods. The weekend is a time for us to gather, network and learn from each other. Please join us for a great weekend of fun and fellowship.
This year's speakers are Pastors Scott & Melissa Maxwell-Doherty from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA. Register
here
! If you have any questions, please contact Nate Maxwell-Doherty at [email protected].
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Synodical Women's Convention
October 5 - 7 at California Lutheran University
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Karen Voris will be in attendance representing the Women of the ELCA. We will elect the entire SoCAl SWO leadership team (four officers and seven board members), who will serve a 2-year term. Now is the time to submit nominations! We will also elect delegates to the 11th Triennial Convention, July 14 – 16, 2020 in Phoenix, AZ.
A flyer and registration form are included in the July newsletter
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One Year to Live Men's Retreat
October 5 - 7 at Luther Glen
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Developed by Lutheran Men in Mission in partnership with Lyman Coleman, pioneer of small group ministry, CEO and founder of Serendipity Publishing House, the One Year to Live Retreat is designed to be a life changing, lay-led event.
Find out more here
!
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Events for Church Musicians
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Concordia University Irvine
Saturday, October 6
This event features a hymn festival and two plenary sessions led by noted church musician and composer Michael Burkhardt. The festival service will also feature the Concordia Choir and Master Chorale under the direction of CUI faculty member Michael Busch. Additional breakout sessions on a variety of church music topics will be led by Concordia University faculty members and local presenters. Church musicians and enthusiasts of all levels and ages are warmly encouraged to attend. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. The hymn festival begins at 5:00 p.m. For more information and to register, go to
Irvine, CA - Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
.
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First Lutheran Church, Torrance
Saturday, October 20
Join us as as we explore leadership skills and strategies that help strengthen and inspire the singing voice of our congregations. We'll worship to begin the day together, then experience a rich variety of repertoire (from classic hymnody to Global Song), noticing how practices of modeling and invitation create space for holistic learning and engagement. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The workshop ends at 2:45 p.m, followed by a concert as a part of the Classical Crossroads concert series. For more information and to register go to
Torrance, CA - Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.
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Decolonize Lutheranism
October 19 - 20, 2018
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#decolonize18
is the third annual revival of the
#decolonizeLutheranism
cooperative. Hosted by the ELCA church community, The New City Parish, the weekend's revival will be held at Ascension Lutheran Church (5820 West Boulevard - Los Angeles, California, 90043) on Friday, October 19 at 5:00 p.m. and ending at Saturday October 20, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
New to this year, the weekend's activities will be completely designed and coordinated by multiple church communities from the city of Los Angeles - bringing a greater focus to a region of the country that most people in the United States never think of as "Lutheran." And since the entire event will be live-streamed, anyone in the United States can watch and participate.
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October 22-25, 2018
Embassy Suites, Palm Desert
74-700 Highway 111, Palm Desert 92260
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! This year's speakers are
The Rev. Prof. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Ph.D and The Rev. Sarah Ciavarri, and the theme is “Preaching with Authenticity, Leading with Integrity.”
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Men's Advance
October 26 - 28 at El Camino Pines
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How do we as men become courageous faith warriors who leave impactful footprints of faith?
Apostle Paul’s admonition to believers challenges to put on the full armor of God each day. By grounding ourselves in Biblical truths, having a right relationship with God and our fellow believers, developing a readiness to share the Gospel of true peace, claiming the grace of God-given salvation, and using the Word of God and prayer, we can unleash the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives impacting our families, churches, and our communities.
Our guest presenter and discussion leader will be
Dr. Terry Paulson.
With a Ph.D in psychology and a Masters in Lay Theology from Fuller Seminary, Terry is an award-winning speaker who weaves contagious enthusiasm, tasteful humor, and practical insights on faith into each presentation.
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“Dream Team? Who, me? Discovering Your Place on God’s Team” is the theme for the upcoming High School Gathering, based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-14. This event, co-sponsored by the Pacifica Synod and the Southwest California Synod Youth Teams, will take place November 9-11, 2018 at
Luther Glen Camp
in Oak Glen.
This will be an opportunity for high school youth across our two synods to gather and grow together, learn and lead, play and pray, serve, worship and wonder. The gathering begins on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and will end on Sunday by noon. For an event brochure to download and share, click
here
.
Through workshops, music and worship, fellowship, prayer and interaction with other young leaders, it is our hope that youth and adult leaders will come away from camp feeling renewed, refreshed, and equipped with some new tools to use in their own ministry settings.
Online registration for this event may be found
here
and is open through November 1. The cost for the weekend, which includes all programming and 4 meals, is $99 per person, adults and youth. An event t-shirt is included for those who register prior to October 26.
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Solheim Anniversary Gale
Saturday, November 10
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Middle School Youth Gathering
November 16 - 18, 2018
Hilton Woodland Hills, CA
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This weekend program offers large group sessions with speakers and praise music. Friday night activities include extreme sports, games and much more! Saturday morning workshops will focus on teen faith topics and the afternoon will be spent at Universal Studios. Sunday concludes with morning worship. Join Christian youth as we learn to laugh out loud, love out loud and live out loud through Jesus Christ.
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Lombard Mennonite Peace Center Workshops
November, 2018 & March, 2019 in Palo Alto, CA
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The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is returning to California this fall to Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, CA.
Leadership and Anxiety in the Church: A Family Systems Perspective
will be held on Wednesday, November 28 and
Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
will be held March 18 - 22, 2019. Brochures are available
here
.
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Save the Date - 2019 Synod Assembly and Bishop's Election
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We will be returning to the beautiful Cal Lutheran Campus for the 2019 SWCA Synod Assembly and Bishop's Election from May 30 - June 1, 2019. According to the constitution of the SWCA Synod, a bishop's election is held at Synod Assembly every six years, and the electors are the voting members of the assembly. Our current bishop, Dr. Guy Erwin, will complete his first six-year term in 2019, and has indicated his openness to re-election. You will be receiving more information about the 2019 Assembly and the Bishop's Election process over the coming months.
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