On Sunday, February 8, St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Vinton held its final worship service. The congregation which began on April 18, 1971 served the Vinton community for nearly 55 years. Pastor John Wertz, Jr., Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission, preached and led worship for the final service. Friends from across the years gathered to celebrate the ways that St. Timothy shared God's love in powerful ways in their community.

Midwinter Power in the Spirit offered an opportunity for approximately 60 people to focus on the foundations of faith. Each night a different speaker offered a reflection on the topic. Two workshop opportunities were available and then a time for worship. If you'd like to access any of the recordings or resources from Midwinter Power in the Spirit, use the button below and scroll down to the section entitled, "Previous Workshop Presentations and Recordings"

Save the Date: Summer Power in the Spirit will take place on July 16-18, 2026 on the campus of Roanoke College. This year, the Virginia Synod is excited to welcome The Rev. Susan Briehl as the Bible Study Leader, The Rev. Drew Tucker as the Keynote Presenter, Michael Benshish as the Musician, and ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry as the our special guest. Watch for additional information on the event and registration in the spring.

With Lent just a week away, Virginia Interfaith, Power and Light is excited to share that their 2026 Lenten Creation Care Calendar is here! Click here to download our calendar and access resources about waste reduction, gardening, recipes for meatless Fridays, energy efficiency, and so much more!

The ELCA World Hunger Lenten calendar is available to enrich the life of your congregation during Lent. They are eager to equip leaders with ELCA World Hunger resources during this season.

A daily devotional Lent calendar that members can use at home or with small groups to inspire reflection and to support the work of ELCA World Hunger. Also available to download in Spanish.

The “Action Guide for Congregations,” which is full of ideas for how to engage your members in the shared work of our church, including ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, AMMPARO and more!

An ELCA Good Gifts catalog to inspire unique seasonal-giving ideas that fight hunger and poverty around the world. Check out our refreshed ELCA Good Gifts online catalog and find more resources and gift options by visiting ELCA.org/GoodGifts.

“Imagine More” isn’t about doing more stuff or trying harder to be “good enough.” It’s about recognizing that God is already at work in us and around us — way more than we can predict or control. Our theme pushes back on small expectations and limited versions of faith. If you’ve ever felt boxed in by what faith is “supposed” to look like, “Imagine More” is an open invitation to rethink it.

The youth gathering will take place on June 28-July 2, 2027 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In preparation for the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Dave Delaney in August 2026, the Virginia Synod is now accepting applications for the Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry position, with a start date of August 1, 2026.

Rostered Ministers interested in applying for the position will be asked to complete an application, which contains basic contact information, two questions on the individual’s vision for youth ministry in the Virginia Synod, and a place to upload their Rostered Minister Profile.

Use the button below for more information on the timeline, to download the job description, and to apply. 

The Virginia Synod Council (ELCA) annually recognizes and honors those who serve as tireless volunteers and lay leaders across the Commonwealth of Virginia both within their local congregations and within the larger community of the church without walls. It is with great pleasure that the Virginia Synod Council (ELCA) issues a call for nominations for the fifth Serving Boldly Lay Leadership Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of lay leaders. One award may be presented within each of the five partnerships in June 2026. 

Nominations for 2026 awards will be submitted to the Synod office. All nominations must be received by March 6, 2026. The nomination form and instructions can be accessed at: Serving Boldly Award - Virginia Synod, ELCA (vasynod.org). 

Please email Pastor John Wertz (wertz@vasynod.org) with any questions.  

Award recipients will be announced in late May, and awards will be presented in June 2026.

Winter Celebration is our Virginia Synod faith-sharing retreat for 9th-12th graders and the adult advisors who come with them. Due to winter storms, the event has been rescheduled for February 13-15, 2026 (Friday 8:00pm to Sunday noon) at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center in Lynchburg.

You can still register this week if you are now able to attend, but you must contact Pastor Dave (delaney@vasynod.org) to register.

7th Day is our annual overnight faith sharing event for youth in 5th and 6th grades and their adult advisors. In 2026, 7th Day will take place from noon Saturday, March 7th to 1:30 Sunday, March 8th at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center.

During the weekend, each youth participant is part of a “Shepherd Group” with 5-6 other youth and adult leaders. Along with other Shepherd Groups, participants will explore a story of the Bible through drama, games, crafts, and music. Then everyone is together in a large group setting for singing, worship, and a presentation from our 7th Day Planning Group youth! In the evening youth and adults will have time to relax in their Cottages with their congregation and other congregations from Virginia to talk about their 7th Day experience!

Concert Series at Reformation, Newport News

The Mildred McDaniel Concert Series (MMCS) and Reformation Lutheran Church (13100 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23602) present the baroque musicians of Trio Niche on Sunday, February 15, 4 PM. Trio Niche specializes in historically-informed music pieces from the Classical period. The ensemble features a fortepiano that is a modern replica of an 1805 Walther instrument. The violin and cello date to the nineteenth century and are played with reproduction “transitional” classical bows. This trio features music by composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

The concert is free and open to the public, and as always contributions are welcome and appreciated.

MMCS provides nine to ten exceptional programs annually. Each performance is followed by a reception with light refreshments for audience and performers, enabling informal exchanges among attendees, the conductors, musicians and actors. Our performers next month on Sunday, March 15 will be the I. Sherman Greene Chorale at 4 p.m.

enCircle's New Advocacy Web Page

enCircle is excited to share new ways for you to stay connected to enCircle’s advocacy efforts and take action alongside us. Advocacy is a powerful way to support the children, families, and communities we serve, and we’re grateful to have you with us in this work.

We’ve recently launched an advocacy page on the enCircle website to make it easier than ever to get involved. The page includes tools and resources to learn more about advocacy, with additions coming soon.

We’ll also be sending regular advocacy updates through our Advocacy Alert list. This is the best way to stay up to date on what’s happening and how you can engage when it matters most. Sign up here!

2026 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Youth musicians from across the country are headed to St. Olaf College this year for the 2026 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival (LSM). Students in grades 8-12 will be immersed in a supportive community that nurtures their musical growth and invites them to share their musical gifts in performance and in worship. The Standard Enrollment deadline is March 1, and spots are filling fast.

Do you know young musicians who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate, or remind them to submit a free application by March 1 at LSMacademy.org/apply.