Resources for effective church leaders
+ January 14, 2022
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Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Joint Virtual Worship Celebration with Southeast Michigan Synod, ELCA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA & African Descent Lutheran Association, Philadelphia Chapter will be held Sunday, January 16, 2021 at 3:00 pm. The service will honor the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr and will feature The Rev. Dr. Gladys G.Moore as preacher. The theme for this years’ service is: A Season of “HOPE” (Jeremiah 29:10-14).
Register in advance for this virtual worship service by using the link below:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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In the City for Good
At the Metropolitan New York Synod's King commemoration service, Pastor Carlton Rodgers of Tabernacle, Philadelphia, offered a powerful sermon: "Here I stand, In the City for Good." Click the image to watch the sermon.
We should all be concerned when a 14 year boy is shot 18 times while standing on a street corner, or when 12 people perish in a house fire in the city of brotherly love.... We should all be concerned when folks are stumbling around like drug induced zombies in inner city neighborhoods like Kensington.
And we should all be concerned when the best alternative that we can give to struggling city congregations that cannot afford to sustain themselves financially, is to tell them to sell their buildings and merge with another struggling church...
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As Omicron Surge Continues, Stay The Course On Mitigation
In a new message, Bishop Davenport encourages leaders and congregations to keep up measures to worship safely in-person and online.
"This pandemic continues to challenge and surprise us, and I do not think we have seen the last of the curve balls it will throw to us," the Bishop writes. "I applaud your ongoing flexibility in adapting to the changing situation and the new revelations of medical knowledge in order that we do no harm to our participants and our communities."
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Ministry in the New Normal Thursday at 11 am
Join us as we discuss how our congregations and communities are managing the ongoing pandemic, and share about Christmas worship with COVID restrictions. Join us on Zoom at bit.ly/sepacomms
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Hope For Today, Strength For Tomorrow Through Community In Christ
Saturday, April 30, 2022
The 2022 Synod Assembly will be held on Saturday, April 30 as an online business meeting. Conferences will participate in service projects on Saturday, April 23, and an in-person gathering will be scheduled later in the year.
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Do YOU Have Our Missing Logo?
SEPA Synod is full of creative people. We are looking for those individuals to help design the logo that will reflect our 2022 SEPA Synod Assembly theme:
Hope For Today, Strength For Tomorrow Through Community In Christ.
In the process you can earn a $250 donation to your favorite charity. Designs are due by January 16.
Tech Support Volunteers Needed
We’re looking for a few individuals who would be willing to provide tech support to Assembly voting members, via telephone. Support volunteers will be asked to learn our Zoom protocol and our voting software, and assist people with questions and issues. If you or someone you now has basic tech skills and a desire to help others, contact Pastor Bob Fisher via email at comms@sepa.org. |
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Rescheduled!
The Southeastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania synods are sponsoring a hybrid Generosity event on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. Keynote speakers for “Stewardship and Vitality in the NOW Normal” are Louise Johnson and Soong-Chan Rah, with workshops featuring Dave Daubert, Ryan Burge, Doug Powe Jr., and others.
The cost is $40 in-person or virtual. Watch for registration info soon!
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Saint Luke, Devon has a large collection of choral music that is offered for the asking. SATB as well as 2 & 3 part anthems with10-20 copies of each anthem are filed and waiting for an interested choirmaster to pick them up. Make arrangements to view or pick up anthems with Allen Benner-Smith, Parish Administrator. 610.688.0122 or office@SaintLukeDevon.org.
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In-person and Virtual registration is available. Click image for more. |
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Celebrate Lutheran Schools |
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Lutheran Schools Week is March 6-12
The Evangelical Lutheran Education Association offers materials to celebrate Lutheran education in your weekly ministry sometime between March 6-12. The support of this vital ministry will only help strengthen relationships and engage the diverse families and children of our ELCA Schools and Learning Centers into our Congregations; living into Church and School Together!
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Popcorn for Tiny House Village
Sanctuary Village is raising funds to build a safe community for those who are experiencing homelessness. You can help by purchasing delicious Pop Corn by mail, just in time for Super Bowl parties (or quarantine movie watching). Just follow this link and place your order! Who knew that doing good could taste so good!
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Afghan refugee resettlement webinar
On February 8, at 7 pm Eastern, ELCA Advocacy, the AMMPARO program, and Lutheran Disaster Response will host an informational webinar addressing Afghan refugee resettlement and how congregations can become involved.
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Did you miss a recent issue?
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Supporting Rostered Ministers |
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Webinar: Resilience in the Vineyard
Clergy colleagues, church leaders, and those who care about pastors: The Clergy Emergency League and the Wisconsin Council of Churches invite you to an important conversation about transforming clergy stress and burn-out so that we can cultivate resilience within and around these servant-leaders. Thursday, January 20, at 7 pm ET. Expert panelists will explore the current realities of ministry that have led to this time of crisis and offer insights to mitigate stress and trauma while seeking renewal for the challenges ahead. Cost is $10.
Moderated by:
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, Co-founder of the Clergy Emergency League
The Rev. Dr. Trinette McCray, Board Member of the Wisconsin Council of Churches
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ELCA Vital Congregations Training for Leaders
Is your congregation ready to take some steps (even small steps) toward renewal or revitalization? Are you ready to try some new things, share some ideas, gain a greater understanding of the broader mission, bring clarity about your own congregation’s mission, acquire knowledge on how to live that out in community, gain confidence to share what you have learned with the world, and find new allies from within a cohort of congregations? Then, you are invited to attend the 2022 Spring Session of the ELCA Vital Congregations Re-BOOT Camp.
This will be a four-session training. The training sessions will be held two times per day from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (eastern time) and from 7:30-9:00 p.m. (eastern time) on January 13th, January 27th, February 3rd and February 17th. You may choose the best time each day that works for you. All sessions will be recorded and available to all registered participants. Pastors and congregations are encouraged to come as teams of 3–5 people for a time of inspiration, learning, planning, sharing, experimenting, visioning, and implementing.
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Reconciling Works Education Feb. 12
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Saturday, February 12 at 9:30 am and 11:00 am.
Workshops with ReconcilingWorks for SEPA Congregations with ReconcilingWorks Ambassador Pastor Brenda Maynor.
9:30 am – Welcoming Churches: When All Means All
This workshop is for congregations interested in becoming Reconciling In Christ (RIC). This workshop will include background history of ReconcilingWorks, why this work matters, and a general overview of the RIC Journey.
11:00 am – You’ve Run the Race … Now What?
This workshop is for congregations who are already RIC. This workshop will include ideas of next steps for congregations to deepen and widen their worship and ministry experiences as well as reviewing the new commitments for racial equity and anti-racism within the church.
These workshops are presented free of charge, but registration will be required. Registration will open in January. Please contact ingodsimagesepa@gmail.com with any questions.
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Have stories, events, or resources to share?
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Thank you
The Rev. Bob Fisher, assistant to the bishop for mission interpretation/communications
Ms. Cynta Outterbridge, communications assistant
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