Join alumni and friends tomorrow, November 20, at 3:00 PM for this important day in the life of our beloved seminary, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, as they decommission the chapel in preparation for the move to the Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory campus. 

Bishop Sue Briner ’03 of the Southwestern Texas Synod will preside, and the Rev. Dr. Chad Rimmer will preach. The service will include holy communion and a liturgy of decommissioning the space.

The service will be available to watch online for those who register.

Tim Hoffstaetter (Faith, Suffolk) is serving in the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program and is serving in Cambodia. He just published the second edition of his newsletter. Click below to read the update.

Recently, Bishop Milton attended the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Retreat for Newly Elected Leaders, where Bishop Sreyliak Tuch from Cambodia was also present.

Lutheran World Federation recently published Voices from the Communion: In Cambodia, where Christians are a minority, Bishop Sreyliak Tuch is a beacon of hope and resilience. From her journey as a first-generation Christian to leading the Lutheran Church, Bishop Sreyliak’s story is one of faith and courage in the face of adversity.

Bishop Sreyliak Tuch. Photo: LWF/JC Valeriano

Have you saved the 2025 Synod Assembly dates on your calendar yet? The assembly will be held at Roanoke College on June 13-15, 2025. More information will be coming soon!

Congregations from the Virginia Synod have been donating quilts, flood buckets/clean up kits, and comfort kits to the relief effort in Eastern Tennessee. So far, the Virginia Synod has collected 67 buckets, 100 comfort kits, and approximately 160 quilts. The supplies are currently being stored at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bristol, Virginia. Thank you to all who have donated, to those who are working on donations now, and to Redeemer, Bristol for donating storage space. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor John Wertz, Jr. at wertz@vasynod.org.

Donate to LDR

Donate to the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) Hurricane Response Fund. LDR specializes in long-term recovery efforts, so donations will continue to have an impact for years to come.

Lost and Found is our annual faith-sharing retreat for 7th and 8th graders and their adult advisors. Our 2024 event will take place Friday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 24th at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center in Lynchburg.

Lost and Found includes Large Group gatherings with singing, worship, and presentations of the event theme. After each large group gathering participants will gather in small groups, made of a handful of youth and a couple of adult leaders. There is some free time and the annual talent show.

If you still want to register, please contact Pastor Dave Delaney.

Register for Winter Celebration Today!

Winter Celebration is a gathering of several hundred of our Virginia Synod 9th through 12th graders and their adult advisors for Large Group and Small Group experiences with lots of worship, singing, and faith sharing. There is also a big chunk of free time on Saturday when we have our “Open Mic / Talent Show” and time late in the evening to relax and talk with the other youth and adults from your congregation. The early registration discount deadline of December 16 will be here quicker than you think!

Kindling Faith: A Womanist/Mujerista Symposium

At the national youth gathering in New Orleans, "Tita" expressed interest in the ELCA Womanist Initiative and suggested collaboration among ethnic women, particularly Asian women. This sparked the idea of cross-ethnic relationships among women of color in the ELCA. A symposium hosted by Dr. Beverly Wallace will launch opportunities for women of color theologians to engage in church and societal work, referencing Professor Selenir Kronbauer, an African-Brazilian theologian. Kronbauer teaches African Brazilian History and is involved in the "Blackness in Church and Society" program, aiding new immigrants in Brazil. The Grupo Identidade promotes dialogue on blackness and interreligious topics, producing materials and publications reflecting African and Afro-Brazilian cultures and identities. Professor Kronbauer continues this important work.

This event will take place on December 6 from 10am-3pm online via Zoom. The cost is $20 per individual or $80 per congregation.

ELCA.org Update

The website for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, elca.org, was recently updated with a new look. You can see the new look using the link below.

Being a Dementia Friendly Congregation - A Program to Transform your Faith Community by Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association

November 20 at 4:30 PM ET

Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act and talk about dementia. Learn the critical aspects to better understand dementia, how it affects people and how we each can make a difference in the lives of families. Attendees become Dementia Friends and are asked to turn their understanding of dementia into action, helping transform our communities.

2024 LSM Musical Advent Calendar

Experience the anticipation and hope of the Advent season with Lutheran Summer Music's fourth-annual Musical Advent Calendar. From December 1-24, immerse yourself in a daily moment of music and reflection shared on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages and archived on our website at LSMacademy.org/acal. 

To have these daily videos delivered straight to your inbox, sign up at forms.gle/6Jw7DoDApTAgW4Uf6.