Resources for effective church leaders
+ January 5, 2022
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Happy New Year! This issue is full of new information and resources for you and your congregation. Scan ministry areas by viewing the green bar headlines. |
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Cases, Transmission Rising
As of January 4, the number of new cases reported in the Philadelphia metro area have increased sharply since December 9. New case rate in all five SEPA counties is rated as “Extreme” (the most dire category) by COVIDActNow.org. Some good news: Over the same time period the percentage of ICU beds in use has been stable.
The infection rate (a measure of how many persons one sick individual infects, on average) has also grown substantially. The average infection rate across our five counties is now 1.38. This means that for each 100 infected persons, they are spreading the virus to 138 people, indicating substantial community transmission.
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Infectious disease expert Dr. Tim Babinchak tells us that: "We should start to see the peak number of infections in the next two weeks. That will likely be followed by falling rates into February and March. We now have good evidence that while more contagious, Omicron does seem to be less severe in disease production. Boosters and continued adherence to the masking and distancing guidelines will help.”
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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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Savings and the Christian Community
Thursday, January 13 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time.
As a church leader, you can help facilitate the financial well-being of members of your community—to make the most of all God has given them. This webinar will equip you to support the needs of families and communities and to understand where churches and ministries can take meaningful action to support the financial vitality of their communities.
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Free Webinar:
Learn new perspectives and practices for funding ministry in an increasing challenging environment. Sponsored by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
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We Come Together... Because We Are Not Alone
All are welcome on Saturday, January 8 from 9 am - noon to attend the Upper Bucks Learning Event "We Come Together... Because We're Not Alone." Participate either via Zoom or in-person at a few locations: St. John's Lutheran, Spinnerstown; Trinity Lutheran, Perkasie; St. Paul's Lutheran, Telford. Register at bit.ly/UBCTogether or call 215-723-7404, where you can also contact Pastor Erika Wesch with any questions.
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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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Celebrate Dr. Martin Lutheran 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 Saturday, 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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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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Afghan refugee resettlement webinar
On January 18, at 4 pm Eastern, ELCA's AMMPARO program will host an informational webinar addressing Afghan refugee resettlement and how congregations can become involved.
More info, including a the Zoom link, will be provided in the coming days.
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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. Our 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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Did you miss a recent issue?
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Pastor Stacey-Kyle Rea Joins Synod Staff |
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The Rev. Stacey-Kyle Rea has been called as Assistant to the Bishop for Youth and Young Adult Discipleship, starting December 1, 2021.
Currently Pastor Rea serves Trinity Lutheran Church, Fairview Village, as senior pastor. She previously served St. John’s, Phoenixville, and St. John’s, Folcroft. She has been active with Synod youth ministry, leading groups of youth and adults on servant trips, and serving as a key leader on the local urban servant experience and on the planning teams for South Dakota trips.
“Helping young people experience Jesus is one of my favorite things,” she said.
“We are excited to have Pastor Rea’s deep faith and experience on our team leading our programs for young disciples,” Bishop Davenport said.
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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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