Did You Know? Persons of African descent became involved with the Lutheran Church in the Northern colonies as early as Palm Sunday, 1669, when a free Black man (who took the name Emmanuel at his baptism) was admitted into membership in a Lutheran congregation in New York. Think of it! That was just 177 years after Christopher Columbus and his crew of sailors set foot on what would become North America and 155 years after Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany. And in 1755, an unnamed Black man was baptized at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Germantown, Philadelphia, in the presence of Dr. Henry M. Muhlenberg.

How does the work of Jesus get done in Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod? By faithful members of our congregations who love Jesus, love the Church, and are willing to take leadership positions in our Synod. At the upcoming Synod Assembly, May 5-6, 2023, we have positions of leadership we need to fill to do the work of the Church together. This year we will elect a Synod Secretary, we need leaders to serve on the Synod Council, and we have some open positions on the Consultation Committee to fill.

Louise Johnson, Ryan Burge, Dave Daubert and Doug Powe were among the speakers highlighting Generosity and Vitality in the NOW Normal, the generosity extravaganza co-sponsored by SEPA and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. About 150 rostered and lay leaders gained insights and networked at the event on Jan. 21. 

Enjoy these words of inspiration for ministry in the NOW normal from the day’s sermon by Bishop Christopher deForest of NE Penn Synod ➡︎

Right after the eagles win the NFC championship, I noticed social media posts from news outlets, influencers, and politicians hailing the decline in gun violence when the Eagles win. According to an October 30, 2022 Op-ed article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, there were no shootings at all the weekends of two significant Eagles’ games. Could this be a sign? When a sports team does well, an entire region finds itself in sync. Our lives begin to align in ways that might otherwise seem coincidental, but they are really outward expressions of our shared hopes and dreams for something good to happen.

For one night, this united hope will in at least one way transcend class, race, gender, location, citizenship status, native language, ability, and every other differentiator. This unified, transcendent Super Bowl hope serves as practice for us as Christians. Our synchronized hopes cause us to wonder, what if we lived in sync with our neighbor all the time? What if we hoped for God’s love to transcend whatever keeps us apart all the time? 

SEPA Synod was well represented at The Extravaganza, the annual gathering of children, youth and family ministry leaders from across the ELCA, which just wrapped up in Anaheim, Calif. The event was hosted by the ELCA’s Youth Ministry Network. Participants learned that the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering will waive fees for some registrants who attend the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event or the tAble Event. Learn more.

YOU can help get aid to our neighbors devastated by the earthquake in Turkey. Lutheran World Relief teams are already coordinating a response, and it is your (and your congregation's) compassion and generosity that will rush emergency care. Gifts to LWR's emergency response fund will deliver critically needed care for families like water, medical care, shelter and essential supplies. 

Congregations and members can give at lwr.org/quake or mail a check to: 

Lutheran World Relief

PO Box 17061

Baltimore, MD 21297-1061

Ordering your tickets is simple: Go to www.phillies.com/lutheran. Use the password: LUTHERAN. Then select from available tickets. Please contact Shannon Profy in the Phillies Sales Office at 215.218.5465 with any questions

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I know that even from a very early age we are told not to talk to strangers. But as Julie Lythcott-Haims points out in her TED article, Why talking to strangers is good for you, them and all of us, “when you give someone eye contact and a smile, it demonstrates ‘you exist, fellow human,’ and it makes them feel good.” Perhaps what our broken world needs is less looking past and more noticing. Maybe instead of avoiding strangers, we should get better at interacting with them.

African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrating Black History Month with season two of Talks at the Desk, a video series that explores diverse expressions of the church. A new video will premiere each Wednesday in February at 7:30 pm Central time. Watch them live on YouTube or download them here. Join us to hear youth, young adults, rostered leaders, elders and friends of our communities share their own sacred stories.

For more updates, follow @ELCAADM on Twitter and Instagram or check out facebook.com/elcaadm.

This year, the Urban Theological Institute of United Lutheran Seminary celebrates the 41st year of Preaching with Power. Since its inception, it has presented the finest in African American preaching and music. Join us for lecture and sermons by six distinguished African American preachers and theologians. PWP is held annually in March and is normally hosted both on the ULS Philadelphia campus and at local churches throughout the community. Each event is open to the public but can also be viewed on United Lutheran Seminary’s YouTube channel. All are welcome and requested to wear a mask. Join us at YouTube.com/unitedlutheranseminary and be inspired!

Schedule: Click on an event below to view the full calendar listing and bio. All events take place in Philadelphia, PA and are scheduled for EST time.

Last summer the Churchwide Assembly voted to establish a commission to recommend potential changes in the ELCA’s constitution and governance to reflect what Lutheran witness might look like in the 21^st Century. Nominations are now open for appointment to this body, which will include three persons from each region of the church (35 members total).

The composition of the body will follow the ELCA’s representational principles (ELCA Constitution 5.01.e., 5.01.F19., and 5.01.H21.) including lay and clergy, people who identify as women, men, gender-nonbinary, gender-fluid or other genders. persons of color or whose primary language is other than English, and youth and young adults. The commission’s work will take place at two in-person meetings a year, bi-monthly online meetings, and in-between meetings from June 2023 to April 2025. Complete information and expectations are available here.

Each synod is invited to submit two potential nominees. If you want to suggest someone to be considered, please contact the Office of the Bishop at bishop@sepa.org. In addition there is an open nominations process online at https://www.elca.org/CRLC. Deadline for consideration is March 9, 2023.

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rfisher@sepa.org / 267.323.3743

Ms. Cynta Outterbridge, communications assistant

ministrylink@sepa.org / 267.323.3742