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Taste and See! at SEPA Fall Gatherings
Join fellow Lutherans for a tasting of ways to form faith, put faith into action, communicate your story and equip people for discipleship (FACE). The 2010 series of fall conference gatherings feature a full menu of experiences that you can take back to your congregation to kick your discipleship program up a notch or two. This year there will be three gatherings, each held on Sunday afternoons from 3:30 to 7 pm: Oct. 10 – St. Luke, Devon; Oct. 17 – Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Brossman Center; and Oct. 24 – Trinity, Lansdale. Click the image to read more.
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Pakistan floods: The Critical Hour
The recent flooding in Pakistan, alone, is a devastating disaster. But piled atop the hardship of the past five years, the situation for many families in Pakistan is nothing short of dire. Click the image to read how Lutheran World Relief is responding to bring comfort to those affected.
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Convocation explores Christianity at the Crossroads
Do you feel the ground shifting beneath your feet? Denominational loyalty is disappearing, replaced by new ranks of the “spiritual but not religious.” People mix and match from various spiritual traditions. Christianity is truly at a crossroads. Explore the upheaval around us at the 2010 Bishop’s Convocation with Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence, and Stephen Bouman of the ELCA’s Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit, Monday, Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 17 at the DoubleTree Resort (Lancaster/Willow Valley). Reduced price registration through Oct. 1. For more information visit www.ministrylink.org/convocation.
Join the LDR ReadyChurch initiative
With the hurricane season in full swing and ongoing disaster responses in more than half of the U.S., there is no better time than now to think about how prepared (or not) we are for natural disasters. Disasters can happen at any time and place, often without warning, and it is vital for everyone to prepare ourselves for the possibility that a disaster could affect you.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Discernment, Repentance, Reconciliation
On a recent morning walk I reflected upon familiar words from Ecclesiastes, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NRSV). As I walked, I prayed and pondered about this time in the life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is my prayer that we use this time for discerning and engaging; for repenting and reconciling; for restraint but not timidity; and for rejoicing. A Time for Discerning and Engaging Throughout the ELCA I hear people asking, "Is my voice heard? Will my voice be respected as we seek together to discern God's purpose for us?" The answer is yes. Nevertheless, people of deep faith and a desire to be part of this church wonder: Do we mean it when we say we can preach, teach and hold divergent views on sexuality and be full participants in the ELCA's life and witness? Again, the answer is yes.
Healthy Boundaries workshop for rostered leaders
Rostered leaders are invited to “Healthy Boundaries,” a workshop on misconduct prevention and SEPA Synod policy, on Wednesday, September 22, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Havertown. This free workshop is required for rostered leaders new to our Synod and those who have not yet attended the Synod’s prevention and policy workshop.
August 2010 Resource Page
August 2010 Resource Page includes August 2010 Parish Paper.
Making Mutual Ministry Work
How do you tend the relationship of pastor and people as you engage in ministry, together? How can you keep a mission focus and broaden the vision for ministry? Consider attending one of two mutual ministry seminars to be held in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod April 9 and 10. The workshops, in Philadelphia and Perkasie, will be led by Pastor Dick Bruesehoff of the ELCA Vocation and Education unit and Pastor Sue Lang of RevWriter Resources LLC.
Join the Bishop in supporting Child Nutrition
"We cannot afford to let our children go hungry," Bishop Claire S. Burkat writes in a letter to the Synod urging Lutherans to make their voices heard in support of the administration's proposal to increase support of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act by $10 billion over 10 years. A sizeable percentage of school age children in our region -- from 17% in Chester County to 76% in Philadelphia -- receive free or reduced price lunches. "Nobody is in favor of kids going hungry. This isn’t a partisan issue. But it is an issue that needs advocates," the bishop writes. Click the headline to read the entire message.
Help LWR fill the well
Water affects every aspect of life. Without clean, reliable sources of water, farmers can't grow crops to sell and feed their families. Women and children must often travel several miles each day to collect water, taking precious time from work and school. With your help, Lutheran World Relief (http://www.lwr.org) can continue to make sure families have the life-sustaining water they need now and well into the future. Fill the Well today. Click on the image to watch LWR's new water video.
July 2010 Events and Information
July 2010 Monthly Information: July 2010 Parish Paper -"Should Our Congregation Use Internet Social Media?" and SEPA Synod Youth Ministry Dates for the 2010-2011 School Year.
Free summer meals for Philadelphia children
Summer is the hungriest time of year for children in Philadelphia. During the school year, more than 134,000 children eat breakfast or lunch at school. But when summer arrives and school is out, many low-income children can no longer count on school meals. So the city and hunger organizations are teaming up to provide more than 1,000 sites to provide breakfast and/or lunch to needy children this summer.
Explore challenges facing PA at Summit
Join civic and faith leaders and candidates for key state and federal offices at a July 16 Summit to give visibility to the common challenges faced by many of our communities -- including struggling schools, declining municipal services, aging infrastructure and high property taxes -- and call for a state and federal policy agenda that will revitalize and strengthen Pennsylvania.
