Take Action to Stop Payday Lending
Help Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA stop an attempt to introduce Payday Lending in Pennsylvania. House Bill 2191 would legalize predatory payday loans at 300% annual interest and higher and would roll back prohibitions on usurious lending in the Commonwealth that have been in place for over a century. Payday lending traps financially vulnerable borrowers into long-term debt.
Assembly Re-elects Bishop Burkat
“I’ve learned over the last six years that the synod elects a pastor and forms a bishop. And you have formed me,” Bishop Claire Burkat told the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly Friday after it re-elected her to a second six-year term as bishop.
Faith Summit on HIV/AIDS June 9
As part of AIDS Education Month in June, a Faith Leaders and Community Summit will be held Saturday, June 9. The goal of the summit is to actively involve the faith community in the fight against HIV. The event runs 9 am to 2 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel, 237 S. Broad St., Philadelphia.
Uniting Six Generations in Church Webinar
Church leadership in the 21st century is a complicated matter – made more complex by the presence of six generational cohorts, or segments. Author and consultant Carroll Sheppard will share some of the insights and perspectives from her book, Congregational Connections: Uniting Six Generations in the Church, during a webinar, Sunday June 10, 2012, from 2:30 to 4 pm.
Ride or Walk to Support Lutheran Charities
22nd Annual Lutheran Charities Bike Ride & Walk will take place on Saturday, June 23. The event benefits the Synod’s eight social ministry agencies serving 50,000 people in need. Cycle scenic marked roads on a Steeplechase through Montgomery and Chester counties or join the Fun Ride & Walk on the Schuylkill River Trail. Register online at http://www.lutherancharities.org.
Last Call: Lutheran Night at the Phillies
Update: Tickets for Lutheran Night at the Phillies must be purchased by May 1. With tickets for the June 1 game with Florida almost gone, the Phillies are offering a limited number of additional "Lutheran Night" tickets for June 6. Please indicate that the June 6 date is OK when placing your order. Net proceeds from tickets sold through this offer will benefit SEPA Synod Youth Programs. To order your tickets, visit http://www.phillies.com/lutheran, click on the "Buy Tickets" button and enter the promotion code LUTH.
Parish Paper on Discipleship, Engaging Men
New issues of the Parish Paper are online. The May and June 2012 issues focus on "How to Turn Bystanders into Active Disciples" and "Mission Possible: More Men in the Pews." Download them after the jump.
Bear Creek Summer Camp 2012
Summer Camp at Bear Creek is a gift that helps children and youth build spiritual friendships, inspire a love of nature, strengthen a sense of responsibility and accomplishment and deepen their relationship with God. Now is a great time to get signed up for a wonderful summer camp experience. The summer camp experience is packed full of adventure and discovery for children and youth from 1st grade through senior high. Scholarships are still available.
Easter in Arusha
"The Easter Sunday service was filled with great joy. We sang some favorite Easter hymns and we were asked to assist with the distribution of Communion...The church was packed. With a few dozen people still in the aisle, the bread almost ran out...The pre-poured wine and juice also ran out, and they were served common cup. It was a joyous occasion." Since early November, Tom and Susan MacPherson have lived in Tanzania, representing our synod as they work at the Irente Children’s Home, a mission of the North Eastern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. In addition to their work caring for the children, Susan teaches English, bookkeeping, and computer skills to many of the workers at the orphanage and Tom works as a handyman. More importantly, they both share God’s love with all the people they meet and find God’s love in those same people. Join in their journey by reading their "Partners in Mission" blog at http://macphersonmission.blogspot.com. Read more to learn how to send encouragement to the MacPhersons and how to support their work.
“Burst” Grant to Resettle Refugees in the Northeast
Congratulations to Rev. Ben Krey and Prince of Peace, Philadelphia, who received one of Wheat Ridge Ministries’ first “Burst Project” grants. Ben will be working with the congregation to help resettle new refugee families arriving in their community. In partnership with Lutheran Children and Family Service, they will use a former parsonage to temporarily host families to acclimate them to their new community.
Rev. Davenport Named to LSA Board
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has appointed the Rev. Patricia Ann Davenport, SEPA Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission, to the national Board of Lutheran Services in America, the Baltimore-based network of two Lutheran denominations and their over 300 health and human service organizations.
MinistryLink Mobile Site Launches
Now you can easily keep up with news and resources from MinistryLink.org on any web-enabled mobile phone. When you browse to MinistryLink.org on your phone you are now redirected to our mobile site (m.ministrylink.org). This phone-friendly site gives you one-tap access to calling the Synod office, finding the churches closest to your GPS location, and all the latest news. This mobile portal draws in updates from the SEPAYouth.org site, GodIsDoingSomethingNew.com, and ELCA News.
