Article Archive
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.
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.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Calls Oil Spill in Gulf 'Heartbreaking'
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is "heartbreaking and infuriating," ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson wrote in a pastoral letter June 28. "(W)e grieve that the natural beauty of this region, a sign of God's marvelous creativity, has been defiled," the bishop wrote, noting that anger over the spill must be tempered with recognition of "the responsibility we all share" as consumers and investors. "An honest accounting of what happened...must include our own repentence," the bishop wrote.
Partner synod bishop steps down
The Rev. Stephen G. Marsh, bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod, our domestic partner synod, informed the synod June 25 that he is resigning as bishop effective June 28. Marsh said he is "personally dealing with a number of emotional health issues, including addiction issues" and must enter an inpatient treatment facility.
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.
ELCA looks to revise budget, restructure
Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will prepare a revised 2010 budget and spending plan for consideration in August, and they will create a plan to restructure the churchwide organization in 2011 in response to continuing declines in income, said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, ELCA executive for administration, in a June 21 e-mail to churchwide staff.
A Philly Story: Faith on the Avenue
An ongoing study of congregations along the eight miles of Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia examines the changing and growing role of religious communities in urban life. The study by Dr. Katie Day of LTSP featured in Duke Divinity School's Faith & Leadership website offers interesting insights: Even though the city’s population has dwindled from its peak in 1950, the number of congregations along the Avenue has tripled over that time. A small number of mainline congregations remain and thrive by adapting, Day says, while the former buildings of other mainline congregations have been revitalized by independent churches. With everything from storefront outposts to megachurches, the Avenue offers a glimpse at how congregations are providing needed services and community cohesion, even as that role is overlooked by politicians, developers and even denominations.
ELCA Pastor Shares World Food Prize
Bread for the World head David Beckmann, a Lutheran pastor who once worked for the World Bank, is one of the winners of the 2010 World Food Prize, which is often seen as the Nobel Prize on issues related to food security, hunger, and farming.
Check out Glocal Mission Gatherings
2010 brings with it a full slate of Glocal Mission Gatherings. These exciting events bring experience and resources in global and domestic ministry together in convenient locations accross the country, so leadership teams can build the skills needed to be a part of God's mission, no matter where service happens. Launched in April in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, six more Glocal Mission Gatherings are planned through November. The events cost just $35 per person for 1-1/2 days of programming.
Build an inclusive church training
Lutherans Concerned/North America and the Institute for Welcoming Resources will sponsor "Building an Inclusive Church Training" on November 19-21 at University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Philadelphia. Join the growing list of committed Christians who are working together across North America to foster the expansion of the welcoming church movement!
