COMING SOON
: WORSHIP RESOURCES FOR DISCERNMENT
In our life together as a Synod, we are entering into a season when more and more of our time, energy, and attention will turn to the election of a new Bishop to lead and serve us in mission for the sake of the world. The coming months are best viewed as a time for intentional discernment about what our needs and opportunities for mission are in the Metropolitan New York Synod, and on that basis, to consider who God may be calling to be our next Bishop.
In short, it’s a season of vocational and spiritual discernment, in contrast to being a time to campaign for people for a particular office.
To serve our discernment, resources for worship, prayer and discerning conversations are being developed, and will be available for use early in the new calendar year.
What is envisioned is a resource for a liturgy of Holy Communion that can be flexibly adapted for local use—in congregations, conference meetings, and other local gatherings of one sort or another. Moreover, you can cut and paste portions from this material for your own local needs—Bible Studies, a Service of the Word, litanies and petitions for Prayers of Intercession for use during Sunday morning worship, hymn sings, and perhaps other occasions that you are drawn to creatively plan. There will also be suggestions in the resource for guiding informal, holy conversations on such documents as our coming synodical ministry site profile, our Synod’s constitution describing the responsibilities of a Bishop in the ELCA, as well as the Rite of Installation of a Bishop.
Again, you can adapt the material as is, and/or use it as inspiration for your own creativity in planning and leading local discernment occasions.
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BISHOP'S ELECTION
PROCESS
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Learn more about the process of election of the bishop,
here.
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2019 ASSEMBLY KEYNOTE SPEAKER: The Rev. abby mohaupt
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Advent Apocalypse
"
The climate crisis has come. The heavens are shaking, the powers tremble. But when this happens, Jesus says, “
Stand up and raise your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.
” In other words, God comes to us in a crisis. So, if we are in trouble, we don’t need to shrink back, but stand up to meet God. God comes to us now."
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CREATION CARE:
BETTER WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER
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Many of our synod churches play an active role in creation care, whether it’s simply planting trees or planning something more in-depth like an energy-efficiency program.
Wouldn’t it be great if we knew what activities other congregations are participating in? We can accomplish much more by sharing our knowledge and resources.
The MNYS Environmental Stewardship Committee wants to help. Can you spare a minute to complete our online survey? Please contact us at
mnysgreen@gmail.com if you have any comments or suggestions.
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NATURAL SYSTEMS
Following the bishop’s resignation last January, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton promised the help and support of the entire ELCA, especially through the resource of
Natural Systems.
Natural Systems provides a lens for looking at issues and relationships as more than a group of loosely connected parts. Rather, a systems approach asks questions about how these things relate and affect one another.
It focuses on individuals having an opportunity for sharing their feelings and talking together about strengths and hopes. An important piece of the process is having outside listeners carefully reflect on what has been heard and observed, as these individual pieces are woven together to form a “big picture” of what is going on.
The recent
MNYS Town Hall meetings were an example of a
Natural Systems approach. As individuals responded to the questions: “
What are your hopes for the synod?”, and “W
hat are our strengths?”, members of the advisory team recorded what was being said.
The “big picture” report is now being generated and will be available to the entire synod in January of 2019.
This is just a small piece of the
Natural Systems process. And for the Metropolitan New York Synod, it is just a beginning of our work with
Natural Systems. We, along with all synods of the ELCA, have been invited to have a person trained through the ELCA Systems Academy, a four-year program with the goal of developing a systems team to serve as a resource for synod congregations and other ministries.
Deacon Margy Schmitt Ajer has been appointed to lead this effort in our synod and has begun work with the academy.
There is much more to come! But in the meantime, we are grateful for the support of the whole church, as we walk together into the future.
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2019 ANNUAL ASSEMBLY
REGISTRATION
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Hotel registration
and
Synod Assembly registration
will open in
January 2019!
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Our 2019 Synod Assembly promises to be an exciting time for us to be together as church!
If you would like to volunteer during our time together, please let us know,
here.
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- January 2019: Early Registration Opens
- January 2019: Hotel Registration Opens
- January 2019: Publishing of Deadlines (Plenary Time, Display Tables, Reference & Counsel, Advertisement Opportunities, Reports to the Assembly, Nominations, among others)
- February 1: Bishop's Pre-Identification Process Begins
- March 1: Bishop's Pre-Identification Process Ends
- March 2019: Early Registration Closes
- April 24, 2019: Synod Assembly Registration and Hotel Registration End
- May 16, 2019: Opening of our Synod Assembly
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Almighty and everliving God,
Open our minds, our hearts, and our eyes, that we may see you and choose as you would, a new bishop of faith and godliness.
Send your Holy Spirit among us, O God!
Open our ears and guide our tongues that, in all our conversations and deliberations, our listening and speaking might be filled with your grace and favor.
Send your Holy Spirit among us, O God!
Make known to us who best will share compassion and grace to care for our clergy and lay leaders, for our churches and ministries, and for ourselves.
Send your Holy Spirit among us, O God!
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