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SYNOD NEWS
Rummage Sale Season
Letting Go of the Ineffective
"The Right Reverend Mark Dyer, an Anglican bishop known for his wit as well as hiswisdom, famously observes from time to time that the only way to understand what is currently happening to us as twenty-first-century Christians in North America is first to understand that about every five hundred years the Church feels compelled to hold a giant rummage sale. And, he goes on to say, we are living in and through one of those five-hundred-year sales."
[Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence, Baker Books © 2008, p. 15]
To read more of Bishop Gafkjen's newsletter or to download a copy to share with your congregation,
click here
.
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Seasonings: Christmas Worship Planning
"So Good Last Year..."
Interim Pr John Schmeling is bringing some folks with him from Our Savior in Princeton, IN. He says, "
It was so good last year that I would not want to miss it." Neither should you! On October 22, the I-K Worship Committee will sponsor the second in the Seasonings series. The event will be held at Christ the Savior Church in Fishers, IN. Dr Hank Langknecht will again be the plenary presenter. Workshop tracks for preachers, lectors, worship committee members, musicians, artists, assisting ministers,council members, and mission planners will include sessions both in liturgical foundations and practical applications. Click
here to download a bulletin insert or
Register here.
Mission Ambassador Training
We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world...together. We don't have to do it alone, and we don't have to do everything. Each of us has a unique story, and we are part of a larger story! If you would like to learn how to share your story, you can join us Saturday, October 22 from 10:00 - 2:00 at the I-K Synod Office. Lunch and all materials are provided at no cost to you. For more information or to sign up, please click here.
Changes at the Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran Center
The lease for our office space was nearing the end of its term last year. When the owners of the office park discussed the possibility of signing another multi-year lease with Bishop Gafkjen, they offered to make any useful renovations
at no cost to the I-K Synod. How awesome is that?! The work began this summer and was just finished last week. The major changes that have been made include a larger conference room, an expanded work room, an updated entry space, additional storage and new flooring throughout much of the office. Several staff members have moved offices due to the reconfiguration of the space, so make sure you get a quick tour the next time you stop by the Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran Center!
With these changes, we have also decided to update some of the décor of the office. The entry way will become a place where a collection of crosses will be hung. We want this collection to represent the diversity that exists within the Indiana-Kentucky Mission Territory, including our partners beyond the synod (the cross in this photo was a gift to Bp. Bill from our companion church the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana en Chile). We invite any congregation that wishes to contribute to this collection to send one cross to the I-K Lutheran Center. Churches may choose a cross that is representative of your community, the area surrounding your congregation, a cross made by a local artist, or simply any cross that you favor. If you have any significance to your selection or a story that accompanies your cross, please include that and we may feature your church's cross in an upcoming e-news email.
Bishop's Youth Day. Registration Closes Soon!
Have you ever spent time with Bishop Bill? If you haven't, you're missing a great opportunity! On October 29, 2016, all high school youth and their adult leaders from the IK Synod are invited to attend Bishop's Youth Day, a new endeavor sponsored by the Indiana Youth Coalition designed to connect today's youth with Bishop Bill Gafkjen through worship, fellowship and team building activities. The event cost is $25 per congregation (bring 1 or 20+). The event will be hosted at Christ the Savior Lutheran Church in Fishers, IN, from 10:00-3:00 and will include lunch. Register by clicking
here! T
he registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 17. You really don't want to miss this opportunity! Really!!!
DATES OF NOTE
October 22
Seasonings: Christmas Worship Planning, Christ the Savior, Fishers IN
Mission Ambassador Training, I-K Synod Office, Indianapolis, IN
October 25-26
New to Roster Gathering
October 29
Bishop's Youth Day, Christ the Savior, Fishers, IN
2017
June 1-3, 2017 - Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly, Covington, KY
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CONGREGATION NEWS
Prayer Concerns
During the weekly I-K Lutheran Center staff devotions we included these individuals and mission centers in our prayers:
Redeemer, Elkhart, IN and Vacancy Pr David Russell
Marquardt, Monroeville, IN and Vacancy Pr Paul Row
Messiah, Brownsburg, IN and Interim Pr Martin Bornhoeft and
Associate in Ministry, Hope Moran
Messiah/Trinity, Louisville, KY and Vacancy Pr Paul Hegele
Retired rostered leaders
Rev Ron Luckey, Lexington, KY
Rev Donald Luck, Columbus, OH
Rev Ted Ludwig, Valparaiso, IN
Called to specialized ministry or on leave
Rev Bill Steinke, on leave, Brownsburg, IN
Rev Richard Stern, St Meinrad School of Theology,St Meinrad, IN
Caribbean Synod and Bishop Felipe Lozada-Montañez
Also please lift up in prayer
Pr. Chuck Miller, interim at Pilgrim, Carmel, IN, who is recovering from surgery
Upcoming Concerts
Fine Art Series at Christ Lutheran in Kokomo, IN
This lunchtime concert on Wednesday, October 5 will feature Baritone, Mark Stachofsky and Pianist, Kristofer Sanchack. The concert begins at 12:10.
Friday, October 28 you are invited to attend the Organ Spooktacular with Timothy Denton and John Lowe, Jr. A reception will follow and costumes are encouraged!
"They Shall Mount Up With Wings" at Christ Lutheran in Zionsville, IN
Bruce Vantine's Cornerstone Chorale & Brass, a widely acclaimed professional touring ensemble, will present a new production Wednesday, October 12, 7:00 pm, at Christ Lutheran Church, 600 North Ford Road, Zionsville, IN. The program, entitled "They Shall Mount Up With Wings," features a unique combination of traditional choral and instrumental music with narration -- woven together with newly composed musical themes. For a poster to hang at your church, please click
here.
Time to Update Your Constitution!
The 2016 Churchwide Assembly made several important changes to the Model Constitution for Congregations. The most important of these changes include provisions addressing the unification of the three lay rosters, revising the provisions for parishes, and updating the membership rules. These follow similarly important changes made in 2013, which included changes to the procedures for disciplining members of congregations. There will be no changes to the Model Constitution for Congregations until at least 2019, making it an excellent time to update yours now.
Read more...
Congregational Leadership Changes
Help us keep the IK Synod database current so we can serve you more effectively. If you recently elected new officers or soon will, please click below to download and complete the "Congregational Leaders Update Form" and return it to the IK Synod via fax, email or postal mail.
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Invitation to Webcast October 27
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Please mark your calendars for the next live webcast, "Ecumenical and Interreligious Witness on the Eve of the Reformation Anniversary," on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. CDT. As Lutherans, we have 499 years of history, but on this day we will explore:
- What was the Reformation, and what does it mean for Lutherans and ecumenical partners?
- What is "Declaration on the Way," and why is it significant for Lutheran-Catholic relations?
- What might ecumenical and interreligious relationships look like in the future, and what does this mean for our faith community?
Tune in to the live webcast on Oct. 27 by visiting ELCA.org/webcast, where a link to the recorded video will be made available after the broadcast. A live stream also will be available at Facebook.com/Lutherans. If you would like to submit a question to be considered during the live webcast, please send it to [email protected] and provide your name and your congregation's name, city and state.
Check our website for future information concerning our participants and selected resources. We also invite you to participate and join the conversation by using #ELCAwebcast on social media.
God's peace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Joint Ecumenical Commemoration of the Reformation
On October 31 (of this year, just a month away) the Lutheran World Federation will host an ecumenical Reformation event in Lund, Sweden, the birthplace of the LWF. The event will include worship and Pope Francis has agreed to participate. The event will have a live stream! Follow this
link for all the information you need to be part of this special event.
Where Does Your Offering Go?
ELCA congregations gave $1.8 billion in regular offerings last year. Where does it go? This video shares how your congregational offerings support the ministries of the ELCA and the church around the world. Click
here to download a video that is easy to share with your congregations so they can see how God is working through them!
Politics and the Pulpit
As we head into another hotly-contested election season, we tend to see a rise in questions about permissible versus impermissible political activities. We have some helpful resources available through our resources page (please feel free to share with your congregations and rostered leaders):
Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations (see pages 7-19).
Free Fair Labor Standards Webinar - October 18
Description: The U.S. Department of Labor has adopted new overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which go into effect on December 1, 2016. Among other changes, these regulations increase the minimum salary for exempt employees from $23,000 to $47,476. Many congregations, synods, and other ministries of the church have questions about how this impacts their employees and ministries. Does it apply to churches? What about pastors? Youth workers? Sextons? How about schools? Or camps? Join us for a free webinar on how the new regulations will affect religious institutions, and try to answer many of these questions. Register
here for this free webinar. Instructions for connecting to the webinar will be sent to all registrants prior to the event.
Portico Fall
Pre-Retirement Webinars
It has been reported that 40% of workers are not offered financial education and those who cited their employers as their first or second source of financial education save more than those who rely on family or friends for advice.* We are blessed to be part of the ELCA where are financial well-being is recognized and supported with some wonderful opportunities! To help prepare you for retirement, click here
Living Lutheran, an online publication of the ELCA, invites you to share in the sense of
purpose that our faith brings to our lives. The goal is to provide a place for members and friends alike to find lively engagement in faith and life. Here you'll find the voices of ELCA members, as well as what's happening in our church both across the country and around the world. We have resources for congregations, ideas to inspire and places to share what's on your mind. Click here for the most recent issue!
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