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We are pleased to share with you the following news, information and ministry opportunities taking place within our synod. If you have items to share about the ministries happening through your congregation, please email Terri Robertson at
[email protected]. If you know of others who aren't receiving our emails, please share this with them and encourage them to sign up
here.
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Synod Office Closed - October 23 to 26
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The Lutheran Center for Mission and Learning will be closed next Monday, October 23 through Thursday, October 26, as the staff coordinates and attends the Theoasis conference in La Quinta. Mid-week worship at the synod office will NOT be held on Wednesday, October 25.
We will checking email as our schedules permit, but if you have an urgent need and must reach a staff member immediately, please call 619.333.0828. The synod office will re-open on Friday, October 27.
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TheOasis & Safe Boundaries Workshop
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Following Christ into the Future:
The Lutheran Movement as Discipleship
October 23-26, 2017
Embassy Suites, La Quinta
A joint church leaders' event (a theological oasis): Rostered leaders, professional lay church staff, youth leaders, church administrators, office managers, outdoor ministry leaders, worship leaders... all are welcome!
We are just days away from the start of Theoasis. Registration for the event has closed and the final details have been shared with those registered.
Visit the
Theoasis webpage
for more information about the event including speakers, costs, hotel info, schedule, recreation opportunities and more.
Safe Boundaries Workshop
If you have registered in advance for the Safe Boundaries workshop on Monday, October 23, please note that it will take place at St. John's Lutheran, 42695 Washington Street, Palm Desert from 12:00-4:00 p.m. Lunch is included in your registration fee. This workshop will be led by Barbara Keller, consultant with the ELCA for Misconduct Prevention. If you did not register, but wish to attend, please contact Terri Robertson at
[email protected].
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"Congregational Leadership in Changing Times"
Bishop's Gatherings 2017
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Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9b)
Our final two mainland Bishop's Gatherings take place this weekend. Our thanks to the host congregations and attendees of the first four Gatherings.
To assist our host congregations in planning, we strongly encourage congregations or individuals to register using this link for the gathering they plan to attend. Congregations are encouraged to collect names from their members and register the entire group at one time. Individuals may also register on their own. There is NO cost to attend.
All gatherings will begin with the first 45 minutes for Rostered Ministers, followed by a 15 minute break. Lay leaders will then join the group at the second time listed.
Saturday, October 21
- 9:30 Rostered/10:30 Lay Leaders - until noon
San Marcos LC, San Marcos
Sunday, October 22 - 2:00 Rostered/3:00 Lay Leaders - until 4:30 p.m.
Clairemont Lutheran, San Diego
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Lutheran Disaster Response Relief Efforts
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During a time of an unprecedented number of disasters around the globe, our
 church is answering God's call to love others as ourselves. Here is a sample of what Lutheran Disaster Response is actively working on:
- In California, where LDR, through the Sierra Pacific Synod and Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, will be responding to address the overwhelming needs of those affected by wildfires.
- In Texas, where Hurricane Harvey caused destruction, we're hiring a disaster response coordinator to work with our partners and affiliates to connect volunteers and donations to where they're needed most.
- In Florida, where Hurricane Irma caused damage, we're helping Lutheran Services Florida with relief for their most impacted staff.
- In Haiti, we're supporting 100 female-headed households and 100 farmers whose gardens and livestock were lost to the hurricane.
- In Cuba, we're supporting the distribution of items like cookware, dishes and blankets to help families get back to normal life.
- In Mexico, where three major earthquakes struck within weeks, we're supporting our local partner as they distribute food, water and other basic necessities to those who have lost their homes.
- In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Hurricane Maria left devastation, we're coordinating the delivery of critical items including dry food, generators and solar-powered phones.
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Shining Your Light, Telling Your Story"
Region 2 Deacon's Gathering
~Affirm Your Call ~ Discern a Call~
~See the Broader Picture ~ Converse with Synodical Bishops~
ALL are welcome!
January 9-11, 2018
Gathering Location:
Rocky Mountain Synod Office of the Bishop, Denver, CO
Gathering Hotel:
Hampton Inn Denver-Northwest, Westminster, CO
Speaker: Carol Jacobson, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Practical Theology
Diaconal Ministry Program Director,
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley
All deacons presently serving in a congregation or specialized ministry, waiting to serve, retired, on leave or discerning a call to ministry, are invited to attend. More information about this event and the link to register, may be found on the event webpage.
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Charles and Mable Warner Trust Fund Grants
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Applications are now being received for the Charles and Mable Warner Trust Fund proceeds being administered by the Pacifica Synod. The application deadline is January 15, 2018.
Charles and Mable Warner were members of First Lutheran Church, Los Angeles. They had no children and loved their church as evidenced by the following quote from their will:
"...The entire remainder of the trust estate shall go and be distributed to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Southwest, Los Angeles, California, with the request that such estate be used in the construction of Sunday School facilities and to further youth Christian education."
As legal successors to the Southwest Synod, the principal was divided among the five ELCA synods in Region 2. The principal from the fund has been placed in the ELCA Mission Investment Fund and the interest is made available annually in March, as grants. Depending on interest rates we anticipate receiving about $9,000 on our investment this year that will then be distributed as grants.
The Warner Trust Fund Committee, appointed by the Pacifica Synod Council, is empowered to approve all grant applications. Any project that received a grant last year will not be eligible again this year, but may apply again in the third year.
Please follow
this link to download a fillable application and return it to the Pacifica Synod office no later than January 15, 2018.
If you have any questions, please contact Hitoshi Adachi at [email protected] or Terri Robertson at [email protected] or by phone at 714.692.2791.
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Apply Now for Stephen Ministry Training Scholarships!
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Pacifica Synod is pleased to announce available scholarships for the Stephen Ministry Leader's Training Course to be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Anaheim, February 4-10, 2018.
This scholarship is made possible by the Cathryn W. Wright Bequest specifically designated for Stephen Ministry lay leaders.
It is expected that congregations send a pastor and two to four lay leaders for the training.
For more information about Stephen Ministries, please go to their website at www.stephenministries.org. For training course information and to receive a registration packet, call Stephen Ministries at 314.428.2600.
The synod scholarship program will provide the following:
1. $800 scholarship per lay leader, available for up to two lay leaders per congregation. Additional $285 scholarship per lay leader for non-commuters will be added.
2. $1,000 per congregation toward your congregation's enrollment in the Stephen Series, if not currently enrolled. The Leader's Training Course is designed for congregations enrolled in the Stephen Series.
3. $400 travel assistance per lay person for up to two people for Hawaii congregations.
To apply for this synod scholarship, please use the attached application form. All applications must be received by close of business on December 15, 2017. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are exhausted.
If you have any questions, please contact the Rev. Hitoshi Adachi at 714.352.8734 or by email at [email protected].
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Pacifica Synod Women of the ELCA News
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"LOVE FULLY - LIVE FULLY"
30th Annual Pacifica Synod Women of the ELCA Convention
November 3 - 4, 2017
Calvary Lutheran Church
Solana Beach
Pacifica Women of the ELCA are excited to share their updated website - www.pacificawomen.org. Check it out!
It has the last two published newsletters with information about our convention speakers. The website also now has the convention registration form, as well as the lists of Love Gifts that you may have seen on our Facebook page. You'll also find the nomination form, as we will be electing a treasurer and four board members. Finally, it has an updated column from the president. We will continue to share more information on the convention. It is now important to send in your registrations! You are invited!!
Artists - Crafters - Small Business Retailers... Looking for a place to market your creations and products? Why not consider being a VENDOR at the Pacifica Women of the ELCA Convention, November 3-4, 2017, at Calvary Lutheran Church, Solana Beach.
To qualify for a space you must be a member of an ELCA congregation. There is no fee for use of the space; however a donation will be much appreciated. Contact Jackie Severa at [email protected] or 760.464.2309 for an application form. (Space is limited.)
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Save the Dates - Synod Assembly 2018!
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2018 Synod Assembly 
May 18-19, 2018
The 2018 Pacifica Synod Assembly will meet at Hope Lutheran in Palm Desert for a two-day assembly in an effort to make the assembly more affordable and more efficient. Look for more details of agenda and speakers as we get closer.
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From the Presiding Bishop - "Oct. 32 and Beyond"
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With the 500th anniversary, it's been "All Reformation All the Time." But Reformation Day is over-now what? In her October column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that in Christ we are set free for loving and serving others-so let us now live in that freedom.
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Need to Refinance? MIF is Offering a 3.875% APY Rate
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If your congregation or ministry is looking to refinance an existing loan, this may be the time to proceed. The Mission Investment Fund (MIF), the ELCA's lending ministry, is offering a 3.875% APY (Annual Percentage Yield) rate, available through October 31, 2017, on a Five-Year Adjustable-Rate Mortgage.
In addition to refinancing existing debt, MIF loans are available for a variety of capital projects-from new construction to additions and renovations, as well as land and building purchases. Adjustable- and Fixed-Rate loan options are available.
For information on MIF ministry loans and investment opportunities, visit
mif.elca.org or contact MIF Customer Service at 877.886.3522. You may also
contact your MIF Regional Manager, Joel S. Wudel at
[email protected] or by phone at 773.682.1765.
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Celebrating Ministry Together!
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You're Invited - Ordination of Julie Kelly - October 28
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We are pleased to share that the congregation of Hope Lutheran in Riverside, has called Julie A. Kelly, Approved Candidate for Ministry of Word and Sacrament, to be their pastor.
Please join the communities of faith that helped form this pastor in celebrating her ordination by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Pacifica Synod,
at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 1343 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica on Saturday, October 28 at 5:30 p.m., with dinner to follow.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP by October 21 to [email protected]. Congratulations, Julie!
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It Only Hurts for Moment!
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Lori Herman, RN, a volunteer nurse with UCSD's Student-Run Free Clinic, gives a Hepatitis A shot to Intentional Interim Pastor Darrell Kozak on the patio at First Lutheran Church in downtown San Diego. Currently, San Diego County is in the midst of a Hepatitis A Outbreak in which more than 450 people have become ill, roughly 230 have been hospitalized and 17 people have died. Those who have gotten sick have largely been homeless individuals who may have compromised immune systems in part due to living outside & not having access to adequate water and sanitation. We are blessed to have the UCSD Clinic on our premises providing care to more than 1000 individuals a year. First Lutheran & the Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) have a long-standing feeding program, social work & end-of-life services and free clinic services providing to the poor in downtown San Diego.
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Reformation Painting - Redeemer, Seal Beach
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Below is a photo of the latest 5' x 7' painting on the front of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Seal Beach - Leisure World. It is the final in a series of such large paintings by Carmen Leslie and Barbara Simundza. This painting is our commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. You will notice the lighting bolt with the Three Sola's depicted in the scene with the posting of the 95 Theses.
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Do you need extra NRSV Bibles, Spark Bibles, ELW hymnals? Would you like a few dozen elementary age-kid crafts for Christmas? If so, please contact Pastor Brenda Bos at Christ Lutheran San Clemente at 949.496.2621.
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Reformation Events & Commemorations Across the Synod
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Within and around our synod, we have many varied opportunities to share in commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. For a listing of just some of the events, click here.
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Harvest Festival & Boutique - Rancho Santa Margarita - Oct 21
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We are kicking off the holiday season with a Harvest Festival & Boutique on Saturday, October 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Community Lutheran Church in Rancho Santa Margarita. Come shop at the boutique, enjoy a sweet treat from the bake sale, put your bids in at the silent auction, take your chances in the raffle, participate in kids crafts and activities, and sit down with a BBQ lunch. There is something fun for the whole family! Admission is free.
All proceeds will benefit CLC youth for the 2018 Youth Gathering in Houston and Saddleback Children's Center Preschool.
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No Joke Live Event - Cal Lutheran - October 23
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Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm
A preacher, a rabbi, and an imam walk into ... an unthinkable friendship and forge an unbreakable bond.
You might think it's a bar joke, but it's actually No Joke.
Hosted by executive producer Jim Henderson, NO JOKE Live! introduces the friendship of three men from Peoria, Illinois - the Heartland of the Midwest.
This link will take people to the webpage that has information on tickets:
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Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb - Various Locations - November 1-3
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Silent Saturday - Mission Viejo - November 4
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For a PDF version of this flyer, please
click here
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Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
Woodland Hills - November 13-17
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The Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders will be held on November 13-17, 2017 at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Woodland Hills. This five-day training is intended to equip church leaders with the skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. It includes lectures, discussion, and guided practice in role plays. Active and practical in focus, the sessions emphasize hands-on skills training and real life role-plays, based on the types of conflicts faced by participants.
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