A Vision for Health Care and Healing- Letter to Senators

Bishop Shelley Wickstrom
Christians are citizens in specific communities. We live in our particular homes with local concerns, in boroughs, in our beloved state and nation and world.  As citizens, we have opinions about government, baseball, fishing, etc.  We have different affiliations that bring us together and provide opportunities for shared action.  Who we are in Christ Jesus shapes those relationships and how we live on this earth.
As your bishop, whenever I send a letter to our elected officials or sign an editorial, I send a copy to our synod council members and rostered leaders. When I send those notices to those leaders, I reference where I find grounding in ELCA policy or social statements. See more here, including the Bishop's letter to Senators.

Give by Tap? There's an App!

Lisa Smith Fiegel, Director for Evangelical Mission
Want to support the ministry of your congregation with just a tap on your phone? There's an app for that! Many Alaska Synod congregations are using the Give + Mobile app, available from Vanco Payment Solutions. Electronic giving - of any kind - is a way to address cash flow shortages that congregations experience at certain times of year, including summer. See how congregations across our synod and the nation are using mobile giving and what options may work for you: read more here.

ACEs: Part Four: Resilience and bouncing back from ACEs, by Jan Adasiak

In part four of this series on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Jan Adasiak explains: Resilience is the ability to recover from a hurtful or embarrassing situation.  When a person has ACEs, which do long-term harm, more time and various modes of help are required to recover. Jan provides tools to evaluate and foster resilience, as well as insights on how the church can help. Read ACEs Part IV here.

Thank You to Behavioral Interviewers Trained- Lisa Smith Fiegel, DEM

Thank you to four Alaska Synod leaders who attended a training July 7-8 here in Anchorage to learn how to conduct Behavioral Interviews for the synod. Conducted by visiting churchwide leaders, the training prepared Alaska leaders to interview candidates interested in mission development (new ministry starts) and redevelopment. The Behavioral Interview is used in synods across the ELCA as a discernment tool for both synod leaders and the candidate him/herself. Thanks to those who offered their time and energy to participate in the training: Chris Delgado, Alaska Native Lutheran-Anchorage; Lorie Hovanec, Christ Our Savior-Anchorage; Rev. Julia Seymour, Hope-Anchorage and Erin Sutterer, Gloria Dei-Anchorage. Thank you!

Congregational Transitions

Congratulations to Petersburg Lutheran Church who has called Pastor Eric Olsen to serve as their new pastor.  Pastor Olsen and his wife Carol will arrive in October after they've had the chance to sell their home.  Pastor Olsen currently serves as executive director of Luther Heights Bible Camp in Ketchum, Idaho. (Yes, he is the brother of Stan Olsen, leader of Kuwaa Mission in Alaska.)  
Pastor Karen Sonray has announced her resignation from Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Nome.  The Sonray Family has returned to Anchorage where they can find additional resources for their daughter. See other congregational transitions here.

We Pray for Summer Adventures

May these events be safe, life-giving, and Spirit-filled:
+ WELCA Triennial convention & gathering July 10-16 in Minneapolis
+ Lutheran Men in Mission gathering July 21-23 in Minneapolis
+ Summer sessions at Salmon Lake Bible Camp through July
+Southcentral, Interior and Knik Clusters Camp at Victory July 24-28
+Southeast Cluster Camp July 24-28
+Lutheran Community Camp August 4-6 at Victory
+Holden Village
+ VBS weeks, Mission trips and local service-learning projects

Pray. Fast. Act.

In May, the presiding bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church issued a call to Pray, Fast and Act in support of federal programs that are vital to hungry people struggling with poverty. This month we answer their call by urging action to protect funding for international programs that provide relief and support livelihood for the poorest among us.
ON JULY 21, JOIN ELCA ADVOCACY AND PRESIDING BISHOPS OF THE ELCA AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AS, TOGETHER, WE:
PRAY for our nation's elected leaders and for all who struggle with hunger and poverty;
FAST to call attention in our own minds and actions the needs and circumstances of the poorest among us; and
ACT by urging our elected representatives to continue funding crucial programs that fight extreme poverty and respond to humanitarian crises around the world.

Reformed churches endorse Catholic-Lutheran accord on key Reformation dispute- Religious News Service

PARIS- Five hundred years after the Reformation, one of Protestantism's leading branches has officially said it now agrees with the Vatican on the main issue at the root of its split from the Roman Catholic Church. See the article from Religious News Service here.

1517 without a Hammer- Gail Ramshaw

How to observe the five hundredth anniversary of the events of 1517? Lutherans commemorating Luther, or Lutherans and Roman Catholics together commemorating our common Christian past, our shared present, and a future of hope? Gail Ramshaw offers the perspective that it may be possible to celebrate without dressing up as Luther with a hammer. Read more here.

July is Minority Mental Health Month

Lutheran Suicide Prevention Ministry encourages every congregation to bring awareness, visibility, and information to its members. This month focuses on suicide among minorities, including American Indian/Alaska Natives, Southeast Asians, African Americans and others. Learn more here.

Disaster Preparedness App from the American Red Cross

When earthquakes, tornadoes and other types of severe weather are coming your way, the American Red Cross can immediately alert you and provide prompt updates of weather progress through its apps. In addition, the apps offer essential information on what do to before (prepare), during and after an emergency. Click and protect.

Reformation 500 Bookstore. Get 20 free books on the Reformation for your church!

Host a Reformation 500 Bookstore at your church this fall and introduce your congregation to engaging and affordable resources on the Reformation while growing your church library! New titles include Martin Luther's Table Talk, Luther's Prayers, and the one-of-a-kind
The Life of Martin Luther: A Pop-Up Book. Sign-up by August 15th.

Wheat Ridge Ministries Awards Five New GrantsPlus Grants totaling $220,000

The GrantsPlus Program supports new and innovative health and human care programs led by congregations and nonprofit organizations affiliated with the Lutheran community. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 over two to three years. Click here to see the most recent recipients and consider applying for a grant.

Refer a student to Lutheran Campus Ministry

There are 230 ELCA campus ministry sites across the United States! If you are a young adult, or if you know of a young adult who is looking for a community of friends and a way to express faith, consider campus ministry: http://lumin-networkreferral.org/student-referrals/

ELCA500 Anniversary Planning and Promotional Tools

Visit ELCA500.org for details about the 500th anniversary celebration event and resources to plan announcements and activities.

Congregation Constitution Updating.

The 2016 model constitution for congregations is located at elca.org.  Send your draft to the Alaska Synod office e-mail for our review team to review & return to you.

Human Rights Social Message- Join the Discernment by Aug. 31

Don't miss your chance this summer to contribute to the development of an ELCA social message on human rights. The public comment period for the Draft of a Social Message on Human Rights runs through Aug. 31. Read and comment here.

Final call for responses to Faith, Sexism, Justice: Conversations toward a Social Statement- respond by Aug. 31

As the Women and Justice: One in Christ Task Force prepares to release the draft of the upcoming social statement on gender justice, they want to hear from you. Review the statement and share your thoughts here.

Foundations of Faith Community Nursing: Course August and October 2017

August 26- 27, 2017 & October 14-15, 2017 8:30 am - 5 pm. Providence Alaska Medical Center. Foundations of Faith Community Nursing. This course will provide basic knowledge and skills needed to initiate a faith community nursing ministry. Learn more here.

Alaska Synodical Women's Organization Convention Sept. 22-24; Fairbanks

Join the women of the Alaska Synod at Fairbanks Lutheran Church, Sept 22-24, 2017 for their annual convention. Travel and Registration Scholarship available. Details here.

Looking Back & Called Forward: ELCA 500. Oct. 31, 2017

Join ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton as she co-hosts a commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, D.C. The event is open to the public and will be available online via livestream. Learn more here.

Challenge Update: Raise $50k by July 22! Lutheran Men in Mission

Five men have stepped forward and committed gifts totaling $50,000. They are challenging the rest of us to match that by our Saturday evening (July 22) offering at the Gathering. Please help us meet this generous challenge! Give here. See the work of LMM here. So far we have $27,740 toward our goal!

Join upcoming discussions: * What's Right With You? * Mormons * Curing Healthcare *

Chair Yoga - Get Fit Where You Sit.   Tuesdays, 11am & Thursdays, 10am.

St. Mark Lutheran Church - 3230 Lake Otis Parkway, Anchorage - Ph:  (907) 276-6231
Join with others as yoga instructor Cat Kabira helps participants reconnect with their bodies every day through carefully designed yoga sessions.  Details here.