Midweek Joy in Luray

This week we're hearing from The Rev. Alex Zuber of Stony Man Lutheran Parish in Luray on his parish's mid-week services.

Beginning in August of this year, the Stony Man Parish , made up of Beth Eden and Grace Lutheran in Luray, has been having time for fun, faith, and fellowship in the middle of the week. It has been an important time for our congregation to experience worship and fellowship outside of Sunday morning, in a way that is inviting and engaging to the community at large. In an effort to find more opportunities to connect with the community and foster fellowship in the parish, a rotation of Midweek Services was started that includes Dinner Church , Evening Vespers , Waffle Church , and Faith on Tap .

Dinner Church has been one of our most successful options in rotation for midweek services. We gather on the first Wednesday of each month for a meal and service around the table. This is a different feel to worship, but grounded in a familiar sense of liturgy. We renew our hearts around the Word of God, Christ's Holy Supper, and the Fellowship of friends and family. We are fed in both body and soul by our time together. Dinner Church is perfect for families and offers a great opportunity for friends and families to work together as the monthly volunteers to provide the meal. A distinctive mark of the early Christian Table fellowships was that they gathered money for the poor. In that spirit, we take a collection every month for a charity in our community or around the world. In October, we’ve raised $152 for Lutheran Disaster Response.

Friends are invited to come as they are to Evening Vespers , the relaxed Wednesday evening service on the second Wednesday of each month. For some, this service is a powerful ending to their work day, a mid-week respite for meditation and reflection. Wednesday night provides the opportunity for an intimate yet informal worship experience unique from what you might expect at a Sunday morning service. At the center of the spoken liturgy is a community reflection on the evening’s bible reading. The group discussion will include some teaching about the shape and history of the text while also connecting the reading with God’s larger message. "Vespers", a prayer service rather than a communion service/mass, received its name and originated in the monasteries when worship took place every two hours around the clock. The service generally concludes in 30-45 minutes, leaving members refreshed and centered for the days ahead.

We know that the “Church” is not a building, rather it’s all God’s people as the Body of Christ. Pair God’s people with breakfast and on the third Wednesday of each month you get Waffle Church! We gather at 8:00 AM for a meal and fellowship around the breakfast table at Uncle Buck’s, a local diner in Luray. This is a time to start our day off right with Word, food, and conversation! We are fed in both body and soul by our time together and by discussing readings from our Daily Lectionary. Waffles are not required, but why miss the chance? Our last midweek service of the month is a time for Beer and Bible Study! Faith on Tap takes place on the last Thursday of the Month at Hawksbill Brewing Company for Beer, Bible Study, and Fellowship! The Brewery is a new addition to town, and with a Methodist owner, it opened the door for a fun ecumenical event. Gathered with folks from Luray United Methodist, Faith on Tap has become a vibrant and welcoming time of conversation around a wide range of topics. You do not need to like or drink beer in order to attend this time of faithful conversation and fun. This is meant to be a laid-back time of conversation for personal and spiritual growth. All are welcome, no matter where you are in your journey of faith.

Dinner Church and Vespers have provided meaningful opportunities for our congregation to grow closer together through fellowship under our own roof. Waffle Church and Faith on Tap have been joyful opportunities for public witness and inviting conversations with folks in our community. We’ve been delighted by the life-giving nature of these services, and look forward to what they’ll bring in the future.

Do You have an announcement, upcoming event or news story idea? Send it to Emily Pilat at  pilat@vasynod.org  and make sure to follow our Submission Guidelines

Announcements

Reformation 500 in the Virginia Synod Martin Luther posted his “Ninety-Five Theses” in Wittenberg on Oct. 31, 1517, and the resulting debate about Christian teaching and practice led to changes that have shaped the course of Western Christianity for almost 500 years. This year we are observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by a variety of events and activities, and the Virginia Synod wants to hear all about it! Share your experience: Take pictures during your congregation or conference event happening this month and into November! You can show them to the members of your congregation who couldn’t attend. Don’t forget to send an email to  pilat@vasynod.org  with your photos and details about your congregation or conference's observation so that we can celebrate together as a Synod. Use  #VA500 on social media so that you can connect with others in our Synod who are also hosting their own observations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Lost and Found 2017 Lost and Found  is our annual weekend retreat for youth in 7th and 8th grade and their adult advisors. We have  Large Group  gatherings that consist of singing, energy, comedy, worship and a presentation on our event theme. After each Large Group gathering each person is part of a  Small Group  made up of about 8 youth and a couple adult leaders where participants will get to know other Lutheran youth from Virginia and discuss life, faith and other topics that arise throughout the weekend. On Saturday afternoon there is large chunk of  Free Time  during which we will also hold out annual  Talent Show . In the evenings you will relax in your  Cottage  and talk with with other youth and adults from your congregation and other congregations about how the weekend is going. This year's Lost and Found will be held on November 17th through November 19th.  For more information and to register for Lost and Found, click here

RSVP for ForwardingFaith Congregational Training! Does your congregation want to take part in the ForwardingFaith Campaign? Is your stewardship team looking for a training event, but doesn't know where to go? As part of the Forwarding Faith Campaign, we are offering 2-hour training sessions throughout the Virginia Synod to teach your stewardship team how to conduct a special gift appeal. A part of this training provides materials and information on how to conduct the Forwarding Faith campaign in your congregation, but you can use everything you learn during the training session to conduct an appeal for a new air conditioning unit, parking lot paving, roof, outreach opportunity, or whatever your ministry needs to fund! For more information and to RSVP, click here

Looking Back & Called Forward: ELCA500 All are welcomed to register and attend “Looking Back & Called Forward: ELCA500” the ELCA’s Reformation anniversary commemoration event on  October 31st, 2017 in Washington, D.C. As a member of a surrounding area synod and congregation, you are invited to join us for this once-in-a-lifetime event.   The day’s event will include speakers and a service, held at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will co-host and will be joined by co-hosts Indiana-Kentucky Synod Bishop Bill Gafkjen, ELCA Vice President Bill Horne and Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod Bishop Richard Graham.   Registration is free, however, you will be responsible for your own travel and accommodations. Lunch is included in your registration.  Click here to reserve your seat.   For those unable to attend in person, you may watch the event online at  elca.org/livestream.

Reformation Service at St. Mark, Yorktown Anniversary liturgy! Hymns! Instruments! Choirs! Join the Lutheran Churches of the Peninsula Conference of the Virginia Synod at St. Mark, Yorktown on Sunday, October 29th at 3 PM to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

Central Valley 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Celebration The Mount Olivet Choir (from Arlington, VA) with Organist and Director, Dr. Steven Keister Shaner will present a concert of choral and organ music celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on Sunday, October 29th at 3:00 PM at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Strasburg. This event is being sponsored by the Central Valley Conference and is open to the public. The offering will go to the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program to support and honor Jacob Dunlop. Jacob, a member of Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Bergton, will be volunteering for the next year with YAGM in Paraguay. Following the concert a reception will be held in St. Paul’s fellowship hall. Seed money for the reception is being provided by Thrivent Action Team grant, but you are invited to bring a finger food to share. For more information, click here.

Tidewater Conference Commemorating Luther's Birthday and the Reformation Dr. Eric Crump will be present a lecture at St Michael Lutheran Church on Thursday, November 9th, 2017 at 7:00 PM. An open forum will follow his lecture addressing A Proposal for the Reformation of Law and Gospel. Dr. Crump will explore the intricacies surrounding natural law, the Decalogue, and Jesus’ great love commandment. Dr. Crump will also join us on Sunday, November 12th, 2017 between worship services (8:30 AM and 11:00 PM) for Adult Sunday school to continue the conversation surrounding how Lutheran’s interpret God’s Law and the Good News received through God’s Word. All are welcome to attend these two opportunities to visit with our Professor in Residence as we continue our commemoration of Luther’s 95 Theses. For more information on this and other Reformation events in the Tidewater Conference for October and November, click here.

"To the Ends of the Earth: Religious Transformations in the Age of the Reformation" at Old Dominion University Dr. Merry Wiesner-Hanks , Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and a former professor at the ELCA's Augustana College, Rock Island, will be the presenter at a Reformation event sponsored by the History Department of Old Dominion University. The date is  Thursday, November 2, at 12:30 PM  in Room 1106 of the new Education Building at the corner of Hampton Blvd. and 43rd Street, Norfolk.  Prof. Wiesner-Hanks will speak on the topic, "To the Ends of the Earth: Religious Transformations in the Age of the Reformation." The public is invited.

“Martin Luther and the 95 Thesis: The Impact of the Reformation on Art and Culture” First Lutheran’s own Pastor Rick Goeres will be a guest speaker at a special Old Dominion University event discussing the impact of the Protestant Reformation on western art and culture. This event will be held on  Friday, November 3rd , from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at O.D.U.’s Baron & Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, located at  4509 Monarch Way  in Norfolk.  For more information, click here .

The Episcopal Diocese of SW Virginia Presents Pursuing the Beloved Community: A Continuing Conversation on Race The Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia is in the midst of sponsoring a series of talks across our region titled, "Pursuing the Beloved Community: A Continuing Conversation on Race".    The first two talks have already taken place in Lexington and Roanoke. The first talk can be watched in its entirety at  https://youtu.be/h5GgtARL9Ak . The final talk is in Wytheville on  November 8th, 2017 , which will also be live-streamed. Each event features a presentation by Dr. Wornie Reed, Director of the Race and Social Policy Research Center and Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Virginia Tech.  Following Dr. Reed’s presentation, there will be a question and answer time as well as informal discussion. For more information, click here .

Day of Prayer & Reflection Sponsored by The Lutheran Episcopal Joint Committee of Virginia The  Northern Gathering of a “Day of Prayer & Reflections”  sponsored by the  Lutheran Episcopal Joint Committee of Virginia  is planned for lay and clergy Tuesday November 14th, 2017 . The Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, Meade Professor Biblical Interpretation and New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary, will lead presentations. Register by November 7th at  www.bit.ly/northdayofprayer . For more information, click here .

Disability and Youth Ministry Conference Princeton Theological Seminary In theology and ministry with young people, disability is often treated as a problem to be solved. Christian leaders approach people with disabilities as a target audience in need of integration into traditional church programming, rather than as full-fledged members of Christian community. But what would happen if the Church were to invest in and affirm young people with disabilities as active members of the body of Christ? How might the Church be reformed and reshaped by God’s work in young people with disabilities? Join the  Institute for Youth Ministry   February 1 – February 2, 2018 where we will engage both scholars and practitioners, striving to create an interdisciplinary conversation that makes a difference in a world of difference. For more information, click here .

Job Opportunities

Administrative Secretary, Grace Lutheran Church in Waynesboro Do you need the flexibility of part-time hours? Are you knowledgeable in office management systems and procedures? Do you have an understanding of and the ability to use social media, including websites and Facebook? Are you a strong typist with working knowledge of MS Office? Do you like to learn new computer programs? If you answered yes to these questions, we have the perfect job opportunity for you. Located in Waynesboro, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has an opening for a part-time (~ 25 hours/week) Administrative Secretary position. The ideal candidate will have a strong administrative background. This role is responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical tasks. Duties include, but are not limited to, providing daily support to the Pastor, keeping the Pastor's schedule and the church's calendar, purchase of office supplies and other materials as needed, greeting visitors, handling phone calls and e-mails, typing worship bulletins, Council agendas, letters, notices, lists, reports, etc. For more information go to www.gracewaynesboro.org/Employment.html . To apply for this position, please send a cover letter with your resume to gracelc2017@gmail.com .

Director of Music, Grace & Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra Grace & Glory Lutheran Church, a 250 member congregation in Palmyra, VA seeks an accomplished keyboardist and choir director to begin serving as Director of Music by January 1, 2018. Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree in a musical field, be familiar with liturgical music traditions, and be able to lead a diverse group of people of all ages and musical abilities. Depending on needs of the congregation and availability of the candidate, primary duties of this part-time (approximately 20 hrs/wk) position may include playing for 1 or 2 Sunday morning church services and all festival/special services, rehearsing and accompanying the adult vocal and hand bell choirs, and leading music for Sunday School and summer Vacation Bible School. Compensation package of up to $25,000  per year depending on ability and experience, and final determination of duties.    For a full current position description or to apply, please email  gglcelca@embarqmail.com.   Please include both a cover letter and resume when applying.   Grace & Glory is a vibrant, growing congregation in beautiful Central Virginia. We are active in the community and welcome all to join us as "Caring Christians sharing God's message of Grace." To learn more about us and our mission, please visit our website at  http://www.graceandglory.church.

Director of Youth and Family Ministry, St. Mark Lutheran Church in Charlottesville The Director of Youth and Family Ministry works with the Pastor(s), staff, lay leaders and others to support the spiritual health of the congregation and specifically the youth, primarily middle and high school age. Provides a connection between the St. Mark family and the growing number of youth. The lead Pastor is the immediate supervisor of the Director of Youth and Family Ministry. To view the full listing and apply,  click here .

All job postings can also be found online at  www.vasynod.org/job-opportunities. If you have a position opening you would like posted, please email Emily Pilat at  pilat@vasynod.org.

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