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SYNOD NEWS
August 2, 2018
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know it's true;
it satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
(ELW #661)
To read Bishop Gafkjen's
August
I-K Lutheran newsletter article and share with your congregation, please click
here.
Peer Ministry Training
High School students (grades 9 -12) as well as adults who work with and support them are invited to Peer Ministry Training on Saturday, October 13, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Church of the Nativity in Indianapolis. This training is open to any congregation of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and is co-sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. The trainer will be Chad Senuta (see
www.peerministry.org). Students will learn practical skills for welcoming and communicating with others. The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch. Register by contacting Pastor Dan Fugate at
[email protected] or 317.253.3522. Pastor Fugate can help with options for spending Friday night in Indianapolis for those traveling from out of town. A flyer with information can be found
here.
Mission Matters Newsletter
If you are not currently signed up to receive the
Mission Matters Newsletter, please visit our website,
www.iksynod.org, to view the newsletter and to see instructions for signing up for this very worthwhile newsletter!
Congregational Newsletters
I truly appreciate receiving and reading the newsletters from our Indiana-Kentucky Synod congregations. Please include me in your mailing list if you are currently not sending one to me. In addition, if your newsletter is sent electronically, I would also appreciate being added to your distribution list. Please send hard copies to the Synod office, or electronically to
[email protected]. Thank you!
Professional Leaders Conference
Mark your calendars now for the 2018 I-K Synod Professional Leaders Conference: October 14-16, 2018. (Please note the date change due to a conflict at the Clifty Inn.) This event is open to all rostered ministers and other similar individuals (i.e. seminarians) in the I-K Synod. When's the last time you wished you could push the reset button? We all have dreams of "if I only knew then what I know now . . ." What if you were given the opportunity to reset how you lead in your congregation or how you approach ministry? What reflections would surface and what changes would you make? To explore the answers to these questions, join us as we learn and discuss the theme: "Leadership Reset: Dreaming of the Leader that I will be." Please click here to register for the conference.
Campus Ministries
In order to connect students to their university's campus ministry, we need your help! Who are the students from your congregation who will attending a university in the fall? Please take a moment to provide this information. Please email Carol Ann Webb at [email protected] with student name, contact information, and the college or university they will be attending. We will forward the information with a campus pastor or with a cooperating congregation nearest to each student's school.
Back to School
The start of another new school year is fast approaching. Back to school provides an important opportunity to connect with students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and your community. Check out these Back to School resources and ideas, newly updated, at: https://iksynod.org/back-to-school-resource-guide/
Indiana-Kentucky Synod Stewardfest
You are invited to our second Indiana-Kentucky Synod StewardFest at Christ Lutheran Church, 3401 South Dixon Road, Kokomo, IN. It will be held on Saturday, August 25, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., with registration at 8:30 a.m. This action-packed event will give you and your congregation numerous tools for deepening and expanding your congregation's stewardship. Our time together will include two plenary sessions, one with Bishop Bill and one with Phil & Susan Schmidt, coordinators for the IK Synod Mission Ambassador Program. Please click here for a letter to share with your congregation. Please click here for a flyer to share with your congregation.
Mark Your Calendars!
Please be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Middle School Retreat
Dates: Friday evening, September 21, through Sunday morning, September 23, 2018.
Location: Waycross Retreat Center, Morgantown, Indiana
Peer Ministry Training (grades 9 -12)
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2018
Location: Church of the Nativity, Indianapolis, Indiana
Bishop's Day for Youth (grades 8 - 12)
Dates: Saturday, February 23, 2019, with the option of staying over Friday and/or Saturday evening
Location: To Be Determined
I-K Synod Youth Leadership Summit (grades 8 - 12)
Dates: Friday, May 31, through Sunday, June 2, 2019
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
For more information, contact Pastor Dan Fugate at [email protected] or 317.253.3522.
Middle School Retreat
Join us at Waycross Conference Center and Camp in Morgantown, Indiana, the weekend of Friday, September 21, through Sunday, September 23, 2018, for IGNITE, our middle school retreat. Students in grades 6 through 8 (or whatever grades your congregation's confirmation students are) for a weekend of growth, connection, and discovery. Please click
here
for a flyer to share with your congregation.
See the flyer for more information. If you would like to be part of the planning team for this event, please contact Pastor Dan Fugate at
[email protected]
or 317.253.3522.
Mission Support
Please remember that mission support and other financial gifts for synod and other ministries and mission need to be
sent to the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, 911 E. 86th Street, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46240.
Mission support checks should no longer be sent to Chicago.
The Post Office Box in Chicago has now been closed. Correspondence will be returned to you. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Where's the Bishop?
Many have expressed interest in knowing where Bishop Bill will be preaching and presiding so that they may attend if they are nearby. Below you will find a schedule of upcoming services and events where our Bishop will be presiding, preaching, participating or leading.
Bishop Gafkjen's Calendar of Events
July 23 - August 4: Vacation
August 5: St. Stephen, Louisville, KY
Preach and preside at 10:00 a.m. service
August 10: Preach and teach at Synod Candidacy Retreat, Benedict Inn, Beech Grove, IN
August 12: Preach and preside at Risen Savior, Ft. Wayne, IN 9:30 a.m.
August 12: Ice Cream Social Fundraiser for Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Indiana & Kentucky 2:00 p.m.
August 19: Preach and preside at St Paul Connersville, IN 10:30 a.m. service celebrating 175 years
August 19: Preach and preside at Installation of Rev. Todd Lotridge, Christ the Savior, Fishers, IN 3:00 p.m.
Bishop Gafkjen looks forward to being with you and your faith community. Please contact his administrative assistant, April Lynch,
[email protected] to schedule a time.
Synod
Weekly News
The Indiana-Kentucky Synod welcomes stories and photographs of ministry moments to share with its mission territory. Stories and accompanying photos are accepted for the Weekly News (which is sent out each Thursday), the monthly I-K Lutheran, and the web site (www.iksynod.org). Send announcement submission to Tom Dearchs, [email protected] by Tuesday at noon (Eastern time) to be included in the Thursday Weekly News. Please see the Publication Submission Guidelines document for complete details on submissions.
Calendar of Events on Synod Website
The Synod Calendar of Events is now posted on our website and is regularly updated with committee meetings and other synod sponsored events. The Calendar of Events is located under the "About Us" menu.
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CONGREGATION NEWS
During the weekly I-K Lutheran Center staff devotions we included these individuals and mission centers in our prayers:
St. Paul, Versailles, IN
and Rev. Curtis Black
St. Paul's, Frankfort, IN
and Rev. Michael Crawford, Pastor of Record
St. Paul's, Jasper, IN
and Rev. Timothy Holt
St. Paul's, Middlebury, IN
and Rev. Randall Schroeder
St. Paul's, Vincennes, IN
and Rev. Timothy Fleace, Pastor of Record and soon to be interim, April Dailey
Rostered Ministers Not Under Congregational Call:
Rev. Alan Rider, Retired
Rev. John Roberts, Retired
Rev. Robert C. Rohrman, Retired
Rev. Ronald A. Beltz, Chaplain, Ft. Rucker, AL
Deacon Lorraine Brugh, Professor of Music, Valparaiso University
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod and Bishop Michael Rinehart
Please visit our Event page on Facebook
An easy way to support and contribute to this Outdoor Ministries effort to assure no child is excluded from a camp experience for financial reasons is to click on our Go Fund Me link
https://www.gofundme.com/8uyrq-ice-cream-social and make a contribution in any amount. All funds raised will be designated for camp scholarships at all three of our LOMIK camps: Lake Luther, Lutherwald and Lutheran Hills.
Please click
here for a bulletin insert to share with your congregation.
Family Faith Formation Position Announcement
Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Indianapolis, IN is seeking an individual with a passion for faith formation and Christian discipleship. This individual will help lead a collaborative and innovative team that includes the pastor, and which will encourage, inspire and deepen multi-generational faith formation and integration especially among parents while also strengthening an already vibrant young child ministry.
- This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours per week
- applications are still being accepted
- a bachelor's degree is preferred however those with an associate degree will be considered
- experience working in a church setting is desirable but not necessary
Please contact Pr. Chris Wulff at
[email protected] for further information.
A Workshop on Deliberative Dialogue for Congregations, Clergy and Communities
The Isaiah 1.17 Justice Team is sponsoring a workshop on August 25th, entitled
"Finding the Purple Zone: A Workshop on Deliberative Dialogue for Congregations, Clergy and Communities." Its purpose is to help congregations and their leaders begin to lead conversation in their communities on issues around which they may have differing views.
Please click
here for more information on the event.
The workshop will be led by Rev. Dr. Leah Schade from Lexington Theological Seminary and will be held at St. John's, Louisville, KY on that day from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please click
here for a flyer to share with your congregation.
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CHURCH-WIDE NEWS
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Bishop Eaton's June/July Column for
Living Lutheran
We know the truth:
In her June column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
compares her father's experience following the war to that of African American soldiers. And knowing the truth of such realities, she writes, means "we have to do something about it." Read her column here. Bishop Eaton's July column is a reprint from last summer. Please follow this link to access the article: https://bit.ly/202wvfm
Three Sides is a monthly podcast featuring stories from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As a church that believes God is calling us into the world - together, Three Sides will present diverse voices from across the ELCA. Listen as we share unique stories from across this church.
In our introductory episode, Shanna Crawford, Philip LaDeur and Andrew Steele talk about why they're excited to co-host the ELCA's new podcast. Our hosts also give listeners a sneak peek of the first episode, "Women who lead," which launches in August.
Please save the date Sunday, September 9, for "God's work. Our Hands." Sunday.
As members of the ELCA, we believe we are called, gathered and sent into the world to embody the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection - called into relationship with God, gathered together as a community of believers and sent into the world to love and serve our neighbors.
1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, reminds us, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
On "God's work. Our Hands." Sunday, we join together to use our various gifts in services to our communities - this is work you do every day, sharing the love of Christ with all of God's people. Save the date and visit ELCA.org/dayofservice for updates to our resources.
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