Tracy Moffatt, President of the Synodical Women's Organization and chaperone of a youth group for the Youth Gathering, reflects on a stop the youth made on their way to Houston
|
|
...Holy Trinity (Fort Walton Beach) showed us all the kind of hospitality Jesus preached about, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about them. Our WELCA sisters there made a life long impression on the young ladies in our group as their Mary Martha Quilters circle welcomed them to help assemble LWR quilts. The rest of our group helped on other projects with Holy Trinity’s Spit and Shine Crew.
The young ladies of Girl Talk Circle (a young women's circle at Christ, Cape Coral) would tell you they “Shirley” had an awesome time as they not only learned how to make the quilts but learned who they are for and how they get where they are needed...
|
|
Journey to Jamaica in January, 2019
|
|
The FB Synod Global Mission Committee is pleased to share this opportunity to travel on an Immersion Journey to Jamaica. At the invitation of our Companion Seminary in Kingston, Jamaica, the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) – we will stay on the seminary grounds and have most meals in the campus cafeteria. There will be morning lectures on culture and religion in Jamaica, an opportunity to worship in local churches & meet with ELCA Missionary Rev. Dr. Eliseo Perez, and in the afternoons experience local culture and tourist sites like the National Gallery of Jamaica, Devon House, Bob Marley Museum, Marcus Garvey Museum and an optional trip to Dunns River Falls.
Dates of trip – Friday, January 4th–Thursday, January 10th, 2019. (Optional Extension to Dunns River Falls returns Friday, January 11th, 2019).
Estimated Cost of trip (including airfare- depending on departure city in Florida and accommodations chosen) = $1000 - $1300pp.
This trip requires good physical health and ability to walk distances and climb stairs as handicap facilities may not be available in Jamaica.
For more information and detailed Itinerary and descriptions –
contact Immersion Journey Leader PJ May - pjnrusty@yahoo.com or (239)738-6943. The Immersion Trip Application form can be found on the FB Synod website –
Global Mission page.
Application deadline for this trip is September 1st – sign up now!
|
|
|
ELCA World Hunger's Global Farm Challenge
ELCA World Hunger's Global Farm Challenge is a yearlong, youth-driven fundraising challenge to support the agriculture-related programs of ELCA World Hunger, our church's ministry to end hunger and poverty. Many youth and youth groups raised...
Read more
elca.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
God's Work Our Hands Sunday
|
Dear sisters and brothers in ministry,
"God's work. Our hands." Sunday is one month away, and I thank you for considering participating in the ELCA’s dedicated day of service. The appointed day is Sunday, Sept. 9. If it’s not possible for your congregation to participate on Sept. 9, please consider another day for your dedicated day of service.
Whether your congregation prepares personal-care kits for people who are homeless, cleans parks and community gardens, visits the homebound and those who live in nursing homes or writes thank-you notes to emergency responders and members of the armed services, your activities are an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: All of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God's grace.
- the 2018 toolkit, which includes a section on advocacy-related activities
- a worship resource
- posters and postcards
- doorhanger invites
- bulletin inserts
- T-shirts available through Old Lutheran
- If you haven't done so already, please sign up your congregation for the day of service by answering a couple of quick questions in our survey. Your registration helps us share and tell stories about the good work that we do together.
We want to hear from you!
Shortly after Sept. 9, please share with us your congregation's activities. Send your stories and photos to livinglutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God is doing through the congregations and ministries of the ELCA.
Every day, congregations share the love of Christ with God’s people. On “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, we join together to use our various gifts in service to our communities. We look forward to working together again this year and to hearing your stories!
God's peace,
Christina Jackson-Skelton
Executive Director, Mission Advancement
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
|
|
|
RSVP/Register for these events!
|
|
Practice Discipleship Retreat for youth leaders (paid, volunteer) and all who work with children/youth
|
|
Boundaries Workshop
(for Staff and volunteer leaders)
Cross+Road Lutheran,
Fleming Island
|
|
Conference on Ministry (Rostered Ministers)
Life Enrichment Center,
Leesburg
|
|
Click on the calendar to go to the synod calendar to learn more about these events
|
|
Aug. 24-25 -
Synod Parish Deacon Retreat (Spirit of Joy, Orlando)
Aug. 25 -
Hearts, Hands and Voices workshop (Our Savior, Vero Beach)
Aug. 26 -
Installation of Pr. Jeremy Freye, Advent, Melbourne (2:00 pm)
Aug. 27 -
Beer & Hymns hosted by Atonement, Wesley Chapel (O'Brien's Irish Pub)
Sept. 3 - Synod Office CLOSED for Labor Day
Sept. 5 -
USCA Faith Coalition pre-conference on AIDS
Sept. 7, 8 -
Rock the Universe, Universal Studios, Orlando
Sept. 8 -
God's Work Our Hands Work Day, Luther Springs
Sept. 8 -
Installation of Pr. Tom Holdcraft, St. Stephen, Tallahassee
Sept. 9 -
God's Work Our Hands Sunday
Sept. 10-12 -
Region 9 Rostered Deacon Retreat (South Carolina)
Sept. 14-15 -
Synod Council meeting (Jacksonville)
Sept. 27-30 -
Practice Discipleship Retreat for Youth Workers (Luther Springs)
Sept. 28-30 -
Come to the Well Retreat for Women (Luther Springs)
Oct. 9 -
Boundaries Workshop, Cross+Road, Fleming Island
|
|
It is not too soon to get these dates on your calendar.
|
|
Synod Assemblies
2019 - Embassy Suites – Kissimmee – June 6-8
2020 - Caribe Royal – Kissimmee – June 5-7
2021 - Embassy Suites – Kissimmee – June 3-5
2022 - Caribe Royal – Kissimmee – June 3-5
2023 - Caribe Royal – Kissimmee – June 8-10
|
|
MissionPartners100 (MP100) is the synod-wide campaign that invites generosity from congregations to support designated ministry projects throughout the synod each year. MP100 is congregations helping congregations with specific projects that are an expression of how more work can be done through collaboration than through isolation.
This year's MP100 campaign focus is
Living Faith Lutheran Church in Port St. Lucie, where Pr. Maryanne Kehlenbach is pastor and mission developer to a growing congregation. Initially meeting in a rented space, Living Faith has a dream of having their own building, and has been identified as the focus of this year's MP100 appeal.
Thanks to the generosity of many, this appeal so far has generated $8,651.55.
If you or your congregation would be willing to partner with this appeal and participate in the work of the Holy Spirit at Living Faith, prayerfully consider a donation to MP100. You can direct checks (with "MP100" on the memo line) made out to Florida-Bahamas Synod to the synod office (3838 W. Cypress St, Tampa, FL 33607), or you can make electronic donations through our
synod web site. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to mission and ministry in this synod!
|
|
|
Advent Resources from ELCA World Hunger
|
ELCA World Hunger
recently sent a sample packet of Advent resources to congregations. These resources are free to individuals to download or order, with free shipping, while supplies last. Resources include:
- Advent Study 2018: Find devotions, questions for reflection, prayers and inspiration for the journey to end hunger and seek justice.
- ELCA Good Gifts Catalog: This catalog offers many ways to honor friends and loved ones with Christmas gifts that will make a difference in the world. Use it to inspire special fundraising events, and distribute it to members to help them with their holiday shopping.
- Advent Tree: Decorate a tree with ornaments that represent ELCA Good Gifts – honeybees, farming tools or school supplies, for example – and raise funds to help fight hunger. Members can keep the ornaments and give them as gifts to symbolize their donations.
- Advent Calendar: Guide your Advent journey with a daily prayer, hymn, Bible verse or story, and learn how your gifts to ELCA World Hunger are making a difference in the world. The calendars come in packages of 25, and we recommend one per household.
- Bulletin Insert: Include the new, expanded ELCA World Hunger insert in your worship bulletins and learn more about our church’s response to hunger and poverty.
How might you use these resources?
- order the Advent calendar for your men's or women's groups, and commit to using them as your daily devotions throughout the season of Advent;
- order Good Gifts for children, grandchildren, god-children, college students, seminary students, or other children/youth/young adults connected to you or your congregation;
- order from the Good Gifts catalog in celebration of those from your congregation who have been baptized in the past year, or whose lives have been celebrated through memorials and funerals;
- Put up a small tree in the narthex or worship space, and invite members and visitors to make a donation towards ELCA Good Gifts. As they do, add ornaments to the tree;
- Put up a small tree decorated with ELCA Good Gifts ornaments, and encourage people to take an ornament and order that item from ELCA Good Gifts;
- Order the 2018 Advent study, and distribute it to your congregation to guide their personal/family devotions during Advent. Distribute these studies in connection with an activity day for making Advent wreaths;
- Order the 2018 Advent study for your household to read together during Advent, or send to the households in your extended family and invite everyone to read it together. Use email, phone/text, facebook messenger or face-to-face conversations to share what you are thinking as you read;
- Order the 2018 Advent study for your congregational council, and use it as your devotions for your meetings between Advent and Lent
- so many other ways to use these free resources!
|
|
- Seattle (REDIL)
- Parish Deacon Retreat (Orlando)
- Installation of Pr. Jeremy Freye (Advent, Melbourne)
- Synod Office
- Our Savior, Freeport, Bahamas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|