This past Sunday was the fifth Sunday in Lent! To watch this weekend's message in English, please click here.
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Addressing Anti-Asian Racism & Violence
In response to the recent murders of eight people, including six Asian women, and the increased violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, Bishop Suárez has released a statement condemning the violence and all forms of racism. To read his statement, please click here.
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An Update from Our Partners in Haiti |
Members of our Florida-Bahamas Synod Global Mission Table recently connected with Pastor Joseph Livenson Lauvanus of the Lutheran Church in Haiti to discuss the political turmoil currently affecting the country. Pr. Livenson also recorded a special message for the Florida-Bahamas Synod. To watch this message, please click here.
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Join a Virtual Course on Gender Justice
Global Mission's Jamaica Team, led by Judith Olsen, is pleased to announce a virtual course on gender justice offered virtually by our companion, the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) in Kingston, Jamaica.
Gender and Leadership in Church Society is intended for lay leaders, clergy, and anyone interested in growing in their understanding of the ways gender identity has been used to exclude individuals from leadership. This exciting opportunity will be taught virtually by professors from Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States. It's a nine-week "short course" offered Thursdays from 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Jamaica Time) beginning April 15th. The cost is just $100.
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Living Lutheran: Servants in the time of COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic has swept the globe, it has brought pain and loss, disrupted lives and pushed many to their breaking point. But this health crisis has created something else too — a call to service, a spirit of helping others, a renewed appreciation for what truly matters. Through their professional roles and volunteer endeavors, Lutherans have felt this call to provide comfort, assistance and the promise of God’s love to their fellow human. Whether through frontline work with patients, comforting grieving families, making masks or donating time and supplies, Lutherans are stepping up to help others weather this storm. You can read a few of their stories here, in the March issue of Living Lutheran.
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COVID-19 Resources & Guidelines |
The CDC has issued updated guidelines for personal safety after you have received the COVID-19 vaccine. These tips are designed to help protect you and others even after you have been fully vaccinated.
Our synod has also released new guidelines for conducting services during COVID-19.
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2022 ELCA World Hunger Domestic Grants
Registration for 2022 ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants is now open! Click here to learn more about the grants and how to apply.
Organizations applying for an ELCA grant for the first time must register by setting up an account in ELCA GrantMaker in order to access the Domestic Hunger Grant application once it opens on April 19th, 2021.
ELCA World Hunger will host a webinar via Zoom on March 24th at 12:00pm Central time to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying. To join this virtual event, please complete this brief registration form by March 22nd at 12:00pm Central time. Registrants will be provided with a link so that they can participate in the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and accessible via the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.
Congregations with feeding ministries should stay tuned for the next round of Daily Bread Matching Grants in the coming months as well. Visit elca.org/dailybread to learn more.
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2021 Summer Camp Registration is Open Now! |
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Lutheridge, Lutherock, Luther Springs, and Lutheranch are making plans for an awesome, fun and SAFE summer! We know that children and guests missed summer camp last year due to Covid, and we are working hard to create summer camp programming that allows you to get outside in God’s good creation safely.
To learn more about the programs being offered at each site, registration, and Covid protocols visit www.Novusway.org today!
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Vacation Opportunity for Retired Pastors from Lutheran Services Carolinas
Lutheran Services Carolinas, a nonprofit based in Salisbury, North Carolina, operates a number of senior living communities in the state, as well as child and family services in both North and South Carolina.
This year, they are offering an opportunity for retired Lutheran pastors to vacation in the mountains of North Carolina for a month (or more) at a reasonable cost.
The opportunity is at the community of Trinity View in Arden, NC (very close to the hugely popular city of Asheville). Because Trinity View currently has some open apartments, they are doing something they've never done before, which is opening up some of these apartments for short-term rentals (monthly increments). Vacationers would live in a furnished apartment, get breakfast and lunch provided, plus other amenities.
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Deadline Approaching: Don’t miss out on a Paycheck Protection Program loan |
Whether or not your congregation benefited from the first round of PPP loans, it may be eligible now to receive its first or second loan to sustain payroll and operating expenses during the pandemic.
As a lender certified by the Small Business Administration, the ELCA Federal Credit Union (FCU) has administered nearly 300 PPP loans for ELCA ministries nationwide and is currently accepting new applications.
The FCU can assist any eligible ELCA congregation or ministry, even if it received its first PPP loan though a different lender. Apply by Monday, March 22nd, to ensure adequate processing time before the federal deadline on March 31st.
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The new Emmanuel Academies video advertisement marks the launch of their new campaign, “Raising Up Leaders for Tomorrow!”. The commercial will be aired as a Public Service Announcement on the Christian Television Network (CTN), during the month of March. Click here to watch the tv ad now!
The video focuses on Emmanuel Academies’ commitment to equipping future leaders for the church. Emmanuel Academies’ programs helping students called to serve the church earn a bachelor’s degree plus Master of Divinity degree for a fraction of the normal cost. They also offer a Master of Divinity Degree for adult learners seeking to become ordained pastors. The programs provide high quality learning and pastoral formation, through innovative, contextual platform allowing seminarians to grow as they serve their own community.
For more information, please visit their website at EmmanuelEd.org or call Howard Isaacson, CEO, at 239.206.3082 or email him at H.Isaacson@EmmanuelAcademies.org.
Emmanuel Academy Full & Partial Scholarships Available for Fall 2021!
Programs for Every Age/Christian-based innovative learning models
- Emmanuel Academies offers Bachelor’s Degrees in Ministry or Christian Thought & Practice AND a B.A. in Global Leadership offered in Spanish
- Five-year program with a combined BA and Master of Divinity
- Master of Divinity for adult learners
- Degrees customized for all Christian faiths
- Accredited Academic Partners: Palm Beach Atlantic University, Sioux Falls Seminary and Kairos University
Want to make a difference? Invest in Future Leaders!
You may partner with Emmanuel Academies as an Angel Donor for students. Your partnership will ensure funding does not stand in the way of a student receiving an education. You will be the Angel that makes their dreams of a degree come true! To become an Angel Donor please contact Info@EmmanuelEd.org.
Call 508-6CALLED (508-622-5533). An outreach 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization of Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Naples.
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Resources for Healthy Living from Portico |
Get the best rest. Good sleep is as much a factor of whole-person well-being as diet, exercise, and prayer. Check out the small steps you can take to set yourself up for sleeping well, getting your heart pumping and other resources on 2021 Live Well. Click here for more!
Focusing on sleep for part of your Lent journey? For ELCA-Primary members, Being, which can be found on your MyPortico page here, offers more in-depth coaching and tracking that can help you make meaningful, lasting change.
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Celebrating 75 Years of Lutheran World Relief |
One-fifth of the world’s Lutherans were left homeless by 1945, at the end of the Second World War. That same year, Lutheran churches in the U.S. mobilized to help in Europe through a new agency called Lutheran World Relief. Within a decade, the mission expanded, sending love where needs were greatest, often to places off the radar of the rest of the world.
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Looking for a way to serve the larger Church beyond your congregation? |
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The Synod Nominating Committee has 34 ways for you to choose from! Over the next month we will highlight these opportunities and then starting in mid-April you will be able to submit nominations to take on these exciting Synod Roles.
This week we highlight Discipline Committee which is a six-year term for both Lay and Rostered persons. This committee is not frequently called upon to meet but when they are their work is vital to the health of our Congregations and Synod. There are seven positions available with terms ranging from one to five years due to not having an assembly in 2020 and the need to maintain proper rotation of committee members.
Lynn Darcey reflects on her six years on the Discipline Committee: “I was called to serve on a Discipline Panel the last year I served on the committee (2020). Each of us agreed to commit the time to reflect, deliberate, and sometimes agonize as we discussed issues impacting the congregation, its members and its pastor. When we reached our final decisions, we agreed each of us had grown to appreciate each panel member and the talents they brought to the group as a whole.”
The Discipline Committee consists of 12 members, 6 Lay Persons and 6 Ministers of Word & Sacrament. Four new members are elected every two years to maintain continuity on the committee.
If the Bishop deems a hearing necessary with or without a review by the Consultation Committee, members of the Discipline Committee serve as the hearing committee. They then may make recommendations relating to discipline of a rostered minister or layperson according to ELCA and Synodical guidelines to the Bishop or Synod Council.
The work on the Discipline Committee can be challenging but also very rewarding as noted by committee member Pr. Derek Hoven: “People are complicated and community can be messy. On the rare occasions when other avenues have not led to resolution concerning alleged wrong-doing within the church, the Discipline Committee is called into these tender, tense, and painful places to help sort through the messiness. This is difficult work that understands the importance of accountability even as we seek to live together with grace and mercy.”
There are seven positions on the Consultation Committee open for nominations - please consider yourself or others who would appreciate the challenge and reward of serving in this capacity.
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Layperson Male (in good standing for a five-year term)
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Layperson Female (in good standing for a five-year term)
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Minister of Word & Sacrament Male (in good standing for a five-year term)
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Minister of Word & Sacrament Female (in good standing for a five-year term)
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Minister of Word & Sacrament Female (in good standing for a three-year term)
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Layperson Male (in good standing for a one-year term)
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Layperson Female (in good standing for a one-year term)
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Important Reports Reminder
You can submit Annual Ministers Reports to reports@fbsynod.org. You can find all reports, for both active and retired Rostered Ministers, by clicking here. Please download the report which corresponds to your roster status. You will need to download the form, fill it out, save it to their computers, and attach to an e-mail to reports@fbsynod.org.
Every congregation submits an annual Parochial Report. For Parochial reports, please visit the ELCA website here. You will need your congregation ID number and a password. If you have misplaced the password, please call the synod office.
If you need assistance, please contact the Synod office. If you have trouble submitting your email, please contact Ileana at ileanas@fbsynod.org.
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Have you completed Boundaries Training? |
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