Holiday Graphics Resources from the Virginia Synod
This year to support your communication needs, we're creating a number of Advent and Christmas graphics you can use in your congregation!

These graphics can be used as part of your congregation's social media plan, printed off and displayed in and around your church, or any number of ways that best serve your congregation! From email headers to printable posters there plenty of opportunities to make use of our Advent and Christmas graphics!

Tune in to the Virginia Synod Instagram account as we share some previews of these graphics as we put on the final touches! These graphics will be available on the Virginia Synod website next week, and we can't wait to share them with you!
Deck the Halls! 2018 Virginia Synod Christmas Decoration Contest
Submissions are now open for the 2018 Virginia Synod Christmas Decoration Contest! Congregations and individuals are both welcome to enter their decorations in one of three categories: Chrismons tree, Christmas tree, or Advent wreath for this year’s contest!

To enter send the best photo of your decoration to Emily Pilat at pilat@vasynod.org  from now until  Monday, December 17th.

With your entry photo please include the following information:
  • Your First and last name
  • Your congregation name and location (ex. Christ Lutheran, Roanoke)
  • The category for which you are entering (Chrismons tree, Christmas tree, or Advent wreath)

Only one entry per individual or congregation  (ie. if you submit a photo of your congregation’s Chrismons tree, a submission of your congregation’s advent wreath will not be counted as an entry)!
On  December 20th  one randomly selected winner for each category will be announced in that week’s edition of the Weekly Update. All three winners will receive a special prize!

If you have any questions about the Christmas Decoration Contest, please contact Emily Pilat at  pilat@vasynod.org  Best of luck to all who enter, and happy decorating!
Virginia Synod Sermons
Sermons are available one month prior to the Sunday service they are to be shared during. View all the sermons shared  on the Virginia Synod website.
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
Announcements
2018 Lost and Found
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 other youth and adults from your congregation and other congregations about how the weekend is going.

For more information on Lost and Found and to register for the even,  click here .
Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp and Retreat Center Upcoming Events
Need a home for the Holidays?
Plan a reunion or family retreat at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp and Retreat Center! Buttonwood Lodge is a wonderful place to catch up by the fireplace with your college friends or adult relatives, and the Farmhouse is a perfect family space for up to 25. Meals and activities can be provided upon request. (Meals that you don't have to cook, and activities that you don't have to plan!)

Call (540)-449-0012 or email  julie@carolinefurnace.org  to learn more.
Meditation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (MSTI) November 12-16, 2018
On November 12-16, 2018 at First Mennonite Church 601 East Parham Road Richmond, VA will host Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (MSTI)

This 5-day, 32-hour training includes lectures, discussion, and guided practice in role plays. Led by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC), and active and practical in focus, the sessions emphasize hands-on skills training and real-life role-plays based on conflicts faced by participants. This training is useful for pastors and lay leaders alike. Sign up today for the workshop that a previous participant has called “the best continuing education I ever took!”

For further information call LMPC at 630-627-0507 or email us at admin@LMPeaceCenter.org. Detailed brochures with a registration form are available at lmpeacecenter.org/brochures. To register online via Brown Paper Tickets, visit our website at www.LMPeaceCenter.org/registration.
“We Refuse to be Enemies” with Daoud Nassar
A conversation entitled “We Refuse to Be Enemies” by Daoud Nassar, Palestinian Christian farmer and director of the peace-building center Tent of Nations is scheduled at 7 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at Peace Lutheran Church in Charlottesville. During this Nassar will discuss the Tent of Nations, the Israeli occupation and process of land confiscation, including the attempts at taking his family's farm, and the journey of his family since 1916 as they have sought to live creatively in the midst of an increasingly violent situation.
LARCUM Conference, 2018
A Gathering for Laypeople and Rostered Leaders
Today’s social and political climate can leave us at a loss with how to respond in productive and faithful ways. This conference for both laypeople and rostered leaders will take a look at why and how Christian communities have long understood the practices of worship, prayer and song as influences and guides that help us address and counter social division and concerns as well as the separation we may experience within and between our faith traditions. And what better place to sit down together to discuss and practice hopeful and faithful signs and actions that can lead to healing and reconciliation than in Charlottesville?

This conference, titled “Praying, Believing, Doing: An Ecumenism of Liturgy and Life,” begins on November 30, at 6 PM and concludes on December 1st at Noon. The event begins at Market Street Park in front of First United Methodist Church 101 E. Jefferson St. Charlottesville, VA where our bishops will individually offer prayer for peace and unity. Our presenter, The Rev. Dr. Karen B. Westerfield, will then lead us throughout the evening and again on Saturday in seeing how praying, believing and doing affect how we act toward our neighbor and the world, and speak to our quest for justice, reconciliation and peace.

For a brochure, contact your pastor, the Virginia Synod office or Pastor Eric Moehring ( ericjohnmoehring@gmail.com; 804-517-3073). Please register ($35; students no charge) by Nov. 17, but know that registrations will be accepted at the event. Or register on line at virginialarcum.org. Remember to make your own motel reservations as needed. See you in Charlottesville.
Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Advocacy Office and Federal Chaplaincies invite you to join us on Thursday December 6, 2018 from 4:30 to 7:00 PM in dedicating our new office located south of the U.S. Capitol building at at 218 D Street SE, First Floor Washington, DC 20003.

Special guests include ELCA Presiding Bishop, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton and invited Lutheran Members of Congress.

Come and meet with our Lutheran advocacy staff; local ministries; interfaith partners; congressional staff; senior chaplains from the military services, Veterans Administration, and Bureau of Prisons; ELCA practicing chaplains; and more.

Please RSVP by email at washingtonoffice@elca.org by December 1, 2018
Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will lead a small delegation in a wreath laying ceremony at the  Tomb of the Unknown Soldier  at Arlington National Cemetery. The event is open to the public and requires no reservation.  
This ceremony follows the Changing of the Guard on Pearl Harbor Day,  Friday, December 7 at 11:00 am . Lay members and rostered ministers of the ELCA are invited to attend. Bishop Humphrey is planning to attend.

For information about Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, visit:  www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier .  

Please keep in mind, the walk from the Visitors Center to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is about 10 minutes up hill. Make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes and can make the journey. Also, the tour tram stops at both locations.
Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day
The ELCA is invited to join the global community on Dec. 1 to commemorate World AIDS Day. This is a day for a time of remembrance, awareness and commitment to action, especially in our calling to a strong and faithful response that’s set forward in the ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS. Go to ELCA.org/hiv for World AIDS Day resources, including a bulletin insert, worship resources and a video message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
2019 Ignite the Church Conference
The Ignite the Church Conference is an annual gathering on February 19-21, 2019 that seeks to further Kingdom impacting conversation among leaders that will ignite the Church and help it live out its heritage of renewal in the years ahead! Speakers include Bishop Pedro Suarez, Florida Bahamas Synod, Rev. Dr. John Herman, and Beth Lewis, President and CEO Emeritus of 1517 Media. All proceeds from the event support the ELCA Fund for Leaders. For more information, check out their website:  ignitethechurch.net .
Job Opportunities
ELCA Career Listings
Explore and apply for opportunities available with the churchwide organization or global service on the ELCA Job Board at elca.atsondemand.com
ELCA Foundation Director of Gift Planning
T here are two key responsibilities for this leadership position:
  • Through the direct supervision of a national staff of about 20 regional gift planners (coaching and managing), lead and manage a robust fund-raising program to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospective donors of current and planned gifts;
  • Manage the business relationships with ministry partner organizations through on-site visits.
 
This position is located in Chicago and reports to the Executive Vice President of the Foundation. It requires about 30% travel, visiting regional gift planners, donors, and ministry partnerships.
 
Application, resume and cover letter  should be  submitted through the ELCA job board . Inquiries about the position may be directed, in confidence, to  Gaye Lindfors of Significant Solutions, Inc . , the consultant assisting with this search.
Organist Position, St. John Lutheran in Abingdon
St. John Lutheran Church, Abingdon. is seeking an Organist/Pianist, primarily for the 11:00 AM Worship Service. We are a small, friendly congregation and music is a very important part of the ministry. Part-time duties include playing for Sunday morning Worship at 11:00 AM and a 10:00 am Sunday morning Choir rehearsal and occasionally a Wednesday evening rehearsal. The Organ is a three manual Allen Digital Organ. If interested please contact the church office at 276-692-6215 or email: stjohnlutheran@stjohnabingdon.comcastbiz.net
Part-Time Director of Worship & Music- Emmanuel, Virginia Beach
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach is searching for a part-time Director of Worship & Music to coordinate and oversee the Worship and Music ministry in our congregation. Work with the Pastor to provide leadership for the musicians, choirs, musical groups, and lay ministry team while bolstering people's connection to God through worship and music. The Director position is part time (approximately 25 hours a week). If interested, please email your resume to admin@elvb.org
Rector and Dean of the Seminary- Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) of Lenoir-Rhyne University welcomes nominations and applications for a dynamic and innovative leader to serve in the position of Rector and Dean of the Seminary beginning as early as January 2, 2019 and no later than June 3, 2019. The Rector and Dean of the Seminary is a full-time appointment reporting directly to the President of Lenoir-Rhyne University. The primary duties of this position are to serve as the lead academic and church administrator for LTSS and to further develop LTSS as an exemplary seminary within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and among its ecumenical partners.

For a full position description, click here.
If you have a position opening you would like posted, please email Emily Pilat at  pilat@vasynod.org.