Pacifica Synod News & Notes
May 15, 2020
We share with you the following news, resources, information and event updates taking place within our synod and throughout the ELCA. If you have items or information to share, please email Terri Robertson at  terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org . If you know of others who aren't receiving our emails, please share this with them and encourage them to contact us using the above email or sign up here .
Current News & Resources
Pacifica Synod COVID-19 Response Grants
Apply Through May 25
The Pacifica Synod has received a $10,000 grant from the ELCA’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Your congregation or institution is invited to apply for a grant from this fund to cover the cost of some form of ministry that you need. The Synod grants will range from $500-$1,000, and the Mission Funds Committee, which is elected at Assembly by voting members, will evaluate grant requests and decide on amounts to be given.

To download a fillable application, click here . After you download the application, SAVE it to your computer BEFORE filling it out. Open the saved document, complete the application, and save it again. Finally, email the application as an attachment to TerriRobertson@pacificasynod.org . The application deadline is Monday, May 25, 2020.

If your congregation does not need this support but can instead provide further funding to extend more grants to those in need, we invite you to donate to this fund. You may donate to the ELCA fund that benefits all ELCA congregations by clicking here . If you want your donation to remain within the Pacifica Synod, you may send a check to the synod office, payable to the Pacifica Synod with “Pacifica COVID-19 Response Fund” written in the memo line OR you may donate online here .

The COVID-19 Response Fund is a special appeal to offer direct operational ministry support for congregations, synods and local ministries. These funds support ministries of the ELCA with any COVID-19 related need.

Here are some examples of what the grant could fund:
  • Supplementing congregations who can reach underrepresented populations, serving ethnic-specific communities, and those reaching the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • Ensuring this church’s COVID-19 response more effectively tends to the realities of racism and racial inequality.
  • Supporting targeted COVID-19 ministries to encourage collaborative work in faith communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infection and/or already economically challenged.
  • Continuing support of ELCA Outdoor Ministries, ELCA Campus Ministries, and other related ELCA ministries.
  • Providing salary, utilities, and rent support for congregations most in need.
  • Directing grants to congregations for technological equipment for online worship and faith formation opportunities.
  • Collaborating with congregations who have strong online presence for the sake of growing the capabilities of congregations with no or minimal online presence.
  • Building strategic priorities to align resources for the future.

Remember, the deadline for us to receive your grant application is Monday, May 25, 2020.

God be with you and your congregation and ministries as you serve during this time of COVID-19.
From Our ELCA Presiding Bishop

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will provide a sermon for Trinity Sunday, June 7. The sermon will be recorded by May 31 and the synod will email out the sermon links to congregations and rostered ministers by Monday, June 1. Congregations are asked not to post the sermon prior to Saturday, June 6 if they plan to use her sermon. Bishop Eaton's sermon will be posted on the ELCA YouTube channel on Sunday, June 7.
Presiding Bishop's Messages and Articles
Pastoral Message on COVID-19, Racism & White Supremacy
On May 13, Bishop Eaton issued a pastoral message on COVID-19 racism and white supremacy. To read the message, click here.

"United" - Bishop Eaton's May 2020 Living Lutheran Article
In a time of physical distancing due to the coronavirus, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that we aren’t islands—we are united in baptism. In her May column, she writes: “We don’t have to go it alone. In fact, we cannot, because, in Christ, we are knit into one body. And just as surely as Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one—this wildly mysterious community of the Trinity—so are we one.” 

Read her column in English at  https://bit.ly/2Wh5fjr  and in Spanish at  https://bit.ly/2yAdqxW .


ELCA 2020 Synod Assembly Video
A thriving church is one so convinced of the resurrection that we’re free to give our lives in service to others.  Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton  shares how the ELCA continues to thrive in country churches, cityscapes and places with no walls in this message for 2020 Synod Assemblies.




Lutheran Lobby Day Postponed
Greetings,
 
It is with a very heavy heart that I write to you to postpone our annual Lobby Day, which was scheduled for next Wednesday, May 20. 
 
The Capitol may be open, but the reality is that offices are working with a high volume of policy proposals, an unprecedented rate of change, a need for flexibility, and limited in-house staffing. There are opportunities for advocacy, but securing meetings with legislators as we normally would has proved impracticable. We considered making the day a panel discussion with some of our allies, but the point of an advocacy day is to DO, not to listen to more talking heads. 

However, there is still an opportunity to do advocacy next week. We strongly encourage you to join us for our weekly  Advocacy in Quarantine briefing @12pm on Wednesday, May 20, in lieu of Lobby Day.  To j oin the Zoom Meeting:  https://zoom.us/j/389725625  

We are considering moving Lobby Day to coincide with God's Work, Our Hands Sunday in September as part of ELCA Advocacy's initiative to bring an advocacy component to the wider church. We will share more details with you as we develop this vision. 

PAX,
Regina Q. Banks

LRCC Message About Summer Camp 2020
Dear Outdoor Ministry Friends,

The safety of our campers, staff and extended camp family is one of our highest values; therefore, we are sad to announce that we have cancelled the majority of our Summer Bible camp programs for 2020.

We pushed off this decision as long as we could, hoping that a safe way to host campers and guests would emerge. It did not, and we are out of time.

LRCC is cancelling all on site programs at both El Camino Pines and Luther Glen Farm, Beach Camp and all Day Camps at our partner congregations. As of today, we are still hoping to offer a modified Staff in Training (SIT) program where appropriate mitigation can ensure the safety of our community. Stay tuned to our social media feeds for more information.

For the foreseeable future, we will continue creating our Virtual Campfires, and different video offerings to supplement your congregations Sunday morning online worship. And, on Saturday, July 25th, our Eleventh Annual Summer Banquet moves online!

We were recently granted a PPP loan, allowing us to rehire most of our staff and our summer leadership team. That keeps us busy through the end of June. We will spend that time improving our facilities at El Camino Pines and growing food at Luther Glen Farm.

Our Board of Directors is monitoring each advisory from the State of California, our respective county Health Departments and the Centers for Disease Control. We are in touch with our two Bishops and synod offices, and speak frequently with our partner camps across the country.

Until it is safe to gather at camp again, our focused prayers are with the women and men on the front line in this struggle.

Grace to you, and peace.

Pastor Glen & Lauri Egertson
LRCC Executive Directors

Lutheran Retreats, Camps & Conferences  | www.lrcchome.com

Bibles and Bible Study Resources
St. Peter's by the Sea in San Diego has extra copies of some Bible study books and Bibles. The following resources are free to those who may want them.

Good News Bible – 14 copies
Good News for Modern Man – 4 copies
The Adventure Bible – 7 copies
Good News by a Man Named Matthew – 10 copies

If you are interested in any of these resources, please contact the church by June 30 via email at office@stpetersbythesea.org. They are willing to hold them for you until it is safe to share them.
Office Administrator Position
Faith Lutheran, Menifee
Faith Lutheran Church in Menifee seeks technology-savvy self-starter for the Part Time position of Office Administrator. To submit resume and/or request job description, email faithlutheranmenifee@gmail.com . No phone calls, please. Position open until filled. 

To download a position description, click here .
Webinars and Forums
Here to Serve
Weekly Online Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Here to Serve: Being Church in the Time of COVID-19
Weekly Online Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Wednesday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. PDT

You are invited to join this weekly gathering designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders across the church and throughout society. Participants will hear topical presentations related to how we are called to be Church in the time of COVID-19, as well as an opportunity to be in small group discussions with an ELCA group coach facilitating the conversation. All of this is designed to help us process our feelings in this strange and fearful time and to create a space where we can each name our next most faithful step forward in our unique context.

Our weekly gathering on May 20 will focus on children and youth.  What is it they have been absorbing, and what is it they can teach us? How do we as leaders support their care-givers and prepare for re-entry into a world that has changed around them? Each of our speakers will share reflections from their perspectives and experiences.  The conversation will be facilitated by  Linda Staats, founder of HomeGrown Faith  and ELCA Coordinator for  The Generosity Project .  Across the miles, Linda cares for her 101- year-old mother and extended family members of the Millennial and Alpha generation in Kenya.

Cory Newman  is Executive Director of the  Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) , the organization that advocates for 1,400 ELCA Schools and early learning centers. ELEA actively supports 18,000 staff and 150,000 children during closure of our Lutheran schools and sheltering in place orders. Cory is an experienced early childhood educator and mother to two girls, one in high school and the other an elementary age student.

Lyle Griner,  Director of  Peer Ministry  and a grandfather, has been meeting weekly with our ELCA youth, listening to their deepest needs and hopes and providing resources for navigating these times together as youth and caring adults. Lyle is a spiritual director, author, and coach, who believes every youth is a leader.

Janelle Hooper , Program Director for the  ELCA Children’s Ministry , is supporting our ELCA leaders and households by listening to the needs of our leaders and maintaining a website with up-to-date curated faith forming resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a pastor, author, Godly Play facilitator, and mother to two elementary age children.


ELCA Coaching is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Being Church in the Time of COVID-19 - Weekly Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Time: May 20, 2020 01:00 PM Central Time

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160

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Password: 648160

"Pastoring in a Time of Pandemic"
Free Webinar, Thursday, May 21
All are invited to a free, live, interactive webinar about "Pastoring in a Time of Pandemic", Thursday, May 21, 2020, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (PDT).

Rev. Kelli Walker-Jones and Rev. Dr. Graham Standish will provide important information of how mental health dynamics can intersect with one’s faith as we live in these challenging times.

This conversation is especially timely as congregational leadership are discussing when and how to begin to join together in face to face worship. Both speakers also have personal and professional experience to understand how clergy may also have been impacted by the transitions and stresses of the past few months.

Everyone is welcome - no registration required! Join us on Zoom at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87859109730
or by phone: (312) 626-6799; Webinar ID: 878 5910 9730.

Presented by the Solihten Institute and Samaritan Counseling Center Hawai'i.


For a downloadable PDF flyer with more details, click here .

"Perspectives on the Border"
Webinar Series on Immigration
May 13 & 14 - 1:00 p.m.
"Perspectives on the Border" webinar series on immigration is a partnership project with  Rev. Dr. Jay Alanis , the  Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest (LSPS) , and the following ELCA synods: Gulf Coast, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana, Sierra Pacific, and Southwestern Texas.
 
There are two sessions, and we are offering both for only $50!
 
Session 1: Theological Perspectives on Immigration from the U.S. Mexico Borderlands (May 13, 1:00 p.m. Pacific)
 
The recent refugee and migrant crisis along the U.S. - Mexico border provides a window into the complex social, political, and cultural worldview of two neighbor nations, a location and human condition that calls for a theological response to how we treat 'the other.' The current pandemic has exacerbated the human response to migration. The webinar will offer theological perspectives on immigration as a border-crossing response of faith.
 
Session 2: Living in Third Spaces: Where the church meets asylum seekers
(May 14, 1:00 p.m. Pacific)
 
This webinar will explore liminal space as a third space of faithful living and offer theological perspectives on liminality as sacramental, eucharistic space where the church encounters the migrant other.
 
 
The sessions will run about an hour in length.
 
For additional context, we recommend you read this lecture by Rev. Dr. Jay Alanis:  “Borderland Ethics Sin Fronteras: Borderland Ethics Without Borders, Neighbor-Love in Liminal Spaces”
ELCA stewardTalk
Thursday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m.
ELCA stewardTalk
Reflections on Faith & Finances
in Times Such as This
A Conversation with Rev. Charles Lane
Thursday, May 14, at 1:00 PM PDT

We will talk about his book and connect to two response methods he has written:
  • Walk with Jesus
  • Because of God’s Great Mercy

To participate, simply link to:
Join Zoom Meeting - https://zoom.us/j/908189593
Meeting ID: 908 189 593
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Meeting ID: 908 189 593
Find your local number:  https://zoom.us/u/abtzy58f8m


Feel free to invite others. This talk will be recorded and soon be placed in our new ELCA stewardShowcase at https://vimeo.com/showcase/5854136 .
We will be adding more videos soon. 
 
Hope you will able to join us!
We Remember in Our Prayers
We ask that you hold the following people in your thoughts and prayers:

  • Reverend Robert Freistedt
  • Family and friends of Rev. Duane Berg
  • Family and friends of Rev. Lowell Larson
  • Reverend Ron and Paula Rennegarbe
  • Those affected with the COVID-19 virus and those who have lost loved ones
  • Our healthcare providers, first responders, essential workers and all who continue to serve so that others can remain safely at home



In our synod e-newsletter, prayer requests may be shared for our synod's rostered ministers, spouses, key lay leaders and congregations.

 Prayer requests included are subject to the following guidelines:
  • Only the names of those to be prayed for will be included in our communications. Additional information (with permission) may be shared with the bishop or synod staff, but will not be publicized.
  • Those being prayed for must have provided the requester with explicit permission for their names to be shared with the synod.
  • Names will remain in the synod communications for one month, unless we are notified by the Conference Prayer Coordinator to extend the request.
  • Prayers MUST be added through your Conference Prayer Coordinator, who will submit the prayers to the synod office for distribution.

The following people are serving as your Conference Prayer Coordinators:

E. San Diego Conference - The Rev. Richard Vevia -  revvev@cox.net
W. San Diego Conf - The Rev. David Nagler -  pastordave@christpb.org
Harvest Conference - The Rev. David Jorstad -  pastorjorstadsmlc@yahoo.com
Raincross Conference - The Rev. Linda Brown -  pastor@edenlutheran.net
Big Bear Conference - The Rev. Matt Anderson -  pastormatt@trinityvictorville.org
Saddleback Conference - The Rev. Marty Jacobson -  pastormartyclcrsm@gmail.com
Son & Surf Conf - The Rev. Jennifer Schultz -  prjenniferblclosalamitos@gmail.com
Rejoice Conference - The Rev. Cate Luehr -  pastorcate@elclh.org
Hukilau Conference - The Rev. Kathryn Zurcher -  kzurcher002@luthersem.edu
Synod Event Updates
2020 Joint Synod Assembly
On March 18, 2020 - Bishops Andy Taylor and R. Guy Erwin issued the following statement regarding the 2020 Joint Synod Assembly scheduled for May 28-30 at California Lutheran University:

As we live into a new "abnormal" with COVID-19, social distancing, and cancelling of most events in our lives, we wish to inform you that the joint Pacifica and Southwest California Synod Assembly scheduled for the end of May has been postponed.

We are working with the Synod Assembly Planning team, the staffs of both synods, and California Lutheran University to see what options there may be to hold the assembly in August. While there will be questions on the postponement, we ask for your patience and prayers as the staffs and planning teams work out the details.
 
It seems everything is changing by the hour. But in the midst of this uncertainty, we hold on to the never changing love of God and the promise that we do not walk this untrodden path alone.

We will keep you informed as more details become available.
Pacifica Synod - ELCA
Lutheran Center for Mission & Learning
1801 Park Court Place, Bldg. C, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714.692.2791