Pacifica Synod News & Notes
May 27, 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
.
|
|
Help Us Recognize and Celebrate
Your 2020 Seniors & Graduates
|
Currently, a team of students and adult advisors are working hard to plan a Service of Recognition and Celebration for our Pacifica Synod 2020 High School and College Seniors & Graduates (recognizing the fact that not all seniors will graduate).
We intend to record (and hopefully, live-stream) this service using Zoom on Sunday, June 7 at 2:00 p.m. Hawaii Time/5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Then, soon after the service, we will share the links to a recording of the full service, as well as individual portions of it.
In addition to music (provided by Tyra Dennis), prayers, reflections from students, a message from Bishop Andy Taylor and a blessing, the names of the seniors and graduates from throughout our synod will be read.
We are asking for your help in providing those names to us, along with the school (including the city) that they attended. You may do so by clicking the link below and completing the Google form. We will accept submissions through May 31, 2020.
We understand that by June 7, a number of your students will have already finished their school year and possibly graduated. The intent of this service is for you to use it how and when it works best for you. This could mean sharing portions during one of your worship services, posting on your congregation's Facebook page or website, or just providing it for your students and families to view and enjoy.
Your help is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Terri Robertson by email at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org or phone 714.352.8732.
|
|
From Our ELCA Presiding Bishop
|
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will record a sermon which congregations and synods can include in their worship services on Sunday, June 7, The Holy Trinity. The video will be available to view and download on May 31 at
YouTube.com/ELCA
and
Vimeo.com/ELCA
. Bishop Eaton will read the gospel appointed for this day prior to the sermon. Local decisions can be made to use the reading on the video or invite another person to read the gospel instead.
ELCA Worship will provide a resource that includes texts for a Service of the Word, appointed readings, corporate Prayers of Intercession, and hymn and song suggestions. Synods or congregations may adapt and use this resource to produce online worship offerings to surround Bishop Eaton’s sermon. This material will be available on May 26.
ELCA Worship will continue to provide “Worship in the Home” via the ELCA Worship blog (
blogs.ELCA.org/Worship
) for those who make use of these resources for individual/family home devotions each week. On June 7
th
, “Worship in the Home” will include a link to watch Bishop Eaton’s sermon as part of these home devotions.
|
|
Sunday with Camp is Here!
|
From our friends at Lutheran Retreats, Camps & Conferences:
We know how hard it is to create exciting content for virtual worship every Sunday.
Camps wants you to stress less and smile more!
With a Children’s Message and Camp Song based on the ELCA Lectionary Year A calendar, your church members can experience the joy of camp from their home. Follow the link below to find out more!
Please continue to support the valuable work of our local Lutheran Camps through your generous giving at
https://lrcchome.com/
|
|
Seeing God in Community
Living Lutheran
|
On May 21, Living Lutheran featured Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Huntington Beach and Care Connections Network (CCN) in an article highlighting their joint support of the city’s senior citizen population.
With grants from
Lutheran Disaster Response
and other organizations, CCN and Resurrection began a program to distribute food and other essential products to homebound older adults. The program is also serving homeless seniors who have been referred to them by the Huntington Beach Police Department’s Homeless Task Force. Other partners now include the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council, the local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, and other Lutheran congregations in the area.
We are proud of the way this congregation is serving their community. You can read the full article
here
.
|
|
Please join us for this week's Advocacy in Quarantine call TODAY at noon.
During the 30-minute call, we will discuss current state and federal priorities around COVID-19. We'll then ask you to make a phone call or two to policymakers to advocate with us. See Zoom links below to participate or join
here
.
Thank you for your continued engagement. We look forward to seeing you this Wednesday!
PAX,
Regina Q. Banks
Director
Topic: Advocacy in Quarantine
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 389 725 625
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,389725625# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,389725625# US (Houston)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 389 725 625
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness
|
If you received a Paycheck Protection Program Loan from the Small Business Administration, please be aware that the SBA released the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Instructions and Application. Although the application is available, the forgiveness window is not yet open. You are encouraged to be in contact with your lending bank for full instructions.
As a reminder, your loan will be fully forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll). Loan payments will also be deferred for six months. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees.
Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. The loan forgiveness form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:
• Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles
• Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after receiving their PPP loan
• Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
• Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
• Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined
|
|
Webinars and Other Events
|
|
Here to Serve: Being Church in the Time of COVID-19
Weekly Online Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Wednesdays, 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 presenter on May 27 will be Dave Daubert,
who has been invited by the ELCA to begin collating information around "Best Practices for Re-Entry."
Here is some of the information he will be sharing with us: 1) Safe and best practices for regathering, 2) Best practices for processing information and making decisions without gathering, especially as it will help illuminate options and help faith communities process information as they decide what to do, and not do, moving forward, and how to navigate conflict in this arena 3) How to calculate online attendance, and 4) Evangelism in the online world.
Coaching is uniquely designed to be a support tool to help each leader decide what is best for them and their community and to help sort through all of the information to take the next most faithful step. If, for example, that step is to stay physically distanced, this session will also help leaders to have a solid narrative around 'why' and how to navigate that.
Pastor Dave Daubert, DMin, PhD,
is a second career pastor whose first career was in engineering. That brings a unique gift set that uses gifts for analysis and design that find their way into his church work as well. Dave has two Master's degrees in ministry, a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, and a PhD in Theological Studies. He also holds certificates in Non-Profit Management, Coaching, and Spiritual Formation.
Dave's work experience has included parish ministry, serving on a judicatory staff, and work as Director for Renewal of Congregations for the ELCA. In addition to his current work consulting, teaching, writing, and coaching - he currently serves as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL.
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 27, 2020 01:00 PM Central Time
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,180439412#,,1#,648160# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,180439412#,,1#,648160# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160
|
|
California Lutheran University
Online Courses for Those 50 and Older
|
|
What Makes a Successful Congregational Ministry to Older Adults?
June 18, 2020 – 9:00 a.m. PDT
A panel of individuals reflecting various older adult ministries and areas of the country will discuss what they see as key to older adult ministry in their congregation. Hear what's happening in congregations in New Jersey, Minnesota, Kansas and California. Roundtable discussion will be moderated and there will be opportunities for questions.
Register now.
Each webinar features an expert in a subject pertaining to older adult ministry land providing information on available resources. All webinars are free and last approximately 60 minutes. If you can't be available for the live webinar, sign up anyway and we'll email you a link to the recording and associated resources.
|
|
Grief, Gratitude and Courage Circles
|
In these times we are living in is there anyone not experiencing grief?
Not everyone recognizes grief straight away. They might just feel rage-ful all the time. They might feel exhausted all the time. They might be low and leaking tears and been told it's situational depression.
In ancient times we used to gather to process grief as communities, in circles. The memory of this experience lives in our bones. When grief is expressed in community, in circle, it meets other people's grief and comes out of isolation.
Weeping together, sharing stories, and speaking our losses are essential to the human spirit. What the world needs now are people willing to listen to people speak and weep. Not to fix them, not to offer advice, not to try to cheer them up, not to bypass reality in favor of an illusion. To listen. And be heard.
Grief Gratitude and Courage Circles are gatherings in which we create safe space to share our losses as we pass through the three movements of grief, gratitude, and courage. These are online, via Zoom, and there is no charge.
Saturdays May 23 or June 6 or June 20
2:00-4:00 pm Pacific Time
(more opportunities upcoming)
A safe space for people who are doing the hard emotional work of facing loss due to this pandemic, or other disruptions (rather than personal bereavement.) The group’s purpose is to share community, unburden our hearts, and renew our spirits. No reports or recommendations for action-- this is space for personal reflection and sharing, and mutual support.
|
|
We Remember in Our Prayers
|
|
We ask that you hold the following people in your thoughts and prayers:
- Family and friends of Rev. Jack Lindquist
- Rev. Laura Ziehl and family at the death of her father
- 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:
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
