E-Spirit

Weekly Newsletter

News, Stories, and More

from the

Florida-Bahamas Synod of the ELCA

May 3, 2022

Keeping up with news and stories from around the synod...

Synod Assembly is Almost Here

What else is happening at Assembly in June, you ask?

Service Project - Whether you want to bring canned goods or get your hands dirty and help distribute food, your congregation's voting members have an opportunity to do both!

Workshops - An array of practical workshop options are available for your voting members to enjoy and learn and bring back to your congregation.

Elections - Members will vote to fill positions on Synod Council and the Discipline and Consultation Committees of the synod.

Worship - Two opportunities to worship with 300 of your closest synod Lutherans will uplift and inspire. Opening worship offerings will go to Fund for Leaders in Mission, and the closing worship offerings will go to Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). Don't miss it!

Keynote Address - Dr. Luis R. Torres-Hostos, Founding Dean & Professor, School of Social Work, at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

In keeping with the theme of our Assembly, "Joyful, Patient, Faithful," these two conversations will explore how we can observe both the letter and the spirit of the message by striving to see Christ not just in ourselves, but in our brothers and sisters, especially when our brothers and sisters are different from us. Dr. Torres will touch on research in cultural humility, mingled with biblical messages, and personal experiences that we can all relate to.

Information and Registration - Register today!

New Grant Team Needs You!

Thanks to a wonderful endowment received by the Florida-Bahamas Synod, a new resource will be launched soon to help congregations fund participation in synod-wide stewardship programs.

The Synod Council is looking for rostered or lay members of the synod who would like to serve on the grant request review team.

The team will probably meet 2 times per year to evaluate and make recommendations on grant requests.

This is a great opportunity to watch your gifts of time and talent ripple to multiply over and over again.

If you are able to assist, please let Michele Hilton know by emailing micheleahilton@aol.com.

Wheels for Camp

As your congregation grows its way back to a full ministry schedule of in-person activities again, do you have an “under-used” church vehicle parked somewhere right now that you might loan to one of our sites for Summer Camp 2022? Our summer camp season begins June 5 for most sites and ends by August 6 everywhere.

Vehicles are needed for Summer Camp and Lutheroad at all four sites: Lutheridge, Lutherock, Luther Springs and Lutheranch. If you’re open to the possibility of helping in some way at any one of our sites, contact Pastor Jan Setzler at jsetzler@novusway.org or call 864-942-2974.

Nominations Still Open!

Nominations are now being accepted for Synod Council, Discipline Committee, and Consultation Committee. All elections will be held during the Synod Assembly June 3-5, 2022.

Please consider serving your Synod in any of these roles or nominating others to serve. All nominees must have given their consent prior to being nominated. Deadline for submitting nominations is May 11, 2022. Nominations must be made on-line at: http://www.fbsynod.com under Synod Assembly.

As we continue working to achieve the Constitutional balance and election timing for the Consultation Committee, a Female Minister of Word & Sacrament for a 1-year term will be elected at this Assembly. This person will then be eligible to be re-elected to a 6-year term in 2023, if desired.

We strongly encourage nominations to be submitted prior to the Synod Assembly so they may be included in the Nomination Packet for Voting Members. This will also facilitate a smoother and more efficient voting process during the Assembly.

Here are the many ways you may answer the call to serve the Florida Bahamas Synod (read more)

The Nominations Committee is still in need of nominations of Persons of Color or Language Other than English from the Southeast and North Mission Districts. These nominees can be either rostered ministers or laypersons, male or female.

Diakonia News

Snippets. Yes, you read that correctly....snippets. Diakonia now has snippets for you!

What in the world? Movies have trailers and now the courses for the Lay School of Ministry have snippets.

So, if you are thinking that you should try a course or two, or you are a graduate of a faith formation program and want to refresh or look at continuing ed possibilities, you can visit the www.diakoniafl.org website, scroll down on the homepage and click on a short snippet from the courses currently available.

We are constantly adding more courses including four new courses in April, one in May, and "Communicating the Gospel," featuring the three pastors from Hope Lutheran Church in the Villages, in June!

Be sure to check out "Creeds and Confessions," which is currently available and one that shouldn't be missed by Rev. Dr. Gabriel Morgan.

Helping Those in Need in Central Florida

Don't forget to bring non-perishable food and personal hygiene products to the Synod Assembly to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. We will have collection bins available on site.

List of needed items and a bulletin insert.

ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grant Applications Now Open!

ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants accompany congregations and their partners throughout the United States and Caribbean as they draw on the strengths of communities to address local issues such as food security, clean water, housing, job readiness, human rights, policy change, leadership development and more. Together, these ministries are part of a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger — for good.

Click here for additional details on the grant application process.

Further questions? Contact BarbaraMercerM@iCloud.com (Florida-Bahamas Synod Hunger Chair).

FB Synod Council Creates $20,000 Scholarship Fund for Camp

Due to the National ELCA Youth Gathering being canceled this year, the Florida-Bahamas Synod Council approved a scholarship fund to help children in the synod go to any camp Novus Way offers.

The council approved up to $20,000 in scholarship money be made available this summer. When a child is registered at a Novus Way camp, if they use the code FBSynod22 they will get a $200 credit applied to their fees. If a child has already registered, a refund of $200 will be issued by Novus Way.

To register for a camp, go to Novus Way and select a camp site and a program. A special shout-out to Luther Springs which is the Novus Way camp here in our synod. For a direct link to their programs, click here.

If you would like to donate to the camp scholarship fund, simply click here and click on the box that says “Novus Way (Luther Springs).”

Global Mission News

For the past year we have supported the Lutheran Church in Suriname, ELKS, in its ministries relating to gender justice. The Florida-Bahamas Synod provided $3,000 to sponsor a room at STICRIS, a shelter for women and children victimized by gender-based violence. Recently ELKS shared the story (changing names and preserving anonymity) of one of the residents in the shelter—"Claudia" and her two teenage children. They had been physically and psychologically abused by the husband/father. At STICRIS, Claudia and her children found safety, a space for recovery, and reasons for hope. The children were able to resume their studies and psychosocial assistance was provided to both Claudia and her children.

Special attention was given to the son who displayed particular trouble coping with the violence the family had sustained. Claudia was able to find work and an attorney to assist her in managing legal issues emerging from the separation of the family. The Lutheran Church in Suriname was able not only to provide financial support for the room but also offered prayers and spiritual support. Thanks be to God, Claudia and her children are now in a place of their own and are doing well.

Below is a picture of members of ELKS after presenting the shelter with the funds. Walking together with our companions, we are making a difference!

Global Mission and the Synod Assembly: Opportunities abound at the Assembly, to learn and share the story of Global Mission! Stop by the Global Mission display in the Connection Cafe or the Hospitality Room on Friday night for fellowship, beverages and snacks; and/or attend the Global Mission workshop on Saturday.

Questions? Contact Pastor Katie Carroll, Global Mission Table Chair, at revkhc@gmail.com. See you at the Assembly!

ELCA Observes 35th Anniversary

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) observed its 35^th anniversary on April 30. On this date in 1987, the ELCA constitution was adopted during the opening session of the Constituting Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

The ELCA was formed from a merger of three Lutheran churches – the American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and the Lutheran Church in America. To symbolize the formation of the new denomination, the bishops from the three predecessor church bodies poured water from separate containers into one baptismal font.

The Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom was elected first bishop of the ELCA during the Constituting Convention. He was former bishop of the Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church in America.

As the church commemorates its history, it also is looking toward the future. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton spoke of the importance of the “Future Church” priority being rooted in tradition while also being relevant to people who may not know the gospel message of freedom.

“In 1522, early in the Lutheran movement, Martin Luther took hold of the new technology of the printing press and modernized communication by translating the Bible into German, the language of the people,” she said. “Now, 500 years later, we need to find new ways to speak into the cultural vernacular.

“It’s not our intent to water down or minimize the gospel word, but to share the good news to make it rooted in tradition and radically relevant. We believe that the gospel changes lives. The gospel not only is a word of grace but it’s also a word of liberation.”

Additional “Future Church” priorities include starting new ministries and engaging with new, young and diverse people.

Open Positions

Summer Camp Jobs: Looking for something to keep you busy this summer? Come work at camp. Click here for details.
Music Director: Faith Lutheran Church in Sarasota is searching for a Music Director. Click here for a job description. Submit resume and cover letter to Joseph Holt, jh88@aol.com.

Don't forget these reports!

Congregation Reports (Parochial) 2021 - Deadline for online filing of parochial reports is TODAY. Click above to submit.

Rostered Minister Reports - Download and save to your computer. Following completion, save, and attach to an e-mail to ileanas@fbsynod.org.

Mission Support Covenants - You can file your covenant online or by returning the card to the Synod Office. This year, the Florida-Bahamas Synod will forward 46% of our mission support dollars to Churchwide.