Peace Lutheran Church Spreads the Love
Building Peace is a monthly all-ages faith formation program hosted at Peace Lutheran, Charlottesville with the goal to bring together parishioners and neighbors looking to make a difference in their community. Building Peace is one of several recipients of grants from the Virginia Synod Fund for Mission. Each month Building Peace focuses their activities around a theme, and February's theme was "Spreading the Love".

This month's Building Peace program allowed those gathered learned about some of the many needs in the Charlottesville community, and worked to spread the love through several service projects. At the event, the director of Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Inc. shared information about food deserts in Charlottesville where 1 in 6 people and 1 in 7 children - are food insecure. After learning those gathered worked to sort and bag onions as part of their giveaway. Folks also got a chance to try carrying 30 pounds of food for half a mile - 5 laps around the parking lot: that’s the amount of food given regularly and the distance from the food pantry to the nearest bus stop. The event also made dog biscuits for the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, sorted screws and built small shelves for the The Habitat Store, made valentine cards to go in some of the food pantry bags this week, and assembled Blessing Bags of essentials for the homeless.

Build Peace provides opportunities for the Peace, Charlottesville community and their neighbors to meet one another, and to bring a positive impact into their community. The next event for the series will be held on March 8 and will focus on community peace. For more information on Building Peace, click here.
New Ways to Proclaim the Gospel
“In order to preach and teach the word today, we need technology. … Technology is how stories get told today.”

In this Living Lutheran Article, learn how congregations in the ELCA are using technology as part of their ministry and find tips for starting a ministry in your congregation.
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
7th Day 2020: Register Today!
7th Day is our annual overnight event for youth in 5th and 6th grades and their adult advisors. During the weekend participants are part if a “Shepherd Group” with other youth and adult leaders and explore a story of the Bible through drama, games, crafts, and music. For more information and to register for 7th Day, click here.
Spring Adult Faith Formation Retreat
Come enjoy a time away and an opportunity to grow in your faith. With the help of Dr. Crainshaw, you will have opportunities to consider practical strategies for personal spiritual formation, leadership formation and brainstorm in dialogue with each other about healthy leadership practices for their contexts and communities. Register today for the Spring Adult Faith Formation Retreat!  Registration will close on March 6, 2020 . There are three different options to register for the overnight retreat: Single room with meals $150, Double room with meals $125, or Commuter (Meals only) $67.For more information on the event and to register,  click here .
Save the Date: Power in the Spirit July 9-11, 2020
What does it mean to be a leader in the Church and a follower of Jesus? The words of Saint Thomas reveal a disciple whose faith in Jesus makes him willing to go where Jesus goes, even when danger and death are real possibilities. For Thomas, it’s better to be unsafe with Jesus than to stay behind as Jesus heads into dangerous places. For the Church today, we just may be called to a similar faith that goes with Jesus—even into danger. At Power in the Spirit 2020 we’ll explore these themes, and more!

Registration will open April 1, 2020. For now, save the date! Come and learn! Come for fellowship! Come to serve your neighbor! Come to Power in the Spirit 2020!

For more information on Power in the Spirit 2020,  click here .
Messy Church Workshop
The Getting Started With Messy Church conference will be held at Church of the Ascension (405 Talbot Hall Road, Norfolk) on Saturday, April 25, from 9 AM to 3:30 PM (lunch will be provided). Cost for individuals is $45.00, groups of 2-4 people per church is $130.00 (fifth person and over per church will cost an additional $ 10 per person). Each participating church will receive one issue of the magazine Get Messy! and one copy of the book Messy Church.

This training will give your team the vital tools to begin your own Messy Church. You will learn about the history, values, format and best practices to get your Messy Church started. If you’ve already begun Messy church, this is an opportunity to share best practices and gain new ideas for sustaining your Messy Church in your local setting. This training is open to all denominations.

For more information and to register, click here.
Christ Lutheran Sponsors Bach Around the Clock
Christ Lutheran Church, Staunton–Pastor Rob McCarty, Dean of the Southern Valley Conference, and Music Director Florence Jowers–will again sponsor the popular Bach Around the Clock on Bach’s birthday, March 21st, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. The church will join forces with the Heifetz Institute, Nicholas Kitchen, Artistic Director, to feature the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatest Lutheran church musician, composer, and organist. Throughout the day individuals or ensembles will play and sing the music of Bach, who wrote over 300 sacred cantatas, hundreds of works for organ, many string compositions, and elaborate pieces for various instruments. The event is free, though a “Bach’s Lunch” may be purchased for $10, and donations are especially encouraged for the evening organ recital and choral program.

For more information, click here.
40 Days of Giving- Lenten Resources
This Lent, you’re invited to join with fellow supporters to study, reflect and give during ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving. Experience how the grace of Christ moves us to engage in transformative works of love around the world as God calls us into the ministry of hope, liberation and restoration. Resources include:  a devotional calendar ,  weekly study ,  coin jar wrappers  and more!

To order these resources,  click here .
Updates and Upcoming Events at Caroline Furnace
Summer Camp 2020
Good indeed is the Lord, whose steadfast love endures forever. God's faithfulness continues for all generations. -Psalm 100:5 Get ready for another amazing summer! Registration is now open for Summer 2020 camps at Caroline Furnace. Campers who are 16 & 17 years old are eligible for the LIT! Program (Leaders in Training). Are you (or someone you know) interested in serving as a Camp Counselor this summer? Every week is a new adventure! Paid academic internships are available. Learn More and Register

Family Nights
Join us for an evening of fun! We're bringing dinner, games, and a campfire for s'mores to a church near you. Bring your questions about Summer Camp and Retreats. All are welcome - invite your friends! RSVP on the Facebook event (Caroline Furnace page), sign-up sheet at your church, or by emailing  julie@carolinefurnace.org. RSVP requested but not required; there is no cost to attend. Learn more and get flyers and Facebook events here:  Family Nights schedule
March 15 at 5pm - Epiphany Lutheran Church, Richmond VA
March 22 at 5pm - College Lutheran Church, Salem VA
April 5 at 5pm - St. Mark Lutheran Church, Charlottesville VA


NEW! Spring Break Work Weeks: March 9-13, March 16-20
Paul Bunyan Weekend: March 6-8
Spring Work Weekend: March 20-22
Grab your work gloves and come spend Spring Break at camp; we need your help with the Moyer Lodge and Farmhouse upgrades! This is a large-scale project and many hands make light(er) work. Lodging and meals are provided for the length of your stay - come for a day or stay for both weeks. There is no cost to participate, but an option is available during registration to help fund the project. No skill required. Spring Break Work Weeks are for all ages, not just college students. Bring your mission group! Invite your friends! Sign up now.
Lutheran Family Services Roanoke Valley Gives March 18, 2020
Help Lutheran Family Services multiply giving opportunities during Roanoke Valley Gives- a Community Foundation Giving Day that serves Roanoke Valley nonprofits. During this program, nonprofits are rewarded for donor participation and dollars raised for their organization. Every gift counts - and can be amplified to count as much as double for LFSVA! Go to www.rvgives.org for info. To download a flyer with more information, click here.
Job Opportunities
Job Opportunities can now be found on the Virginia Synod website at vasynod.org/job-opportunities If you have a position opening you would like posted, please email Emily Pilat at  pilat@vasynod.org.