Holiday Grief Program provided by BayCare Spiritual Care

With the holidays approaching, having strategies in place can be helpful while grieving. Join Morton Plant Mease chaplains for an online educational program:

Explore ways to navigate the holidays following your loss.

Learn about the grieving process and how to care for yourself.

Find support among people who care and understand.

After you register, you’ll receive a link for the session, along with instructions for signing in. The program will be the same on all dates. When you register, indicate the date you prefer.

Wednesday, December 8 | 6:30–7:30pm

Thursday, December 9 | 12–1pm

Register in advance: mpmbereavement@baycare.org or (727) 462-7995.

Save the Date!

Sunday Assembly for Word and Sacrament: Recovering it and practicing it in late pandemic time.

A conversation led by the Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop.

Pastors and assembly leaders have had a very hard time living out their call for nearly two years. Are there resources in the Bible and in the Lutheran liturgical tradition that can refresh us in assembly practice?  What from our tradition do we maintain and strengthen?  What do we drop?  What new practices should we adopt?  And how should we teach the importance of the assembly in this time?  On December 9, Pastor Gordon Lathrop will present ideas in response to these and related questions and will engage with us in conversation.

When: Thursday, December 9 at 2pm over Zoom. CLICK HERE to register. 

Turning the World Upside Down:

The Magnificat

The Rev. Dr. Robert Moore, Director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center, invites all to a special program: Turning the World Upside Down: The Magnificat.

Five-hundred years ago, Martin Luther published his Commentary on the “Magnificat” or Mary’s Song from Luke 1:46-55. This text was sung or read at every evening prayer for well over a thousand years. It also is a primary reading for worship in the season of Advent. The ELCA Wittenberg Center invites you to a three-part webinar entitled “Turning the World Upside Down: The Magnificat."



This webinar series—in English with Spanish interpretation—is a collaborative effort across the Service and Justice unit of the ELCA led by the Europe Desk through the ELCA Wittenberg Center. In each of the one-hour sessions, the Director of the Center, the Rev. Dr. Robert Moore will host two guest speakers. Each of the featured speakers will bring a unique perspective to both the biblical text and Luther’s commentary.

Wednesday Dec 15:

“My Soul Magnifies the Lord: The Gift of Mary’s Voice”

The Rev. Dr. Wanda Deifelt (Luther College) & the Rev. Heidi Neumark (Trinity Lutheran, Manhattan) will explore the biblical text from Luke, its interpretation, and use over the centuries.

Thursday Dec 16:

“Brought Down the Mighty from Their Thrones: The Strength of Mary’s Voice”

The Rev. Dr. Mary Lowe (Augsburg University) & the Rev. Angela Trejo Haager (Lutheran Augsburg Seminary in Mexico) will explore Luther’s Commentary on the Magnificat and the response with the church to the Mary’s song.

Friday Dec 17:

“From Generation to Generation: The Future of Mary’s Voice”

The Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin (United Lutheran Seminary) & the Rev. Dr. Mercedes Garcia Bachmann (Institute for Pastoral Contextual Studies of the Lutheran Church in Argentina and Uruguay (IELU)) will explore the implication of the texts for the future of humanity and all creation.

All sessions will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 pm Central Standard Time.

Please register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Later, a free copy of Luther’s Commentary on the Magnificat, courtesy of Fortress Press, will be sent to you. To register go to: http://bit.ly/MagnificatWebinar.

Virginia Synod's Bulletin for Christmas

"A Thrill of Hope: Lessons and Carols" for Christmas is a worship opportunity for the Virginia Synod to come together and praise the Newborn King! Inspired by the French Christmas carol, "O, Holy Night" (Cantique de Noël), this service will explore many of the ways the world is weary, how God comes to us in our weariness, and how we still rejoice.

This service will be available in a variety of formats:

• Streamed through Peace & Hope on December 26 at 10 am. www.peacehopeva.org/worship

• Pre-recorded and available for download on Vimeo for you to upload to your online platforms. Available December 15. https://vimeo.com/vasynod

• Digital worship materials for download to use in your worship planning. Available December 1. https://www.vasynod.org/advent-and-christmas-resources/



Transitions Ministry Webinar

January 24 - 28, 2022

There are many factors that come into play when a congregation is in transition. Whether that congregation has just received an interim pastor, has just received a newly called pastor, or is seeking new direction into God's future. This is a time of transition from something that was, towards something that is yet to be. The Transition Training Event will help attendees tofocus on what it is that properly motivates ministry so that the "yet to be" is fully in the hands of God, and God's people are themselves renewed and ready for that ministry.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Interim Pastors, First Call and New Call Pastors, Pastors in congregations needing new direction.

COST:

Interim Pastors 5 days - $160

First Call and/or New Call Pastors & Others (M-W) - $130

The Continuing Education Credit for the Rostered Leaders Annual Report to the Bishop is 9 hours for 3-day attendees, or 15 hours for 5-day attendees.

Registration is now open!

Employment Opportunities

Palms Deaf Church is coming to the Florida-Bahamas Synod in 2022. 

It’s exciting to see a new congregation about to be birthed. And, you and your congregation can become Partners in Mission to help make this happen for the whole synod. Your prayers and support will help make this bold adventure happen.

If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Rob Carlson at robc@fbsynod.org. 

Click Here to read more about Palms Deaf Church. To watch an informative video on Palms Deaf Church, click here.

Please share this information and video with your congregation.

Pies for Pensacola Marines

"Dear Bishop Suarez and Deacon Schmucker-

I wanted to write to you and tell you of my thanks for the wonderful congregation of St. Paul’s in Pensacola. On this day of thanksgiving, our family in Nebraska gives thanks for all of the saints in that congregation.

Our son Isaac, is a Marine, and is stationed for training down in Pensacola, and is finding it a bit different than Nebraska. He didn’t really have enough time off to come home, and decided to stay on base for Thanksgiving. His middle school best friend is also stationed in Pensacola. This would be their first holiday away from family.

I contacted the Council President Skip, to see if there was a local place that we could deliver a pie to base. Skip, took my email, and sent it out to the congregation and proceeded to create a Thanksgiving pie drop for all the Marines and Sailors that didn’t go home for the holidays. I was hoping for one pumpkin pie for our son and his friend…the members of St. Paul’s just delivered 21 different pies! Our boys were able to then walk around base and gather everyone that they could find that didn’t go home so that they could have a pie party. Another one of the members of the church invited them over to spend their Thanksgiving meal with them. We are amazed at the graciousness of these people.

In these days of stress and anxiety, it would have been easy for the congregation to ignore my email or just send me a local supermarket name, but they didn’t, they went above and beyond to bring joy to Marines that they didn’t even know before today. In these days of uncertainty, this is what the church does, it builds relationships. Sometimes the work we do is stressful, other days it’s graciously given as pie. I am thankful to God for the work you do and the people you serve. I am thankful for this community of faith reaching out to our boys and taking them in as their own. 

In Thanksgiving for our new friends in Florida,

Juliet Focken

Assistant to the Bishop

Nebraska Synod ELCA"