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E-Spirit
Weekly Newsletter
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News, Stories, and More
from the
Florida-Bahamas Synod of the ELCA
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Keeping up with news and stories from around the synod... | |
When the Pentecostals Showed Up... | |
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My name is Rob Rose. I am a pastor and relatively new at my job as the Bishop’s Assistant for Administration. One of my responsibilities is making sure Synod Assembly happens in the best possible way. Last week was my first in-person assembly. All the volunteers and the incredible Bishop’s staff make assemblies work and happen, but I really wanted my first one to be as good as possible.
When we were setting up Friday morning, there was this incredibly loud drum set booming from the room beside us. I texted our contact at the hotel and asked that the drums be turned down, and they were. On Friday night and Saturday, I noticed a lot of singing and cheering could be heard echoing through the wall that separated our Synod Assembly from the group next door. Sheesh, they were loud. Read more...
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Vision to Action: The St. James Legacy Part III
A lot happened during the Assembly a little over a week ago. One of the main things was the start of the listening process to figure out how to use the proceeds from the sale of St. James Lutheran Church. With over $8 million dollars to "invest" in our congregations, ministries, people, etc., it is easy to see how this will shape the synod's congregations for years to come.
To make sure as many people as possible speak into the process, the Synod Council invited Nancy Going and Jim LaDoux from Vibrant Faith to start the process at Assembly. The first step was getting input from the attendees. They were able to take a survey and share what they thought were the most important priorities. The next step in fulfilling this requirement is inviting you to take the same short survey.
Once we get your input there will be another opportunity to speak into how the results of this survey are developed. So, your homework this week is to take this 3 minute survey. Click this link and let us know what you think is important for our synod: surveymonkey.com/r/85 MLNQ7
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Ordinations and Installations
Ordination of Teresa Stewart on June 26, 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Clearwater; Bishop Pedro Suarez will preside. Teresa has accepted the call to serve as Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Spring Hill, Florida.
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Register for the Transition Ministry Training Online Webinar - July 18-22!
There are many factors that come into play when a congregation is in transition. Whether that congregation has just received an interim pastor, a newly-called pastor, or is seeking new direction into God's future, it is a time of transition from something that was to something that is yet to be.
The Transition training event will help attendees focus on what 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.
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Applications Now Being Taken for Education Debt Relief!
In 2016, with a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., the North Carolina Synod began the Faith+Finances+Freedom initiative to help leaders and congregations address economic challenges facing pastoral leaders. This initiative birthed The Lifeline Fund which provides grants for rostered ministers for education debt relief.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod is now participating in this program which is administered by the North Carolina Synod. Any rostered minister in the Florida-Bahamas Synod who has education debt can qualify. Applications for Lifeline grants are currently being received.
Go to www.nclutheran.org/leaders/lifeline-fund.
How does it work?
- You fill out an application.
- The NC program administrator, Rev John Mocko, will be in touch with all applicants. Information on the process which includes financial debt education, is then shared with participants.
- When the applications are complete, the FB Synod grant distribution team will review the grant requests and determine grant amounts.
- The approved grant info is transmitted to the NC Synod who will send out the actual grant checks.
Don’t wait. Get started today!
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diakonia News: Engaging Head, Heart & Soul
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Self-paced....what does that mean? That's a question we get all the time from folks considering the diakonia program.
It means that you can take a self-study diakonia course when you want to, and take as much time as you need to compete it. It means that you can take a self-study course in any order that you want. It means you can take some or all of the courses.
What if you want a more structured pace? Then, you can join the group of students currently taking the full program. The full program consists of 12 courses, scheduled in 6-week intervals, all year long. Students can jump in - or out - as it works into their life situations.
What if you want people in face-to-face classes? Let us know. We will do our best to open in-person sites if we have two or more students in close geographic proximity.
So....what's holding you back?
Got more questions? Contact Michele Hilton at micheleahilton@aol.com or 941-373-5596.
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Celebration of the Circle of Life at St. Philip Lutheran Church, Mt. Dora
It was a rare occasion when we combined a memorial service for a dear member with the baptism of her two great grandchildren. The Circle of Life Service celebrated on Holy Trinity came about because of the desire of Ann Kaufman to have her two great grandchildren, Caleb Jentzen Judice and Kendall Rochelle Judice, baptized. They were the loves of her life and her legacy of sharing the love of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior, with them. It was an unusual linking of two of the greatest life passages a family shares. The celebration of life was held during our regular Sunday morning worship so the whole congregation was in attendance. While it is unusual for the faith community to combine these events, for Ann and the children it seemed to be a natural expression of evangelism at its most fundamental and sacred meaning. Truly a celebration of the Circle of Life.
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Good Shepherd (Hernando) Volunteers Recognized for County Clean-Up Efforts
Adopt-A-Highway volunteers of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Hernando were presented the Keep Citrus County Beautiful (KCCB) Pride Award in recognition of their commitment to combating litter the past several years along a two-mile segment of County Road 486.
The KCCB Pride Award recognizes individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the Keep America Beautiful objectives of litter abatement, recycling awareness and community beautification.
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Commemoration of the Emanuel Nine — June 17
As part of the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted a resolution designating June 17 as a commemoration of the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9—the nine people shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.
The ELCA has provided resources to help synods and congregations mark this commemoration. These resources can be adapted for virtual worship, online conversation, or individual reflection and devotion. You are invited to use them in whatever ways are most helpful for your local context.
Click here for more information or to access resources.
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Introducing the Young Adult Community Resource Grant
Young adults long for in-person connection, now more than ever after years of isolation. In response, ELCA Young Adult Ministry has launched a grant that will help jump-start programs that connect young adults from a defined region for in-person gatherings centered around community, justice, and love.
What can this look like? Get creative!
- Evening worship services with childcare available
- Dinner parties, potlucks, meals in the park
- Mutual aid
- A giving circle with accompanying advocacy, book club, or direct action
- Pub/coffee theology & games
- Biweekly discussion groups with music
Eligibility:
- Partner with at least one other ministry organization that currently serves or hopes to serve young adults
- Attend the ELCA Young Adult Ministry Partner Network quarterly gatherings
- Attend the ELCA Young Adult Gather Network meetings twice a year to process experiences
- Leadership of the group must be at least 50% young adults (18-35)
Funding amount: $1,000 - $5,000
Max number of awards: 25
Max applications accepted: 75
Grant opens: June 2, 2022
Grant closes: July 31, 2022
Find the application instructions here.
Questions about applying for the grant? Email grants@elca.org.
Questions about the grant itself? Email young.adults@elca.org.
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Open Position: Part-Time Music Director at St. Michael Lutheran Church (Wellington)
St. Michael Lutheran Church is seeking a part-time music director to lead, model, direct, and accompany existing music groups within the congregation, and to implement vibrant new ways to inspire the congregation in both traditional and contemporary music. Click here for the job full description.
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Prepare for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday with new resources | |
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On Sunday, Sept. 11, congregations of the ELCA will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, our dedicated day of service. As you explore opportunities to participate, visit ELCA.org/DayOfService for planning resources including a tool kit, worship material, videos, posters, social media graphics and a special hymn for the day. As we continue our tradition of service to our neighbor, we remember the words of Martin Luther: “Our faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing.” Plan your day of service.
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