Pacifica Synod News & Notes
June 6, 2022

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.
Current Synod News & Resources

Congratulations Bishop-Elect Dave Nagler!

On Friday, May 20, voting members of the 2022 Pacifica Synod Assembly elected The Rev. David Nagler, pastor of Christ Lutheran Pacific Beach in San Diego, to serve a six-year term as Pacifica Synod's fourth bishop, beginning August 1, 2022.

Pastor Dave was elected on the fifth ballot, with 163 votes to 103 votes for the Rev. Bob Mooney, senior pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda. A total of 134 votes was needed for election.

We congratulate Bishop-Elect Dave and give thanks for all the candidates for bishop who discerned this call and were willing to serve.
Reflections on Practical Ecumenism
Wednesday, June 8
All are invited to attend the rescheduled Lutheran/Anglican/Roman Catholic (LARC) Committee event, “Reflections on Practical Ecumenism: Stories of Spiritual Care from the San Diego Convention Center's Teen Migrant Shelter,” on Wednesday, June 8, beginning at 7:00 p.m. PDT at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in La Mesa.

Those attending in person are asked to register in advance at https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/4412936. This event will be streaming online through SVLC’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
Bishop's Conversations with Congregation Presidents
June 23 or 25
We invite Congregation Presidents to join us for the next Congregation President's meeting with Bishop Andy on either June 23 or 25. The theme of the meeting will be Neighborhood Outreach. Maryann Carlson and Pastor Sandy Bentz from Emanuel Lutheran in La Habra will share, via video, an outreach Easter Event that attracted about 170 people, of which only 25-30 were from the congregation and 140-145 were from the neighborhood. Mary Ann will be with us live to answer any questions you may have. Emanuel is following up with other events, and they'll share what their people are doing in the hopes that it might spur your imagination for how your congregation might reach out to your surrounding community. You'll also have a chance to meet in breakout groups with other Congregation Presidents. This will be Bishop Andy's final meeting with Congregation Presidents. Please join us.

The conversations will take place over Zoom and both current and incoming Congregation Presidents are invited. There will be two sessions offered so you can choose the one that works best for you. The dates and times are as follows:

Thursday, June 23 - 7:00 p.m. PDT/4:00 p.m. HST

Saturday, June 25 - 11:00 a.m. PDT/8:00 a.m. HST

You may register for the session of your choice by using the registration button below. Each session will last about 90 minutes. You will receive a confirmation email after registering which will include the Zoom link to join the conversation. This link will also be sent to you the morning of your session.
Synod Assembly Thanks!
On behalf of the staff of the Pacifica Synod, we give thanks to ALL who made our 2022 Pacifica Synod Assembly possible. To our voting members, special guests, visitors, ministry partners and countless volunteers who attended in person; to those who watched the livestream; to our Assembly Planning Team and Synod Council members, to the Assembly committee and task force members; to our Conference Deans; and to all who prayed for us. You are all appreciated and loved!

We are pleased to share with you our 2022 Synod Assembly Final Review publication. Please follow this link that will take you to our Synod Assembly web page. On this page, near the top, you find a link to download a PDF version of the 2022 Assembly Final Review publication (be patient, it's a fairly large file). You will also find a link to livestream recordings of the Assembly on our Synod YouTube channel.
As announced at the Friday evening banquet during the Assembly, a fund has been created in Bishop Andy Taylor's honor to provide Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences camperships. To donate to the Bishop Andy Taylor Campership Fund, please send your donations to LRCC directly using the following address:

LRCC
39136 Harris Road
Oak Glen, CA 92399

For a PDF flyer to share with your congregation, click here.
St. Peter's by the Sea, San Diego
Celebrates 75 Years of Ministry!
St. Peter’s by the Sea Lutheran Church held its first service at the Thursday Club in Ocean Beach / San Diego, on December 8, 1946. On May 15th of this year, we celebrated – a little late due to COVID – the 75th Anniversary of the church! 

Pastor Bekki Lohrmann opened the celebration with prayer and guests partook of a bountiful potluck brunch, listened to several engaging speakers, and watched with fond memories a slide show of past scenes from our church. Memory highlights included our first worship service in our own building (Feb. 1948), girls being allowed to serve as acolytes, calling our first female pastor, and the three major remodels of our campus. One of our longest continuously attending members shared thoughts & memories of their seven decades at St. Peter’s and another shared memories of their childhood at St. Peter’s and their experience of returning to the church as an adult. It was a truly delightful and memorable Anniversary Celebration for St. Peter’s!

(Upper photo taken December 8, 1946 and lower photo taken May 15, 2022)
Pastor Steve Anderson Installation
May 1, 2022
On Sunday, May 1, we celebrated with Pastor Steve Anderson and the congregation of Spirit of Our Savior (formerly Lutheran Church of Our Savior-Spirit of Hope) in San Bernardino as Pastor Steve was installed as their pastor. We give thanks for their ministry together!
Global Mission Update
Pastor Hitoshi and Satoko Adachi
Pastor Hitoshi Adachi and his wife, Satoko, are currently serving as missionaries with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kumamoto, Japan. To learn more about what is taking place in their ministry, please click here for their May 2022 newsletter.
  
The brochure attached here details the Adachi's ministry in Japan and how to best support them. You can give through the synod office or mail your check to Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009. Make checks payable to “ELCA Missionaries” with “(Hitoshi and Satoko) Adachi GCS2051” in the memo line. 
 
To donate by credit or debit card, go to https://community.elca.org/Japan or call 800-638-3522 and specify “(Hitoshi and Satoko) Adachi GCS2051”. To set up an automatic monthly bank withdrawal or to establish a covenant of prayer, communication, and support, please contact 800-638-3522, ext. 2657, or globalchurch@elca.org
People's Roundtable on Anti-Racism
Sunday, June 26
We invite you to be with us for our next roundtable conversation on anti-racism on Sunday, June 26 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. We will meet in-person at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 111 W. Las Palmas Drive, Fullerton. We will also have the opportunity for you to join via Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please email Sarah Tees at sarahtees@hotmail.com.
 
Our conversations center on education and current topics and news. All are welcome either in person or online.
From the ELCA
From the Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton
We have a choice: The pandemic has resulted in years of isolation, anxiety, loss and grief. In her May column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that we can “remain isolated and reactive, or we can live as the new creation in Christ and be a witness to the world of the reconciliation we have received from God.”

Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3sHQkOL and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3PwkzCm
International Women Leaders Graduation Celebration
Thursday, June 16
You are cordially invited to celebrate the 2022 graduating class of International Women Leaders scholars. This year, the fourth full graduating class will earn their undergraduate degrees at ELCA colleges and universities. Hear from them as they complete one phase of their leadership journeys and begin the next!

International Women Leaders Graduation Celebration

When: Thursday, June 16, at 10 a.m. Central time

Where: Premieres on the ELCA Facebook Page

RSVP at our Facebook event; Facebook account not required to watch event. This event will be rebroadcast on the ELCA YouTube channel at 7 p.m. Central time.
Ukraine & Eastern Europe Crisis Response
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, millions of people have fled the country and are seeking refuge in neighboring countries including Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. There are major humanitarian concerns for both internally displaced people and refugees. Many of these Ukrainians fleeing their homes need shelter and such basic necessities as food, water and toiletries. Care for people also includes pastoral and psychological support to address the trauma they’ve endured.

There are a number of ways that you can support relief efforts through your financial gifts. Below are some of the Lutheran organizations involved in these efforts.

Lutheran Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying our companions in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as such ecumenical partners as Lutheran World Federation and Church World Service, in their humanitarian responses to the crisis. These partners provide refugees with immediate support and supplies such as food, blankets, water and hygiene kits. Click here to learn more.

You are invited to watch this video from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton about the situation in Eastern Europe and the ELCA’s response. To share this information with your congregations, download this bulletin insert.

Lutheran World Relief
Right now, Lutheran World Relief teams are working with partners in and around Ukraine. Your congregation’s gift will deliver urgent support and care, like: food, shelter and other critically needed items; Mission Quilts and Kits for families who fled their homes; and medicine and supplies for clinics. You can give online at www.lwr.org/match or by mailing to LWR, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061. Please write “Ukraine" in the memo line.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
LIRS stands committed to providing the absolute best care to refugees and immigrants who arrive in the United States, and we are working hard to bolster the refugee resettlement program to welcome more new Americans. To make a gift that will impact the lives of those we are serving domestically, visit lirs.org/give.  
Lutheran Disaster Response
Western Region News
The devastating drought and intensifying wildfires affecting southern California – and all of the Western United States – are now a part of the regular new cycle. Lutheran Disaster Response is looking to partner with Pacifica Synod, and the 11 synods of ELCA Regions 1 & 2, to support your efforts in building Community Resilience in preparation for the growing needs of disaster response.

Please join us in the following:
ELCA Sanctuary Discernment Guide Now Available
The ELCA Sanctuary Discernment Guide is now posted on ELCA.org on the AMMPARO page. This guide is for congregations to engage in ministry with migrants and work toward immigrant justice. It contains 4 well-designed sessions that will help any congregational group to discuss immigration justice from a perspective of faith and discern what steps it might take to engage with migrants in its particular context. There are a variety of ways a congregation can engage and no one action fits all!
 
Since it is a zip file (to make sure the guide and the appendices stay together), there’s no direct link to the PDF. But you can find it located on the ELCA website using this link - https://www.elca.org/resources/ammparo#Sanctuary to download it. It’s currently the first resource at the top of the page.
Lutheran Office of Public Policy
Lutheran Lobby Day Recap
On our Lutheran Lobby Day on May 19, we met with twenty-two legislative offices in California to advocate for the passage of six bills. The next day, legislators voted in Appropriations committees on several of our bills, and the results are in. 

These two bills are continuing to move forward in the process. The next step is a vote in the Assembly. 
  • AB 2589 (Santiago): CalEITC Expansion. This bill will would provide a 1-time payment of $2000 per child dependent to California residents who made less than $30,000 in 2021 and file their taxes. Increase the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) minimum tax credit to about $255 per eligible tax filer. AB 2589 would benefit approximately 5 million Californians, including 2 million children. Take Action Here. 
  • AB 1615 (Ting): Foster Youth Housing. This bill would extend housing assistance for former foster youth to 36 months.

The following bill did not move forward, however its accompanying budget ask was included in the recent Senate Budget proposal, so there is still some chance that baby bonds will be funded for children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19.
  • SB 854 (Skinner): the HOPE for Children Act. This bill would have established California’s first baby bond program for children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 and eligible foster youth.

The following bill did not pass through the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is effectively a dead bill for this session. This policy idea may be pursued in the future by legislators if there is enough community support. 
  • AB 2180 (Wicks): The Children of Incarcerated Parents and Caregivers Taskforce. This bill would have established a statewide entity that focuses on identifying and addressing the needs of children affected by mass incarceration. 

These two bills are still in the process, so we are continuing to advocate on behalf of them:
  • SB 464 Food for All. This bills expands the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to include undocumented Californians who otherwise qualify for federal SNAP benefits.
  • SB 222 (Dodd) Water Rate Assistance. Requires the development of a Water Rate Assistance Program to provide water affordability assistance for both drinking water and wastewater services to low-income ratepayers.

Join us for "Advocacy in Quarantine" every Wednesday at noon PDT on Zoom. Thirty minutes and a weekly action item. Email LOPPCA Policy Council Secretary Edie Lott at thelotts@gmail.com to get on the weekly mailing list. 
New Resources for God's Work. Our Hands. Sunday
On Sunday, September 11, congregations of the ELCA will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, our annual day of service.

As you explore opportunities to participate in your community, ELCA.org/DayofService has everything you need to plan and promote your day:


Old Lutheran has T-shirts and other items available for purchase. The deadline for ordering your congregation’s personalized T-shirts is August 19.

Don’t forget to share your congregation’s participation with the ELCA! Send stories and photos to LivingLutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God accomplishes through you.

Participate on social media using #GodsWorkOurHands.
From Our Other Partners
Register Now for
LRCC Summer Camps!
Register for Summer Camp HERE
Register for Family Camp HERE
Care Connections Network - Aging. Better.
Care Connections Network is changing the face of aging in Orange County. We are dedicated to helping older adults, 50 and over, age in their own homes and communities. We connect our members to the community programming and expertise they need to continue living lives of purpose and promise. We strive to empower older adults by offering educational opportunities to help them age with confidence, social and cultural events to keep them connected with the community, referrals to vetted service providers and a volunteer program providing additional support and assistance.
 
To find out more about upcoming events and other services, click here for the Care Connections Network June newsletter.
ELCA & Other Partners
News & Ministry Links

ELCA Advocacy Connections - May/June 2022

ELCA Worship News - May 2022

ELCA Administration Matters - March 2022

ELCA Disability Ministries - March 2022

ELCA World Hunger "Go & Do News" - April 2022

ELCA Global Links - May 2022

ELCA "Seeds Monthly" Newsletter - May 2022

ELCA Foundation "Insights" - February 2022

ELCA Lutheran Men in Mission Ambassador-Gram - Spring 2022

Job Postings

Director of Children's Ministry (Part-Time)
Our Savior's, San Clemente
Our Savior's Lutheran Church in San Clemente is looking to hire a part time Director of Children’s Ministry to oversee programs for children ages birth to 3rd grade. Major responsibilities would be during Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Pay would be $25,000 per year.

Please direct any questions or send resumes to Pastor Cole McGlynn at pastorcolemcglynn@gmail.com.
Webinars and Other Events

Engaging Older Adults in Ministry
June 23
ALOA hosts monthly webinars offering a presentation on a single topic by an expert in older adult ministry. They're free and usually about one hour.

Engaging Older Adults in Ministry
June 23, 2022 - 9:00 a.m. PDT/6:00 a.m. HST
A panel of ministry leaders share their experiences and explore the potential that older adults bring to the congregation as life long learners. Sue Lennartson, Director of Adult Ministry at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, MN will be joined by Pastor Roland Martinson, author of Elder Rising, Pastor Chris Olson Binga of First Lutheran Church in urban St Paul MN and Pastor Kelly Chatman, a national teacher for the church in multicultural leadership, community engagement and congregational revitalization.
Stephen Ministry Bridge Leader's Training Course
Synod Scholarships Available
Stephen Ministries St. Louis is now training caring ministry leaders through a live, interactive online training experience called the Bridge Leader’s Training Course (BLTC). This event fully trains Stephen Leaders—the pastors, church staff, and lay leaders who begin and lead Stephen Ministry in their congregation.

The BLTC draws on newly redesigned and updated Stephen Ministry resources to equip participants with the skills and know-how to lead all aspects of their congregation’s Stephen Ministry. This includes training a team of congregation members as lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers), matching them with hurting people in the congregation and community, and offering ongoing guidance and support to Stephen Ministers as they provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people experiencing a wide range of life difficulties.

To learn more about Stephen Ministry, visit www.stephenministries.org or call (314) 428-2600. Additional information about the Bridge Leader’s Training Course is available at www.stephenministries.org/bridge.

Did you know that the Pacifica Synod offers scholarships for lay persons attending Stephen Ministries training? These are available through the Cathryn Wright Fund. More information about the scholarship and the application to apply may be found on our synod website here.

We Remember in Our Prayers
We ask that you hold the following people and situations in your thoughts and prayers:

  • For Matt Deming, son of Deacon Phil Deming.
  • For the family and friends of Lavona Moore, wife of retired pastor Gilbert Moore, who passed away on March 15, 2022.
  • For the people of Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries affected by this violent conflict.
  • For the Afghan people, our allies, and vulnerable populations in the midst of this humanitarian disaster.
  • For the people of Haiti in the face of earthquakes, tropical storms and political unrest.
  • Those affected by wildfires, floods, tropical storms and other natural disasters, as well as emergency personnel responding to these situations.
  • For those in countries facing political and civil unrest - Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Myanmar and others.
  • For peace in Palestine and Israel and for those who have lost loved ones and their homes due to violence and unrest.
  • Our nation and its leaders.
  • Those affected with the COVID-19 virus and those who have lost loved ones.
  • Our healthcare providers, first responders and all who continue to care for those battling COVID-19.



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:

E. San Diego Conference - The Rev. Richard Vevia - revvev@cox.net
W. San Diego Conf - The Rev. David Nagler - pastordave@christpb.org
Harvest Conference - The Rev. Laura Ziehl - revziehl@sbcglobal.net
Raincross Conference - The Rev. Kent Tuohino - pastor@trinityriverside.org
Big Bear Conference - The Rev. Matt Anderson - pastormatt@trinityvictorville.org
Saddleback Conference - The Rev. David Mattson - pastordavid@mygloriadei.org
Son & Surf Conf - The Rev. Jennifer Schultz - prjenniferblclosalamitos@gmail.com
Rejoice Conference - The Rev. Anne-Grethe Nielsen - info@danishchurchsocal.com
Hukilau Conference - The Rev. Keith Wolter - pastor@clcmililani.org
Pacifica Synod - ELCA
Lutheran Center for Mission & Learning
1801 Park Court Place, Bldg. C, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714.692.2791