E-Spirit 10/30/2018: the e-newsletter of the Florida-Bahamas Synod

Oct. 30, 2018

www.fbsynod.com

To God we are an Offering

the following poem was written by Nancy Hopkins, member at Trinity, New Smyrna Beach, as a Temple Talk to her congregation.

It's time to think of stewardship and the offerings we can give,

they come in many forms--from treasures, to the way we live.

There are so many ways we can give our lives to our Savior and Lord.

It's more than just the offering plate and what we can afford.

To God we are an offering as we wake when the night is through

and offer up the prayer: "Glorious God, this day's for You."

To God we are an offering through our work and through our play,

When we know our purpose is to glorify Him as we move throughout our day.

To God we are an offering when we worship and give Him praise,

When we take the time to make our pledge and in song our voices raise.

To God we are an offering when at a service the bells we ring,

When we serve the body and blood of Christ and to the altar our treasures bring.

To God we are an offering when we offer a stranger a smile,

When we take the time to call a friend, or at work go the extra mile.

To God we are an offering when we sit with someone who is ill,

When we take the time to play with a child or we pay someone's restaurant bill.

To God we are an offering when we listen to someone who's sad,

Or take some valuable time to rejoice with someone who's glad.

To God we are an offering when a grieving friend we embrace,

When we shake a hand, say hello, or provide encouragement face to face.

To God we are an offering when we donate money after a storm,

When we bring food or serve at HUM or donate a quilt to keep someone warm.

To God we are an offering when gratitude we share,

To Him for all He's given us and to others who've shown they care.

To God we are an offering when we look to Him each day,

to provide compassion, mercy and love in all we do and say.

To God we are an offering so to our Savior our lives we give,

Totally...fully...completely...because it's for HIM that we do live.

World AIDS Day--Dec. 1

from Megan Neubauer, Program Associate, ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS

In 2009 the ELCA Church Council adopted the ELCA’s Strategy on HIV and AIDS. As we prepare to enter the 10th year of the strategy, this World AIDS Day we remember that the ELCA is Called to Respond. Each congregation and individual throughout the ELCA is invited to participate.

Worship: Consider including pieces from the World AIDS Day worship resource for your Sunday liturgy on Dec. 2. Those resources can be located on the ELCA Worship Resources page. The ELCA is called to work toward ending stigma and discrimination. And in bringing the conversation about HIV into our congregations through worship, we can challenge the silence that remains and work toward being welcoming, affirming spaces for all.

Advocate: We are a public church that stands up and speaks out for a just world. You can participate in advocating for policies and programs that support prevention, testing, treatment and other important services for people living with HIV. As you prepare for World AIDS Day, make sure you sign up for advocacy action alerts to learn about what’s happening currently.

Give: You can support the ELCA’s work around HIV and AIDS or partner with other organizations in your community that are responding. You can learn more about the ELCA’s Strategy on HIV and AIDS and how to get involved at ELCA.org/HIV .

Let us know how your congregation is participating in the response to HIV. You can connect through social media or by emailing Megan.Neubauer@ELCA.org . You can also visit ELCA.org/HIV to find resources for World AIDS Day.

This World AIDS Day, consider how you and your congregation are Called to Respond with others throughout the ELCA and as part of the larger domestic and global response to HIV.

Backpack Ministry at Grace, Lakeland

submitted by Mary Flekke

We've been doing a backpack ministry at Oscar Pope Elementary school in Lakeland for five or six years. It started out as a confirmation class project and as the confirmands aged out it was taken over by congregation members. We order our food through a local ministry called Salt of the Earth, Inc., who buys in bulk for several local churches. Currently we have 4 active workers who pack the bags, bring bread, and deliver the bags to the school weekly during the school year, and the rest of the congregation provides ramen noodles and peanut butter. We even have donors from some of the outside groups who used our community room for meetings.

We started out with 20 kids, increased to 25 about two years ago and increased to 30 last year after Hurricane Irma. During the holidays when they are out of school for longer than a weekend we try to add extra food to their bags.

Ongoing Partnership with Haiti

submitted by Anita Unrath, member of the Haiti Task Force

There are many projects happening in Haiti which are being funded by the FB Synod Haiti Fund combined with various individual churches as lead donors.

The Community Center/Church in Morne des Commissaires in Savanne Zombie is getting a large cistern that is almost completed. St Armand’s Key Lutheran donated over half of that with the rest from the Haiti fund.
Hope Lutheran in the Villages has received generous donations from its members for goats that will go to Haitian families. $10,000 has been sent.
24 FBS churches donated to Seeds for Haiti this summer, so we were able to send $10,000 for seeds and small plants.
The fence at the Lutheran Community Center in Gressier along the highway was hit by a truck and is being rebuilt with cement block at certain intervals between the chain link. That project will happen as soon as the cistern is completed. It was funded from the Haiti fund.
The Community Center/Church in Morne des Commissaires is getting doors, window bars, and a railing on a very steep staircase. The church will also be painted. This church was built by the ELCA after the 2010 earthquake but was never finished when the disaster funds ran out. This is a project of the Space Coast conference where the congregations asked for donations on Global Mission Sunday on Oct 7. Once completed, this stone and cement block church can be a hurricane shelter.

Future ELH projects include:

Putting solar panels on the ELH office in Gressier which is a town without dependable electricity.
Finishing the guest houses at Gressier which were also started with ELCA earthquake disaster funds.
Annual training for the ELH pastors and deacons.

The ELH and Haiti Task Force are confident God will abundantly provide funds through our FBSynod people when they learn about all the good things that are happening with their donations. The Haiti Task Force first must approve any ELH project request. Then the entire Global Mission Committee has to approve the project. Every project is transparent and has complete accountability with receipts and photographs. You can be sure your donation is accounted for. You can donate to the Haiti fund anytime in your church offering by marking your check for Haiti.

Mark your Calendar

Click on the calendar to go to the synod calendar to learn more about these events

Mark Your Calendar for these dates in 2019

Lenten Visits 2019

March 9 - Grace, Tallahassee
March 16 - St. James/Santiago Apostol, Coral Gables
March 23 - Emmaus, Port Orange
March 30 - St. Armand's Key, Sarasota
April 13 - St. Timothy, Tarpon Springs

Learn more about Lenten Visits (RSVP in January)

Nov. 2-3 - Candidacy Committee Mtg (Tampa)

Nov. 4-5 - Gathering of Deans and those New to the Synod (Leesburg)

Nov. 4-7 - Conference on Ministry

Nov. 5-6 - Society of the Holy Trinity Retreat, San Pedro Retreat Center, Winter Park

Nov. 9-11 - SWO Fall Gathering, Lake Yale

Nov. 16-17 - Synod Council (Tampa)

Nov. 18 - Music Concert, Peace, Ft. Myers

Nov. 23-24 - SYNOD OFFICE CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING

Nov. 23 - Thanksgiving Day Worship and Meal, Grace, Tallahassee (11:00)

Nov. 28-29 - Generation NEXT Stewardship Event, Tampa

For Your Information

Earthquake in Haiti--update

Haiti was hit by an earthquake earlier this month. The synod office is committed to walking with the ELH in their recovery and rebuilding. Please send donations to the FBSynod Disaster Relief Fund, marked for Haiti, to help us continue to support these communities. You can make a donation through the synod web site (click on 'give now' and select "Disaster Response (Synod Wide)"), or send your check in to the synod office. This report was submitted by Anita Unrath, Global Mission Haiti Task Force, following a conversation with Pr. Livenson.

The earthquake in Port-de-Paix demolished many buildings and homes in the north of Haiti. The 5 ELH churches and many people in those communities were affected. There is a church on Tortoise Island off the north coast called Bethany Lutheran. Others are Redemption Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church of Bengo, Lutheran Church of Gros Sable, and Lutheran Church of Fond Zombie which are all in Jean Rabel which is west of the epicenter.

There is also a church in Mole Saint Nicholas called Evangelical Lutheran Church of Metayer. That town is west of Jean Rabel on the northwest coast. It may not have been affected as much, but they felt the earthquake in Port Au Prince, too.

Pr Remy Augustin is traveling from Jean Rabel in northern Haiti to Port Au Prince to meet with Pr Livenson. Then Pr Livenson will know more about the damages. Pr Remy’s bus stopped at Gonaives on the coast because there is a roadblock due to bad roads. That is 3 hours north of Port au Prince. Please continue to pray for Pr Remy and all the Haitians who experienced loss from the earthquake.

Portico Benefit Annual Enrollment

It’s time to enter your organization’s 2019 health benefit option.

Congregations and organizations who sponsor employees through Portico: Choose the ELCA-Primary health benefits option you will offer for 2019 and enter it on EmployerLink before Oct. 26. You must do this even if you want to continue your current option, your plan members waive ELCA-Primary health benefits, or your plan members are eligible for ELCA Medicare-Primary coverage. There’s information to help your organization make its selection on EmployerLink — or call the Customer Care Center, 800.352.2876, for help.

Advent Resources

Below are some great resources for the seasons of Advent and Christmas. They can be used for families or for congregations.

Congregational Advent Devotional Books

We've heard through the grapevine that several congregations are putting together their own devotional books for Advent, using submissions from people within the congregation. We'd love to see those devotionals and share them with permission (or post them to the synod web site with permission). If your congregation is putting together an Advent devotional book, and you would give the synod office permission to share/post that book, please send it to Sr. Michelle at michellec@fbsynod.org.

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