Interfaith Prayer Vigil-Hope Lutheran Church, The Villages
Sunday, April 28th, 6:30 pm
Contributed by Pr. Rani Abdulmasih
People of various faith traditions have come together at Hope Lutheran Church in the Villages to express their solidarity with all those who continue to suffer in the painful aftermath of such horrific recent acts of violence against communities of faith in our nation and around the world. Jews, Christians, Muslims, and members of the Baha’i faith were among those who have gathered, Sunday April 28th, at Hope to remember the innocent lives lost in Sri Lank, New Zealand, and Pittsburg, PA. On the eve of this gathering, yet another shooting took place in a Poway Synagogue in CA bringing fear and terror to a worshiping community on the last day of the Jewish Passover.
As some 150 community members gathered for this Interfaith Prayer Vigil, leaders from various faith traditions shared a word of comfort, healing, and inspiration while lighting a candle in remembrance of those whose lives were lost. “Every Human Life Matters!” was the theme of this gathering as leaders continued to address the need for our various communities of faith to coexist, and to stand together regardless of their faith tradition. Fr. Leo from a nearby Catholic church was born and raised in Sri Lanka and shared a prayer in his native language as more than three hundred precious lives were lost in recent attacks on churches in Sri Lanka during their Easter services.
May God continue to grant healing, hope, and comfort to all who suffer.
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Synod -Wide Service Project--Community of Hope Center
We encourage each congregation to gather items listed below (by conference) and bring them to the synod assembly in June. Congregations may also wish to donate Wal-Mart gift cards. We will also be accepting loose change that will go towards 2 new large screen TVs, scanner, and projector. Be creative! Be generous! Be the blessing for this ministry that will change lives for the working poor here in Central Florida! And know you are going to make a huge difference in the lives of people who really need to see what the love of Jesus is all about. Thank you in advance for your gifts!
We have taken the needs expressed by the Community Hope Center and divided them among each of our
conferences
. Please refer to the donation list below to find out what your conference is being asked to collect. When donating food items, please write the expiration date on the top of the box/can and cross out the bar code. Sterilite 56 quart storage bins with the blue lid are in big demand. It would be great if you would use this bin as your collection area, bring your items to synod assembly in this bin, and then the bin is also part of your donation to Community Hope Center. Win-Win!!
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Miami-Dade & Panhandle
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Canned Fruits
- Canned Vegetables
- Canned Soups
- Canned Protein (chicken, tuna, Vienna Sausage, ham, etc)
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Tradewinds & Mid-Gulf
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- White Rice
- Pasta (all kinds)
- Pasta Sauce
- Large Zip-Lock Bags
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Heart of Florida & Gulf Coast
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Regular size shampoo/conditioner
- Shaving Cream/razors
- Regular size body lotion/wash
- Deodorant (men & women)
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Space Coast & Tampa
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Baby & Adult wipes
- Baby shampoo & lotion
- Diapers – sizes 4, 5, & 6
- Feminine pads, liners
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Pinelands & Lake
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Cereal & shelf stable milk
- Granolas (all kinds)
- Sunscreen (lips, too!)
- Large Zip-lock bags
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Broward-Bahamas
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Dish Soup
- Laundry Detergent
- Individual packets - cookies
- Large Zip-Lock bags
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First Coast & Caloosa
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Q-Tips
- Toothbrushes/tooth paste/mouthwash
- Individual packets – goldfish
- Individual packets – fruit roll ups
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Flagler/Volusia & Sun Coast
- Sterilite 56 qt storage bin w/ blue lid
- Individual packets – juice boxes
- Individual packets – animal crackers
- Toilet Paper
- Reams of white paper
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Want to make your efforts stretch even further? Do this as a THRIVENT ACTION TEAM! If you are collecting items, open it up to the congregation to give, and then use
Thrivent Action Team
monies to purchase additional items. Be creative! Contact your own Thrivent Community Engagement Leader, or contact Kathy Emanuelson with Thrivent at 727-733-3911.
IMPORTANT
Whether you utilize a
Thrivent Action Team
or not, please keep track of
how many people participated and how many hours were used
to complete your congregational project. Last year, 1,335 people participated. Our goal this year is 1,500 people.
TAKE PICTURES
of your project and bring a couple of them with you to put on our Participation Board.
We also have a way to be engaged in this service project while on site at the Synod Assembly. There will be an area in the Connection Café for people to make cards and write encouraging notes for those who are engaged with the ministry of Community Hope Center of Osceola County. We will also be putting together “kids’ bags” in this area, so stop on by when you have the chance. Finally, we will have on hand people from Community Hope Center to answer any questions you may have or if you want to learn more about this ministry here in Central Florida.
Thank you in advance for your prayers and support!
Rev. Julie Frank & Rev. Melinda Plumley, 2019 Synod Assembly Service Project Coordinators
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Click on the calendar to go to the synod calendar to learn more about these events
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Registration for Synod Assembly is closed. If you have not registered, you may register on-site. Be sure to make a hotel reservation, which is separate from your registration. Find more information about this year's assembly on the
FBSynod web site.
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All are invited to a special presentation: "Expanding End of Life Options and Increasing Patient Autonomy". The presenter is Kim Callinan the CEO of Compassion and Choices. The event is being held at St Michael's Lutheran Church, 1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington Florida 33414. End of life planning is something we all need to talk about long before it's too late. Understanding our options is the first step to be able to have that conversation with our families and healthcare providers. Compassion and Choices offers free resources to get your end of life conversation and planning underway. Learn more about these options by attending this FREE event.
MAY 23 from 6:30-8:00 p m. Sponsored by the Congregational Care Committee of St. Michael's.
Please RSVP St. Michael's at 561-793-4999 STMELC@bellsouth.net or Rev. John Hagedorn at 914-299-0971 johnhagedorn10@gmail.com or Michael Farmer at 407-637-1699 mfarmer@compassionandchoices.org
We hope to see you there!
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You are invited to join us Monday through Tuesday June10 - 11 at San Pedro Center; 2400 Dike Road; Winter Park, FL 32792 for our
Florida Chapter of The Society of the Holy Trinity retreat when The Rev. Dr. Wally Jensen will present Moral Warriors, Moral Wounds: the Ministry of the Christian Ethic & Implications for Parish.
Learn more about this event on the synod calendar.
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The Order of St. Luke International Conference is taking place in July at Disney Springs.
The Order of St. Luke is an ecumenical healing prayer ministry that has chapters all over the world. Every three years they have an international conference and this year it is being held at the Hilton at Disney Springs. There are going to be some great workshops for anyone interested in healing prayer. You do not have to be a member of OSL to attend the conference. The conference committee has negotiated some really good deals with the Hilton at Disney Springs, and we are also offering day passes to the conference for folks who don't want to attend the whole thing.
Learn more about this event on the synod calendar.
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May 8-9 -
ELCA CoachLaunch, St. Philip, Mt. Dora
May 11 -
Space Coast Conference Spring Gathering (Dawn and Jonathan Rundman, guests), Advent-Suntree, 10:00-noon
May 11 -
Tampa Conference Spring Gathering, Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 10:00-1:00
May 11-
Suncoast Conference Gathering, Hope Lutheran Church, St. Petersburg, 9:00-noon
May 17-18 -
diakonia Retreat and Graduation (Advent-Suntree Campus, Melbourne)
May 17-19 -
Caring for Creation Retreat for all ages, South Carolina
May 22 -
POAMN/ALOA 2019 Conference
May 23 -
"Expanding End of Life Options and Increasing Patient Autonomy," St. Michael, Wellington (6:30 pm)
June 5 -
Synod Council meeting
June 6-8 -
Synod Assembly
July 25-28 -
Order of St. Luke International Conference, Orlando
*rostered ministers invited to vest and process (color is red)
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A Letter from Pastors for Florida Children
This letter is a result of work being done by Pr. Russell Meyer (Florida Council of Churches), and includes the signature of Bishop Suarez
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
To Florida’s Elected Officials:
We the undersigned are united in our belief that public education is an essential institution contributing to the common good in a democratic society. We believe government should be measured in part by its commitment to equip all children to be effective citizens capable of living full and meaningful lives and contributing to their society.
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Get Ready for Synod Assembly: Photo Directory Update
ATTENTION ALL ROSTERED MINISTERS with a Call or in Interim Ministry:
As you know, the Florida-Bahamas Synod has provided annual Photo Directories for the last 4 years. We hope this is a useful tool for our leaders – a way to put a name with a face...a way to see who is serving where ...and a way to circulate current contact information.
Each photo in the directory has a ‘year’ in the top left hand corner (or no date).
- If your picture year is 2016, 2017 or 2018 – you are all set.
- If your picture is not in the directory, and you have a Call (either in specialized or parochial ministry) or you are active in Interim Ministry….please plan to have your picture taken at this year’s Assembly.
- If your picture is dated 2015….or there is no date…..you will need to sit for a new picture for the 2019 Directory. (or not be listed in the 2019 Directory)
Bring your smile!
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Employment Opportunities
Emmaus, Orange City
Emmaus Lutheran Church is now accepting résumés for a Part-Time Handbell Choir Director for the Jubilate Ringers Choir using Four (4) octaves of Malmark Bells and three (3) octaves of Malmark Chimes. This position requires approximately one (1) to three (3) hours per week from September to May and does not include benefits, rehearsals held on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. (Lent 5:45 p.m.). Pay is per rehearsal and/or performance event.
Qualifications are music background (music degree preferred, but not required); skills playing in and directing a handbell choir; strong leadership and communication skills, enthusiasm and the ability to inspire; strong skills in recruiting and developing volunteer bell ringers; ability to set realistic goals and a good sense of humor.
For additional information contact the Church Office (1-386-775-9676).
Résumé may be submitted by Fax (1-386-775-6956) or e-mail (emmausoffice@embarqmail.com).
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- Synod Office
- Advent, Melbourne (diakonia graduation)
- St. Paul, Melbourne
- Assembly prep
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