Earth Day is this week on April 22, 2020: We are all stewards of God's creation, called by God to lovingly serve the earth. Even as we live in stay at home orders, here are some ways to celebrate Earth Day this year:
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Holocaust Days of Remembrance: April 21, 2020
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It is impossible to picture six million people at once; to read six million names; to know six million stories. But by reading one story, saying one name, sharing one person’s legacy, you keep a memory alive. This year, we ask you to share the stories of persecution, of survival, and of resilience as
#WeRemember the Holocaust. During the annual
Days of Remembrance, we come together as a nation to honor victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Please take a moment to
read aloud at least ten names of victims and survivors, such as the ones listed in the video above.
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Stewardship in Uncertain Times
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Life has changed dramatically in the last few weeks and that change is still unfolding. In the midst of this change, people are needing the peace and comfort provided by faith in God. At the same time, as our normal patterns are upended and the nation is struggling economically, we worry about financial resources for our ministries. It is critically important now that we focus on how we tell our story of impact, how we invite people to generosity, how we envision a future where our congregations are more important and vital than ever. GSB Partner, Rev. Mike Ward, CFRE, author of Abundance: Creating Cultures of Generosity is offering a one-hour virtual opportunity to explore stewardship in uncertain times.
Join us on
Thursday, April 30 from 10-11 AM for a one-hour virtual workshop with Mike. He will share tangible ideas for responding during this crisis and help you put in place the infrastructure to keep generosity flowing to your congregations. Mike will also point out messaging that you should avoid during this time. A portion of the program will be dedicated to questions from participants. This workshop is suggested for pastors, stewardship leaders, council members and others engaged in congregational leadership. Additional resources about responding to this crisis that can be found at
gsbfundraising.com/category/news.
To join the Virginia Synod Stewardship Conversation on Thursday April 30 from 10-11 AM:
Meeting ID: 943 9586 4520
Password: 455353
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Do You have an announcement, upcoming event or news story idea? Send it to Emily Pilat at
pilat@vasynod.org
and make sure to follow our
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Luther Seminary Festival of Homiletics
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The Festival of Homiletics is moving online! And because there’s no better time than our current crisis to learn how to “preach a new earth,” registration for the virtual conference is totally FREE! Join us May 18-22, online. On Demand access to all materials and info, costs $75. For more information, visit
festivalofhomiletics.com
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Join the 75,000 Face Mask Challenge
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COVID-19 is threatening vulnerable communities, and Lutheran World Relief urgently needs cloth face masks to send to them. The cloth mask you sew in your living room will provide love and protection to a neighbor in need halfway around the world. How many will you make to help stop the spread? Sign up for more info.
www.lwr.org/masks
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ELCA Coaching Weekly Zoom Conversation:
Grief and Hope: Societal Chaplaincy For and Beyond COVID-19
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You are invited to join this weekly gathering designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders across the church and throughout society. Participants will hear topical presentations related to how we are called to be Church in the time of COVID-19, as well as an opportunity to be in small group discussions with an ELCA group coach facilitating the conversation. All of this is designed to help us process our feelings in this strange and fearful time and to create a space where we can each name our next most faithful step forward in our unique context.
The April 22 session will explore the concept of “societal chaplaincy” in order to provide tools for responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. This global crisis is producing layers of grief and trauma beyond what most people are anticipating. Religiously informed leaders have particular callings to respond not just to their defined communities, but to society as a whole, helping others name their grief while pointing to paths forward. The insights of social analysis, grief coaching, and chaplaincy each have contributions to make as we move forward together. In preparation for this week's gathering, we highly recommend you read this article in advance:
www.ntnl.org/societal-chaplaincy-preparing-for-the-storm-to-come
ELCA Coaching is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Being Church in the Time of COVID-19 - Weekly Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Time: Apr 22, 2020 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160
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2020 Sprunt Lectures at Union Presbyterian Seminary
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Join us
May 5-6
for a free lecture series covering the topic Faith formation with children, youth, and young adults in a multi-religious world.
Contemporary times call for a reframing of congregational ministries with young people. Three scholars working on the cutting edge of research will share their ideas about issues facing children, youth, and young adults and what religious communities can do to address these realities. They will highlight the challenges of race, class, gender, and religious identity for young people growing up in societies fraught by division, as well as the opportunities congregations have to support young people’s spiritual flourishing.
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Online Security Webinar, April 21
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Do you receive emails asking you to send money or trying to trick you into giving up sensitive information?
Do you know what to do if your data or the congregation’s data has been breached?
Do you want to learn how best to protect yourself and the church from online threats?
Please join us on Tuesday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central Time for a free webinar for ELCA congregations and synods.
Chris Hueneke, information security advisor for the ELCA churchwide organization, will host the webinar, covering these topics and more.
You'll learn how to avoid phishing email attacks, protect sensitive data and prevent malware infections, and what to do if your data has been breached.
This event requires no registration. On the morning of April 21, simply go to
this link
and click on the field marked "Join the event."
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Caroline Furnace Quick Updates
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- Zoom Family Night on April 24 at 5 PM Please invite your communities! April 24 at 5 PM - login ID 954-9753-2853, password 857339. Zoom meeting info also available on our COVID-19 updates webpage
- We are open for outdoor day use at our main property in Fort Valley. Check in/out at a station by the office door. Church leaders: You are welcome to come record worship videos here if you'd like!
- We remain hopeful that Summer Camp will be unaffected by COVID-19 and are continuing with staff interviews and camper registrations. Any decisions on Summer Camp will be announced on May 15 once we have more info. View the Summer Camp digital catalog here.
- We are still booking rental groups for the Summer and Fall seasons! We recognize that our communities will be especially in need of time together on retreat as soon as it is safe to do so. Find rental availability here.
- Do you have a quilt group? We would like to share handmade quilts with our Farmhouse guests! This project has been especially well received due to the stay-at-home orders, and we already have a few quilts in the works. We are asking for full and twin size quilts.
- Registration is open for Caroline Furnace programmed retreats through February 2021. This includes Adventure Weekends, Pre-Advent Retreat, Wild Women Retreat, and BeerReformation. View the Year at a Glance here.
- Caroline Furnace remains closed to overnight groups. Individuals and single-household groups are welcome to come spend time outdoors at our main property from 9 to 5 each day. Be sure to read the details on our COVID-19 Updates page before you come.
We will share additional updates on our website at
www.carolinefurnace.org/covid19
. We appreciate your continued support of your outdoor ministry, even and especially during this time of uncertainty. We hope to see you again soon!
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Stay Connected with the Virginia Synod:
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