Pacifica Synod News & Notes
December 18, 2020
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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.
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Current Synod News & Resources |
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Office of the Bishop Service of the Word
for Sunday, December 27
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On Tuesday, December 15, a recorded Service of the Word for congregations to use on the First Sunday of Christmas, December 27, was emailed to all Rostered Ministers, congregations and key congregational lay leaders. A link to both the MP4 version and YouTube recording was provided.
This is a complete worship service ready for your use and includes music, readings, prayers, a children’s sermon from Pastor Terry Tuvey Allen, and a sermon from Bishop Andy Taylor based on the lectionary texts for that day.
If your leadership did not receive this email, please contact Terri Robertson at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org. This service will be made public on our Synod YouTube channel on December 27.
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Coaching for All Seasons:
Gratitude and Awareness in the New Year
Monthly Online Gathering for
Pacifica Synod Rostered & Lay Leaders
Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
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What if you discovered that living with awareness and intention and focusing on what makes you feel grateful allows you to live longer, inspire others, experience joy, hold pain and grief with compassion, and deepen love, generosity, and respect for all life? Grateful living is way of life that does all of the above and, in so doing, contributes to a peaceful, thriving, and sustainable world – held as sacred by all.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of modern life, it can require effort and commitment to truly notice and stay awake to the people, events, and moments in our lives. With numerous demands on our attention, we can overlook the wisdom of our hearts and bodies, the richness of leaning into what’s here now, and the opportunities and unexpected gifts that can exist within challenging situations.
Join us for two video meditations that take us on a journey into the mystery, science and “flavors” of gratitude in our daily lives and invite us to “Look Around You. Look Inside Yourself.” After the videos, we will gather in small groups to consider how gratitude and awareness can shape our experiences in the new year.
Our next meeting will be via Zoom on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 11:00-noon PST. Pre-registration is required to receive the link and may be done so here.
The January 5 session is the seventh in the monthly series Coaching for All Seasons that began in July 2020. Click here to view our Synod Coaching web page and access the resources from previous presentations. Our Pacifica Synod Coaching Team designed this forum to provide encouragement and support to Synod leaders as we navigate the unknown. Each month, participants will hear a short presentation related to how we currently are called to be Church. Then they will have an opportunity to be in a small group discussion facilitated by an ELCA coach. We are creating a safe space for processing our responses to uncertain times and for discerning steps forward in our unique contexts.
Pacifica Synod has invested in training coaches to work with rostered and lay leaders one-on-one or in groups. Coaching provides an opportunity for rostered and lay leaders to experience a partnership focused on the unique objectives they want to achieve. A coach’s role is to support a leader in naming challenging issues and identifying constructive responses to them. Pacifica Synod coaches are volunteering their time to create presentations and coaching opportunities that provide a hands-on resource for addressing your challenges.
If you would like information on having a coach, please contact Deenna Eley, Pacifica Synod Coaching Coordinator at mikedeenna@gmail.com.
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2021 Pacifica Synod Assembly Information |
Dear People of the Pacifica Synod,
On June 17, 2020, the Office of the Bishop announced that Synod Council voted to postpone the 2020 Pacifica Synod Assembly and designated Saturday, May 1, 2021 as the date for our next synod assembly. This one-day assembly will be held completely online and planning for our time together has already begun.
Please begin to consider who your voting members will be, keeping in mind the following:
- Voting members will need to be familiar with computers or tablets (such as iPads) and able to learn an additional voting program/app.
- As this will be a one-day assembly on a Saturday, consider electing people whose schedules have prohibited them from attending past assemblies during weekdays.
- Each voting member will need to have their own device. Even if voting members live together, they cannot share one device. Each person needs their own device to vote.
For more information about congregational fees, registration, and current updates, go to the 2021 Synod Assembly page on our synod website.
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Nomination Period for Pacifica Synod Council,
Discipline Committee and Churchwide Assembly
Voting Members Now Open
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Are You Feeling Called to be a Leader in the Pacifica Synod?
- Do you feel called to do more in Pacifica?
- Do you want to do something new in Pacifica?
- Do you think you could be a leader for change in Pacifica?
- Perhaps you are being called to be a leader in the Pacifica Synod.
The Nominating Committee of the Pacifica Synod invites members of Pacifica Synod congregations to prayerfully consider if God is calling them to serve on Synod Council, the Discipline Committee, or as a Voting Member at the next Churchwide Assembly. Elections to fill these positions will take place at the 2021 Synod Assembly on May 1, 2021.
A complete list of the open positions and descriptions of the duties of
each position may be found here.
Any congregational member in good standing may self-nominate or be nominated to open positions by completing the online nomination form.
Nomination forms for all positions must be received no later than Friday, February 19, 2021. Those who wish to be considered for open positions who have not submitted their form by that date will need to be nominated from the Synod Assembly floor per S9.03.02 and must be accompanied by a written nomination containing the signatures of no less than 10 persons entitled to vote at the assembly for the nominee.
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Assembly Resolutions and Memorials Process |
THE DEADLINE FOR PRESENTING A RESOLUTION OR MEMORIAL TO THE 2021 SYNOD ASSEMBLY IS FEBRUARY 1, 2021
The resolutions process enables individuals or recognized groups within the synod to bring a request for action or a request for a statement to be made by the Synod Assembly. Since the ELCA Churchwide Assembly meets in 2022, this Synod Assembly will consider both resolutions and memorials. For information and resources about the differences between a “resolution” and a “memorial,” please visit the ELCA Office of the Secretary webpage found here.
Resolutions and memorials may be submitted by a congregation of the Synod, a Ministry Team, an ELCA institution or agency, a conference, or the Synod Council and must be signed by the appropriate leadership (i.e., president, chair, dean, etc.). Individuals may submit a resolution/memorial with the signatures of 10 other members of the Synod. The maker(s) of the resolution/memorial must be identified separately from the required signers.
Resolutions/memorials are to be submitted in writing 90 days in advance of the Synod Assembly (by February 1, 2021) for review by the Resolutions Committee and for placement in the pre-assembly materials. They may be mailed or emailed to the synod office at rachelline@pacificasynod.org, to the attention of the Resolutions Committee.
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#CaliSTRONG High School Youth Event
January 9, 2021
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High school youth from Pacifica Synod are once again invited to join with youth from both Southwest CA and Sierra Pacific Synod for a SECOND joint youth event on Saturday, January 9 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. (on Zoom). Youth leaders and pastors are welcome to attend if they choose, but youth may also attend on their own.
#CaliSTRONG is a space created for high school youth to engage each other in conversation around social justice issues and hot topics they are passionate about. This space will be peer led with adult supervision and a pastoral care presence. Youth will learn leadership skills to engage in dialogues around race, culture, diversity, equity and inclusion through a biblical lens.
Youth (and adults) MUST register for this event to receive the Zoom link. Please click the button below to do so (NOTE: THIS IS A NEW LINK/REGISTRATION FORM. Please register again, even if you joined us in December.)
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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Roundtable Gathering
Reconstruction: Yesterday and Today!
Sunday, January 17
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Pacifica Synod's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Workgroup will be hosting another monthly roundtable discussion group, under the leadership of James Tyler. The group will meet next on Sunday, January 17, 2021 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. via Zoom. NO in-person gathering will take place this month.
During this time together, several members of the group will present on a variety of topics, including "Reconstruction: Yesterday and Today! (PBS), the book "Ghettoside" by Jill Leovy, and other topics.
If you would like to participate in this roundtable event, please email Terri Robertson at terrirobertson@pacificasynod.org to be sent the Zoom link. If you have suggestions for topics you'd like to hear about (or lead discussion on), please share that information with us using this same email.
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Warner Trust Fund Grant Application Period
Now Open Until January 15, 2021
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Applications are now being received for the Charles and Mable Warner Trust fund proceeds being administered by the Pacifica Synod. The application deadline is January 15, 2021.
Charles and Mable Warner were members of First Lutheran Church, Los Angeles. They had no children and loved their church as evidenced by the following quote from their will:
“…The entire remainder of the trust estate shall go and be distributed to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Southwest, Los Angeles, California, with the request that such estate be used in the construction of Sunday School facilities and to further youth Christian education.”
For more information about the grant, including criteria for use, requirements to apply and a downloadable application, please visit our Warner Trust Grant webpage.
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2021 Synod Clergy Compensation Guidelines
Now Available
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In October 2020, the Synod Council approved recommendation of a 2% increase in the Baseline Salary for Ministers of Word and Sacrament of the Pacifica Synod for the year 2021. This action brings the 2021 baseline salary (including salary and housing allowance) to $68,246 for Ministers of Word and Sacrament.
The updated 2021 Synod Clergy Compensation Guidelines for Rostered Ministers and documents are now available on our Pacifica Synod website, found here.
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Remote/Electronic Meetings for Congregations |
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many congregation leaders are asking how they can use technology to hold necessary meetings and conduct the business of the congregation.
You should first consult your congregation's constitution. If your constitution does not do not explicitly forbid a remote meeting, California law allows for remote voting for non-profit corporations.
Below are two documents that may be helpful as you navigate this topic. The first is a RECENTLY UPDATED FAQ resource provided by the ELCA. The second, is more specific to California and has been provided by the Pacifica Synod's attorney.
Further questions may be directed to the synod office.
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Synod Work Towards Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
On June 15, Bishop Andy shared a letter with our synod, inviting us to work together for racial justice. If you missed this, you may read the Bishop Andy's full letter here. The Pacifica Synod Council has released a Racial Justice Statement and encourages congregations and individuals to join them in taking the ELCA Anti-Racism Pledge.
We also have created a synod web page with information and anti-racism resources for individual and congregational use. We will continue to add resources, so check back often. If you have resources to recommend or would like to share stories about how you or your congregation are currently working towards equity, diversity and inclusion, please contact Pastor Lara Martin at pastorlaramartin@gmail.com.
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Care Connections Network
Aging. Better.
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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 December newsletter.
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From the ELCA & Other Partners |
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A Christmas Message
from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
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Precisely in our distress, in our dislocation, the Lord shows up. Emmanuel—God with us—makes his home in the very places we find foreign or isolating.
The room was spare and dimly lit. We sat on folding chairs in a circle—young Honduran women and some of us from the ELCA. We had come to Honduras to observe the work of AMMPARO (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities). This is the ELCA’s strategy to help youth who have been forced to flee their home countries because of violence, abuse, extortion by gangs and extreme poverty. Amparo is the Spanish word for shelter or refuge.
In this case, AMMPARO partnered with the Lutheran World Federation and the Mennonites to resettle returned migrants—those who had tried to seek asylum in the United States but had failed or had been denied and deported back to Honduras.
One by one they told us their stories of fear and desperation. Not a one undertook the long and dangerous trek north on a whim. They told us about the abuse they had suffered, about family members who had been killed by gangs, about the inability to make a living because of the extortion by organized crime. They talked about the bitter sadness of leaving home and family, and the uncertainty of the future.
I remember one young woman in particular. She was pregnant when she tried to migrate to the United States. She had the baby somewhere along the way. She was far from home, mostly alone and desperately wanted her mother to be with her. None of this is what she had hoped for when she was growing up. Circumstances beyond her control had forced her into this new and strange existence. She and her baby were now back in Honduras—but not at home. Home was too dangerous.
Remember last Christmas? Remember all of the preparations, the travel to be with family? Remember the holy beauty of the Christmas Eve liturgy and receiving Christ’s grace and forgiveness at his table? The shopping and Christmas caroling? The in-person gatherings? All that has changed. The pandemic hasn’t forced us from our homes but into our homes, sheltering in place, isolated. Not together, but physically distanced. Not gathered with family and friends, but forced apart because of the threat of infection. Forced by circumstances beyond our control into this strange existence. Oh, there will be Christmas carols piped into grocery stores and other essential services, but they will be painful reminders of how life used to be.
We are reminded of the experience of the exiles in Babylon: “By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For there our captives asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land” (Psalm 137)?
I told the young Honduran woman about another young woman who was forced to leave home because of a government decree. She, too, was pregnant and made a long and difficult journey. She, too, was far from home and without her mother when the baby came. She had to find shelter wherever she could. This wasn’t what she had hoped for when she was growing up. Circumstances beyond her control had forced her into this new existence. That young woman was Mary and the child was Jesus. Precisely in our distress, in our dislocation, the Lord shows up. Emmanuel—God with us—makes his home in the very places we find foreign or isolating. The young Honduran woman, and all of us, can find hope because of the birth of Mary’s child. There is no God-forsaken place and we are never alone—not in hospital rooms, or sheltering in place, or Zoom calls or on dangerous roads.
Many of us will not be physically home for Christmas, but we are truly home in Christ.
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Give Something Unexpected This Christmas!
ELCA Good Gifts
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Still shopping for someone who has everything they need? Check them off your Christmas list by supporting ministries that grow the church, fight hunger and transform lives. Once you pick the perfect gift, you can download and print a card at home or send an e-card to let them know all about it.
Your gifts help share God’s love in Christ far and wide. Thanks for your support of the mission and ministry we share.
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ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza 2021
Early Bird Pricing Ends January 1, 2021
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The ELCA Youth Ministry Network's 2021 Extravaganza is going to be an all-online experience taking place February 4-6, 2021. While this may be different than the usual in-person event, this also provides the opportunity for many to attend without the cost or time commitment of travel to a destination. And we are still going to experience spiritual renewal, continuing education and networking and connection. Extravaganza 2021 is for ALL leaders in a congregation and will help you get through the next year, and beyond.
The goal for Extravaganza 2021 is to answer 5 questions together:
- How do we help our people navigate the grief of losing "normal?" How do we navigate that same grief ourselves?
- How do we care for ourselves in the midst of accompanying others in their pain?
- How do we navigate change?
- What should we do next?
- How do we find hope in the midst of chaos?
- We know that right now, ministry is hard and that we all wrestle with these questions. Together, with the help of our speakers and workshop leaders, we are going to try to figure out a road map.
The best part is that this event is affordable! Through January 1, 2021, the costs are $25 for individuals OR $60 to register as many people from your congregation as you want. No limit! From January 2 to February 1, the costs will increase to $50 for individuals and $120 for groups.
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LSS Southern California Estate Planning Series
Continues January 13, 2021
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LSS is offering a no-cost comprehensive Estate Planning seminar to our network of donors and partners. This five-session series begins December 16, 2020 and will continue once monthly through April 2021.
This is an opportunity for you to take a serious look at your financial portfolio, preparing for unexpected costly situations ahead, providing for your loved ones who will survive you, and making certain your legacy of giving is honored through gifts to the charities you have supported across the years.
Joshua Anderson, an Estate Planning Attorney and Partner with McIntire Anderson, and Lisa Higginbotham, our local ELCA Regional Gift Planner will lead each of these sessions.
The dates of each session are below. Each gathering is from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PST.
January 13 - I've Got the Power!
February 10 - Wills, Trusts & Probate...Oh My!
March 17 - Love is Eternal...Community Property Isn't
April 14th - You're Set...What's Next?
For a downloadable PDF flyer to share with others, click here.
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PLTS Virtual Community Organizing Training
January 19 to 23, 2021
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You are invited to attend a virtual Training Course in Community Organizing for Transformational Ministry offered by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminar January 19-23, 2021.
The Community Organizing for Transformational Ministry is co-led by a team of four including Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Dr. Ray Pickett, Deacon Kelly Marciales, Director of the ELCA Organizing for Mission Network, and Mary Lim-Lampe, Director of Genesis, a community organizing affiliate in Oakland. It is an innovative model that incorporates theological and biblical reflection, and attention to beauty and art as well as training in more traditional arts of community organizing (power analysis, organizing cycle, self-interest, and of course more).
The course/training is for graduate students as well as practitioners of community organizing and leaders of faith communities. Click here for a flyer which includes a registration link.
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California Lutheran University
Fifty and Better (FAB) Winter Session & January Lectures
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FAB’s 6-week Winter Session begins on January 19 and registration is now open!
Courses include: History of Women Artists, America and the Cold War, American Life Through Broadway Musicals, Pioneer Women of the Movies, and more! We hope you will join us for these captivating courses. Individuals 50+ are welcome, please share with your friends and family! FAB will also be hosting lectures in early January. Join us as JPL’s Luis Velasco talks about the Perseverance Rover and the challenges leading up to the February landing, and Eleanor Schrader takes us on a journey out West through Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. Lectures are open to all.
For more information visit:
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2020 ELCA Annual Report Covers Now Available |
The new 2020 annual report covers are now available.
Both can be found in the Stewardship resources here:
Direct links are here:
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Stories of Faith in Action Digital Storytelling |
The new website features content from this annual publication in a modern, dynamic format, mixing video and visual elements with stories to take you further into the work of Mission Support.
This site is a fantastic tool to include in your next stewardship communication or as part of your annual meeting materials.
Visit now to learn how your offering sustains and enhances ministries that support and lift up God’s people.
Faithfully,
Victoria Flood
Director, ELCA Mission Support
Nick Kiger
Associate Director, ELCA Mission Support
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ELCA World Hunger 2021 Leadership Gathering
January 20-23, 2021
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This signature event gathers ELCA World Hunger’s leaders for a time of networking, idea sharing, learning and planning for our shared ministry to address hunger and its root causes in our local and global communities. Next year's event, January 20 through 23, we will center on John 6:11-12 and the theme “And All Were Satisfied.” For the first time in the event’s history, we will gather virtually!
We celebrate the new opportunities this gathering brings, including the chance to welcome more participants than ever before. As we look forward, we know that our future church is younger and more diverse; who do you want to invite to be part of the conversation and our ministry together?
To register, please visit bit.ly/2021WHLG. The event fee is $20, with sponsorship opportunities available to those for whom the cost would be a barrier to attending. Once you register, you will receive the information needed to join in the event.
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Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday 2021 |
It is with great joy to share with you that the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday 2021 worship materials are available to download! ReconcilingWorks wants to celebrate with your faith community and is excited to offer these resources. Many RIC communities celebrate RIC Sunday on the last Sunday in January. This year, that lands on January 31, 2021. ReconcilingWorks encourages you to celebrate on a date that is meaningful for your community.
Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday is a celebration shared among our Reconciling in Christ program partners. This service is a space in which your faith community can celebrate their decision to become RIC, be it thirty years ago or three days ago, and spark conversation around what it means to support our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
The 2021 theme is Coming Together Building Community. At ReconcilingWorks, our core identity is to build the Body of Christ so that we can come together and build a welcoming community for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, in all the human experiences that they hold. We focus this RIC Sunday asking the question, "How do we, the church, come together and build community, to express the fullness of God's diversity?" It is a service to turn us away from the sins of homophobia, transphobia, and racism, and to live for Christ and serve our neighbor.
To learn more or to download the worship material, click here to head to our website. There will be video sermons available in early January to use as well, so bookmark the RIC Sunday page for future updates!
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ELCA & Other Partners
News & Ministry Links
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ELCA World Hunger "Go & Do News" - Nov 2020
ELCA Lutheran Men in Mission "Foundations" Newsletter - Winter 2020
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Clinical Case Manager
Survivors of Torture, International - San Diego
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Survivors of Torture International of San Diego has a full-time position opening for a Clinical Case Manager.
General Purpose of the Job: With the clinical team, provide holistic, strengths-based, trauma-informed, integrated mental health and social services to individuals and families.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: (The examples of functions are not necessarily exhaustive. Management is not precluded from assigning other related functions not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment for the position.) This position will require remote work, in-office work, in-the-field work, or a combination thereof.
For a complete job description and application procedures, click here.
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Webinars and Other Events |
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Being Church
Weekly Online Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Wednesday, December 23 at 11:00 a.m. PST
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Jill Beverlin, National Coordinator of Coaching for the ELCA, along with Tammy Devine, ELCA Coordinator for Discipleship and Stewardship Coaching, will hold space on Wednesday, December 23 for leaders to gather, share, and just be together in this liminal time filled with both grief and hope. We will practice holding space together, similar to a support group or grief group. Jill and Tammy will facilitate. For more personal matters, you may request a breakout room with a coach for up to 15 minutes during the hour-long gathering, subject to availability.
You are invited to join this weekly gathering designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders across the church. Participants will hear topical presentations related to how we are called to be Church in times of crisis, 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. You are welcome to share this invitation with any other ELCA leader, rostered or lay. #ELCAChurchTogether
We understand a number of folks are unable to make this day and time each week. We record the main session and debrief time and share each recording with supporting documents here, typically by the following week: https://www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/media.
Below is the link for each Wednesday's Zoom meeting. For a list of upcoming topics and recordings of prior meetings, go to https://www.elcacoaching.org/.
ELCA Coaching is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Being Church in Times of Crisis - Weekly Gathering for ELCA Leaders
Time: December 23, 2020 11:00 a.m. PST
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,180439412#,,1#,648160# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 180 439 412
Password: 648160
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Stephen Ministry Interactive Online
Bridge Leader's Training Course
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Are you looking to begin Stephen Ministry or to train additional Stephen Leaders for your Stephen Ministry? The Stephen Ministries organization is offering a new way to equip Stephen Ministry leaders during this time, when it isn’t possible to attend an in-person Leader’s Training Course.
The Bridge Leader’s Training Course (BLTC) is an interactive online training experience to equip laypeople, pastors, and other church staff as “Stephen Leaders,” the ones who lead Stephen Ministry in your congregation. Participants meet over Zoom in cohorts of 20 people with two experienced trainers from Stephen Ministries for highly personalized training. During ten 2½-hour sessions over the course of five or ten weeks, trainees learn through presentations, discussions, videos, breakout activities, Q&A times, and more, gaining the knowledge and tools they need to lead Stephen Ministry in their church.
Pacifica Synod congregations - watch for information in early January about the synod's Stephen Ministry training grant program for lay ministry leaders.
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Enriching Spirituality in Older Adulthood |
ALOA's monthly webinars offer a presentation on a single topic by an expert in older adult ministry. They're free and last about an hour. On January 28, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. PST, the topic will be "Enriching Spirituality in Older Adulthood.
Roland Martinson, Emeritus Professor of Luther Seminary and author of Elder's Rising: The Promise & Peril of Aging, will share multiple aspects of spirituality as it relates to older adults. Spirituality is one section of the Toolkit for Older Adult Ministry that ALOA is in the process of developing. The Toolkit is the initial component in ALOA's Congregational Centers for Resilience and Aging project. There will also be resources shared and time for questions.
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Ignite the Church Conference 2021 |
Adapting to a New Reality: Living into a Fresh Vision for God’s Church
We Have Gone Online! Join us in 2021 for Adapting to a New Reality: Living into a Fresh Vision for God’s Church. Monthly webinars focus on key areas:
- January – Encouragement Beyond Fatigue
- February – Justice and the Common Good
- March – Hybrid Community: Virtual & In-Person
- April – Creative Expressions of Church
The Ignite the Church Conference movement continues to grow as leaders are encouraged and ministry is transformed!
Please go to www.IgniteTheChurch.net to see the outstanding line up of speakers and panel leaders and to get more information on how you can join the movement.
All conference proceeds are donated to the ELCA Fund for Leaders. Last year's gift to future leaders totaled $6,000. We hope to see you virtually! #ignitethechurch
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We Remember in Our Prayers |
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We ask that you hold the following people in your thoughts and prayers:
- Eric Sweetman, spouse of the Rev. Sherry Sweetman
- The Rev. Ken Severa
- The family and friends of James Gray
- The family and friends of the Rev. David Lindberg
- All affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires, as well as those providing relief efforts
- Those affected with the COVID-19 virus and those who have lost loved ones
- Our healthcare providers, first responders, essential workers and all who continue to serve so that others can remain safely at home
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.
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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:
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Pacifica Synod - ELCA
Lutheran Center for Mission & Learning
1801 Park Court Place, Bldg. C, Santa Ana, CA 92701
714.692.2791
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