Mission Partner 100: Fall Appeal

St. Stephen Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pompano Beach

St. Stephen is situated in a high visibility and traffic location on the 14th Street Causeway on the way to the barrier island and beach. The large street sign monument is now 47 years old and literally falling apart. St. Stephen’s mission plan includes replacing the aging sign with a contemporary new two-sided monument and LED sign. Such a sign will cost about $50,000 to fabricate and install.

Help us achieve the goal of getting this sign replaced to make a clear statement to the community that St. Stephen is a vital place engaged in God’s work in multiple ways in the Pompano Beach community.

Click here to give and learn more about the ministries at St. Stephen church.

Full COM Event Schedule Posted 

The full event schedule for this year's Conference on Ministry is now posted on our website. Click here to view it. Don't forget to register by September 26 to avoid the late fee. Click here to register.

Register Today for the COM Golf Outing

Registration is open for the annual Conference on Ministry Golf Outing. This year, all golf fees will be paid for in advance. Payment is non-refundable. If you already know the foursome or twosome you would like to play with, please include the names in an e-mail to jim@naplesemmanuel.org.

Cost is $35. Click here to register.

The deadline to register is October 10.

Region 9 Boundaries and Inclusiveness Education 

Registration is open for Region 9 Boundaries and Inclusiveness Education this fall. The emphasis will be on Gender Justice. It is the expectation that all Region 9 rostered leaders will register for one session. These sessions are scheduled for October 4, 15, and 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Each session will be identical, so leaders only need to attend one.

Visit https://forms.gle/rkynqeFe12ARSG8y7 to RSVP for your chosen date. This is a meaningful opportunity for rostered leaders to grow as leaders and fulfill the requirements of the Region 9 Bishops' Agreement. Please make them a priority in your schedule.

Joint Synod Holy Land Pilgrimage:

April 10 - 20, 2023

Join Bishop Pedro Suarez and Pr. Khader El-Yateem along with Bishop Yehiel Curry (Metropolitan Chicago Synod) on a journey to the Holy Land next spring. This joint pilgrimage includes 10 days of sightseeing and unforgettable experiences. Space is limited. Click here for registration and pricing. Download the brochure with travel itinerary and additional trip details here.

Catching Up with a diakonia Student

Listen in over the next several weeks as some of the current diakonia students chat about their experience with the guided, self-study program for Adult Faith formation.

Michele: Hi Diane. I know you live and worship in Winter Park and that you are a dog lover…. what prompted you to enroll in the diakonia program?

Diane: When Pastor Stan was on sabbatical, Pastor Trixie Richter and I were talking in the office. She had mentioned about this diakonia program; it sounded interesting. Over the next couple of days while I was working in the office, she made the program sound more and more interesting. Now I have not been in a church, Lutheran or any other denomination, in years. My husband was not religious. I had been baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran religion as a child but left when I turned 16. I left the church to experience life. Since my husband’s death I needed more in my life. So, I found Redeemer Lutheran Church and really liked the congregation and the pastor. So, I stayed and got really involved.

Click here to read more...

Celebration of Holy Closure

On Sunday, September 18, 2022 at 3 p.m., we will be celebrating the conclusion of the ministry at Misión Sagrado Corazón formerly known as Messiah Lutheran Church in Miami. For further information, please contact Rev. Khader El-Yateem at 813-440-1590.

2022 Florida WELCA Fall Gathering 

The Florida Women of the ELCA Fall Gathering is to be held at The Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, November 11-13. This year's theme is Step by Step based on Proverbs 16:9 (NLT). The registration deadline is September 15, 2022. For more information, go to www.flwelca.com.

St. John Winter Park Celebrates "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday

On September 10, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church participated in the annual day of service, "God's Work, Our Hands." A dozen members of the congregation met and planned their day by planting vegetables in raised bed gardens at The Meadows and Tranquil Terrace. Both locations are operated by the City of Winter Park's Housing Authority as subsidized housing. The Meadows is a mixed family complex and Tranquil Terrace is for seniors only. 

St. John members focused on refurbishing the existing raised beds with dirt and manure to give the plants a great start. The team worked for the first time with residents of the housing units to assist with planting and left them in charge of the watering and care of the beds. Only vegetables were planted so that later in the fall the residents would be able to have ample healthy vegetables. Some were seed starts and included collard greens and kale while others were purchased as starter plants. A wide range of plants were used including cherry tomatoes, peppers and a variety of seasonings such as basil and others.

After the planting, the team enjoyed fellowship and lunch at St. John. A second day of God's Work, Our Hands is planned later in the year that will organize an electronics recycling project for the community.  

Trinity Lutheran Commemorates 9/11 with Interfaith Service

Trinity Lutheran, Pembroke Pines held an interfaith service on Sunday, September 11 in place of its regular Sunday morning worship, inviting members of the Darul Uloom Institute, a neighboring mosque, and its Imam, Shaik Shafayat Mohamed. The service commemorated the recently released “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Muslim Community.” The joint service also included a special time of prayer for the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. ELCA Pastor Mark Cerniglia. Who recently retired after 40 years of ministry and grew up as a member of Trinity, preached. Trinity’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Keith Spencer, noted the importance of their interfaith relationship, which began days after the 9/11 tragedy and continues to flourish 21 years later.