E-Spirit

Weekly Newsletter

News, Stories, and More

From the

Florida-Bahamas Synod of the ELCA

November 2, 2021

Snippets of Information

Palms Deaf Church is coming to the Florida-Bahamas Synod in 2022.

It’s exiting to see a new congregation about to be birthed. And, you and your congregation can become Partners in Mission to help make this happen for the whole synod. Please watch and distribute the video. Your prayers and support will help make this bold adventure happen.

If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Rob Carlson at robc@fbsynod.org.

Click Here to read more about Palms Deaf Church. To watch an informative video on Palms Deaf Church, click here.

Palms Deaf Church Founding Pastor, Lori Fuller.

Upcoming Installations and

Ordinations

November 14, 4:00 PM - Installation of Rev. Eric Olsen at Faith Lutheran Church in Sarasota, with Bishop Pedro Suarez presiding.

November 14, 3:00 PM - Installation of the Rev. Andreas Stein at Peace Lutheran Church in Fort Myers. The Rev. Khader El-Yateem will officiate.

November 19, 6:30 PM - Ordination of Luke Delasin at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Tarpon Springs. Bishop Suarez will be presiding.

November 21, 3:30 PM - Installation of Luke Delasin as Pastor of Apostles Lutheran Church in Brandon, Deacon Connie Schmucker will officiate.

November 21, 3:00PM - Joshua "Josh" Pontious will be ordained at Christ Lutheran Church in Coral Springs. Bishop Suarez will be presiding.

December 11, 11:00AM - Joshua "Josh" Pontious will be installed at Holy Spirit, Juno Beach, where he has been called as Associate Pastor. Bishop Suarez will be presiding.

Advent Pilgrimage in Palestine is a four-week virtual pilgrimage from the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls and Young Adult Ministry teams featuring young adult voices from the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

Join us this Advent Season on the WAY to Bethlehem: Prepare, Journey, Arrive, Witness.

Nov 1: Interested in leading a group through this resource?

Nov 22: Join us as we kick-off the series.

Send in Your Congregation's "Thanksgiving Moments"

As we enter the holiday season, the office of the Bishop would love to highlight good things happening at congregations around the Synod. As a way of celebrating the many thanks we give to God as Thanksgiving approaches. These “Thanksgiving Moments” will be highlighted each week in November in the E-Spirit. You can submit your “Thanksgiving Moments” through the Google form link below!

Click Here to submit your "Thanksgiving Moment"

If you have any questions, contact Kennedy Haugen at kennedyh@fbsynod.org.

News, Stories, and More...

Region 9 Racial Justice Boundaries Education

Region 9 Racial Justice Boundaries Education, third and final opportunity coming up November 16, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you have not registered, you may still do so at:

tinyurl.com/region89boundaries2021

The deadline to register for this opportunity is November 8, 2021.

2022 Boundaries Education Opportunities

Upcoming Region 9 Boundaries Education opportunities: 2022 - Gender Justice; 2023 - Basic Boundaries. All FREE and easily accessible via ZOOM. If you have not participated in Basic Boundaries education in the past three years, we continue to support the basic Boundaries Education opportunity through Faith Trust institute: lewisonlinelearning.org.

Spreading Love at Orlando's PRIDE Weekend

October 9th was PRIDE weekend in Orlando: Come Out with Pride. This event is one of the biggest PRIDE events in the country and one of the largest single day events for Orlando. St. John Lutheran in Winter Park took part in the events of the day, and in supporting our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community. St. John set up a booth and spent the day handing out water to those attending the event. This day opened the door for conversation between the Christian and LGBTQ+ community, and allowed for St. John to spread love over their community. The event was organized by Steve Beumer, Synod Parish Deacon, who coordinates community outreach for St. John.

Apply Now for the Fund for Leaders Scholarship

The Fund for Leaders Scholarship Application for the 2022-2023 academic year is available on our website, www.flwelca.com. The deadline is midnight, December 15, 2021.

Applications should be submitted to Donna Person, SWO Secretary, 7418 Corkwood Circle, Tamarac, FL 33321 or electronically to dperson7@aol.com.

The scholarship will be awarded by the decision of the FL-BA SWO board at their January 2022 board meeting. For more information go to our webpage: Fund for Leaders | FL-BA Synodical Women's Organization (flwelca.com).

ONE VOICE: The Music of Barry Manilow

Lamb of God Church in Fort Meyers invites you to a special night of music:

Broadway National Touring (Fiddler on the Roof) and Recording Artist, MARK SANDERS, brings you a magical and heartfelt night with ONE VOICE: The Music of Barry Manilow. Mark honors this iconic music with his band singing Manilow hit after hit including "Mandy", "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana". Mark's powerful voice and dynamic stage presence will make you dance, cry and pretty much everything in between.

CLICK HERE for full details about the event.

News from the diakonia Program!

On November 20, 2021, the 17 diakonia graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2021 will celebrate the completion of their studies with a day of gathering, a ‘come ‘n see’ class, lunch, conversation with the Bishop and a graduation worship service at St John Lutheran Church in Winter Park….and YOU are invited to all the events of the day or just some of the parts. To join us, just shoot an email to micheleahilton@aol.com and let us know you are coming, how many with you and whether you will be joining us for lunch.

Especially invited is anyone who has wondered, thought, discerned, considered….that diakonia’s 2 year course of study is calling your name.

In 2022 we will be offering 3 options for diakonia study. We believe the options will accommodate each individuals needs.

In person classes
Self-study
On-line Zoom

Get the full scoop at the day of graduation celebration or contact Michele Hilton at micheleahilton@aol.com.

National ELCA News

Stories of Faith in Action

The publication Stories of Faith in Action and the resources that go along with it are designed to share how important your weekly offering in your congregation is in sustaining and growing God’s mission. The portion of your offerings that support the ELCA’s synodical and churchwide ministries is called Mission Support. The publication and resources found here help explain and answer questions about Mission Support and tell the story of those gifts in action.

CLICK HERE to access this resource on the ELCA website. For more Stories of Faith in Action, you can CLICK HERE.

Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA | fbsynod.com