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Coming Soon: Lutheran Schools Week 2024

From the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA): March 3-9, 2024 is Lutheran Schools Week! It's a time to join your ELCA schools in celebration of ministry through faith and education. This special week isn't just for our schools and early learning centers; it's also a chance for Lutheran communities to come together and celebrate the Holy Spirit's presence working throughout the many ministries of our wider church.

This year's theme is "On the Road," taken from Luke 24:13-35. We'll be exploring scripture verses that depict Jesus and other disciples on their travels. It's a wonderful opportunity to witness how God reveals God's self to us, no matter where our journey takes us.

Resources include:

• Bulletin insert and prayer (to be included in worship)
• Devotions for Adults
• Social media posts
• Daily Activities for the Classroom (Mon-Fri)
• Chapel services for Early Childhood and Elementary
• Focused Giving Document
• Posters and Coloring Sheets

We give thanks for the ELCA Lutheran Schools in Northeastern Ohio Synod: Faith Lutheran Preschool, Suburban Cooperative Nursery School, Emmanuel Lutheran Preschool, Strasburg First Lutheran Church Preschool, Bainbridge Christian Preschool, Panda Preschool, All Saints Preschool & Extended Care Program, Bethesda Child Care Center, Christ Lutheran Preschool & Good Kids Childcare, Bethel Preschool & Childcare, St. Paul Early Education Center, Messiah Lutheran School, Middleburg Early Education Center, Jerusalem Lutheran Preschool, Adventure Place, Children's Rainbow Cooperative Preschool, and Zion Christian Early Learning Center

ELCA Annual Congregation Reports Due March 1st!

Each year, every congregation, synod-authorized worshiping community (SAWC) and new start is asked to provide information about its people, finances, and resources through the Annual Congregation Report. This provides the churchwide organization and synods with a record of the congregations and worshiping communities that make up the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As of today, only 17% of congregations in the Northeastern Ohio Synod have completed the report.

In mid-January 2024, all ELCA congregations, SAWCs and new starts received the 2023 Annual Congregation Report packet through the mail. For Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs) and important information, go to: https://www.elca.org/About/Congregations/Annual-Congregation-Report. For additional questions, contact Rebekah in your Northeastern Ohio Synod office: rwissler@neos-elca.org.

This Lenten season the ELCA is encouraging congregations and individuals to educate themselves on the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW).

May 5 is MMIW Awareness Day. We encourage you to learn about MMIW during Lent, 2024, and then join others in commemorating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Day on May 5.

This new resource guide provides an extensive list of resources that you and your community can use throughout Lent and beyond.

Are you curious how the Spirit is calling your congregation to root young people in a lifelong, transformative faith in Jesus Christ? Are you looking for tools and a collaborative community to explore new youth ministry frameworks? Join the Formation Co-Op to enter a two-year listening and learning process in a collaborative community, from which you will design new frameworks for ministry in your context! Applications Deadline: April 15, 2024

The Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC) has designed a survey to be shared throughout the ELCA.

There are questions that apply to churchwide, synods and congregations. Participation is voluntary.

Please complete the survey by March 15.

Faithful Conversations about The 1619 Project

Faithful Conversations About the 1619 Project is an inspired series launched by the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, offering a collaborative and exploratory space for individuals to engage with the pivotal themes of The 1619 Project through the lens of interfaith dialogue and reflection.

In the wake of legislation limiting discussions of systemic racism in Iowa's schools, a steadfast group of clergy, including Southeastern Iowa Synod's Director of Evangelical Mission, Erika Uthe, is bringing education directly to the pews. This initiative transforms religious spaces into arenas of learning for The 1619 Project—especially where traditional classrooms fall silent because of the 2021 state law. The project’s exploration of America’s legacy of slavery finds a new home, emphasizing that if schools are restricted, churches will rise to the occasion.

This study series fosters an environment where history and spirituality intermingle, encouraging communities of faith to grapple with the uncomfortable truths of America's heritage of slavery and systemic racism. These discussions provide a unique space that transcends legislative boundaries, nurturing a collective understanding, and a renewed commitment to social justice. The engagement of religious leaders and communities in this conversation underscores a profound dedication to exploring the intersection of ethical teachings and historical truths. The clergy’s support of educational freedom reflects the enduring spirit of faith-led activism—a commitment to illuminate all facets of history, to honor the lived experiences of Black Americans, and to empower congregations toward advocacy and change.

The Hunger Team Affinity Group meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 6:00pm via Zoom. 

The next meeting will be Thursday, February 22, 2024.

There will be no meeting in March due to Holy Week. 

For more information and for the Zoom meeting link, contact Pastor Leonard Killings, Hunger Team Lead:  hunger@neos-elca.org 

On Saturday Feb. 24th at 10-11:30 am CST, Sumud (formally Peace Not Walls) with ELCA Witness in Society presents Sumud Series: Updates From the Ground and Advocacy Efforts. This will be the first of a three-part webinar series and will offer an opportunity to get an update from the Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Rev. Gabi Aelabouni, and Rev. Dr. Meghan Aelabouni from the ground, along with learning what are some next steps to take to raise awareness, build advocacy, and accompany justice in Palestine and Israel.

The other two webinars in the series will be:

Saturday March 6th 10am-11:30 am CST

Saturday April 13th 10am-11:30 am CST

The Christian Education Network of the ELCA and the Association of Partners in Christian Education invite you to a night of conversation, information and questions as we prayerfully consider a merger of the two organizations. There are two conversation/information sessions via Zoom on February 22 at 4:00pm and February 29 at 7:00pm

To register, email CenCoordinator@faithfulteaching.org.

Bishop Barbins, along with bishops from every region of the ELCA, visited the US/Mexico Border January 27 - February 1, 2024. While there, they met with people with a diverse set of perspectives around the immigration crisis. 

All are welcome as Bishop Barbins shares pictures, experiences, and impressions from her time at the border. Learn how your congregation could become a sponsoring congregation for those legally seeking asylum. 

Join us on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at either 12:00pm or 7:00pm on Zoom. The following link will work for both sessions.

Prayers for Healing

Prayer concerns will be removed after four weeks unless otherwise requested.

Consent is required for all submissions. Thank you.

These pages are updated every week with new trainings, events,

opportunities, and more! Be sure to check them out.