E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter | August 8, 2023 | |
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Vision to Action
Interest in V2A continues to grow as the August 15 deadline for submitting a Project Idea Form draws near. It is likely that grant requests will exceed the $600K total allotted for 2023--meaning that not all applications submitted will be awarded funding in this grant season. It will be a competitive process.
The Grant Team will be looking for projects that:
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are innovative—introducing new ways of being church in their community
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align with the goals of V2A
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form new faith communities that help to grow the Lutheran witness in Florida.
V2A wants applicants to demonstrate how through their project, others are invited into a relationship with Christ. V2A is about creating new communities of faith. Sharing Christ through our actions is vital, yet also vital is telling the story of Jesus and his love in ways that are relevant to our rapidly changing cultural landscape.
Watch the videos and read the information on www.v2agrants.org; ask questions through the website; submit your ideas. Discover new ways to share the gospel to a world that desperately needs to hear it.
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Installations & Ordinations
Kerri True will be ordained and installed as associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bradenton on August 12 at 11 a.m.
Macy Kennedy will be ordained as a Minister of Word & Service at Messiah, Cape Coral on September 24 at 3 p.m. Bishop Suarez will preside.
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Rostered Leaders Retreat: “Come to the Well"
Rostered leaders are invited to a three-day retreat where you can experience healing, reconnect with others, and learn new spiritual practices that will renew your soul. This gift is made possible through a generous grant from the Lutheran Disaster Relief-US to the Florida-Bahamas Synod.
The retreat will take place September 11 – 13, 2023 in Clearwater Beach, Florida at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort and is presented by Living RED. The cost of all activities, meals, a single room, and optional healing modalities are covered. You only need to cover your transportation to the event. While most sessions and activities will be at the resort, there will be a special group dinner at the Columbia Restaurant and an evening of Taizé Worship and fellowship at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Clearwater.
Learn more and register.
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Weekly Prayer
Glorious God, your generosity waters the world with goodness, and you cover creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for the food that satisfies both body and spirit, and with this food fill all the starving world; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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Registration Now Open for Conference on Ministry
Don't miss the COM Special Activities!
Calling all rostered ministers of the Florida-Bahamas Synod! Join us at the 2023 Conference on Ministry, where we are thrilled to welcome an exceptional speaker: the Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger. As the founder of AE Sloan Leadership and the Senior Fellow and Congregational Strategist at Fuller Seminary's De Pree Center for Leadership, Dr. Bolsinger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
Renowned for his expertise in leading change, Dr. Bolsinger has taught doctoral students on this very topic. His insights have been captured in his award-winning and best-selling leadership books, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory and Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change.
At our conference, Dr. Bolsinger will guide us in exploring a different form of leadership required when venturing "off the map" into a disrupted world. As old best practices no longer suffice, we must equip ourselves with the tools and mindset to navigate uncharted territory.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from a distinguished leader in ministry. Together, let's embrace the challenges of a changing world and discover new paths to effective leadership.
| Elevate your conference experience beyond the sessions and workshops – sign up now for the Golf Outing and Luther Springs field trip, where you'll strike the perfect balance between professional growth and personal rejuvenation! |
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Leadership and Coaching Opportunities
Here are two exciting continuing education opportunities for rostered ministers: Stepping Up to Supervision and Already Enough: Unlocking Your Power as a Woman in Ministry.
Stepping Up to Supervision - Starting August 15
Stepping Up to Supervision equips you for the everyday and long-term challenges that come with leading a faith community. Discover how to harness the skills of agile leadership and management to respond to a changing cultural landscape. You’ll gain practical skills and tools for supervising the work of others and for keeping that work aligned with the overall goals of the wider community. Learn more and register.
Already Enough: Unlocking Your Power as a Woman in Ministry - Starting Sept. 5
Feel like you've got way too much going on but you're not doing enough? Tired of having your authority questioned in subtle (and not so subtle) ways in ministry? Join this series to rest in the assurance that you are already enough and to unlock your power as a woman in ministry. This four-part series will feature Dr. Crystal Hall teaching strategies for successful ministry and coaching participants through current struggles. Participants will walk away with biblical insights and practical coaching tools around authority, boundaries, and burnout and will be equipped to engage the all too familiar objection to gender justice, "But the Bible says..." To register, click here.
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Loan Forgiveness Workshop
Do you have outstanding educational loans serviced through the Federal government? You may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program through which a portion of your debt can be forgiven. Kim Miller, a Certified Financial Counselor with Lutheran Social Services MN, will lead a workshop via Zoom on Tuesday, August 22, at 11 a.m., on this significant avenue to end educational indebtedness. Kim will provide answers to: How do I know if I qualify for PSLF?, What tools and resources are available?, and What are my payment plan options? Spread the word to rostered ministers you know who would benefit from this workshop: all are invited.
Register here to receive the link.
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Making Disciples, September 28-October 1 at Luther Springs
The time to register is now! Join other adults from our synod who work with children and youth in faith formation. Come to rest, re-energize, and reconnect with God and your call to go and make disciples! Lyle Griner is our guest for the weekend. He will lead an intensive course on equipping our young people to go an make disciples! You don't want to miss it! https://luthersprings.org/fall_spring_programs/making-disciples/
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Lutheran Men in Mission Ambassador-Gram
The latest Lutheran Men in Mission Ambassador-Gram is now available for view. Click here to see current news from LMIM including upcoming events and virtual opportunities for study and worship.
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Photo of the Week: Good Shepherd, Tampa | |
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Disciples at Good Shepherd in Tampa recently collected personal hygiene items and packaged them into individual kits for distribution at the Faith Café - an outreach ministry feeding and clothing the hungry and homeless in South Tampa. Good Shepherd disciples volunteer to serve there each week.
To feature your church in E-Spirit, email a photo and caption to comms@fbsynod.org.
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Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Myers Seeks Music Director
The Director of Music works with pastoral staff, volunteer musicians, and ensembles to develop high quality music for worship at Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church (GTLC). The Director of Music must possess interpersonal skills that facilitate rehearsals and worship for each of the music programs in association with staff and other music facilitators and volunteers. Read full description here.
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Part-time Communications Position Open at Prince of Peace, Largo
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Largo, FL is seeking a part-time communications specialist who will assemble bulletins week, newsletters monthly and design other documents with contemporary imagery on an as needed basis for a variety of ministries. The position would require 8 to 12 hours per week—more hours during busier seasons of the Church Year. Working onsite is not necessary. Compensation negotiable. Please send resumes to employment@poplargo.org.
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Joy in Ocala has an immediate opening for a Choir Director
The Choir Director will work with the pastor and the organist, preparing and rehearsing the choir for all worship services of this congregation, which include Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, and any other special services, programs, and cantatas.
The Choir Director must become familiar with all liturgical settings in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), With One Voice (WOV), and All Creation Sings (ACS).
The choir is in recess from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Compensation depends on the candidate's experience and roster status.
Interested individuals may inquire with:
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The ELCA Wants to Hear Your Opinion!
Throughout the next couple of months, the ELCA is asking for your help. We are looking for your thoughts and ideas on how we are called to be a church in today’s world. Please visit our website on Future Church: God’s Love Made Real – https://lovemadereal.elca.org – where you can watch a video from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton that explains more about this action and complete a survey to share your views of the church and the world today. In the coming weeks we will offer listening sessions where you can participate in online opportunities to provide your thoughts on God’s call for the church.
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Apply to Serve as a Volunteer for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering
The Gathering could not happen without the love and support of our volunteers. Our volunteer applications are now open! This cycle, we have five different volunteer opportunities for which you can apply. For a detailed list of responsibilities and deadlines, or to apply, visit our website.
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September 23: - diakonia graduation/retreat and conversation with the Bishop, Hope Lutheran Church, the Villages - Retreat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Graduation & Worship 4 p.m.
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October 16-18: Conference on Ministry featuring keynote speaker Tod Bolsinger. Warren Willis Camp & Conference Center, Fruitland Park
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November 10-12: Save the date! Florida-Bahamas Women of the ELCA Fall Gathering
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