|
|
|
The
Sierra Pacific Synod
Weekly
E-Newsletter
|
|
|
|
|
Sierra Pacific Synod,
ELCA February
24, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last week I heard ELCA Presiding
Bishop Mark Hanson review some of the back-ground for the updated
structure of the churchwide organization of the ELCA. I was
reminded that one of the two guiding priorities of the structural changes
is this: "Accompanying congregations as growing centers
for evangelical mission." Why? "Because strong and
vibrant congregations are central to the capacity of this church to fully
participate in God's mission..." (To read the "Design
Proposal for the Churchwide Organization - Rationale and Narrative,"
click here.)
There
are several words or phrases that catch my attention in that
priority: "accompanying" - "growing" -
"centers" - "evangelical mission."
"Accompanying"
tells me that the church-wide organization, and the Sierra Pacific Synod,
are partners with, and resources for, our congregations. However,
it is in the local congregation where 'the rubber hits the road' - where
God's people engage their communities and contexts with the Good News,
through proclamation and service.
"Growing"
speaks to me of increasing ability to live into the mission to which God
is calling each and every congregation. That may include growth in
numbers, but it also includes growth in prayer, faithfulness, commitment,
knowledge, determination and other qualities.
"Centers"
brings to my mind the image of a pebble dropped into a pond, where the
ripples move out from the point of impact and 'stir up' the surrounding
area. Our congregations are not intended to be 'black holes' where
everything is drawn into the center, but the locus of an expanding sphere
of Gospel-centered influence.
"Evangelical
mission" prompts me to remember that it is not any mission, but
God's mission; not any mission, but one grounded in the Good News; not
any mission, but one that is bound up in telling, and retelling, and
telling again, the story of God's love in Jesus Christ.
Do
you see your congregation as a growing center for evangelical mission?
In what ways? How might the Sierra Pacific Synod and/or the ELCA
church-wide organization better accompany your congregation? I
would be interested in hearing from you; my email address is jgoldsmith@spselca.org.
God's
blessing and peace be upon you!
Pr.
Jim Goldsmith, Assistant to the Bishop
|
Pastor Dawn
Teuthorn's (Coastside, Half Moon Bay) son, Luke, for
a full recovery from a head
trauma accident
Pastor
Norman Pfotenhauer (retired) and wife, Dorothy, as he is
hospitalized
Thanksgiving
for improvement for Pastor Lynn Freele (retired), recovering from a subarachnoid hemorrhage
We invite you to lift up these ministry partners in
prayer:
Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, Rohnert
Park; St. James Lutheran Church, Redding; Trinity Lutheran
Church, Pleasanton; Peace Lutheran Church, San Bruno; Faith Lutheran
Church, Murphys
|
|
Sierra
Pacific Synod Assembly
May
13-15, 2011
Hyatt
Regency, Burlingame
Start planning now for the 2011 Synod Assembly - "Lord,
When Did We?" (Matthew 25:31-46). A
couple of dates to keep in mind:
- Deadline for reports to be
printed in the Handbook is March 1st.
- Deadline for submitting
Resolutions is March 13th.
Registration materials will be arriving in the mail
within a couple of weeks and online registration will be available March
15th. Please plan to register early!
Pat Cash
Synod Council Secretary
|
|
CONGREGATIONS
IN TRANSITION
Key:
(1) New vacancy
(2) Interim pastor placed
(3) Forming a call committee
(4) Developing profile
(5) Preparing slate of candidates
(6) Interviewing
(7) Calling
Congregation
Interim Pastor
Alameda, Immanuel (4)
Bruce Johnson
Berkeley, Shepherd of the Hills (4)
Mary
Rowe
Carmichael, Gethsemane
(5) Stan Niemi
Cupertino, Bethel (Assoc.) (7)
Lori
Eickmann
Easton, Immanuel
(1) Pulpit
Supply
Elko, Faith
(3)
Eric Dale
Fernley, Gift of Grace (1)
Foresthill, New Hope
(3) Russ Paulson
Hilmar, Berea
(4)
Bob Linscheid
Lincoln, Grace
(4) Mary Adelsberger
Los Gatos, Faith
(3) David
Bowman
Madera Ranchos, Central Valley
Lutheran Ministry
(2) Frank Starkey
Merced, Shepherd of the Valley (4)
Jodi
Golden-Lund
Novato, All Saints
(4)
Ray Wade
Novato, Good Shepherd (3) Marcus Hess
Oakland, Bethlehem (5)
Richard Rubio-Bowley
Orland, First (3)
Petaluma, Elim (Assoc.) (7)
Quincy, Our Savior (1)
Redwood City, Messiah (1)
Rio Linda, Calvary
(5) Todd Eckblad
Sacramento, St. Paul's (4) Pulpit
Supply
Salinas, Good Shepherd (5)
Bill Embree
San Carlos, Holy Trinity (7)
LaVinnia Pierson
San Francisco, Sts. Mary and Martha (4)
Pulpit
Supply
Stockton, Zion (1)
Woodland, American
(3) Dick Smith
|
|
Two
Annual Reports Are Now Past Due!
Rostered Leader Reports to the
Bishop are available at the ELCA website. Go to www.elca.org
and type in "Rostered Leaders Report 2010" in the
search bar or click here. Please
note that there are different reports for pastors, retired pastors and
lay professionals. Bp. Mark looks forward to receiving your
reports, reads each one, and will respond personally to each one he
receives. He prefers to receive them online, but is happy to
receive them through the mail if that is more convenient for you.
It is
also time for Annual Congregational Reports to be prepared and
submitted. Congregations are urged to submit Forms A and C as soon
as possible. Each congregation should have received a packet of
information and instructions for filling out these reports. The
online link to these reports may also be found at
www.elca.org; type "Parochial Reports 2010"
in the search bar to access the required forms, or click here. Should
you need assistance, please phone Karen Idler in the Office of the
Bishop, Sacramento, at 916-756-1665, or email her.
Thank
you for your ongoing work in doing God's work with our hands.
|
|
'Book of Faith' Conversation
Join us to engage in four
methods of Bible study, experience 'Book of Faith' resources,
and equip others for increasing fluency in the first language of
faith - the Bible! Each participant will receive a Lutheran
Study Bible (NRSV) for use during the conversation, and to keep. Cost
is Free! Donations toward lunch accepted ($5 suggested).
Click here to pre-register the name/participants of the
congregation (required). Deadline is March 8th. For more
information, email Diane McGeoch.
Hosted by:
Bethel Lutheran Church,
1200 Alamos Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95815 -
916-925-1492
Sponsored by the SPS Word and Sacrament Discipling
Team
|
|
|
|
SYNOD
CALENDAR
|
February
25-27 Elementary
Retreat #1, Mt. Cross
February 28 - March 1
Retired Clergy/Spouse/Lay
Rostered//Widows/Widowers
Retreat, San Damiano, Danville
March 3 Stewardship Conversation,
March 3-8 Conference of Bishops
March
11-13 Elementary
Retreat #2, Sly Park
March
12 Rwanda Connections
Committee Annual Mtg., 1-4 p.m.,
708 Lake Front Dr., Sacramento
March
14-15, Lenten Retreat
March 17 Assembly Planning
Committee, Office of the Bishop,
March 31 Stewardship Conversa-
tion, Resurrection, Granite Bay
April 1-2 Multicultural Ministry
April 7 Stewardship Conversation,
Cross and Crown, Rohnert Park
April 8-9 Candidacy Committee
April 12 Assembly Planning
Committee, Office of the Bishop,
May
12 Synod Council, Hyatt
Regency, Burlingame
May 12 Assembly Planning
Committee, Hyatt Regency,
May 13-15 Synod Assembly,
Hyatt Regency, Burlingame
June 2-4 Anti-Racism Training,
Mt. Cross
June 9 Council of Deans, Office
of the Bishop, Sacramento
June 24-25 Synod Council
July 1-5 Western States Youth
Gathering, California Lutheran
University, Thousand Oaks
Assembly, Orlando, FL
August 26-27 Candidacy Committee
September 23-24 Synod Council
September 29 - October 4
Conference of Bishops,
Lutheran Center, Chicago
October 11-13 Professional
Leaders' Conference, Asilomar
October 21-22 Candidacy Committee
November 4-6 Hunger Education
Retreat, Mt. Cross
2012
January 5-9 Bishops' Academy
January 18-19 Council of Deans
Retreat, Christ the King
Retreat
Center, Citrus Heights
March 1-6 Conference of Bishops
July 18-22 ELCA Youth Gathering,
New Orleans, LA
October 4-9 Conference of Bishops,
Lutheran Center, Chicago
2013
January 16-17 Council of Deans
Retreat, Christ the King
Retreat
Center, Citrus Heights
February 28 - March 5 Conference
of Bishops
October 3-8 Conference of Bishops,
Lutheran Center, Chicago
|
HAVE YOU TAKEN THE 2011 HEALTH
ASSESSMENT?
|
The
Re-Emerging Multicultural Church
Church leaders planning to trans-form the church into
a multicultural congregation need to do it with intentionality and total
dependence on God, building it according to God's blueprint, with God's
agenda in mind, not with our comfort in mind. People of other
cultures often are allowed to join the church with the expectation to
assimilate, or to blend in so differ-ences are minimized or
eliminated... whereas God's ways would be for the church to accommodate
or to give consideration to, or adapt to the needs, of those who are
different. Learn more and register here.
|
|
Western
States Youth Gathering
July
1-5 * CLU
Thousand
Oaks
Registration is now open for the
2011 Western States Youth Gathering. An early registra-tion
discount is available until March 15. For
more information go to the WSYG website; click
here to register.
|
|
There is still time for you to
sign up for Mt. Cross Day Camp! Click here for more
infor-mation or contact Mariel Spengler at 650-814-8395 or by email.
|
|
Lenten
Retreat Opportunity
The California Chapter of the
Society of the Holy Trinity will hold a Lenten Retreat on Mar. 14-15
at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. The
retreat will focus on ecclesiology and is structured around the praying
of the divine office. Cost for meals and lodging is $110, payable
at the retreat. Any Lutheran pastor is welcome; seminary students
are welcome as guests at no cost. For more information about the
Society, click here. To
register for the retreat, please email either Pr. Dick Johnson
or Pr.
Bruce Lundberg.
|
|
|
|
claimed . . . gathered . . . sent
The Sierra Pacific Synod
PO Box 276648, Sacramento, CA 95827-6648
916-756-1665 · 800-275-3522
|
|
|
|
