Two weeks from today, an important part of a process, which was started before I began serving as bishop, will come to fruition. During the development of the Synod Profile in 2007 and 2008, a number of themes began to emerge about how people related to "the Synod." The primary theme seemed to be that of feeling disconnected, not only from the Office of the Bishop, but also from one another. It was important that we find a way to address this conce

To that end, a Transition Team has been working to locate the Office of the Bishop in three locales that we believe will better support the wide variety of ministries in our synod. This team has worked under the leadership of Bishop's Associate Pr. Nancy F. Nelson, along with the very capable help of two amazing volunteers, Jack Pease (Holy Shepherd, Orinda) and Art Fabsits (Resurrection, Granite Bay). Their work, and the work of many others, has brought us to a new and exciting juncture for our ministry.

On June 24th, the Synod Office in Oakland will be emptied of its contents, which will then be moved to Sacramento, to San Francisco, and to Fresno. From these new locations, the ministry of the Sierra Pacific Synod will be offered in a manner that reflects a new approach to our shared ministry. Representing the Office of the Bishop for the whole synod, deployed staff persons will work to serve the congregations, leaders, rostered leaders and other ministries in northern California and northern Nevada.

We hope this will enhance our ability to connect and work with local ministries and that they will benefit from having synod staff and resources closer at hand. We also believe it will help synod staff to be more vitally connected to, aware of and affected by the wide variety of ministries we serve. Here is a brief sketch of how the synod's ministry will "look:"

The Office of the Bishop -Sacramento

Opening June 28, 2010, temporarily located at Calvary Lutheran Church

515 L Street, Rio Linda, CA 95673

The Rev. Mark W. Holmerud,

Bishop

Laureen Sullivan,

Director of Synod Operations

Karen Idler,

Executive Assistant

An as yet to be called

Assistant to the Bishop

An as yet to be hired

part-time bookkeeper

The Office of the Bishop - Bay Area

(facility being remodeled - open later this summer) located at the

Urban Life Center

St. Mark's Lutheran Church

An as yet to be called

Assistant to the Bishop

An as yet to be hired

part-time support staff person

The Office of the Bishop - Fresno

(facility being remodeled - open later this summer) located at the

Lutheran Campus Ministry

Fresno State University

2311 E. Shaw, Fresno, CA 93710

The Rev. James Goldsmith,

Director for Mission Support and

Assistant to the Bishop

An as yet to be hired

part-time support staff person

A new phone system, will allow you to continue to use the Synod's

510-430-0500 and 800-275-3522 phone numbers to reach synod staff or leave messages for us.

The mailing address for Synod mail, effective June 25, 2010, is:

P.O. Box 276648

Sacramento, CA 95827-6648

Mail intended for specific staff persons may be sent to their primary office or to the above address.

With changes in office locations also comes some staffing changes. We took time at the Synod Assembly to thank and acknowledge the service of Administrative Assistants Barbara Nelson and Kanika Brown, and to lift up and give thanks for the 19 years of service Mary Brown has offered the Synod as Bookkeeper. We pray God's blessings on all of them as we bid farewell and Godspeed to these trusted servants of Christ who have made a difference in our life together. Notes and cards expressing your thanks for their work among us would be appreciated, I am sure.

More information will be coming in a letter that will be sent to all the congregations and ministry partners of our synod in the next week. Please keep the synod staff, and all those who will be involved with the upcoming move, in your prayers. For now, I pray that as we live into this new hope of being "synod" - a word which literally means "a way together" - we will discover blessings in the midst of challenges, new opportunities through the changes that are coming, and Jesus, fully in our midst as we seek to be the love, forgiveness, healing, and hope of Christ for the world.

God's Peace,

Bp. Mark