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Rick Godby, synod communications assistant and Webmaster, is recovering at home from surgery on his vocal chords on August 30.
Peggy Boggs, wife of Pr. Gilmer Boggs, retired-China Grove, had back surgery August 30 in Iredell County.
Pr. Margarita Martinez, bishop of the Caribbean Synod, is hospitalized at a Chicago-area hospital where she is undergoing medical tests for an undisclosed condition. The Rev. Francisco L. Sosa has been appointed as acting bishop of the synod. Bishop Martinez was the ELCA representative to the NC Synod 2006 Synod Assembly.
Pray for NCCC church member bodies and their leaders
The Rev. George Reed, executive director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is asking you to join him throughout the year in prayers for the council's member bodies and their leaders.
That might be during your personal prayers. Or it might be included in corporate prayers in your congregation. Or it might be a notice in your church bulletin and/or newsletter. Perhaps a reminder on a church bulletin board. You will know best how to encourage others to join you in these prayers.
During September, join him in praying for the following:
Diocese of Western North Carolina, Episcopal Church
The Rt. Rev. G. Porter Taylor, Bishop
Presbytery of New Hope, Presbyterian Church (USA)
Ms. Barbara Campbell Davis, Executive Presbyter/Stated Clerk
Wake Forest Baptist Church, The Rev. Dr. Richard Groves, Pastor
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Congregation Leaders to be trained for Agapé+Kure Beach Ministries' "GO Camp, Building What the Church Needs" campaign
Agapé+Kure Beach Ministries officially kicked-off their "Go Camp! Building What the Church Needs" campaign at the NC Synod Assembly. To make the "Go Camp!" campaign a success, they need the ministry partnership of the 238 congregations of the North Carolina Synod and ask each congregation to designate a Congregation Leader. A series of Congregation Leader training sessions have been scheduled for September 2006. There will be twelve sessions held at various locations throughout the North Carolina Synod.
To RSVP for a training session or if your Congregation Council has not had a "Go Camp!" presentation, please contact Kris Dohrmann, campaign coordinator, Agapé+Kure Beach Ministries, (919)552-9421.
Saturday, September 9, 9:00-11:00 am˜Camp Agapé, Fuquay-Varina
Free hot breakfast served at 8:30 am. Free lodging available Friday, September 8.
Sunday, September 10, 3:00-5:00 pm˜NC Synod Office, Salisbury
Thursday, September 14, Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm˜First Lutheran Church, Greensboro
Saturday, September 16, 9:00-11:00 am˜Kure Beach Lutheran Center, Kure Beach
Free hot breakfast served at 8:30 am. Free lodging available Friday, September 15
Sunday, September 17, 3:00-5:00 pm˜Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Raleigh
Monday, September 18, 6:30-8:30 pm˜Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Gastonia
Thursday, September 21, 6:30-8:30 pm˜Beck's Lutheran Church, Lexington
Saturday, September 23, 9:00-11:00 am˜Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Goldsboro
Sunday, September 24, 3:00-5:00 pm˜Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Southern Pines
Thursday, September 28, 6:30-8:30 pm˜St. Andrew‚s Lutheran Church, Hickory
Saturday, September 30, 9:00-11:00 am˜Calvary Lutheran Church, Concord
Saturday, September 30, 9:00-11:00 am˜Lutheran Church of the Nativity, Arden
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Clemmer to preach at Grace-Hendersonville's 90th Anniversary services
The Rev. Greg Williams, Senior Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Hendersonville, has announced that the Rev. Palmer D. Clemmer, former Senior Pastor of Grace from 1993 to 2002 will be the guest preacher at Grace’s 90th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, September 10. A traditional service at 9:00 a.m. and a contemporary service at 11:15 a.m. will celebrate this milestone in the church’s history. The Rev. Greg Williams will officiate and the Rev. Ken Langsdorf will assist in these celebration services.
Pr. Clemmer is currently pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Charleston, S.C., where he has served since 2002. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C.
Other weekend events for the 90th Anniversary include an old-fashioned church picnic for current and former members of Grace Lutheran on Saturday, September 9, on the campgrounds of Lutheridge Conference Center in Arden, N.C. And on Sunday afternoon, September 10 at 4:00 p.m., Grace will host a dedication recital for the new Rodgers Organ with the Adult Choir, the Pyramid Brass, and piano-organ duo.
For additional information contact Greg Munson, PR Chairperson.
The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church
October 18-20, 2006
Simpsonwood Conference Center, Norcross, GA
Led by Diana Bass
Based on the book of the same name, this workshop is geared toward mainline Protestant church leaders—both lay and ordained. In these events, you will explore the changes that have had an impact on mainline churches and the ways in which vital congregations are responding to cultural change as a way of renewal. Within the larger topic, look at the need for structural and spiritual change, issues of tradition (the definitions and uses of tradition in congregations), the practices that make for congregational renewal, and the larger setting of cultural, political, and social justice commitments in mainline congregations.
For additional information, contact Tiffani Belk of Alban Institute at 800-486-1318, ext. 247.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference on Pastoral Care of the Congregation by Lay People scheduled in October
The 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference on Pastoral Care of the Congregation by Lay People will be held on Saturday, October 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C. This conference is designed to help churches connect and learn from each other and also to be encouraged and strengthened by one another. Deadline is September 29. For more information, contact Marianne Wiegman, 704-876-4988 or visit their Web site: www.laypastors.com . To download the brochure, CLICK HERE.
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Register now for the 2006 NC Synod Fall Convocation:
For All Pastors and Professional Leaders in Our Congregations
"Balancing Act: Polarities of Life and Ministry"
Dates: September 25 - 27, 2006
at Lutheridge Conference Center, Arden, NC.
Begins Monday and ends Wednesday with lunch.
Roy M. Oswald, of The Alban Institute, author, seminar leader, senior consultant, will be the keynote presenter. The Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop, New Jersey Synod-ELCA, will be a special guest.
To learn more and download the brochure and registration form, CLICK HERE.
Aquinas/Luther Conference to be held October 20
Aquinas and Luther on Spirituality, Holiness, and the Saints
The thirteenth Aquinas/Luther Conference is slated for October 20. The highlight of each year, these unique explorations of Aquinas and Luther provide a forum for growth in understanding Christianity. Over sixty internationally distinguished scholars have served as leaders, and people of widely varying educational backgrounds and vocations regularly attend and demonstrate interest. (Over 200 people attended last November, with 70 registering for the entire Conference!) This fall’s event--October 20, 2006, again a one-day conference--addresses a key topic in today’s churches and religious life:
After two years of examining topics of considerable controversy in the church--“Aquinas and Luther on Marriage and Sex” (2004) and “The Authority of Scripture, Hermeneutic, and Magisterium” (2005)--the subject matter turns to inner spiritual life and expression.
The conference day (October 20) is Friday only. This schedule makes the conference especially congenial for pastors and laity who live within driving distance.
The conference is co-hosted by four Hickory parishes that have constituted the Roman Catholic/ Lutheran covenant conversation in Hickory: St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church, and the Lutheran parishes of Holy Trinity, Mt. Olive, and St. Andrews.
You can register for the conference by e-mailing Beverly Hefner or calling 828-328-7376. You can also download the brochure from the synod Web site. There is no cost for participants this year. On-site registration begins on Friday morning (20th) at 8:30, in the foyer of the Belk Centrum on campus. Morning prayer (Matins) begins at 9:00.
Publication of 2005 Aquinas/Luther Papers. The proceedings (papers) from the 2005 Conference, "Aquinas and Luther on the Authority of Scripture, Hermeneutic and Magisterium," are printed in the current (Pentecost 2006) issue of Lutheran Forum. Copies will be available at the October 20, 2006 conference.
The Center for Theology at Lenoir-Rhyne College offers Monthly Colloquia On the first Thursday of the month (unless college schedule alters, as with January 11, which is a second Thursday; or the church’s calendar intrudes, as in April, re. Maundy Thursday), an ecumenical group gathers in the Bears’ Lair of the Cromer Center at 4:00 p.m. Discussion centers around papers mailed in the week prior for reading and examination.
The first such Colloquium is scheduled for September 7th. Dates for the colloquia, in addition to September, are: October 5, November 2, and December 7, 2006; and January 11, February 1, March 1, and April 12 (first Thursday in April is Maundy Thursday), 2007. To receive the monthly papers in advance of the meetings, simply let them know you’d like papers mailed to you. If you have an e-mail address, please share it with them. Each session meets from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., in the Bears’ Lair. Contact Beverly Hefner or calling 828-328-7376.
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Message from Thrivent Builds
Thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged beyond repair. In a disaster like this, families who were hanging on by a thread before the hurricane will sadly suffer the most in its aftermath. They have lost so much, but we can help them piece their lives back together through Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. We need your help recruiting team leaders who would like to participate in the Thrivent Builds Worldwide program to help rebuild the Gulf
September 20 — Thrivent Builds Worldwide Gulf Coast Team Leader Training in Louisiana
Who should attend? — Anyone who is interested in leading a Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip to the Gulf Coast.
What will I learn?
* Planning, recruiting, budgeting and managing team dynamics for your work teams. We employ a participatory roundtable forum to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information.
* When and where is the training and how much is it?
* The training is scheduled for Sept. 20 at Christ the King Lutheran in Kenner, Louisiana.
* The cost to participate is $50, which includes materials and lunch. Thrivent Financial will pay 50 percent of the cost if you recruit another potential leader.
By when and how do I need to register? — Please register by Friday, Sept. 8. To register, contact Sheila Crowley at sheila.crowley@thrivent.com.
Help with relief in Lebanon
The Contact and Resource Center in Lebanon, an agency that works among the disabled people of Lebanon and a former grant recipient of Wheat Ridge Ministries, is working with the ELCA Division for Global Mission to make emergency relief available to victims of the war in the Middle East. Emergency aid will include: food, drinking water, medical needs, mattresses, blankets, clothing, and other needed supplies. If you would like to assist or learn more about the relief support, please CLICK HERE.
International Day of Prayer for Peace
ELCA congregations will join people of faith around the world on September 21 in prayer, "an essential part of Christian worship and, indeed, of human existence," according to World Council of Churches general secretary, the Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Resources for use in worship on Sundays, September 17 and 24, include a poster, brochure, a song with sheet music, and "Midday Prayers of Lamentation for the Situation in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel."
Strengthening Unity, Celebrating Diversity
The ELCA joins 139 other member churches in 78 countries to celebrate Lutheran World Federation Sunday October 1. The LWF, a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition, has a total membership of 66.2 million. Resources to help congregations celebrate this rich diversity include an overview, "facts and figures" and a bulletin insert.
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NC Supplement in "The Lutheran" magazine
The NC Synod supplement appears in the September issue of "The Lutheran" magazine. It can also be read online at
Commemorating September 11
Click Here for a pastoral letter from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson commemorating September 11. Please share this letter with your congregation.
The ELCA churchwide office has also provided worship and prayer resources to commemorate Sept. 11, posted online.
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ONE YEAR LATER
August 29, 2006
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Bells tolled in New Orleans this morning, marking the moment one year ago when New Orleans' levees buckled and unleashed a torrent of water that ripped homes from their foundations and sent the city into an uncertain future. The horrific images of human suffering and the overwhelming destruction along the Gulf Coast remain with us a year later.
In the days following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I watched our Lutheran Disaster Response network respond with compassion and grace, offering help and hope to survivors as well as to their caregivers. The scale and scope of this disaster challenged even the most experienced of disaster responders. Circumstances drove our response in ways not foreseen. We made mistakes along the way, but through our mistakes we learned about ourselves and what we are capable of in the future. Tens of thousands have been helped while thousands more are waiting for assistance. We will continue to accompany those still in need * this is what long-term recovery is all about.
Our national network demonstrated an amazing agility. Twenty of our LDR affiliates responded to the call to assist survivors as they were displaced to cities and towns unfamiliar to them. Many persons responded by reaching out to their new neighbors in need, and we all became witnesses to a foot-washing on a scale never seen before.
Volunteers are essential in our response work. College students, retirees, skilled laborers, medical personnel, retired military and many who have never volunteered before have traveled to the Gulf Coast. Survivors share with me regularly, "I had no idea that someone I don‚t know would travel hundreds of miles just to help me. I am hopeful that we will make it through this!"
Case management is also a crucial component of our response work. Our affiliates are well-trained in offering a case management program where survivors decide what they need rather than having to follow a set of rules in order to receive services. Our case managers are advocates * assisting individuals and families in identifying their needs and helping them to navigate paperwork and various systems.
LDR is privileged to be one of nine national organizations participating in the Katrina Aid Today (KAT) program, a case management consortium administered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Our 158 KAT case manager‚s help survivors wade through the system and avail themselves of federal and local resources. Trained on the FEMA sequence of delivery, case mangers assess if all available federal dollars have been granted and present additional options in assisting survivors to achieve their goals.
As our response work continues, a main priority is to coordinate a legislative effort to keep the needs and concerns of the poor and vulnerable in the forefront of our legislators and our society. People around the world experience disasters daily, both natural and human-caused. Today as we remember our continued work and commitment to the recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast, let us also remember the rest of humanity impacted by tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria.
My thanks to the thousands of donors who make our response possible and allow us to maintain a Lutheran presence on the Gulf Coast. In addition, I want to thank the thousands of volunteers who have traveled to the Gulf Coast, bringing help and hope to those communities as they rebuild their lives. Hope is being re-birthed and healing is taking place. These are the signs of God‚s blessings in every day recovery.
Thanks be to God for all of you!
Heather L. Feltman
Executive Director, Lutheran Disaster Response
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
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Akaloo engages the whole congregation in life-long faith formation: children, youth, and adults. Akaloo is intentional discipleship that's open to God's surprises. Akaloo is following Jesus as body of Christ.
Visit Akaloo <http://redir.targetx.com/cgi-bin/email/redir.cgi?id=0000331693-50974984> today to try the demo and learn more. Save 50% off an Intro Membership when you purchase all three Akaloo Modules (Children, Youth, Adults).
This limited time offer expires this Thursday, August 31, 2006.
If you have questions about Akaloo, please contact Pebbles Cloninger at the Augsburg Fortress Store at Hood Seminary 704-642-0557, cloningr@augsburgfortress.org or Catherine Fink at the Heilig Resource Center 704-633-4861 x121, cfink@nclutheran.org.
Worship resources supporting public education
For free worship resources for September 24, on the topic of "Whoever Welcomes One Such Child"/Public Education, CLICK HERE and HERE. The focus text is Mark 9:30-37.
Resources include scripture commentary and pastoral reflection by Rev. Molly Shivers, Pastor, Clover Garden United Methodist Church, Chapel Hill, responsive readings, prayers, personal stories, suggested hymns, key facts, and contact information for a variety of organizations working on the issue of public education.
These resources are from Acts of Faith: Resources For Prophetic Worship, a lectionary-based worship aid produced by the North Carolina Council of Churches and speaking to justice issues in our state.
Resources for select Sundays during 2006 are now available online as a free pdf download or can be purchased in print for a cost of $10. For ordering information, see the Council Web site .
Are you searching for adult Sunday school material?
Consider using one of the many video series available from the Heilig Resource Center. Check out the list in the blue box on the resource center Web page. Did you know that list is just a drop in the bucket!
Please contact Catherine Fink cfink@nclutheran.org 704-633-4861 or 800-560-7292 to reserve a study for your class.
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Capitalize references to the Church Council, Synod Council or Congregation Council, but lowercase "council" when used alone. Be sure the referent of the word "council" is clear in the context.
Example:
Our congregation will elect new members to the Congregation Council on Sunday. Members of the council are will count the votes?
For ELCA grammar standards see ELCAPublishingStandards
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FULL LENGTH STORIES
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Copyright
2006 NC Lutheran Synod
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