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The ancient words of John of Damascus have now been given new life by a modern-day musician, Robert Farlee, in "The Day of Resurrection" (All Creation Sings, hymn # 936):

"From death to life eternal, from sin's dominion free, our Christ has brought us over with hymns of victory."

All around us, we see death and devastation: war, sickness, poverty, gun violence, police brutality, and more.  We continue to see what is wrong with the world.

This Eastertide, let us see what is right in God.  Let us see hope for the hopeless.  Let us see God redeeming the brokenness of this world.  Let us sing hymns of victory in the face of the challenges we face every day.

May this Eastertide bring rays of hope and light in the darkness around us.

+ Easter Blessings, your Southeastern Synod Staff

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SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH US!!!

 Click here for more details...

Will you tell your story? 

We are inviting you to share a 3–5-minute video (on a cell phone is just fine) about YOUR story...

  • ...about how you feel called to share the Good News
  • ...about when you have done that effectively
  • ...or when someone has responded to you in a positive way
We will be sharing these stories at Synod Assembly.  Record and upload TODAY! 
 
(Submission deadline is May 1.)
 
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Walk the Labyrinth, sing, pray and worship together
God’s children are fleeing Ukraine, Latin America, Africa, Afghanistan, Haiti – and many other places.  They need our prayers and our Advocacy.  They need to know they are not alone.  Gather in Conferences, Communities, with Ecumenical groups and pray for our Global neighbors!
 
Let us know you are participating and the group with which you are participating.
 

Synod Assembly News

2022 Southeastern Synod Assembly - June 3-5, 2022

LAST DAY TO Register is May 10, 2022!!! 

WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ON-SITE REGISTRATIONS for this Synod Assembly, to allow us to follow COVID safety protocols.

Chattanooga Marriott Downtown
Group Rate of $159.00 USD per night
Last Date to Book: Tuesday, May 3, 2022(subject to availability)
 
Book your group rate for the Annual Southeastern Synod Assembly

 

NOMINATIONS NEEDED for Synod Council - to be elected at 2022 Synod Assembly

We have not received the response we are looking for in terms of the NUMBER of NOMINATIONS for each position.  Please share this with your congregations and invite them to consider serving the synod in this manner.

During the Assembly, we will be electing a Vice President of the Synod, as well as electing 2 At Large Positions to Synod Council.  We will also be electing a Young Adult Member on Synod Council.

 

Instructions for Submitting Memorials & Resolutions

Memorials and Resolutions are to be submitted by May 13, 2022, 5:00pm ET / 4:00pm CT!!! 

Resolutions and Memorial to be addressed by the 2022 Southeastern Synod Assembly must be submitted to the synod office by 5:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Central, on May 13, 2022, as determined by the Synod Constitution (S11.01.32.A12).

When submitting a resolution or memorial they must be written in the proper language found in Robert’s Rules of Order. 

 

Top News

 

Guatemala Sunday - May 1

Guatemala Sunday is an opportunity for congregations throughout our Synod to be involved in the partnership we share with ILAG (Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala). Congregations are invited to pray, learn, and connect. As we get closer to May 1st, resources will be released to help spark your congregation's imagination for how you might get your congregation involved on Guatemala Sunday and the partnership we share with ILAG.

 

 

"40 for Lent" Follow-Up

THANK YOU to the 91 folks who signed up to join us on the "40 for Lent" journey.   We pledged to walk 40 miles and donate $40.  The donations were directed towards the Disaster Ministry of the Southeastern Synod.

If you signed up by did not yet make your gift, please CLICK HERE to fulfill your $40 pledge.

3,640 miles.  $3,640.  Thank you!!!

 

 

April 2022 - Monthly Giving Focus - Campus Ministry

Starting in April 2022, we are providing a monthly giving focus for the synod.   April 2022 has been designated for Campus Ministry.  

Has Campus Ministry made a difference in your life or the life of a loved one?  Are you hopeful for how young adults are impacted by our campus ministries?  

Then consider giving today!

 

 

Evangelism - Storytelling Workshop # 3 - Conversations Leading to Relationships

Sunday, April 24 - 3pm ET / 2pm CT

In our Evangelism sessions we have discovered the way our story and God's story are connected and focused on the value of listening to the stories of others. In this third workshop, we will build on this understanding by exploring how to engage in authentic, diverse, and foundational conversations that invite long-term relationships with others.

 

2023 Domestic Hunger Grants

If your congregation is interested in applying for a Domestic Hunger grant, check out the registration information (opening on March 18th) and application information (opening on April 18th) from ELCA World Hunger.  Please contact the Southeastern Synod Hunger Chair (Cheryl Bopp, cherylbopp@hotmail.com) if you have questions about hunger grant opportunities or how to register.   

 

Synod Prayer Team

Monday, April 25

11am-12Noon ET / 10-11am CT.

Our Synod Prayer Team meets every month to seek the Lord's guidance, support, and grace, as we join in God's mission.

 

Spanish + Culture for Ministry - Module 2: "Intro to Interculturality"

Thursdays, beginning April 28

10am-12Noon ET / 9-11am CT

What does it mean to live and minister interculturally? Join a 5-week course exploring how cultures shape our ministry settings and how intercultural competencies and humilities can enrich our ministries to, with, and among our neighbors.

 

Disaster Ministry Roundtable

Thursday, April 28, 7pm ET / 6pm CT

Attention all Synod Volunteer Disaster Coordinators and Congregational Disaster Coordinators! 

We will gather via ZOOM and report out on disaster activities in the synod and in our congregations followed by a guest presentation on various disaster topics.

This night we will discuss:  “New resources for disaster coordinators”

 

Word & Prayer Ministry - May 2022 - in Spanish

Shepherd of the Hills (Birmingham) holds a Word and Prayer Ministry in Spanish the 1st Sunday of each month at 2:30pm CT / 3:30pm ET. The Rev. Ed Cortes leads the service in Spanish and invites all who understand Spanish to participate. 

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Shepherd of the Hills (Birmingham) realiza un servicio de palabra y oración en español el primer domingo de cada mes a las 2:30pm CT / 3:30pm ET. El Rev. Ed Cortes dirige el servicio y invita a todas y todos que entienda español a participar.

 

ZoomTails for Rostered Women

Thursday, May 12 - 7pm ET / 6pm CT

Register now to join other women in ministry for our quarterly Zoomtails.  

Register today to receive a Zoom link and reminders!

 

Workshop: "Social Media Platforms for Church 101"

Thursday, May 26

7-8:30pm ET / 6-7:30pm CT

Wondering what social media you can be tapping into to help UNMUTE your congregation and share the Gospel message? Want to know the when, the how, and the why of social media use for your congregation?  Then join us for a course on basics of social media use led by Pastor Colleen Montgomery, Director for Digital Ministries, Virginia Synod.

 

Diversity & Justice Blog:  "Injustice in Policing - Here we go, Again!"

Excerpt from blog post:

Sometimes, it seems there’s no end to them. They are the recent videos and reports of Black and brown people beaten or killed by law enforcement officers, and they have fueled a national outcry over the disproportionate use of excessive, and often lethal, force against people of color, and galvanized demands for police reform. The disproportionate acts of excessive force have fueled tangible tensions between justice as law enforcement and justice in terms of equality among peoples...

 

Youth & Young Adult News

 

AFFIRM 2022 PARTICIPANT Registration is STILL OPEN!!!

Join us June 12-17, 2022, at the University of West Alabama, in Livingston, AL, for another week of faith formation at the Southeastern Synod's longest-standing discipleship formation event: AFFIRM!

Please go to the website to see Unit descriptions, registration and more.

Early bird pricing extended: Cost is $400 through April 18, 2022.   $150 deposit is due upon registration.   ONLY 120 SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE!!!

Contact Pr. Michael Jannett for assistance with scholarships.   Contact Registrar, Traci Billman, with registration questions.

Check out our new PROMO video!!!

 

 

2024 ELCA Youth Gathering - We are Going to NEW ORLEANS!!!

Where will we be headed in 2024?

NEW ORLEANS!!!

Mark it down, folks! 

The 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering will be held July 16-20, 2024, in the city of NEW ORLEANS!!!

 

 

ELCA Young Adults: "Welcome to Abide!"

Abide is a small group ministry hosted by ELCA Young Adults. Young adults can register to be placed into a weekly, virtual small group led by a young adult Small Group Leader. Groups meet via video call for approximately an hour over the course of an Abide season (usually 7-9 weeks). Groups meet to reflect on the Abide video series that is released weekly.

Check out details on how to participate in an ABIDE small group, or how to lead your very own ABIDE group!!!

 

 

NovusWay Summer Camp Jobs - Apply Today!

Home from school- job just fell through – looking for something to keep you busy this summer?

Come work at Camp!

Camp programs start in June and end in July. Staff training begins in May. NovusWay provides full room and board for the entire contracted time of employment. Must be 18 years old to apply - some positions require a higher age requirement. Salary dependent upon position and certification. Paid weekly.

PRINT & SHARE THIS FLYER TODAY!

 

 

NovusWay - Wheels for Camp!

We know 16-wheelers won’t work for carrying campers on outings or Lutheroad Day Camp teams to communities across the Southeastern US this summer! But mini-vans, (12 or 15 passenger vans), 24-passenger or larger church buses are exactly what we need as our NovusWay ministry sites prepare for a full Summer Camp 2022 schedule.

Do you have an “under-used” church vehicle parked somewhere right now that you might loan to one of our sites for Summer Camp 2022?  

If you’re open to the possibility of helping in some way at any one of our sites, contact Pastor Jan Setzler at jsetzler@novusway.org or call 864-942-2974.

 

 

Synod Ministry Resources

2022 Mission Support Intent

As you prepare your congregation budget for 2022, we ask you to prayerfully consider God's abundance and how your congregation can reflect that abundance. The Mission Support Gifts given from your congregation to the ELCA-Southeastern Synod truly change lives.

 

Time to Update Your Congregation's Information

Time moves forward and we change some things.  Our internet provider, our phone provider, and even our mailing address situation.

Please read how to find your congregation's information on our website and where to submit corrections. 

And to YOU, ROSTERED MINISTERS, we receive lots of returned mail.  Please share your updates of address with us!

 

Southeastern Synod Swag is Now Available!!!

If you would like Southeastern Synod Swag, polo shirts, jackets, pretty much anything you can put the logo on you can now order direct from Land’s End Business.  You can get items embroidered in the multi-colored logo or in a single color.  Items are directly shipped to you. We look forward to seeing #sesswag pictures soon!

When you click on an item, once you select your size, it will allow you to select the logo and whether or not you would like the logo full color or a single color logo.

 

ELCA News

Bishop Eaton: "Back to our Center"

As we return to a post-pandemic world, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that we will need the “word of the Lord—the Word that calls us back to our center, which is the steadfast love of God, law and gospel, judgment and promise.”

Read her April column for Living Lutheran in English or in Spanish.
 

 

Ecumenical Advocacy Days - Virtual Conference

April 25-27, 2022 - #EAD2022

This year’s theme, “Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil & Human Rights,” calls us into solidarity to restore, protect and expand voting rights in the United States and to realize human rights around the world.

Because Ecumenical Advocacy Days (Apr 25-27) is such a good opportunity to connect faith-voices in advocacy action, several Evangelical Lutheran Church in America scholarships for the registration fee are available to encourage the strength of the witness of ELCA advocacy both in the locations of the attendees and in the ELCA’s voice on federal matters. Consider being part of #EAD2022 and applying for a scholarship before Mar. 31. The ELCA as an EAD sponsor. More info HERE.

 

PORTICO - Market Volatility, Text-based Care and more...

News headlines have been particularly dire this spring, and the investment markets have responded with nerve-rattling volatility. A newly-updated page on myPortico will give you context for the short- and long-term effects of market leaps and plunges. And a new blog post by Portico Chief Investment Officer David Quello address how Portico is responding to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
 
Spring allergies? Worn out by Lent? Remember: Portico members with ELCA-Primary health coverage have 24/7 access to text-based primary care from board certified physicians through the 98point6 app – at no out-of-pocket cost, thanks to recent action by Congress. You read that right: $0 copay for all ELCA-Primary members, Apr. 1-Dec. 31, 2022. Find out more on myPortico (and take please care of yourself!)
 
Portico Questions?  Reach out to an Advocate at the Customer Care Center; 800-352.2876, or your Portico Representative; Barbara Debski bdebski@porticobenefits.org
 

 

INSPIRITUS - Change of Address

Please know that INSPIRITUS has changed their Atlanta mailing address to:

731 Peachtree St. NE
Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30308

For ALL avenues of communications with INSPIRITUS, click HERE.

 

Prayers and Concerns

 

  • For Pastor Joel Emerson and family, upon the death of Pastor Emerson's mother, Eula Emerson
  • For Mrs. Pat Nelson, wife of Pr. Sterling Nelson, for health issues
  • For Pastor Kent Lewis, for health reasons
  • For all those affected by the recent storms in Alabama and Mississippi
  • For all those affected by the fires in upper east Tennessee
     

 

Classifieds

Just a reminder that ALL are welcome to post a congregation-related classified on our synod website, here:  

https://www.elca-ses.org/classifieds

Click "Submit a classified" button,

or read through current classifieds

 

  • Director of Music - St. Andrew, Franklin, TN
    • Click link above for full list of Responsibilities and Job Description
    • Part-time: 20 hours per week

 

  • Director of Family Ministries - St. Andrew, Franklin, TN
    • Click link above for full list of Responsibilities and Job Description
    • Full-time position
    • Apply by May 15, 2022

 

  • Financial Development Executive Director - NovusWay Ministries
    • Click link above for full list of Responsibilities and Job Description
    • Full-time:  Salary commensurate with experience and effectiveness.

 

   

Rostered Ministers Transitions

 

Ordination:

  • Marie Kane
    • Marie will be ordained on Saturday, April 23, at 11am ET, at Atonement, Wesley Chapel, FL
      • Bishops Suarez and Strickland will officiate together.
    • Marie has been called to serve as the pastor of St. James, Brunswick, GA
      • Marie will be installed on May 15, 20223pm ET

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

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Chattanooga Convention Center

Chattanooga, TN

Synod Assembly Website

 

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Check us out on social media

 
 


 

 

 


 

 

 

ELCA
Southeastern
Synod

 

St. John's Lutheran Church
Physical Address:
1410 Ponce de Leon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307

404-589-1977

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 400
Decatur, GA 30031


 

As always, please feel free to visit our website for more information:

www.elca-ses.org

 

 


 

For questions or concerns regarding our regular or special enews, please contact: Rev. Michael Jannett - Assistant to the Bishop for Formation and Communication MJannett@elca-ses.org

 

 


 

 

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Southeastern Synod,
c/o St. John's Lutheran Church, 1410 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307