The New Synod Office? - After an early morning of 80mph winds resulting with the power out at the home office of the Communication and Administration Coordinator of the Synod, Tom Riggs temporarily moved to a place with power and air conditioning (thanks to Tom’s wife Kasandra!).

A minor inconvenience for Tom. Our prayers for Texans, Oklahomans, and Arkansans who are doing the difficult work of piecing their lives back together after a Spring of frequently violent storms.

Synod of the Sun Newsletter

2024 June

Congregation members, staff, volunteers, and anyone interested in learning more about poverty and the issues surrounding it are invited to IMAGINE 2024! This event will take place November 6-8, 2024 in sites in and around New Orleans, Louisiana.

What will we be doing? Based on the PCUSA Matthew 25 “Five Spiritual Practices for Ending Poverty: Worship, Learn, Relate, Act, and Share”, we will both bring the community in and go out into the community to bear witness to those marginalized by poverty and the work being done to alleviate its effects through listening to stories, learning about programs that may work in our local contexts, and serving through hands-on activities.

(Although “Imagine” officially begins later on Wednesday, please feel free to join us at the Synod Assembly at Metairie Ridge Presbyterian Church for workshops presented by PCUSA staff on a variety of poverty-related topics at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.!)

How much does this cost? Cost is $75/person for this event. Follow the link below to find out more and how to inquire for finanical assistace

How do we get there? Travel arrangements are on your own to and from New Orleans, and to St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC)

Please plan to arrive by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6th and depart after Noon on Friday, November 8th.

Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell, LMSW

Director, Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery

I recently encountered this statistic from FEMA: Of more than 3,000 counties in the United States, 99% of U.S. counties experienced a flood event from 1996 to 2022.

Most recently in our Synod, seven counties in southeast Texas, in New Covenant Presbytery, were impacted by heavy rain, river flooding, and straight-line winds beginning on April 26, 2024 and continuing for several weeks after. Because of these storms, 720 homes have been reported as suffering major damage or being destroyed (Red Cross).

Cleanup buckets have been one of the supplies requested by organizations serving communities impacted by these recent storms. Disaster cleanup buckets are one of several pre-assembled kits Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) invites individuals, groups, and congregations to prepare and donate as a tangible offering of compassion and care that can be shared with our neighbors in need at just the right time.

Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center’s Disaster Assistance Center serves as a designated site for receiving, inspecting, building, storing, and shipping cleanup buckets and other kits in partnership with PDA and Church World Service. Emily Hooker, Ferncliff’s Director of Mission & Outreach reports that from January to

Churches and groups from all over the country can send assembled kits, kit supplies, or monetary donations to the Ferncliff’s Disaster Assistance Center. Since January 2024, Ferncliff’s DAC has shipped 219 cleanup buckets and over 13,000 pounds of supplies to impacted communities.

Emily Hooker, Ferncliff’s Director of Mission & Outreach reports that from January to May of 2024, Ferncliff has shipped 13,657 total pounds of supplies to impacted communities, including:

• 219 clean up buckets
• 31 bales wool blankets
• 50 cartons of fleece blankets
• 51 cartons of hygiene kits
• 49 cartons of toothpaste tubes
• 22 cartons of welcome backpacks
• 19 cartons of period packs
• 3 cartons of school kits

Assembling cleanup buckets or other supportive kits is an easy, hands-on activity for families, groups, and congregations to participate in to support disaster ministry across the Synod and beyond. Here are six tips to get you started with this important ministry:

Four New Opportunities in 2024 for Boundaries Training Offered by Synod of the Sun and Leaderwise

August 27-28, 2024

9:00am-Noon CT

November 18-19, 2024

5:00pm-8:00pm

It’s our experience that pastors, church staff, and other leaders who transgress boundaries by-and-large are not predators. In fact, not even close. Most people in ministry who violate boundaries are individuals who know and follow the rules most of the time but whose judgment may be impaired due to an unusually stressful time in their lives.

With that in mind, Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training, offered by Synod of the Sun and Leaderwise, is tailored to focus on strategies to foster mental health, emotional resiliency, and well-being. While this training still covers the requirements—“Don’t sleep with a parishioner unless you’re married to them” and the like —the best prevention is to encourage clergy to take steps to manage their stress in order to maintain balance and perspective when temptation arises. The program teaches a 3-step strategy to help stop the participant in their tracks before they commit a boundary violation; and participants leave with their own personal prevention plan.

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This training is lively and interactive, full of reflection and conversation—and even laughter. Attendees have given us feedback that our boundaries training was a great experience, AND caused them to re-evaluate some of their own practices.

Participants MUST take part in ALL six hours of training in order to receive the certificate of completion.