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In this newsletter:

▶︎Celebrations for Bishop Davenport

▶︎Installation of Our Next Bishop

▶︎Bear Creek Camp 50th Summer Celebration

▶︎Open House at St. Paul's Lutheran

▶︎Disability Ministries Grant Application

▶︎Ordination of Taylor Joyce Walker

▶︎Generation Zero-Hunger

▶︎In Case You Missed It

Upcoming Events:

Bear Creek Camp 50th Summer Celebration July 5

ELCA's MYLE & the tAble in New Orleans July 13-16

ELCA Youth & Young Adult Gathering in New Orleans July 16-20

Ordination of Taylor Joyce Walker July 27

Bishop Davenport's Retirement Celebrations August 9-11

God's Work. Our Hands. September 8

Installation of Our Next Bishop September 14

In God's Image October 12

Open House at St. Paul's Lutheran Church of East Norriton

Following the Holy Closure of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of East Norriton (6 Hancock Ave), the church will be hosting an Open House Tuesday, July 16th. Conference congregations are invited to come from 10am to 12pm. The rest of the Synod is welcome to come from 12pm to 2pm.

Disability Ministries Grant Applications Sought! Deadline July 31

Disability Ministries invites applications to fund requests or initiatives through a grant. Grant applicants are required to follow the guidelines below to be eligible to receive grant funding through Disability Ministries.

All applicants seeking funds from Disability Ministries must demonstrate how the request or initiative addresses at least one of the following goals:

- Raising up people with disabilities for leadership positions, encouraging the participation of those with disabilities in the wider church, and preparing leaders for serving people with disabilities.

- Equipping our synods, congregations, and members with relevant and practical information that enables them to welcome and support individuals with disabilities so that they might participate fully in the life of the congregation, and that, together, all might experience being the body of Christ.

- Gathering and connecting those with disabilities and various groups within the church so that they might help us become an inclusive, supportive, and whole community of faith.

Additionally, all applicants must show that there is a current relationship, or that they are actively building a relationship, with people living with disabilities in their settings.

We want to recognize that we are moving beyond having an attitude of “If we build it, they will come” in the church. So, for example, not requesting funding for a ramp simply for the sake of having a ramp. But rather explaining how the ramp (or whatever your project may be) would be of a benefit to the disabled people in your setting and your ministry.

We will be funding a total of $50,000. Grant applicants can apply for a grant in the range of $5,000-$10,000. Previous applicants who were not funded may reapply.

The application opened May 28th and will close on July 31st , or earlier if we have received 30 completed applications. Projects receiving grants will be announced before the end of October 2024.

Got a ministry project or idea -- Consider applying!

What is Generation Zero-Hunger?

Why Generation Zero-Hunger?

Amid rising costs, global conflict, the lingering impact of COVID-19, and intensifying effects of climate change, the world faces a startling rise in hunger that is undoing decades of progress. The immediate consequences of climate change are making it harder to grow food. Violent conflicts threaten lives, land and livelihoods. The cost of food and basic commodities continues to climb, exacerbating chronic poverty and wealth inequities. Learn more....

In God’s Image: Inclusive Ministry 

SEPA's sixth annual In God's Image will be held on Saturday, October 12, 9 am - 2 pm, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Ardmore.  

The Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman, professor of homiletics at United Lutheran Seminary and author of the upcoming book Queering the Pulpit, will preach during a festival worship. Workshops will be held on topics such as becoming Reconciling in Christ, engaging in DEI work in your congregation, advocacy, worship, and more!  Vendors will also be present with resources and opportunities to support LGBTQIA+ businesses and organizations.  

Registration opens soon. Contact ingodsimagesepa@gmail.com with any questions. 

LAMPa Calls for Election Devotional Writers 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) will be compiling and distributing a 40 Day Devotional “Reflections Before an Election,” beginning Sept. 27. Writers from any and all denominations are welcome to submit entries to this devotional, which will be available as a PDF, a daily email, or on LAMPa’s Facebook page. Sign up to receive the devotional as a daily email here! Find out more about being a writer here or email Pastor Erin at erin.jones@elca.org.

Lutheran Disaster Response Training Camp

What is it? A two-day training where attendees will leave having a deeper understanding of the elements of disaster recovery through a mix of real-life lived experience and didactic training.

When is it? This two-day training starts at noon on Wednesday, September 4 and concludes at 2pm on Friday, September 6.

Where is it? Camp Kairos in Chrisfield, MD. This is free to attend and includes overnight accommodation at camp barracks. Private accommodation available at an area hotel for a fee. Travel to the event is at the expense of the attendee.

We have an awesome training opportunity for anyone interested in learning more and getting involved in the long term disaster recovery process. The 3 day training is in southern Maryland and will cover all aspects of what it takes for a successful disaster recovery, with a focus on those most vulnerable in affected communities.

For more information or to register for this event, please contact Rev. Glenn Beard, Jr., gbeard@luthercare.org or Julia Frank, JFrank@LibertyLutheran.org.

Are You, or Someone You Know, Discerning a Call to Ministry? 

Do you feel like God might be calling you to public ministry as a deacon or pastor in the ELCA? Would you like some support on your discernment journey? 

Sign up for a free, online discernment group! You will join 2 or 3 others for 3 or 4 sessions, led by an ELCA rostered minister (pastor or deacon). Topics covered include grounding in the God who calls all people, your particular gifts and passions, and an exploration of what the candidacy process to become a rostered leader in the ELCA looks like. 

Questions? Email Pastor Jordan Miller-Stubbendick at Jordan.Miller-Stubbendick@elca.org  

Sign up for a discernment group 

Latine Ministry Competency Workshop

There are 1,157 ELCA congregations with significant Latinx population in their zip code. Is your church one of these? How are you equipping yourselves for cross-cultural ministry among the fast-growing Latine community? 

You are invited to join a group of learners and practitioners wanting to enhance their cultural and ministry competence to help start or strengthen Latine, Bilingual, or Multi-Ethnic worshipping communities. This virtual 10-hour workshop will explore core principles, proven resources, and current ministry initiatives among the diversity of Latine primary audiences. 

July 11-13, 2024. Cost: Individual: $250 or Congregation: $600 

Download the flyer here. | Register here. 

LAMPA’s New Racial Justice Youth Fellowship

Announcing the Isaiah 58:12 Fellowship: Empowering Lutheran Youth in Pennsylvania for Racial Reconciliation

Building on the prophet Isaiah’s vision of those who “will be called repairer of the breach, restorer of the streets to live in,” this fellowship empowers recipients to address racial injustice and enact reconciliation at the grassroots level. Up to 3 fellowships will be awarded. Fellows who successfully complete their projects will receive $1000 for college tuition or continuing education. 

▶︎Find out more and apply.

What Does it Mean to be Lutheran in a Crucial Election Year?

Kindling Faith presents: Review of ELCA Social Statements (six online webinars 6/25, 8/27, 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/22) 

As our faith informs our day-to-day lives, Lutherans recognize that “faith is active in love [and] love calls for justice in relationships and structures of society” (ELCA, Social Statement on Church in Society, 1991). We also know the church is called to be a community that prays, deliberates, and acts together when it comes to complex social issues. In this election year, how might our Lutheran faith shape our thinking, acting, and voting on major issues? Join us to learn and ponder timely social teachings of the ELCA and to learn tips for leading discussions in your own community. 

▶︎Download more information

▶︎Register here

▶︎More Kindling Faith events

Between now and Sept. 30, 2024, you are invited to study and give feedback on a draft social statement on Civic Life and Faith by filling out an online survey or attending a hearing in your synod, as available. To access the draft and the survey, and to find information on how to host a hearing in your synod, go to www.elca.org/civicsandfaith.

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