We are a church that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work. Across our Synod on September 8 volunteers cleaned up parks, streets and creeks, helped schools get ready for fall, ran programs for kids, did painting and construction for shelters and clinics, packed thousands of meals, and more on “God’s work. Our hands. Sunday” Sept....
Category: Congregations
September 12, 2013
God’s work. Our hands.
We are a church that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work. Across our Synod on September 8 volunteers cleaned up parks, streets and creeks, helped schools get ready for fall, ran programs for kids, did painting and construction for shelters and clinics, packed thousands of meals, and more on “God’s work. Our hands. Sunday” Sept....
August 20, 2013
ELCA Always Being Made New
The ELCA’s theme, “Always Being Made New,” was lived out at the Churchwide Assembly in Pittsburgh Aug. 12-17. The Assembly elected a new Presiding Bishop, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton; Bishop Burkat says that our new bishop “will lead us with courage, wisdom, wit, and a deep and faithful engagement with the witness of the ELCA...
June 25, 2013
Bishop’s Tanzanian Visit
Bishop Burkat and Joanne Carlson have just completed a visit to Tanzania, including five days on the territory of our companion North-Eastern Diocese and then a gathering to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. The festive anniversary celebration included tree-planting, gift-giving, choirs and greetings from Lutheran representatives from the ELCA...
June 6, 2013
Prayers for Building Collapse
Updated June 6: Your prayers continue to be needed for all those affected by Wednesday’s building collapse in Center City. More than 24 hours after the event rescuers continue to comb the rubble. A woman was rescued late last night, bringing the total of those rescued to 14. Six people are known to have died....
May 23, 2013
Mission Idea: ROAR for Tanzania
Motorcyclists at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church are sponsoring ROAR: Ride Organized for A Reason to raise funds to help purchase a motorcycle for use by their mission partners at Cathedral Church in Tanzania. This 75-mile scenic motorcycle tour will be held rain or shine on Saturday, June 8. Registration and pre-ride meeting starts at 8 am...
May 23, 2013
Post-Modern Church Videos Online
People at the 2013 Synod Assembly were inspired by Jay Gamelin’s two presentations on “The Gospel in a Post-Modern Era.” Now you can watch Jay’s presentations online in the MinistryLink Video Library. The first presentation covers how emerging generations are wired, and what that means for the Church. In the second, Jay shares his faith...
May 10, 2013
See Through “Jesus Colored Glasses”
At the opening worship of the 2013 Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Bishop Claire Burkat challenged the assembly to focus on God-sight as Philip did in the gospel of John. After having been invited by Jesus to follow him, Phillip saw things through “Jesus-colored glasses.” The bishop urged SEPA Lutherans to be Philips – and our congregations...
May 9, 2013
Show Jesus Fearlessly
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Phillip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:20-21 NRSV) “The Greeks noticed something about Jesus,” said Bishop Claire Burkat in her address to the 2013 Southeastern Pennsylvania...
May 9, 2013
Balanced Budget Approved
The 2013 Assembly approved a balanced budget for fiscal 2014 that includes sending 50 percent of partnership support received to the churchwide organization. “We are committed to being a robust, changing church, but not a diminished one,” finance committee chair Rev. Christopher Weidner told the Assembly. Weidner called his presentation “Being the Church with Dollars...
May 8, 2013
Gamelin: Go With Boldness
Jay Gamelin, pastor and discipler at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Lexington SC, illustrated how one can show Jesus by sharing his faith story during his keynote to the 2013 Assembly of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. He began by sharing his thoughts about Jesus’ disciple, Thomas, whom he prefers to call “Curious Thomas” or “Honest Thomas” because...
May 8, 2013
Malaria Fundraising Exceeds Goal
Our Synod’s Malaria Campaign, led by our youth, has exceeded its goal for the 2012-13 school year by more than $20,000 – and the school year isn’t over yet. Bishop Claire Burkat introduced the Malaria Team’s report to the Assembly Saturday morning by pledging $1,500 over three years to the Synod’s malaria eradication fundraising. So...
May 6, 2013
Gardens Grow in Tanzania
Tom and Susan MacPherson, missionaries from our Synod at Irente Children’s Home in Tanzania, gave the Assembly an update on their mission and ministry Saturday morning — live from Tanzania via Skype. The MacPhersons have been serving as part of the companion relationship between SEPA and the North East Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church...
May 6, 2013
Mission Continues Despite Giving Decline
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod invested nearly $300,000 in mission programs in 2012, despite the continued decline in partnership support from congregations. This figure included youth and young adult congregations, planting and revitalizing congregations, global relationships and other mission programs in 2012, Treasurer Janet Huber Neff told the Assembly. In many areas the Synod held the...
May 3, 2013
‘We Are Being Watched’
“I went to seminary for four years to do this,” said Jay Gamelin (@JayGamelin), pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Lexington, SC, as he raised his arms. The second time he did it some people in the assembly stood, recognizing a common pastoral signal in worship. He said he felt uncomfortable for a long time because...
May 2, 2013
Youth Lend Helping Hands
More than 360 youth from SEPA and New Jersey Synods helped clean up beaches and homes affected by Hurricane Sandy on April 27. Get a glimpse of their work in a video published by Liberty Lutheran Services and a photo slideshow, after the jump.
March 22, 2013
“I Love You. Love, God”
The Bible is a lot like the love messages parents receive from their children, Pastor Keith Anderson of Upper Dublin Lutheran Church says in a new YouTube video. “The Bible can be a messy, complicated, confusing book, but at the heart of the Bible is this message: ‘I love you. Love, God.” Enjoy this video...
March 20, 2013
Turning Point Receives Burst Grant
Rhawnhurst Turning Point has received a “Burst” grant from Wheat Ridge Ministries to support its Saturday Service Program, which takes youth and adults into the community to serve one Saturday each month. Turning Point partners with local non-profits to engage different types of service, to allow youth to discover their gifts and passions, develop their...
March 13, 2013
Thrivent Builds in Montgomery County
The Lower and Upper Montgomery Chapter Boards of Thrivent Financial in 2013 will be building a duplex in Hatfield, PA in partnership with Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. To help facilitate this local mission project the Lower and Upper Montgomery Chapter Boards of Thrivent are recruiting Congregational Champions (representatives) to help spread the word in...
February 4, 2013
Making Release a Reality
All Christians are called to proclaim release to captives. Philadelphia’s Living Gospel Ministries lives out this charge by helping ease the transition for some people returning to the community from incarceration. “In Philadelphia, at least 35,000 persons return from prison every year,” says Linda Manson, the mission developer of Living Gospel, our newest synodically authorized worshipping...
November 19, 2012
Sleeping Out to Fight Homelessness
About 40 young people spent a brisk November night in cardboard boxes on the lawn of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Quakertown, to help bring attention to the hidden problem of homelessness. After a rally in the midst of downtown Quakertown, where they used colorful signs to raise awareness of homelessness to Friday night drivers, the youth cut out and decorated cardboard box shelters to sleep in. “We need to be thankful for what we have,” 11-year-old Jairus McMillan told The Intelligencer, a local newspaper.
