Fall Vitality Trainings
2022-11-17
Is your congregation ready to take the next step (even a small step!!) to revitalize or renew? Our Synod is participating in a series of Vitality Trainings here this fall with folks from across the ELCA. This training is great for pastor and a team of folks to take together to bring clarity about your own congregation’s mission, how to live in the community and build vital and key relationships. Facilitated by my fellow DEM Nancy Nyland, this is the third time they have offered this WONDERFUL opportunity for FREE!!!!
The four session are being offered October 6th and 20th and November 3rd and 17th, but even if you can’t make those dates work, sign up to at least get the emailed recordings! Each session is offered twice daily (so you choose the one that works best) 1:30pm – 3pm (eastern) & 7:30pm – 9pm (eastern).
To register – visit this link: https://ministrylink.org/vitality-fall-22 (Our SEPA Synod is 7F when you get to the list of synods)
As always, I look forward to the ways the Spirit will bless our time together this fall and equip the saints for the work of ministry! If you have questions about this training or any of our other equipping events, please let me know: bpenman@sepa.org / 267.323.3756

Ordination: Mr. Ethan Doan
2022-11-19 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Faith Lutheran, Montgomeryville, 615 Cowpath Road, Montgomeryville, PA, 18936, United States
Mr. Ethan Doan will be ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament and installed as pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Montgomeryville, on Saturday, November 19, at 11 am at the church (615 Cowpath Road, Montgomeryville, PA 18936).
All clergy are invited to vest and participate in the procession.
There will be a reception after worship. If you are planning to attend please RSVP to faithmont@verizon.net so adequate food can be prepared.
The service will also be broadcast on Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84577757081?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 845 7775 7081
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Holy Closure: Bethany, Roxborough
2022-11-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Bethany Lutheran Church, 401 Martin Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19128, United States
Remembering in prayer the saints at Bethany Lutheran Church

Bethany Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Central Philadelphia Conference, will hold their final worship service on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00 pm with Bishop Davenport presiding.

Rostered ministers and members of the SEPA Synod are welcome to attend the final service at Bethany as we celebrate the life, witness and service of this congregation to the Roxborough-Manayunk community since 1845. Rostered ministers not participating in worship leadership are invited to sit in the congregation.

Bethany Lutheran Church is located at: 401 Martin Street, Philadelphia, PA 19128.

Brief history of Bethany Lutheran Church

In the beginning, German was the language of Bethany. It wasn’t until 1934 that an English service was offered. You could still hear the Word in German until 1970.

The first church building was on Martin Street, where the Bethany cemetery is now located. Our current church building was constructed beginning in 1873 and completed, with the addition of the bell tower, in 1902.

An Evening With Pastor Franklin Morales
2022-11-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
An ELCA Pastor Shares a Journey of Personal and Spiritual Transformation
November 20, 2022 at 7 pm via Zoom. Cost: $10. Register at https://ulsforms.wufoo.com/forms/z1b5qr3a0b1rxpp/
Pastor Franklin Morales was born in Venezuela and is a former Catholic priest. He did his philosophical studies in Venezuela, his theological studies in Rome, and a one-year internship in Central America, where he had first-hand contact with the realities of poverty, criminal gangs, inequality, and hunger that force many of our Central American brothers and sisters to emigrate from their countries of origin looking for a better future for themselves and their families.
Pastor Franklin discovered in Lutheran theology a gospel that seeks liberation and equality for all people without distinction through ways of justice and peace, where the relationship with God through prayer is manifested in service to the neediest and with creation.
He has a fascinating story culminating in marriage, moving to the United States, and becoming an ELCA Pastor in the Metro DC Synod. Join us to hear his wonderful story.

Life of Faith
2022-12-03 15:00 - 17:00
Cohort gatherings for the congregations who are participating currently in the Life of Faith process. For information contact Pastor Bryan Penman, bpenman@sepa.org

Vitality Team Meeting
2022-12-10 10:30 - 12:30, 2023-02-11 10:30 - 12:30, 2023-03-06 18:30 - 21:30
For information contact Pastor Bryan Penman, bpenman@sepa.org

Christmas Lessons and Carols With Bethlehem
2022-12-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Philadelphia Cathedral, 3717 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
The 16th annual Christmas Lessons and Carols simulcast live between the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in the United States and the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine, will take place on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 10 a.m. EST and 5 p.m. Bethlehem time.
Hear familiar carols and readings in Arabic and English, and a word of hope preached this year by Bishop Sani Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral invites you to join in person for this free event. Registration details are forthcoming.

You can also participate virtually by watching it live on YouTube. (You can watch last year’s event on YouTube here.)

Online donations are encouraged and support the rich ministry of Episcopalians and Lutherans in Palestine.
For questions, please contact the Rev. Canon Matthew Dayton-Welch, Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania Canon for the Holy Land, at rector@stalbansnewtownsquare.org.

Registration Deadline: SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers
2023-01-05
The SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers is coming soon. The event follows the team’s new format:
 One 90-minute Zoom meeting to introduce the curriculum on January 12, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
 Personal Engagement with Historical Context Modules: January 12-March 8, 2023. Participants will receive a link to these modules and may complete them at their own convenience.
 One in-person day-long final session covering Connections and Conversationson March 9, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., at ULS/Philadelphia.
Please register through the Anti-Racism Team link, antiracism@sepa.org. The Registration Deadline is January 5, 2023.
This educational program, required by a Synod Assembly resolution, is free to all participants.
SEPA ART 2023 Education Event Flyer

Lessons and Carols for Epiphany
2023-01-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Grace Lutheran Church, Hatfield, 40 South Main Street, Hatfield, PA, 19440, United States
The six churches of the Indian Valley Cluster — Advent Harleysville, Christ Kulpsville, Emmanuel Souderton, Grace Hatfield, Little Zion Telford and St. Paul’s Telford — will present a joint celebration of Lessons and Carols for Epiphany on Sunday, January 8 at 3 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 40 N. Main St. in Hatfield. The service features favorite hymns and carols of Epiphany, a choir of three dozen members from all participating congregations, each of the pastors in leadership roles, and a procession of brightly costumed magi, followed by a festive reception. The public is warmly invited.

Kindling Faith: A Middle Eastern Christian Perspective on Lent, Holy Week, and Easter Readings via Zoom
2023-01-09 09:00 - 13:00 | Zoom meeting

Webinar: Caring for Gen Z in a Post-Pandemic World
2023-01-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom meeting
We are excited to invite you to an upcoming Lunch & Learn webinar in partnership with Springtide Research Institute, ELCA Youth Ministry Network and ELCA Youth Ministry.
On January 12, 2023, at noon CST, Springtide Research Institute will share their latest research on “Caring for Gen Z in a Post Pandemic World.” For many young people, there is no normal to return to after the pandemic. Their entire lives have changed. Springtide’s pandemic research focused on what young people are experiencing, how they view the future, and most importantly, what you can do to support them. We invite you as ministry leaders and volunteers to come together for this virtual event to strengthen the ministries you are a part of and discover how we can best tend to the young people and communities we serve.
Join us as we learn together from this research and share in a brief Q&A time with our Springtide Researchers!
Where: Zoom (link will be sent upon registration)
When: January 12, 2023
Time: Noon CST
Topic: Caring for Gen Z in a Post Pandemic World
REGISTER NOW

The SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers
2023-01-12 19:00 - 20:30
The SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers is coming soon. The event follows the team’s new format:
 One 90-minute Zoom meeting to introduce the curriculum on January 12, 2023, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
 Personal Engagement with Historical Context Modules: January 12-March 8, 2023. Participants will receive a link to these modules and may complete them at their own convenience.
 One in-person day-long final session covering Connections and Conversationson March 9, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., at ULS/Philadelphia.
Please register through the Anti-Racism Team link, antiracism@sepa.org. The Registration Deadline is January 5, 2023.
This educational program, required by a Synod Assembly resolution, is free to all participants.
SEPA ART 2023 Education Event Flyer

Installation. The Rev. Lauren Cain
2023-01-14 10:00 - 14:00 | Grace Lutheran Church, Pottstown, 660 North Charlotte Street , Pottstown, PA, 19464, United States
Installation of Reverend Lauren Cain as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, 660 N. Charlotte St, Pottstown will be held on January 14th, 2023 at 10 AM. . All clergy are invited to attend. There will be fellowship after the service.
Reverend Austin Chinault, pastor of Zion’s UCC Church in Pottstown will be guest preacher.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Worship
2023-01-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Christ’s Lutheran Church, 700 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Oreland, PA, 19075, United States
Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA and African Descent Lutheran Association Philadelphia Chapter invites you to honor & celebrate the legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at our annual Memorial Worship Service on Sunday, January 15, 3 p.m., at Christ’s Lutheran Church, 700 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oreland, PA 19075.
The thee of the service is “Please Do Not Give Up — Help Is On The Way”. Guest preacher is the Rev. Jesse W. Brown Jr. of Christus Lutheran Church. Glenn Bryan is the guest musician. All are welcome!

Download: MLK day Flyer 2023

Generosity And Vitality In The NOW Normal
2023-01-21 08:00 - 16:00 | Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA, 19446, United States
Sponsored by the Southeastern PA and Northeastern PA Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Saturday, January 21, 2023
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
1000 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA 19446
An In-Person Only Event
Cost: $40 per person (includes lunch)
FREE for SEPA/NEPA Synod seminarians and first-call pastors
Engage with two outstanding church leaders in plenary presentations and question and answer sessions. Louise Johnson will speak on change leadership; while The Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah will talk about how the church can express generosity and vitality in the midst of our broken reality. Plus, 10 practical workshops!
Learn More and Register

Synod Council
2023-01-26

Ordination and Installation: Ms Eileen Ruppel-Doan
2023-01-28 11:00 - 12:30 | Reformation Lutheran Church, Media, 102 W. Rose Tree Road, Media, PA, 19063, United States
The Ordination and Installation of Eileen Ruppel-Doan
January 28th, 2023 at 11:00 am EST
at Reformation Lutheran Church, 102 W Rose Tree Rd, Media, PA 19063
Live stream of the service will be available at: relcmedia.org/virtualchurch
A reception will follow.

Webinar: Practical Stewardship Tips
2023-02-01 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
New Date: Upcoming Stewardship Webinar
Have you ever wondered why people are generous in the ways they are? Curious to explore how you can tap into giving motivations to encourage generosity? In this increasingly post-pandemic world, rostered and congregational leaders might well explore some of the nuances of giver motivation with the upcoming webinar “Practical Stewardship Tips,” which is free and open to all. Stay tuned to ELCA communications for more information and the opportunity to register.
Mark your calendar – New date:
Practical Stewardship Tips
Wednesday, Feb. 1
7 p.m. Eastern
Join from computer or mobile:
https://iu.zoom.us/j/86372108860?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 863 7210 8860
Password: [REDACTED]

Deepen your understanding of Indigenous Peoples – The Blanket Exercise
2023-02-01 19:00 - 21:00 | United Lutheran Seminary – Philadelphia, 7301 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19119, United States
SEPA Synod is proud to welcome Vance Blackfox, Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations for the ELCA, on Wednesday February 1st to lead us in the Blanket Exercise.
The Blanket Exercise is an experiential learning tool that leads a group of participants through 500+ years of Indigenous history, highlighting the relationship between the tribal nations and the European explorers, colonial setters, and U.S. federal and state governments.
The exercise is interactive and requires participants, as they are able, to stand and move throughout the first hour of the experience. The second hour allows for participants to process the experience and share what they may have learned and what they will take away.
The Blanket Exercise was first created in Canada and has been adapted and used to educate general populations there, in the United States, and in many other parts of the world. The exercise does engage participants both intellectually and emotionally and can in some instances affect individuals deeply.
Due to the honest nature of the information included in the narration of the exercise, all participants are expected to be 15 years of age or older.
We will gather for this exercise on the Philadelphia campus of United Lutheran Seminary (7301 Germantown Ave Philadelphia, PA 19119) in the Brossman Center in Benbow Hall at 7pm. All are welcome and it’s a free event, but we are asking folks to register ahead of time so we can prepare a big enough space for the exercise.
Submit an RSVP here – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44ADAC2DA3F49-blanket

Reference and Counsel Pre-Assembly Info Session
2023-02-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
You Can Change The Institutional Church
Each year the Synod Assembly considers actions to set policy directions and to present issues for consideration by the Churchwide Assembly. Join the Committee on Reference and Counsel on Thursday, February 2, at 7 p.m. on Zoom to learn how you can create changes in the church through the Synod Assembly, the difference between a resolution and a memorial, and ways to write an effective resolution. The deadline to submit a resolution for consideration is April 5, 2023.

Register at this link.

Mission Devleopers Dinners
2023-02-08 18:30 - 19:30
Fellowship and networking meals for our Mission Developers. These will be potluck meals and open to those who are also considering looking into mission development. For information contact Pastor Bryan Penman, bpenman@sepa.org

Ordination: Ms. Amy Smith
2023-02-25 11:00 - 14:00 | Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA, 19446, United States
Amy Smith, called to serve St. Luke Lutheran Church in Obelisk, will be ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main Street, Lansdale, PA 19446. The service will also be carried online at https://www.trinitylansdale.com/livestreaming/
Rostered ministers are invited to process. The color of the day is red. A reception will follow.

Kindling Faith: Zoom Book Club - Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
2023-02-28 19:00 - 20:30
Dr. Erwin discusses Flowers of the Killer Moon and his perspective on Osage culture in this novel based on true events. The film version directed by Martin Scorcese will be released in May of 2023.

Download a Flyer – Spring Book Club Killers of the Flower Moon

Our American Muslim Neighbors: Christian Reflections on Islam
2023-03-02 08:00 - 17:00
Almost two billion people on Earth are adherents to Islam, yet many American Christians know little or nothing about this faith.
The Rev. Dr. David D. Grafton is the Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations on the faculty of the Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford International University. The Duncan Black Macdonald Center is the oldest center of its kind in the United States. Dr. Grafton holds a PhD in Islamic Studies, from the Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, University of Birmingham, England, an MDiv from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, and a BA from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. Grafton’s academic interests focus on the history of Christian-Muslim relationships, Lutheranism and Islam, Christian theological perspectives on Islam, the history of Christianity in the Middle East, American Christian perspectives of religion and society in the Middle East. He is the author of numerous articles, and chapters of books on Christian-Muslim relations, as well as The Christians of Lebanon: Political Rights in Islamic Law (I.B. Tauris, 2004), and Piety, Politics and Power: Lutherans Encountering Islam in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock,2009), The Contested Origins of the 1865 Arabic Bible: Contributions to the Nineteenth Century Nahda (Brill, 2015). His most recent publication is More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: a generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships(2021).
Download a Flyer – Our Muslim Neighbors with David Grafton

Preaching with Power
2023-03-05 08:00 - 17:00
Meet the Director of The Urban Theological Institute of at ULS
The Rev. Dr. Quintin L. Robertson, a native of Newark, NJ, holds ordination through the National Baptist Convention, USA and the Church of God in Christ. He serves as the Director of the Urban Theological Institute at the seminary, overseeing the Black Church Studies Program. He also served as Director of Admission and Recruitment for the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta for 10 years. He conducts seminars and workshops, and preaches at churches across denominational lines around the nation.
All events will be held in person at the designated church/location in Philadelphia, PA and can also be accessed on our YouTube channel.

Schedule: Click on an event below to view the full calendar listing and bio. All events take place in Philadelphia, PA and are scheduled for EST time.
Sunday, March 5, 6:00PM – Rev. Dr. William H. Lamar IV, United Lutheran Seminary
Monday, March 6, 7:00PM – Rev. Dr. Clarence E. Wright, Grace Baptist Church
Tuesday, March 7, 11:45AM – Rev. Dr. Raquel S. Lettsome, United Lutheran Seminary
Tuesday, March 7, 7:00PM – Rev. Tiffany C. Chaney, Reformation Lutheran Church
Wednesday, March 8, 11:45AM – Rev. Sean M. Tripline, United Lutheran Seminary
Wednesday, March 8, 7:00PM – Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown, Mt. Airy Church of God
Preaching with Power Brochure 2023

Installation. The Rev. Axel Kaegler
2023-03-05 14:00 - 17:00 | Christ’s Lutheran Church, Oreland, 700 Pennsylvania Ave, Oreland, 19075
The Rev. Axel Kaegler will be installed as Senior Pastor of Christ’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oreland on Sunday March 5, 2023 at 2:00 pm. The Rev. Sarah Aasheim , Dean of Lower Montgmery Conference, Pastor at Grace Wyndmoor presding. The Rev. Noah Hepler, Pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement Fishtown, Adjunct Professor of United Luteran Seminary, Queer Eye season 5, episode 1 “Preaching Out Loud” preaching.

The SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers
2023-03-09 09:00 - 17:30 | United Lutheran Seminary – Philadelphia Campus, 7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, 19119
The SEPA Anti-Racism Team’s next educational event for rostered ministers is coming soon. The event follows the team’s new format:
 One 90-minute Zoom meeting to introduce the curriculum on S7:January 12, 2023, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
 Personal Engagement with Historical Context Modules: January 12-March 8, 2023. Participants will receive a link to these modules and may complete them at their own convenience.
 One in-person day-long final session covering Connections and Conversationson March 9, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., at ULS/Philadelphia.
Please register through the Anti-Racism Team link, antiracism@sepa.org. The Registration Deadline is January 5, 2023.
This educational program, required by a Synod Assembly resolution, is free to all participants.

Box City For Grades 6-12 March 11-12
2023-03-11 - 2023-03-12 | St. James Lutheran Church, Limerick, 93 Kugler Road, Limerick, PA, 19468, United States
A Box City Youth Event for grades 6-12 will be held March 11-12, 2023, at St. James Lutheran Church, Limerick. For information email Pastor Stacey-Kyle Rea, srea@sepa.org.
Download a poster: Box City Poster
