July 1, 2017
Here we are in July – the fullness of lower worship attendance, members vacationing and enjoying their weekends at the shore or the mountains – and with it, lower offerings! How do you handle the summer slump? As always, let’s begin by looking at the principal values that build strong stewardship and motivate generosity all...
May 25, 2017
Lutherans and Catholics will mark the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with an ecumenical seminar and worship on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 10 am to 2 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. The event – 1517-2017, From Conflict to Communion – Together in Hope – features a seminar highlighting the common commemoration between Lutherans...
July 12, 2017
“We repudiate racism as a sin that demands eradication,” Bishop Claire Burkat writes in a statement in response to the discovery of two nooses in Center City in recent weeks. “A church that proclaims Christ crucified must recognize the crucifixions and unspeakable torture, derision and humiliation” that has faced Black Americans during and after slavery...
July 10, 2017
We can sing without paper and books! And in so doing, we experience the community transformation of the body of Christ, singing as one. Learn how to transform congregational singing at a 3-day workshop offered by Music that Makes Community, October 16-18, 2017 at the Crossroads Camp and Retreat Center in Port Murray, NJ. The workshop is appropriate for pastors,...
July 10, 2017
The 2017-2018 spending plan adopted by Pennsylvania lawmakers by the June 30 deadline includes some good news for Pennsylvania children, including increases in basic education, special education and early childhood funding, plus $2 million to incentivize improvements in school breakfast delivery, for which Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) advocated. Read more at http://www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/general-assembly-passes-spending-plan/
July 10, 2017
LIFE Ministry invites you to learn more about mass incarceration’s impact on our community and train as a volunteer with programs to help citizens returning to our neighborhoods. Are you interested in helping those in our community who are serious about turning their lives around after a criminal conviction? If so, the LIFE Ministry may...
July 10, 2017
“In May the [Lutheran World Federation (LWF)] met in assembly in Windhoek, Namibia. Lutherans from Africa; Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; North America; and Western, Central and Eastern Europe gathered to worship, sing, deliberate, study and dance,” ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton writes in her July column in Living Lutheran. “We are 145 member...
June 26, 2017
SEPA congregations may use the hymn commissioned for the 2017 Assembly, “Now is the Time,” in worship and may reproduce the hymn with permission for one year. The hymn by composer Paul Friesen-Carper is available as a lead sheet, accompaniment, and C-instrument score for download. Watch Video of “Now is the Time” from Assembly worship When...
June 26, 2017
The Senate is now considering legislation that would make it harder for millions of Americans to access affordable health care. ELCA Advocacy says that this legislation cuts Medicaid for low-income working families. It also rolls back improvements recently made for women and people living with disabilities, mental health challenges, or pre-existing conditions. Please tell your Senators...
June 12, 2017
In her June column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on serving the neighbor in politically charged times. She reminds us that “active participation in public life and the duty of government to care for its people, especially the most vulnerable, have been part of the Lutheran movement since its beginning.” Read her...
June 12, 2017
Philadelphia’s large-scale homeless shelters are not always a good fit for single women. This past winter, The Welcome Church and a number of partners opened “The Well,” a new-concept micro-shelter, to provide a warm and safe place for a dozen women. The concept worked better than expected, with The Well able to serve a total...
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