January 21, 2020
Today, women of all races, backgrounds and experiences lead congregations, synods and the churchwide expression of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. But in the early days, “there were no models except male,” says Elizabeth Platz, the first woman ordained by a Lutheran denomination in the US — the Lutheran Church in America — in...
January 21, 2020
The Presbytery of Philadelphia, our synod, and United Lutheran Seminary are sponsoring an ecumenical equipping event with Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Rev. McKibben Dana (author of “God, Improv, and the Art of Living”) will lead a day of thoughtful and playful interactions with improv, personal formation, and building capacity for adaptive...
January 7, 2020
Join the Upper Bucks Conference for a Church Vitality learning day Saturday, January 25, 8:30 am-3:15 pm, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 107 W. Lincoln Ave., Telford, PA 18969. (Inclement weather date Feb. 1) How vital is your congregation? If your church were to close, who would miss you? The SEPA Vitality Team will lead...
January 21, 2020
“You can’t love Jesus and not give,” pastor and author Clif Christopher said in his keynote at the 2020 Extravagant Generosity program Jan. 10. “It’s just impossible.” Yet some churches lose the battle with money because “there are more people who think money can save them than think Jesus can save them,” said Christopher, author...
January 21, 2020
Dear friends, If you missed our Stewardship Extravaganza in January, you missed a great event with excellent keynote addresses, an outstanding sermon and wonderful workshops. But, here is a chance to benefit from that experience. One of the workshop leaders, Rob Blezard, has a monthly “Toolkit” that provides helpful bulletin inserts, thoughtful newsletter articles and...
January 16, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf announced the availability of $5 million in funding for security enhancement projects for nonprofit organizations serving diverse communities throughout Pennsylvania. Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization....
January 7, 2020
Jesus’ simple life, focus on what was most important, and trust in God to provide testify to his minimalist lifestyle. The minimalism movement offers that attending to what matters and eliminating things and ideas that distract can provide “meaning” to our lives. Pastor Becca Ehrlich of Philadelphia, author of the Christian Minimalism blog, writes in...
January 7, 2020
Bishop Davenport and the Synod staff express their thanks to the Rev. Sue Lang for her significant work as Events Coordinator over the years. Pastor Lang chose to step away from this position in December to attend to other responsibilities. Pastor Lang is a gifted writer and a certified ELCA coach, and we trust that...
December 19, 2019
Holy Closure of Grace – Norristown on January 12, 2020 Remembering in prayer the saints at Grace Lutheran Church – Norristown. Grace Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lower Montgomery Conference, will hold their final worship service on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 3 PM with Bishop Davenport presiding. Rostered ministers and members of the SEPA...
December 18, 2019
The SEPA Anti-Racism Team will host the third in a four-part series of educational events for rostered and lay leaders on Feb. 8, 2020, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Brossman Center on the ULS Philadelphia campus. This part, Connection, examines how our (mis)perceptions of others can be due to a lack of connectiveness....
ELCA News
2018 Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
