April 16, 2025

Community Safety Training ahead of Pride Month

In preparation for Pride Month and due to increased safety risks for our LBGTQIA+ siblings, communities and friends ReconcilingWorks and SEPA Synod will be previewing a Community Safety Guide. Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Benbow Hall + United Lutheran Seminary 7301 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia

April 3, 2025

2025 Treasurers Gathering

Join us for the Treasurers Gathering on June 21, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, specifically in the Brossman Center. This essential event is designed for treasurers and financial leaders of Lutheran congregations to enhance their understanding of budgeting, financial procedures, and accounting practices. During this gathering,...

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March 18, 2025

Ponder Anew

March 17, 2025 The Feast of St. Patrick March is here, and for many, that means college basketball. But I know that for most of you, this season brings a different kind of March Madness—the busyness of Lent. And at the synod office, our version of March Madness is the flurry of preparations for our...

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February 25, 2025

Immigration Resources

Information-for-Churches-Regarding-Executive-Orders-Related-to-Sanctuary Churches, Refugees and Immigrant Populations Know Your Rights Resources in Philadelphia What Should Employers Do When ICE Arrives A Guide for Immigrant Families in Pennsylvania – English Una guía para familias inmigrantes en Pensilvania – Spanish AMMPARO (Accompanying Migrants with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities) A list of immigration attorneys in Philadelphia can be...

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February 25, 2025

Resources from Council Officers Gathering

Resources from the Council Officers gathering are below. PowerPoint Slides: council officers gathering-2 Handout: Synod Council Officers Gathering-2

February 11, 2025

Gathering of Church Council Leaders

Dear Congregational Council Leader,  Are you stepping into a leadership role in your congregation? Perhaps you’re serving on your Church Council and want a clearer sense of what that entails. Or maybe it’s your turn to guide your congregation as President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary. Whatever your role, we have an exciting opportunity just...

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February 3, 2025

January Mission Support Memo

Mission Support connects us! STORYTELLING ENGAGEMENT Unidad — Unity A story out of our Metropolitan New York Synod for our ELCA stewardship ministry, in celebration of the Peterman Award Have you ever met a person of faith who shines with the light of Christ even in the hardest of times and places? After meeting the...

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January 29, 2025

Equipping our Synod for the work of ministry..

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP Dear SEPA Family and Friends,  Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am writing to share some important updates about staffing changes within our Synod. When I began my term as bishop this past September, I committed to holding off on staffing changes until after February 1. Now,...

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December 23, 2024

Christmas Message from Bishop Penman

December 23, 2024 Grace and peace to you this Christmas season. At the heart of the Christmas story is a journey—a journey of a young couple, Mary and Joseph, searching for a place to stay. When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room for them. Yet in the kindness of a stranger, they found...

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December 19, 2024

December Mission Support Memo

Mission Support connects us! STORYTELLING ENGAGEMENT Companion Connections A story from our Oregon Synod bishop Each of our ELCA synods engages with at least one companion synod in another country, a global accompaniment funded by your Mission Support. In this time of Advent wonder, we want to share with you an edited version of a...

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December 11, 2024

December Message from the Bishop

December 11, 2025 Dear Beloved in Christ, December often feels like a whirlwind in the church. The steady progression from Advent to Christmas overlays the festive chaos of the secular holiday season, making this time especially busy. Those who’ve worked with me over the years know that I’m a “special kind of crazy” when it...

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December 11, 2024

A Pastoral Message from the ELCA Bishops of Pennsylvania

Advent 2024: A Season of Waiting and Hope Dear Pennsylvania Lutherans and Partners in Ministry, As we begin the season of Advent, we are reminded of the holy call to wait with hope and expectation. In this time of preparation, we recall the promise of God’s presence among us—Emmanuel, God with us—and the call to be attentive...

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November 19, 2024

ELCA congregations, the time for clean energy is now.

A Message from the Mission Investment Fund: As faith communities, we are not merely bystanders in a transition to clean energy—we are leaders. Guided by our shared values of care for one another and the Earth, we have the potential to drive significant change. By leveraging new federal programs and financial incentives, we can make...

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November 15, 2024

November Mission Support Memo

Mission Support connects us! STORYTELLING ENGAGEMENT A story from the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod: Mission Support shared with the churchwide organization allows us to create partnerships with preferred vendors that make things like online giving and having a web presence easier and more affordable for congregations. These partnerships allow the churchwide organization to use some...

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November 15, 2024

All Saints Appeal

“Give thanks for those whose hope is clear, beyond mere mortal sight: who seek the city God has planned, the true, eternal promised land, and steer on toward that light, a beacon ever bright..” – Give Thanks for Saints (ELW 428)       Dear Faithful Saints of Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Thank you, saints, for witnessing to God’s extravagant love...

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November 1, 2024

Why should you donate to charities directly from your IRA?

Generosity logo SEPA Our Synod Generosity Team is sharing the following article as a way to help you use your money wisely in saving and in giving. If you are over 70 years old and have an IRA, here is some good advice. Why should you donate to charities directly from your IRA? Do you donate to Churches or...

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April 3, 2025

2025 Secretaries Gathering

This gathering is designed for all individuals who serve as secretaries within their congregations, whether in an elected role as secretary of the congregation and council, or as part of their employment in assisting with maintaining records. The event will provide valuable guidance on essential responsibilities such as: Constitutional Responsibilities & Minute Taking: A review of...

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February 25, 2025

Resources from Council Officers Gathering

The PowerPoint Slides and the Handout from the Council Officers Gathering are below. Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to provide the recording. PowerPoint Slides: council officers gathering-2 Handout: Synod Council Officers Gathering-2  

February 14, 2025

Love is Everywhere

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP February 14, 2025 Beloved Siblings in Christ, As we enter the month of February, love is everywhere. Stores are filled with Valentine’s Day cards, roses, and heart-shaped chocolates. We see love celebrated in many forms—romantic love, familial love, and even the brotherly love that gives our great city of...

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December 5, 2024

2025 Nominations

How does the work of Jesus get done in Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod?  By faithful members of our congregations who love Jesus, love the Church, and are willing to take leadership positions in our Synod.  At the upcoming Synod Assembly, May 30 & 31, 2025, we will be electing leaders to serve on the Synod Council....

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