April 22, 2011
Remembering "the God who gets personal" and touches us in our most hidden places, The Welcome Church celebrated Maundy Thursday washing the feet of people living on the streets of Center City. The ancient ritual might have seemed out of place on a corner of Logan Square, in the shadow of corporate towers and the massive Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. But re-enacting the way Christ knelt and served his disciples reminds us that this is how all ministry begins -- we get on our knees in prayer and reach our hands out to serve, Welcome Church Pastor Violet Little said in her homily.
April 21, 2011
This Maundy Thursday, people who live on the streets of Philadelphia will gather outside in the city's Logan Circle area for worship and Holy Communion. Some will also participate in the ritual of foot washing, a sign of humility and hospitality, joined by a group of podiatrists and others who happen by. They will all be part of The Welcome Church that day, a 2-year-old Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) ministry that serves people living with homelessness in downtown Philadelphia.
January 6, 2011
“Zones of Peace” seeks to unite houses of worship from all faith traditions in the effort to reduce violence (not only gun violence, but domestic abuse, bullying, uncivil discourse, etc.) in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
January 4, 2011
The Feast of Justice feeding ministry at St. John's, Mayfair, is highlighted in a Jan. 3 Philadelphia Inquirer article on poverty in the lower Northeast, which over the last 10 years had the largest increase in the number of people living below the poverty line of any section of the city. Click the headline to read more.
December 13, 2010
In a low-key Advent celebration, the Rev. Jay A. Wiesner of University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation (UniLu) was received on the clergy roster of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Clergy including several former UniLu pastors, members of the congregation and friends surrounded Pastor Wiesner as Bishop Claire S. Burkat officiated at the rite of reception.
December 10, 2010
Individuals and congregations from across the Synod participated in the 2010 Christmas Ingathering, collecting gifts for children served by our social ministry agencies. What is your congregation or ministry doing to help those less fortunate this Christmas?
December 7, 2010
Together we are the body of Christ. All the parts of the body are needed to give support, strength and flexibility for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Our Synod exists to oversee and support Christ’s mission here in Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA. We facilitate missional activities no single congregation could accomplish. And you can help this vital Lutheran witness remains healthy by supporting our annual It Takes All the Saints campaign as an individual, family or congregation.
February 16, 2010
The Council Presidents and Vice Presidents Gathering with Bishop Claire Burkat Saturday, Feb. 27 will focus on communications. What trends can shape communication with our members and neighbors? How can we collaborate to spread the Gospel and make our congregations more visible through communication? These and other questions will be addressed by Bob Fisher, assistant to the bishop for mission interpretation/communications. Please RSVP as soon as possible so that we may make appropriate arrangements.
February 1, 2010
“People do have a lot on their minds these days, and they don’t mind sharing,” reporter John Rawlins observed introducing the person-on-the-street interview video used at last fall’s “Discover the Secret” conference gatherings. The video, the Bible study used at the meetings as well as a set of four additional Philippians studies are now available on the synod website.
January 19, 2010
Each year on the day before the holiday commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Family of God Lutheran in Buckingham hosts a forum on race relations. The collective effort of the NAACP of Bucks County, the Peace Center, the Bucks County Committee for Interracial Harmony, the Bucks County Human Relations Council has been held since the 1980s.
July 3, 2008
The Welcome Center at Holy Communion Lutheran Church is a safe haven where the city's homeless could step out of the cold and find a place to wash or sleep, to find someone to talk to for a while without being chased. The Welcome Center is not just a feeding program but a place for engagement, and lives are transformed in this sanctuary.
May 12, 2008
The 2008 Synod Assembly heard about missional principles that will shape our common ministry, based on this Biblical formula: "It's God's mission. Jesus is Lord. The Holy Spirit guides us." You can download a bulletin insert reporting on the meeting or get full details and watch video at the Assembly website.
The Assembly also heard Kelly Fryer describe common characteristics shared by congregations that are missionally engaged with their neighborhoods, received Emmaus Road Lutheran Church, and passed a resolution allowing congregations to send an additional youth or young adult voting member to the Assembly.
