Bishop’s Note 30 March 2023

Michael LozanoMar 30, 2023, 3:08 PM (13 days ago)
to Michael

 
Please remember to share the notes with your congregation and if you know of someone who would like to be placed on the mailing list, just send me a note.
 

• New Notes or Changes to Notes will have this bullet Ø and will remain new notes for two weeks, then will shift to the • until they are removed from the Notes. Upcoming Events changes or additions will be italicized and then shifted to Ø until removed.

 
Upcoming Events:

• The following is a list of upcoming events I will be attending in person. If I am in your area and you would like to go to lunch, coffee, have a chat, etc. let me know.
• 4 April – Chrism Liturgy, Thiel College
• 5 April @ Synod Office
• 7-10 April Synod Office Closed
• 8 April Grace/St. John Franklin Easter Vigil
• 12 April Camp Lutherlyn Rostered Ministers Day of Rest and Renewal
• 13 April @ Synod Office
• 16 April Gethsemane, Port Allegany / Trinity, Smethport
• 16 April Installation of Rev. Jeff Piccirilli Faith, Venus/Holy Trinity, Shippenville
• 17-21 April Army Reserves, Ft. Snelling, MN
• 23 April St. John, Warren / Bethany, Sheffield
• 25 April Preaching Perspectives, Gettysburg
• 26 April ULS Spring Convocation, Gettysburg
• 27 April Lutheran Day at the Capitol, Harrisburg
• 28 April Rev. Dave Mumford Funeral, Luther Memorial
• 30 April Abiding Hope, Erie
• 3 May @ Synod Office
• 6-7 May @ Army Reserves
• 8-9 May ULS Board Meeting, Philadelphia
• 10 May @ Synod Office
• 12 May WELCA Retreat
• 16-17 May Ft. Bragg, NC
• 18 May @ Synod Office
• 18 May Erie Conference Ascension Day Liturgy
• 20 May Synod Council
• 21 May Grace, Brookville and Trinity, Reynoldsville
• 24 May @ Synod Office
• 25 May Lutheran Home at Kane Board Meeting
• 28 May St. Paul, Knox and Salem, Lamartine
• 31 May @ Synod Office
• 3-4 June @ Army Reserves
• 6 June @ Synod Office
• 7 June  Synod Assembly Set Up Thiel College
• Synod Assembly – June 8-10 Thursday-Saturday
• 11 June Twelve Apostles, Saegertown
• 14 June @ Synod Office
• 21 June @ Synod Office
• 24 June Pr. Jay Mitchell Installation Luther Memorial, Erie
• 25 June St. Paul, Warren
• 28 June @ Synod Office

 

• Sunday Supply Dates:

 
Churchwide Events:
Ø  Barbara Keller is leading a one hour zoom seminar on “How to Work with Sex Offenders in Your Congregation.” for rostered ministers in our synod on Thursday April 27th at Noon. Participants who have additional questions can remain on zoom to ask questions.  Register by emailing  kate.schnaath@elca.org.  

 
Ecumenical Events:
 
Region 8:

• Bp Riegel of the West Virginia – Western Maryland Synod writes:

The annual Wentz Prize competition call for papers.
The cash prize is $2500 in each of four categories:
•     First degree seminarian
•     M.A./PH. D graduate student
•     Post-Graduate: Pastor, Layperson, and/or Faculty member
•     Amateur Historian
Papers are to be in the field of history dealing with some aspect of Lutheranism in America.
Paper should be 25-35 pages in length, double spaced using Turabian Manual or Chicago Manual of Style. Submission deadline is 30 September 2023.
Flyer: https://www.lutheranhistoricalsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Abdel-Ross-Wentz-Prize-Flyer-2023.pdf
Webpage: https://www.lutheranhistoricalsociety.com/abdel-ross-wentz-prize/
The competition is sponsored by the Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid-Atlantic.
 
Other Continuing Education Opportunities:
Camp Lutherlyn:

• Lutherlyn and the Lutheran University Center are pleased to host a FREE day of rest and renewal for the Rostered Leaders of the NWPA and SWPA Synods at Lutherlyn on Wednesday, April 12. All Rostered Leaders are invited, regardless of current call status. Registration is required by April 5 for food preparation. Please visit https://www.lutherlyn.com/forms/retreateventreg/rostered-leaders-day.html for the scheduled, details, and registration. We hope you will find this to be a day of rest and renewal after Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Please see the attached for more on the day.
• Intro to Blacksmithing Class April 29: Learn the art of Blacksmithing in the Woodland Forge at Lutherlyn. All materials are supplied, and classes are taught by master blacksmith, Flavius Brinsfield. Register www.lutherlyn.com/forge (Registration Deadline April 14).
• Spring Work Day April 29: Calling all volunteers to help get camp ready for CampBlast and Summer Camp. No skills required. 9am-4pm; lunch provided. Please RSVP at www.lutherlyn.com/workday.
• Registration for Summer Camp is OPEN!!:  Please visit www.lutherlyn.com/summer for more information on the Sumer Camp Schedule and Pricing.
• Summer Employment Applications are Open: Working at Lutherlyn is so much more than a job! If you know of a responsible young adult looking for summer employment, please visit www.lutherlyn.com/summeremployment for more information.

 
United Lutheran Seminary:
Here’s the upcoming events schedule:

• United and Ignited, April 15, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Join us for a day of resource sharing, fellowship, and learning about how we can be church to the beloved LGBTQIA2S+ community. Valentine Hall on the Gettysburg campus. Sponsored by Kindling Faith and the Lower Susquehanna Synod.
• Preaching Perspectives, April 25, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm on the Gettysburg Campus. Pastor Rob Blezard explores stewardship preaching opportunities during Ordinary Time. Livestream option available.
• Spring Convocation, April 26, 8 am – 4 pm. “Children of Abraham, Stewards of Creation” with Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, and Huda Alkoff discussing the eco-theology of their respective faiths. Livestream option available.
• Calm in the Chaos: A Retreat for Women in Ministry, May 10 – 13 on the Gettysburg Campus. Dr. Crystal Hall offers a much-needed break and some time for discussion and discernment with caring colleagues.

 
SUMMER PROGRAMMING IS HERE!

• Sacred Places Transitions, June 22 – 24 on the Philadelphia Campus. Bishops, please recommend five people from various congregations in your synod who are discerning new uses for church buildings in ministry contexts of all types. Co-sponsored by Kindling Faith and Partners for Sacred Places.
• Summer Ministry Institute: Creating Sanctuary – Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence, July 16 – 23 on the Gettysburg Campus. Rostered leaders are taught how to recognize signs of domestic abuse and neglect and how to respond and refer in a way that conveys healing and hope. Co-sponsored by Kindling Faith and the Lutheran Settlement House.
• Theological Education with Adults: The Challenges of Ministry in Such a Time as This, July 23-28 on the Gettysburg Campus. Rev. Dr. Emlyn Ott from Healthy Congregations walks us through the challenges of being the church in a post-Covid world.
• Theological Education with Youth, July 23-28. The TEY one-week summer Academy is for high school students to live in an intentional Christian community on the Gettysburg campus of United Lutheran Seminary. Dr. Teresa Smallwood challenges participants to live out Jesus’ call to justice.
• Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate: Rest and Relaxation for Weary Deacons & Pastors, July 30 – August 4th on the Gettysburg Campus. Pastor Joe Vought offers a Bible study in the morning and then the rest of the day is yours to enjoy with a daily happy hour for all (with non-wine beverages as well)!

 
Walking Together as Synod:

• Authorized Lay Worship Leader Training May 6 at Grace, Clarion.

 

• Authorized Lay Worship Leader – Changes to requirements are coming. Please watch for more details in the weeks ahead.

 

• Conference Meeting Season (April-May) Approaching

According to our synod constitution Conferences are to meet during the months of April and May to nominate representatives to our Synod Council. In 2023 there are three lay and two rostered leaders to be elected to synod council. (See below). Additionally, our synod constitution notes conferences gather for a. common planning and development of strategies for the church on the territory; b. advice on location, relocation, realignment or closing of congregations; c. interpretation to congregational leadership of the mission efforts of this church, synod and region; d. memorializing the synod to take action on an issue broader than an internal conference matter; e. liaison between the synod and the congregations of the conference; and f. such other functions as the synod may assign them. The voting members of a Conference gathering shall include one lay person from each congregation within the Conference, one person from each agency or institution operating within the Conference, and all rostered leaders within the Conference. And will be convened by the representatives from the Conference who serve on Synod Council. Please do not make the bishop use S12.01.M21. (A Conference meeting may be called by the synod bishop.) though the bishop or synod staff person would like to be present at each Conference meeting.
 
Synod Council Three Year Term 2023-2026
Clarion/Forest/Venango/Warren Conference: Lay Leader
Cameron/Elk/McKean/Potter Conference: Rostered Leader
Crawford/Mercer Conference: Lay Leader
Erie Conference: Rostered Leader
Indiana/Jefferson Conference: Lay Leader
 
Congregations in Transition:

1. St. Paul, Erie Call Committee considering candidate.
2. Messiah Erie MSP in review
3. Tabor, Kane Call Committee MSP in review
4. St. Paul, Warren MSP in review
5. St. John, Warren Call Committee forming
6. St. John, Johnsonburg, Pr. Stephen Fair retirement effective 9 April
7. Lamb of God, Erie Pr. Kim Hirsch retirement effective 1 May
8. Good Hope, Oil City Pr. Sandra Jones retirement effective 1 August
9. Twelve Apostles, Saegertown Pr. Mark Fischer retirement effective 1 September

 
Ministry Site Profile (MSP) Activity Log:
The following congregations’ MSPs are listed based on date of activation:

1. Zion, Mayport as of 10/20/2021
2. Holy Trinity, Hermitage as of 11/2/2021
3. Christ, Sharon as of 1/19/2022
4. Salem, Lamartine as of 4/27/2022
5. Grove Chapel, Indiana as of 7/19/2022
6. Harmony Grove, Creekside as of 9/7/2022
7. St. Paul, Knox as of 12/15/2022
8. St. Paul, Erie as of 12/19/2022

 
Clarion-Venango-Warren Conference: Rev. Jeff Ewing and Dennis Yarian
 
Cameron-Elks-McKean-Potter Conference: Rev. Stephen Fair and Rob Sundberg
 
Crawford-Mercer Conference: Rev. Ben Travis and Anne Baver
 
Erie Conference: Rev. Kristen Papson and Jacque Holmberg
 
Indiana - Jefferson Conference: Rev. Tedd Cougar and Beth Grafton
 
Commentary:
While in the Holy Land in January I and 16 other ELCA bishops and staff walked a portion of the traditional route of Jesus’ entrance into the city of Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. The route starts on the Mount of Olives and looks out over the Kidron Valley towards the Old or Walled city of Jerusalem.
 
From where we started our walk we found ourselves surrounded by graves* and looking across the valley we could see the hillside covered also covered in graves. Hani, our guide, paused and said, “Do you recall the words of Luke?”
 
As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
“Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”
 
Hani asked us, surrounded by so many graves, “What stones do you think would cry out?”
 
There was a collective “Ah ha!” moment as we heard anew the beginning of the passion narrative.
 
As we enter into the most holy of weeks I pray you all find yourselves experiencing the Good News anew.
 
 
Called to Serve,
 
Bp. Lozano
*Hani noted that the portion of the Mount of Olives we were at historically is a gravesite because it is downwind of Jerusalem. Below are some pictures from the Holy Land. Hani setting the stage for our walk, and views across the valley to Jerusalem.