The newsletter of the ELCA-Southeastern Synod

"...but be transformed"   Romans 12:2

 December 2006/January 2007

Blessings of the Season to you and yours

Bishop Ron Warren and the Southeastern Synod staff

In this issue of "The Transformer": (click the link to jump directly to the article)

1. Southeastern Synod one of only two organizations in region to receive Thrivent grant to increase charitable gifts

2. Faith and Facts

3. Safe Haven Consultant Available to Your Congregation  

4. Advent Update from the Gulf Coast 

5. Congregational Anniversaries and Dedications

6. Great Commission Partners

7. Two very special events in January

8. Congregations in Transition

9. Cares and Prayers

 

1. Southeastern Synod one of only two organizations in region to receive Thrivent grant to increase charitable gifts

The program’s grants range in size from $5,000 to $100,000. They educate and motivate Lutherans in charitable gifting options and generate potentially millions of dollars in new gifts that benefit Lutheran institutions and organizations.

The grant program goals are to:

“Helping organizations communicate to their potential donors about the benefits of tax-advantaged charitable giving is what these grants are all about,” said Karen Coonen, executive director of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. “Lutheran organizations within the Southeast Region are sure to benefit from this support.”

Eligible grant applicants include the following Lutheran groups: congregations, regional divisions of the three largest church bodies, small church bodies, high schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, camps, campus ministries, social ministry organizations and other independent organizations or institutions.

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational purposes and makes grants and gifts to 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. The foundation does not provide grants to individuals. To learn more about the foundation and its programs, visit: www.thrivent.com/foundations.

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2. FAITH AND FACTS

by The Rev. J. Howard Mettee

Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor for Stewardship

Let me be among the many who join in wishing you the blessings of the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany season.  I remember those days of December when the pace seems to quicken and a small sense of panic sets in as to what needed to be done.  What did I miss?  Have I covered all the bases?  Invariably the answer to the last question was no, but by the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, Christmas did arrive and we all got through it.  Of course, by December 26^th I was completely wiped out, but hey, that comes with the territory.  This year, I’ve noticed that no one is particularly interested in discussing Stewardship at this time of year so I’ll just have to sit at home, decorate the tree, help with the presents for the grandkids, and actually enjoy celebrating the birth of the Savior.  It will be hard, but I’ll do my best.

This note is not about how wonderful this job is this time of year, but to call your attention to an impending matter of GREAT IMPORTANCE.  You know how kind our government is to wait until after Christmas to mail out our tax forms.  Well, the ELCA is generally in that same mode, mailing out the Parochial Reports about the same time.  There’s not much for the national staff to do at this time of the year either.  Now I know you get that report and what a pain it is to get all of that data together, especially after all the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany details.  Some pastors just hand it off to the secretary or council people and say, “git ‘er done!” 

That’s not the most effective way of reporting data that is critical to the ministry of the larger church.  Like it or not, we are part of a synod and churchwide organization which has to keep tabs on what’s happening out there in the trenches.  The one item to which I wish to draw particular attention is LINE 24 (or at least that’s where it was last year) of the Parochial Report.  That’s the line that says something like, Mission Support for 2007.  Just like asking for a commitment from your members to give you an idea of what to expect in regular offerings, filling out that line gives us an idea of what to expect at the synodical level.  The number that goes in that space should represent your UNDESIGNATED MISSION SUPPORT for 2007.

We understand that the actual number may vary based on actual offerings.  If you are a percentage congregation, there is a one to one relationship between offerings and Mission Support.  (By the way, Mission Support is the politically correct church term for what used to be known as Benevolence.)  So PLEASE, PLEASE, fill in line 24, we’ll use that as the basis for your commitment to 2007 and it will help greatly in our planning for the coming year. 

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3. Safe Haven Consultant Available to Your Congregation  

Has your congregation done all it can to reduce the risk of child abuse happening in your church family?  Have you developed policies to protect children, youth and the ministry of your congregation?  Have you trained your leaders who work with youth and children in safe and healthy leadership behaviors?   Have you considered or actually run background checks on staff and volunteers who work with minors or others who may be taken advantage of?  

Hopefully you answered “yes” to all of these questions.  However, if you answered “no” to any of them, there is now a consultant available through the Southeastern Synod office to provide support and guidance as you do.  

Beginning November 1, 2006, Associate in Ministry Ranate' Patrick has begun serving as Safe Haven Consultant for Congregations for our Southeastern Synod.  The primary purpose of this role is to support congregations as they develop Safe Haven Policies (you may call them Boundaries or Youth Protection or any of a number of titles), and to provide support for leaders of synodical youth events as they develop policies to do everything possible to keep our youth and children safe.  Unfortunately, because of the shortfall in mission support, the synod budget cannot provide funds for this work, so any expenses (travel, phone calls, or resources) for her work with your congregation would need to be picked up by the congregation.

If you are developing or reviewing policies that relate to the protection of youth and children, please contact Ranate', for any support that she can provide to you.  She can be contacted at (770)978-2011 or by email at ranate@bellsouth.net.

For the latest youth news, visit   www.elca-ses.org/youth_news.htm

4. Advent Update from the Gulf Coast 

This Advent season we make ready for the birth of the Christ child. It is a time of waiting and preparing room within our hearts for Christ. Waiting is not an uncommon experience for our brothers and sisters on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Since Katrina, most still wait to get back into permanent housing. Congregations as well as Lutheran Disaster Response continue to reach out to meet the needs of families affected by Katrina. Here is an update from our Southeastern Synod Congregations on the coast now 14 months out from the disaster.

(map from website www.photosfromkatrina.com)

"Our congregation continues to struggle with the shortage of supplies and contractors in the area. Out of the 10 damaged homes, only two families have been able to move back in after 14 months. 12 members/families, plus the pastor emeritus, have moved away over the year since the storm. 

It has been a terrible jolt to us to have our windstorm insurance cancelled and hear about the new flood insurance requirements, which led us to investigate other insurance. After much hassle, what has happened is that our line item for insurance has nearly tripled! We do feel blessed to have found insurance since many companies will no longer write policies in any coastal areas."  Read more from Grace Lutheran Church.

From Interim Pastor Judy Klusman at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, Ocean Springs, MS.

"We at Christus Victor are moving forward slowly. We still have members living in their FEMA trailers and trying desperately to get back in their homes. The blue roofs that were everywhere last year have pretty much disappeared in Ocean Springs and slowly businesses are coming back. One of the biggest challenges is affordable housing for people making minimum wage or are single parents. Another is skilled volunteers/labor. If you are an electrician, plumber, carpenter, HVAC installer, or other skilled laborer, please consider coming to help the people of the coast. Currently rebuilding of the casinos is taking up most of the skilled people already on the coast, so getting an electrician or plumber is an extremely long wait. An example of this at the church is our fire alarm system. We have called four different companies multiple times along the coast and in Mobile, AL. Not one of them have even returned our phone calls." 

"Food distribution is continuing at Camp Victor. Bob Montgomery and Betty Pizinski are heading up the operation. In our last conversation distribution was set to close the end of February. Discussions are now being held with our council president and LSS-DR state director, John McRae as to the feasibility of continuing."  Read more from Christus Victor. 

"We have started choir rehearsals back and have sung for the last three Sundays. Our volunteers practice with us on Sundays following SCS, and we have large choirs (if we have lots of volunteers!) They sound terrific! We are having intergenerational SCS classes and it has really been great! Our confirmation program is going great guns, with 7 confirmands. Our youth group elected new officers and had a sleepover last weekend at their new advisor's home (Karen and Jack Holmes)--they left yesterday evening for the Alassissippi gathering in Birmingham (8 kids from Bethel!), The volunteers have cleared one of the sleeping rooms (classroom), painted it, put in wood floors, a conference table and chairs, so that Bethel has a meeting/class room for their use, which doubles as a counseling room during week days for our ever growing mental health ministries. We have cleared out the desks from the adult classroom (where the case workers previously worked), delivered them to Rebuild Together's makeshift offices in East Biloxi, where they were desperately needed."  

"We are worshiping from about 40-60 of our own members in recent weeks, with attendance beginning to level off more as their lives approach our new normalcy. (With our volunteers, we had 103 in worship on Reformation Sunday.) We hope to have maybe another one or two member families return to us in the next six months or so, depending upon the completion of their homes. I will have maybe a half dozen more house blessings before the year ends. Some of these for our own members, but also, every once in awhile, the owners of the homes our volunteers have restored will request it as they begin their new life there. These are very happy and memorable celebrations; like an oasis in the midst of a desert."  Read more from Bethel.

"Dear Sisters and Brothers-in-Christ: 

On behalf of St. Paul’s, LDR (Lutheran Disaster Response), and myself, personally, I hope everyone is having a blessed Advent and will have a most joyous Christmas. We appreciate and have been so blessed by all the support that we have received from you all.

St. Paul's and LDR are working very closely together. We continue to host Mission Teams and have bookings at the Church into June—but the need for additional teams continues to remain acute. To reserve a date, just call me at 251-401-4247 or Ruth Bloxham—the LDR Site Coordinator—at 251-824-1154.

We are currently very busy in getting toys down to the Bayou for our children. Your financial help has made this wonderful project possible and successful. In addition to feeding our volunteers we continue to help with rent, utilities, storage facilities, and medical bills.

Thank you again for everything you are doing on our behalf and may our Lord continue to bless you all in very special ways during this Holiday season."

Please continue to pray for Grace, Christus Victor, Bethel, St. Paul's and all of the congregations on the coast and those they serve as they enter into this Holy Season. Holidays are especially difficult times for people who have experienced great loss. With recovery expected to take 8-10 years our prayers, our hands, our gifts will continue to be needed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

God bless and keep you Grace, Christus Victor, Bethel and St. Paul's congregations!!

5. Congregational Anniversaries and Dedications

 Does your congregation have an anniversary or dedication this next year?  These are both significant and important milestones in the life of our synod congregations.  In your congregational planning of these events you may wish to consider participation and/or representation from your synod staff.  If this is your desire we encourage you to please contact and coordinate with the synod office well in advance of the event so appropriate plans and scheduling can be accomplished for synod representation.  You may contact Dareleen Krautwurst at (404.589.1977 X 227) in the synod office or Pastor Bryn Carlson at (770.788.0235) to discuss synod participation.   

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6. Great Commission Partners

Dear Friends,

Your congregation is invited to partner with mission congregations across our synod.  We are excited about the number of new mission sites which have been approved.  Thirteen new mission congregation sites were approved for 2006 in the Southeastern Synod, far more than any other synod.  Our synod is predicted to experience high growth in the next 24 years.  It is predicted that 3.8 million people will move to Georgia by the year 2030 and 1.7 million will move to Tennessee.  The need is great for us to be able to reach out to all of these new people as well as those who already live here. 

Great Commission Partners highlights one mission congregation per quarter.   As committed people from across the synod make donations, they will be pooled together to provide a specific mission congregation with significant funds for essential ministries.  That’s the power of Christian community! 

Abundant Life in Braselton, Georgia was one of the recipients of Great Commission Partners donations in 2006.  In December, 2005, Pastor Devon Strong and his family moved to Braselton.  Devon and his wife Chris have a vision to build a church of small groups for people who may have been away from church for some time but are now looking for an open, welcoming place to meet Jesus again.  They believe that through small groups people can experience God through significant relationships with other Christians. 

They have a worshiping community of twenty-two, and began weekly worship on Sunday afternoons on Labor Day weekend.  Abundant Life is blessed to have inherited worship chairs and other things from another Lutheran church that closed.  Their greatest needs are to be able to rent their own Sunday morning worship space and to develop an exciting children’s ministry in this growing community.  The $2075.00 given to these needs by Great Commission Partners in 2006 will be multiplied with the giving from Abundant Life congregation to help bring the Good News to more children and adults who really need an abundant life.  To learn more about this growing ministry, go to www.ourabundantlife.org. 

Please consider highlighting Great Commission Partners in your congregation in 2007.  Sign up at www.elca-ses.org/GCP.htm to receive these quarterly notices about our mission congregations.  Bulletin inserts are available to invite individual members of your congregation to give above and beyond their giving to your local congregation to Great Commission Partners.  The link to download the bulletin inserts is:  www.elca-ses.org/GCP.htm.

Thank you again for your prayers and your love for all of our new Lutheran churches, and thank you for considering being a Great Commission Partner!

January 25, 2007-- A three-day Civil Rights Pilgrimage will depart from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Atlanta, GA, touring important sites in Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, Tuskeegee and returning to Atlanta on June 28. For more information, and to register, visit www.elca-ses.org/Civil_Rights_Pilgrimage.htm.

Keep in Prayer:

Deepest sympathies to: