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We pray for
Pastor Susan Beck and the Community of St. Dysmas. The Board of the Community of St. Dysmas has called Pastor Beck to be the pastor to our congregation within four facilities in the Maryland State Correctional System;
Pastor Lesley Radius and the people of St. John (Parkville). Pastor Radius has received and accepted a new call to serve with the people of St. Matthew (Ft. Worth, Texas), and will conclude her ministry at St. John at the end of March. We pray Godspeed for Pastor Radius and accompany the people of St. John with our prayers in this time of transition and discernment;
Pastor Bob Driver-Bishop and the people of Zion (Middletown). Pastor Driver-Bishop is beginning a new ministry as Interim Pastor at Zion;
Rudy Fernandez, spouse of Pastor Linda Fernandez (St. Mary, Silver Run), at home after a hospitalization;
Pastor Karen Crosby (St. Paul, Frostburg), recovering from a fractured fibula;
Pastor Elmer Klein (retired), who is hospitalized;
Sandy Stillwell, spouse of Pastor Jon Greenstone (Elias, Emmitsburg), who is receiving hospice care;
Nina Fuhrman, mother of Pastor Matthew Fuhrman (Prince of Peace, Rosedale), who is receiving hospice care at Pastor Fuhrman's home;
the ongoing healing of John Adcock, Rick Betson, Pastor Neale & Janet Wirtanen, Cora King, Pastor Lura Groen, Pastor Ray Rogers, Pastor Charlene Barnes, Roland, Andrew Himes, Eli, Pastor Dick Hembrock, Pastor Rick Ruskauskas, Pastor Dave Bare, Chris, Linda Perry, Caroline Marshall, Pastor John Ranney, Pastor Kathy Rohrbach, Joshua, Glenn, Mike Bossier, Greg, Tara, Bishop George Mocko, Vincent, Jeanette, Jason, and Sharon Gohl;
those who are experiencing natural disasters around the globe;
Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Disaster Response;
the ministry of United Lutheran Seminary and interim President, Dr. Angela Zimmann;
the ongoing healing of the opioid crisis throughout Delaware, Maryland and the nation;
Allison Beebe, Manager for Community Engagement and Granting in our Churchwide organization;
all rostered ministers;
and for all who have unspoken needs.
We pray for our partners in ministry around the world: Bishop Katherine Finegan and the Northern Great Lakes Synod; Bishop Idalia Negrón and the Caribbean Synod; Bishop Matti Repo and the Diocese of Tampere, Finland; Archbishop Urmas Viilma and the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church; and Bishop Michael Adam and the Mara Diocese, Tanzania.
We pray for our bishops, Bill Gohl and Elizabeth Eaton.
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Each week, Bishop Gohl will be writing for our synod blog. We'll share a teaser and a link to the blog in the E-Letter. This week on the blog: Feasting versus fasting.
"William Arthur Ward (1921-1994), an American author, teacher, and pastor suggested that there was sometimes a shallowness to the typical Lenten fast from meat, chocolate or alcohol. Dr. Ward pressed those in his care to think more deeply about fasting from something intrinsically destructive cultivates renewal of the heart, mind, and spirit."
You can read the rest here.
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Domestic Hunger Grants available
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The Hunger Task Force invites our congregations and partners to consider applying for an ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant, part of the ELCA World Hunger program. These grants support initiatives that seek to address hunger-related issues in the local community. A congregation or organization must register before submitting an application. The registration period is March 18-May 8, and the application timeline is April 1-May 22. You can find more information about registering and applying online, or you may email Pastor Fred Melton.
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Noisy Change offering at Synod Assembly
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Isaiah encourages us, "Your light rises as you feed the hungry" (58:10). Once again our synod will have a Noisy Change offering at Synod Assembly. Each congregation is encouraged to hold an offering at their church and bring $20 of it to our Assembly. The remainder should be mailed to the synod office in the form of a check. This year's offering will be shared 50/50 between local hunger ministries in our synod and the ELCA World Hunger program. For more information, please contact Pastor Fred Melton, Chair of the Hunger Task Force.
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Transformers & Retreat 345
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Registration is now open for Transformers, our middle school leadership retreat, and Retreat 345, our new retreat for students in grades 3-5! Transformers will be held March 20-22, and Retreat 345 will be held March 21-22 - both at Mar-Lu-Ridge. Each congregation may send four youth and one adult advisor to Transformers. Retreat 345 participants do not need to attend with a congregational group, and families are welcome. You can click the name of each retreat above to learn more and register.
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Upcoming Congregational Events
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On Sunday, March 8, at 4 p.m. Columbia Pro Cantare will present a concert at First Lutheran Church (3604 Chatham Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042). Under the theme "Celebrating Women Composers," the chorus, along with instruments, presents this concert in honor of the 100th anniversary of women's voting rights. Tickets may be purchased in advance online.
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St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church (1803 Dundalk Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21222) will host their annual prayer breakfast on Saturday, March 7 at 9 a.m. The speaker will be Pastor Arwyn Gohl, and the Helping Up Mission's men's chorus will perform. The donation for entry is $7. For reservations please call Sherma Quick at 443-943-7158.
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The Hafenmusik concert series presents The Stetson University Concert Choir on Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church (701 S Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21230). The program will include works by Bach, Tchesnokov, Nystedt, and recent 21st-century American composers in a variety of beautiful sacred music, beloved hymns and world folk melodies. For more information, please contact Daniel Aune or download the flier.
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All Saints Lutheran Church (4215 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21218) will host a community forum titled "Breaking Barriers: Building Partnerships" on Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a showing of a film about a teen girl who witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer; she must find her voice and stand up for what's right. Afterward, there will be an opportunity to engage in dialogue with neighbors, police, community associations, and legislators. This is a free event open to all. No reservations required. For more information, please call the church office at 410-889-8458.
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Christus Victor Lutheran Church (9833 Harford Road, Parkville, MD 21234) will be hosting a fishbowl panel conversation about sexuality and gender on Sunday, March 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. You can learn more and reserve a free ticket online. For more information, please contact the church office at 410-668-8089.
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Youth + Family Ministries
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Registration is now open for Transformers, our middle school leadership retreat, and Retreat 345, our new retreat for students in grades 3-5! Transformers will be held March 20-22, and Retreat 345 will be held March 21-22 - both at Mar-Lu-Ridge. Each congregation may send four youth and one adult advisor to Transformers. Retreat 345 participants do not need to attend with a congregational group, and families are welcome. You can click the name of each retreat above to learn more and register.
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Consider sharing and using this Lenten devotion, "Walking with Jesus ~ A Journey to the Cross," with your congregation. It has a focus on giving and generosity and was created by our very own Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Bel Air, Maryland. It follows the narrative lectionary but can be used by anyone! You can download it here.
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Campus Ministry trivia night
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Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry in Baltimore will host their sixth annual trivia night and silent auction on Saturday, March 28 at Epiphany Lutheran Church (4301 Raspe Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21206). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and trivia begins at 6 p.m. Teams may consist of up to eight people. The cost is $20 per person, and a taco bar dinner is included. Childcare is available for $10 for the first child, $2 for each additional child. You can learn more and register online.
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Lutheran Home and Hospital Foundation grants
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Health and Wellness Project Grants
The Lutheran Home and Hospital Foundation provides grants to support ministries and projects that address or support health and wellness, involve Lutherans, and are based in the greater Baltimore region. Over the last five years, the Lutheran Home and Hospital Foundation has distributed more than $1.5 million in grants. The spring 2020 deadline for grants is March 1. Because of several major commitments, for this round of grants, there will be a limited number of micro-grants (those under $2,500). For an application, please contact LHHF Executive Director, the Rev. Michael Dubsky, by email or at 410-258-0398.
New Healthy Rostered Pastor and Rostered Deacon Renewal and Sabbatical Grants
The Lutheran Home and Hospital Foundation is launching a new grant program to support Rostered Pastors and Deacons in Maryland and Delaware with their health and wellness by offering grants to support renewal programs and sabbaticals. Grants will be given to congregations to support their Rostered Pastors and Deacons. Grants may be used for sabbatical activities and/or replacement coverage (grant maximum of $7,500). In the past year, five sabbaticals were funded. For those who are unable to take a formal sabbatical, grants may be offered to participate in LHHF approved renewal programs like the Leading Well retreats. If you are interested in the retreats, please contact Pastor Dubsky in September. Last year, LHHF was able to fund five people who attended Leading Well. For information, please contact LHHF Executive Director, the Rev. Michael Dubsky, by email.
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The Celebration of Lay Ministry is a celebratory dinner event, featuring a keynote speaker, to recognize and award those people who participate in lay ministry across the Delaware-Maryland Synod. The 2020 Celebration of Lay Ministry will be held on Sunday, May 3 from 4-7 p.m. at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, Maryland.
Each conference and social ministry organization is encouraged to nominate one lay person deserving of recognition. You can download the nomination form in PDF and Word formats, as well as the Save the Date. Registration for the dinner will be shared in the coming weeks. You can stay up to date on our website.
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Ash Wednesday, February 26
AM - pericope Bible study
PM - preach & ashes, Carroll Lutheran School
EVE - preach & preside, Holy Apostles & St. Stephen (Arbutus)
Thursday, February 27
AM - breakfast with a seminary Vicar
PM - office appointments
Friday, February 28
Sabbath
PM - Funeral for Pastor John Fehringer, ULS Gettysburg Chapel
Saturday, February 29
DAY - LEAD Learning Seminar, Salem (Catonsville)
Sunday, March 1
AM - worship & adult forum, Christ (Inner Harbor)
EVE - Dinner Church Anniversary, Good Shepherd (Wilmington)
Monday, March 2
AM - office appointments
PM - mobile office, Anne Arundel Conference
Tuesday, March 3
AM - staff meeting
PM - office appointments
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Each week, we'll share some of the planned congregational visits and travels of members of our synod staff. If you would like to schedule a member of the staff to visit your congregation, please contact them directly.
The Rev. Amsalu Geleta, Executive Assistant to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission
The Rev. Robin Simpson Litton, Assistant to the Bishop for Mobility and Leadership
- Sunday, March 1 - call vote for St. Luke's, Cumberland (as a new shared ministry with Trinity, Keyser)
- Sunday, March 8 - call vote for St. Paul's, Cumberland
Karen Johnson Kretschmann, Associate for Generosity
- Now-March 21 - away from the office
- Saturday, March 21 - Connectedness Team Meeting, First, Ellicott City
- Sunday, March 22 - Generosity Project workshop, Reformation, Milford
- Tuesday, March 24 - Generosity Team retreat
- Thursday, March 26 - Lutheran Alliance Meeting, United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg
- Saturday, March 28 - Leading a Culture of Year-Round Generosity training, St. John, Linthicum
- March 29-April 1 - ELCA Domestic Mission Unit meeting, Chicago
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Here are a few of our upcoming events:
March 20-22: Transformers and Retreat 345 at Mar-Lu-Ridge
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The Ecumenical Stewardship Center makes available a number of resources to support stewardship efforts. For years they have created the valued GIVING Magazine. These resources are available both in hard copy and digitally. In partnership with the ELCA, our synod can provide a limited number of FREE access codes. If you are interested, please email Karen Kretschmann so you can have access to all the resources digitally.
We are Church Together! ELCA members live out this message daily whether they're gathering for worship, service, fellowship or action. Through generous gifts that start in congregational offering plates, our synods and our churchwide organization do ministry in places where no one person or congregation could go on their own. When a congregation invests in ministry through Mission Support, it commits to the work of the church around the block and around the world. We are church together! We often ask, "Where Does Your Offering Go?" Here is an important video that showcases how Mission Support dollars flow from the offering plate to synods to the churchwide organization, advancing ministry in each expression of the ELCA.
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The classified ads listed below are available on our website. To submit an ad, please use the form at the bottom of the webpage.
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Open Positions
Director of Adult Discipleship
Contemporary Worship and Praise Leader
Contemporary Worship Director
Preschool Director
Preschool Teacher's Aide
Maintenance and Facilities Staff
Director of Student Ministries
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Items Available
Grand Piano Dolly
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