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09.26.07
Around the Oregon Synod...
September 22
Installation of Bishop David Brauer-Rieke
To view photos visit www.oregonsynod.org
or to read The Oregonian Press Coverage
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/living/1190512510163900.xml&coll=7
 
October 4 - 9
Bishop Brauer-Rieke to attend Conference of Bishops in Chicago
Each of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elects a bishop to serve as the synod's chief pastor and to exercise administrative oversight of the synod's work. Bishops serve for six-year terms and may be reelected. In addition to their synodical responsibilities, the 65 synodical bishops join the Presiding Bishop and ELCA Secretary to form the Conference of Bishops [CoB]. This 67-member group gathers at least twice each year for worship and study, mutual sharing and to conduct business. While primarily advisory [with the Church Council being the ELCA's board of directors], the role of the Conference of Bishops is significant within the life of this church. The conference elects its own officers, has seven standing committees and a representative to each churchwide board or steering committee. The conference has a particular role in matters related to rostered leaders, reviewing proposals from Vocation and Education before they are passed along to the Church Council for adoption. The conference advises the Presiding Bishop in matters related to churchwide planning and ecumenical relations.
 
The October 2007 Update is now available on line at www.oregonsynod.org/resources/newsletter/07update/07october.pdf.
 
We Need Your Help
The Oregon Synod is preparing to revamp the "Update" newsletter into a format better to suit the needs of the Oregon Synod readers. Please consider taking our survey.
Click here to take a survey on the communication of the synod!
 
Cancelled
September 28-29- Godly Play Training
St. Mark, 5415 SE Powell Blvd., Portland
 

Stewardship Fall Cluster Events
Spend an evening or an afternoon with sparkling, dynamic people including our new bishop. The synod stewardship committee is sponsoring the fall cluster gatherings this year at seven locations around the state. Please look at the schedule below to determine which meeting will best meet your schedule. Put this date on your calendar today.

September 29 – Zion, La Grande;12:30-2:30 pm
September 30 – Zion, Redmond;1:00-3:00 pm
October 16 – Calvary, Grants Pass; 7:00-9:00 pm
October 17 – Gloria Dei, Coos Bay; 6:30-8:30 pm
October 23 – St Andrew, Beaverton; 7:00-9:00 pm
October 24 – Our Savior, Salem; 7:00-9: 00pm
October 25 – Creator, Clackamas; 7:00-9:00 pm
 
Is your congregation planning to use a Commitment Sunday or Consecration Sunday stewardship program this fall? If so, NOW is the time to reserve your speaker. Please contact Becky Brown, the synod stewardship chair, at 503-244-1797 or becky.brown@comcast.net to start the process of matching a speaker with your congregation. The synod has excellent people that want to help your congregation grow in generosity. Please be prepared to share your theme for this year so that we can match you with the best speaker.
 
October 5-7
Walking Boldly With God
Oregon Synodical Women Convention
Jantzen Beach Red Lion, Portland
Speakers include Charlene Spillman and Sonja Hinderlie. Deaconess Halina Radacz from Poland will be a guest at the convention. For registration information please contact: Charlene Beedle, Registrar at 503-581-7588.
     

October 12-13
Encouraging One Another For Living Faithfully
Resurrection, 1700 NE 132nd
Portland, OR

We are thrilled to have such great speakers, Marty Haugen and Susan Briehl, this year at Living Faithfully. This is an intergenerational event with activities for ALL ages. Bring your kids! The Children's Program will be directed by Camp Lutherwood Staff and an exciting program is planned for the junior and high school youth. We encourage you to share this information with your congregation.

Don't delay registering for Living Faithfully
Registrations Rates for Living Faithfully Prior to October 1st are:

Includes three meals
• $45/ person
• $20/per youth or child
• $125 family maximum
After October 2nd:
Includes three meals
• $50/person
• $25/per youth or child

Living Faithfully Resources For You
available at www.oregonsynod.org/livingfaith07/livingfaith07.php.

Housing
Clarion Hotel, 11518 NE Glenn Widing Drive, Portland, OR 97220
503-252-2222 or 1-800-205-7892
Rate: $69.00 plus tax Ask for Living Faithfully rate.
For additional program information, please call the Oregon Synod office at
503-413-4191 or visit www.oregonsynod.org/livingfaith07/livingfaith07.php
     
October 24-25
Coming of Age . . . It's a Book, It's a Conference, It's a Movement in the church to "come of age" and reach out to and connect with younger men
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Beaverton (Portland), OR
There is a particular crisis happening today in the church. Our younger men from the ages of 18 to 35 are most often missing. Look around. In large measure they are gone. The church is increasingly aware of the absence of young adults, especially males. The largest gap between the general population and the demographics of the church is the ages between 18 and 35. In partnership with Lutheran Men in Mission, The Youth & Family Institute is networking with men’s groups and church structures across the United States to promote understanding and outreach to younger men.
Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) is the men's ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For more information visit http://www.youthandfamilyinstitute.org/ComingofAgeMinistry.asp.
 
All Hallows EveOctober 31
All Hallows Eve Open House
Oregon Synod Office
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Because Pastor Zane Wilson's faithful work in the church is such an inspiration..you are invited to take time out to acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of his leadership.

In honor of Zane we encourage you to wear a 'Zany' hat to this celebration!
 
Fact, Tips, and Ideas for October 31
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the Castle Church door. He sought to debate points of doctrine, especially the role of faith and works in our salvation.

Reformation Day in Lutherstadt Wittenberg is an incredible experience -- worship, special exhibits, a Renaissance Fair, concerts, an annual disputation.  In Wittenberg, October 31st is a holiday that invites guests from all over the world to celebrate.  We invite your congregation to consider a program that includes celebrating Reformation Day in the "Reformation City".  Pastor Richard Bruesehoff will be leading a program. "Roots of Lutheran Spirituality" from October 27 - November 9, 2007, that will include Reformation Day in Wittenberg. Visit http://www.elca.org/wittenberg/ for more information.

Halloween
(taken from 101 Faith Place -http://www.elca.org/christianeducation/faith/101faith.html)

  • As you shop for Halloween costumes, talk about how much fun it is to dress up and pretend to be somebody else. Have them name the person or character they would most like to be and share reasons for their choice. Ask them how they would dress if they were going to be like Jesus. How would they act? What would they say or do?
     
  • After you finish "trick or treating," take off your costumes and have an "I like you just the way you are" party. Share a nutritious treat while you recognize silly and serious things you admire about each other and say a prayer of thanks for each person just as they are.
     
  • Arrange the candy in specific categories as you do a safety check on them. Comment on the size of the inventory and the generosity of your neighbors and friends. Point out the significance of sharing what you have with others.
     
  • Consider handing out heart balloons or a note attached to your treats saying, "God thinks you're a treat!" or "God loves you with or without that costume on!"

    Fair Trade Chocolate is Booo-ti-ful!
    Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates and Global Exchange have teamed up to create a highly anticipated Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat candy, making this the first Halloween season in the U.S. where consumers are able to hand out chocolate to candy lovers without fear of supporting child slavery and destroying habitats. The individually wrapped chocolates will be sold in bags of 36 or as part of a Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat kit. The kit will also include Halloween decorations, a ghostly poster for the window identifying your home as a Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat household, and more! Each piece of Halloween chocolate will proudly display the Fair Trade Certified label, guaranteeing that the chocolate was produced under fair and safe working conditions. Order the Halloween Fair Trade Chocolate kit here >

     
"Save the Date"
November 10-12
OLYO High School Youth Gathering
(Veteran’s Day weekend—Saturday—Monday)
Ebb Tide Hotel, Seaside
The theme is Weathering the Storm.
Cost: $90

If you are interested in attending, or have specific questions about this event please contact us at: OregonLYO@gmail.com. There will be more info coming soon, including registration forms.
 
Resources...
Contribution Rates for the ELCA Benefit Plan
The ELCA Board of Pensions has published its 2008 Contribution Rates for the ELCA Benefit Plan.

To review the Oregon Synod Rate Class Assignment
vist https://www.elcabop.org.
 

Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries
Basic Parish Nurse (BPN)/Health Minister Class Schedule 2007-2008
metropn@spiritone.com Phone: 503-413-2341 www.parishnurseministry.org
download schedule

October 18 and 19 and November 1, 2 & 3
Basic Preparation for Parish Nurses & Health Ministers
download brochure
 
Other Highlights
For complete event descriptions visit the Oregon Synod events page at www.oregonsynod.org/resources/events.php
 

September 30
Celebrate the 400th birthday of Lutheran hymn-writer Paul Gerhardt
St Michael's Lutheran Church, 6700 NE 29th Avenue at Dekum, Portland (near Concordia).
4:00 pm
Sing your favorites (O Sacred Head; Now Rest; etc) led by four organists and choir at a hymn festival of Paul Gerhardt hymns. Contact: rkwrye@teleport.com.

October 2
Green Building and Renovations for Congregation
Presented by the Oregon Interfaith Power and Light (OIPL),
a project of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.
St. Andrew, 12405 SW Butner Road, Beaverton
11:00 am - 4:30 pm
A practical workshop to help congregations save money and care for the earth. 
Topics will include principles of energy-efficient building, why energy is a spiritual issue, case studies of successful projects, getting the results you want - how to work with contractors and architects, Energy Trust of Oregon and OIPL programs and resources, generating energy on-site, financing and rebate opportunities available to congregations, integrating energy efficiency with aesthetic and spiritual concerns, and tips for working with your congregation.
The cost is $30. Lunch is provided for a suggested donation of $8.

October 9
Clergy End-of-Life Program
Helping clergy and lay leaders enhance ministry to individuals and families at life's end
First United Methodist, 1838 SW Jefferson St., Portland
9:30 am-4:30 pm
This workshop integrates spirituality with the end of life journey as it is lived out daily in communities of faith. Workshop is free. Pre-registration is required. For mor information call 503-574-2900.

October 18
38th Collins Lecture
Featuring EJ Dionne, Jr, and Conference: "From Despair to Hope—An Interreligious Response to the Crisis of Poverty." Download registration brochure.

NEW-October 25
Dave Lippman, Political Satirist, Performs in Portland
7:00-9:00 pm
 A Benefit for the Foundation for Self Sufficiency in Central America
First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 13th and Alder (Eliot Chapel)

A well know political satirist, Dave Lippman (www.davelippman.com) will be in Portland to perform at special benefit for the Foundation for Self Sufficiency in Central America, a small NGO which supports efforts for sustainability in El Salvador. FSSCA supports peasant-led sustainable development and environmental projects in rural El Salvador. Projects include organic farming, drip irrigation, mangrove restoration and native fruit tree planting. (The greatest opportunity to sequester carbon in reforestation efforts is in the tropics including El Salvador.) For information on FSSCA see: http://www.fssca.net.

FSSCA was founded by famed El Salvadoran Peace Activist, Jose" Chencho" Alas, who was the executive director for 10 years. The new acting director of the foundation, Sean Hale, will be in Portland for the event and will present an update on what is happening in El Salvador and with the 120 rural communities we serve. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and to learn about participating in future delegations to
El Salvador. Through the grassroots work of FSSCA the people of Latin America are empowered by creating a sustainable livelihood.

$10 donation. Tickets available at the door.

Sponsored by: the Peace Action Committee of the Unitarian Church, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and the Portland Central American Solidarity Committee (PCASC)

More info about the founder of FSSCA: Chencho" Alas began his priesthood in 1961 working with the poor in his native El Salvador. Since that time he has been a founder or member of numerous peace, social justice, and environmental organizations. In the 1970s he narrowly escaped death at the hands of the El Salvador military and had to flee the country for 15 years during its civil war. He has received many humanitarian awards for his work among the poor of Latin America, including the Peace Abbey's "Courage of Conscience" Award, which has also been awarded to Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.

Sean Hale's visit to Portland will be to build solidarity, expand FSSCA's already growing support group here and to invite more people to join educational delegations to El Salvador. He will be addressing several issues such as current human rights abuses in El Salvador and the immigration issue.

Contact: Sher Davidson, 503-452-3928 (sh52gd@pacifier.com)

NEW-Save the Date
October 30
Mr. Salil Shetty, the Director of the Millennium Campaign for the United Nations
St.Luke, 6835 SW 46th Avenue (near Gabriel Park), Portland
7:00 pm 
The Millennium Campaign is based on the Millennium Development Goals that set a framework to end extreme poverty by 2015. In 2007, we are halfway there. Mr. Shetty's compelling presentation addresses how far we have come and what obstacles remain. This is a unique opportunity to hear first hand how the MDG's are working, and how we can help implement them. For more information on the Millennium campaign, go to www.millenniumcampaign.org&nbs p;. All are welcome. Free.

Mr. Shetty joined the United Nations in 2003 as the Director of the Millennium Campaign. In the last four years, Mr. Shetty has played a key role in building up the advocacy campaign for the MDG's in 50 countries. Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Shetty was the chief executive of ActionAid, a leading international development NGO. There he worked in the field in sub-Sahara Africa and in South Asia and in fundraising and advocacy programs in the United States and Europe.

NEW-November 4
Open House for grand reopening of the Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP)
Luther Memorial, 4800 NE 72nd (corner of NE 72nd and Wygant), Portland.
Join us at our new location for tours, refreshments and guest speakers including State Senator Avel Gordly, the pastor of Luther Memorial Rev. Greg Ames, and a representative of the Cully Association of Neighbors. All are welcome to attend at no charge. For questions, please call 503-221-1054.

After over 20 years, EMO's NEFP is moving and becoming “Northeast Emergency Food Program at Luther Memorial.” With an expanded program, NEFP will offer a shopping-style pantry, allowing people to “shop” for groceries according to the quantities consistent NEFP standards based on family size. This approach will enhance the experience for food recipients and should reduce waste or returns, allowing people to get food they like and better fit their needs and preferences.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations—including Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox bodies—congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry programs, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.

November 11
Preaching Engagement Featuring President Richard Bliese, Luther Seminary
St. Mathew, 10390 SW Canyon Rd., Beaverton, OR
Services: 8:30 am, 9:45 am, and 11:00 am
For more information contact the Office of Seminary Relations at 888-358-8437 or semrel@luthersem.edu.

NEW-November 16-November17
Church isn’t what I’m looking for … or is it?
Augustana, 2710 NE 14th Avenue (near Lloyd Center), Portland
A workshop for lay leaders and pastors interested in doing ministry with people in their 20’s and 30’s with Kristen Glass, director for Young Adult Ministry for the Vocation and Education Unit of the ELCA. A major concern of congregational leaders is how to engage young adults (people in their 20's and 30's) in vibrant and effective ministry.

This workshop will introduce pastors and lay leaders to the current generation of young adults, and to the very distinctive ways in which they approach the world and their spiritual lives. We will engage in conversation together about how the unique gifts and longings of this generation can shape our ministry with them.

Have you heard about the Quarter-Life Crisis? The term Post-modernity? The book, Millennials Rising? The movement called the Emerging Church? Facebook and MySpace and text messaging? You will leave this workshop not only knowing more about all these topics but with a heightened awareness and interest in a promising new generation of young people in our midst. We will explore how to tap into congregational strengths that can be a natural connecting point for young adults. We will also learn how the congregation can be a place of energizing, effective and engaging ministry with young adults and a catalyst for intergenerational partnership centered around " what really matters" in the world.

Glass is responsible for providing leadership and facilitating the collaboration, cooperation and coordination of ministry with young adults (18-30 year olds). Prior to serving at the churchwide office, Kristen was program associate for the Center for Vocational Reflection at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. She also worked as a curriculum developer at Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Her ministry includes working with the 28 Colleges and Universities and 8 seminaries of the ELCA, and outdoor ministry sites as well as working with national and global ecumenical partners. Kristen is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader on themes relating to young adults, lifestyle, culture, and faith formation.

Schedule:
November 16, 6:30 PM– 9:00 PM (includes a light supper)
November 17, 9:30 AM – Noon (Breakfast is available at 8:30 AM)

Sponsored by Lutheran Educational Network & Support (www.lensnw.org)

Position Opening and Other InformationFor a complete list of job position openings visit www.oregonsynod.org/resources/positions.php

Forty new copies of Rick Warren’s “40 Days of Community Workbook – Better Together – What on Earth Are We Here For?” are available for the cost of shipping.  Contact Shosh Meyer, shoshm@stmatthewlutheran.org, if interested.

Congregational Secretary/Administrative Assistant
Bethel, 5658 N Denver Ave., Portland, OR 97217
This position is part-time, up to 15 hours/week. Bethel is seeking someone who can work Tuesdays-Fridays, 10:00 am-2:00 pm. There is a weekly staff meeting held on Wednesdays at 1:30 pm. The compensation rate is $10.00/hr.

For more information or to apply, contact: Bethel Lutheran Church at the address above or call 503-285-4919 or e-mail at bethellutheran@bethelpdx.org.