Having trouble reading this email? View it on our web site.

Oregon Synod E-news

God's Work. Our Hands.

01.04.08
Around the synod

The Oregon Synod Responded to the Storms that Hit Oregon and Washington
This year the 2008 Oregon Synod Bishop's Convocation was held in Seaside, Oregon. To assist in the relief efforts of those affected by the storms that recently hit Oregon and Washington, congregations were invited to pack and bring boxes of food to restart a family's pantry. Seventy-five boxes averaging about 3,200 pounds were collected and will be delivered to the Oregon coast counties that were affected by the storm.

Over 134 rostered leaders and guests attended this year's Bishop's Convocation. At the Wednesday night worship service an offering of $966 was collected for Lutheran Disaster Response Northwest.

We Still Need Your Help

To assist in with the long-term recovery process you are encouraged to send your donations to :
ELCA Disaster Response , P.O. Box 71764 , Chicago, IL 60694-1764

Make checks payable to: "ELCA Domestic Disaster Response."
Please make sure to mark all donations: "For the Disaster Response in Oregon and/or Washington". More information can be found on the ELCA web site at www.elca.org/disaster. 
 
Funds can also be sent directly to:
Lutheran Disaster Response NW , 605 SE 39th Street, Portland OR  97214.
 
100% of donated money goes directly to service delivery to families and individuals.

For More Information Contact: Norene Goplen, Lutheran Disaster Response-Northwest
Cell:  503-502-6211 LutheranAdvocate@aol.com (preferred) Office:503-731-9519

"After taking the health assessment online I have found it has changed my focus. I have more energy and my working style has improved. I know It will make a huge difference when I am 60 since I am making changes when I am 29."

-Pastor Amanda Wilson,
Ascension, Medford

What is the EmbodyHealth web portal?

The Board of Pensions contracts with Mayo Clinic Health Solutions to make its web portal available to ELCA plan members. This powerful and confidential web site offers you the experience, knowledge and credibility of more than 2,000 Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists.

It is also interactive, presenting you with customized information, suggestions and tools on a range of subjects based on the selections you make in My Health Topics as well as the results of your health risk assessment. The more information you provide, the more customized and interactive the portal becomes for you.

Find Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth at www.elcaforwellness.org.

What does EmbodyHealth have to do with wellness benefits?
Take the health risk assessment and earn a $100 credit.

In less than half an hour, the Mayo Clinic health risk assessment asks you a series of questions about your health and lifestyle, identifies your health risks and immediately delivers to you your own personal health report. You are then awarded a $100 credit to your personal wellness account. This confidential and secure report assesses your health strengths and risks, and suggests actions to help you become healthier or preserve your good health.

Critical: You must take the health risk assessment before you can earn additional personal wellness dollars.

Pursue health improvement activities and earn an additional $200 credit.
When you complete the health risk assessment on EmbodyHealth, you earn 500 health improvement reward points and can begin to pursue learning and health improvement activities on the web portal. These learning activities earn you additional health improvement reward points. When your point total reaches 1,000, an additional $200 will be credited to your personal wellness account for use in 2008.

Help your congregation save money.
The Board of Pensions is offering a one-year-only incentive to encourage you to take the health risk assessment — and to take it as early as possible. If 75% or more of your synod's sponsored plan members and spouses receiving ELCA-primary coverage take the health risk assessment, all the congregations and organizations in your synod will receive a 2% discount on 2008 health contributions starting the month after 75% is reached.

Large organizations (the Lutheran Center, seminaries, Board of Pensions) earn their 2% discount when 75% or more of the sponsored plan members and spouses receiving ELCA-primary coverage in the organization complete the health risk assessment.

Help your congregation or organization save as much money as possible by taking the health risk assessment.

Get computer-ready.
To earn your personal wellness dollars, you'll need to be able to register and log on regularly to the Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth web site. This requires the following:
  1. access to an Internet-connected computer
  2. your own e-mail account
If you don't own a computer or don't have Internet access, ask your employer, a relative or a friend for access. Libraries also offer free access.

If you don't have your own individual e-mail address, you’ll need to set up an e-mail account because Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth requires one as part of the registration process. Using your own e-mail address allows you to log on, take the health risk assessment and earn personal wellness dollars.

Critical: Members and spouses taking the health risk assessment will each need a separate e-mail account.

Another option is to sign up for a free e-mail account. Yahoo! and MSN Hotmail are two common sources. When you sign up for a no-cost e-mail account, be sure to write down your access information, and use the account regularly so it remains active.

Yahoo!
Visit www.mail.yahoo.com and follow the instructions under Sign up for Yahoo!

MSN Hotmail
Visit www.hotmail.com and follow the Sign Up instructions.

February 24
Women of the ELCA to Celebrate Second Annual Bold Women’s Day

Lutheran women who act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ are everywhere, and come from all walks of life. Have you been transformed by your faith in such a way that you feel called to speak and act boldly? If so, you are invited to celebrate Bold Women’s Day on February 24, 2008. Bold Women’s Day was created to celebrate all Lutheran women everywhere, and showcase the many and diverse ways in which we act boldly on our faith in Jesus Christ. A wealth of ideas and promotional materials pertaining to Bold Women’s Day 2008 are available now on the Women of the ELCA web site. Please visit: www.womenoftheelca.org


The January 2008 issue of the Oregon Synod Grapevine of the Oregon Synodical Women of Oregon is now available online at http://www.oregonsynod.org/about/women/January2008.pdf.

Request for college student contact information
Do you know a student who is attending college or university this spring? If so, you can help ensure he/she is welcomed into Lutheran Campus Ministry communities by sending complete local contact information (name/address/ phone/cell-phone number/e-mail address). For those attending Oregon State University, send information to: Luther House, 211 NW 23rd St., Corvallis, OR 97330 or Lhouse@peak.org. To send student referrals electronically to other Lutheran Campus Ministries
in the U.S., go to www.elca.org/campusministry/ and click “Refer a Student.”
Book of Faith Weekly Devotions
Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke is doing a regular devotion online. This resource is a “Bible study tickler."

To read the devotions online, please visit www.oregonsynod.org/bookoffaith/. At this site you may also sign up for the devotions to be sent to your e-mail address. The subscription link can be found on the right hand column of the web site.

You might check out the ELCA web site at http://www.elca.org/bookoffaith/ t o find out more about “Book of Faith.”
Oregon Synod Staff Working Days
Starting on January 1, 2008, the Oregon Synod Office will be closed on Mondays.
You are encouraged to leave a message.

Save the Date
January 31
Climbing the Mountain with Matthew
7:00 pm -8:00 pm
Did you miss the "Christmas Bowl" with Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke? The “Christmas Bowl” was an experiment in stretching beyond our congregational boundaries and being together as a synod.
It was relatively successful and has encouraged us to try this type of meeting one more time. Bishop Dave will be holding an on-line "Climbing the Mountain with Matthew" seminar on January 31st. This time audio will be included. Information on this event will be coming after the first of the year. Keep on the lookout.

SAVE THE DATE!
February 2

Oregon Synod Global Mission Event
Zoar Lutheran Church, Canby, Oregon
9:00 am -3:30 pm

download PDF flyer

Speaker:
Bishop Victoria Cortez Rodriguez of the Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) vice president for the Latin America and Caribbean region.

What Happens?
Discover a global community of God’s grace with other congregations, families, youth, and seniors.
All ages are welcome! Global Kids, the children’s program for ages 5-12, introduces a global perspective through the use of crafts, music, games and education.

Why Should I Come?
Network with others, hear Bishop Cortez, and participate in workshops:

• Introduction to Islam
• Glimpse of daily life of
women in the Arab World
• Meet Missionaries from
China, Madagascar, Ethiopia
• Take Action for Fair Trade
• Young Adults in Global Mission
• Cultural Sensitivity/Awareness
• And Many More


Stamp out Hunger and fill God’s Global Barnyard with pigs, goats, and chickens.
Bring your offering to the event.


Contact: Delores Vilstrop, at 503-654-0037.

In God's Name
Previously aired on CBS Television Network December 23, 2007,
9:00p.m. (ET/PT)

ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson is one of 12 "of the world's most influential religious leaders" featured in a Prime time two-hour television special event on CBS, December 23 – "In God's Name" Produced by Jules and Gedeon Naudet, the diverse and powerful voices offer provocative, compelling and enlightening perspectives on myriad issues in our post-9/11 world, including the rise of terrorism, fanaticism, intolerance and war.
For more information, visit www.elca.org/ingodsname.

The producers of the CBS documentary, "In God's Name" expect the program to be available on DVD in the next few months. At that time, the DVD can be purchased in most major outlets
where DVDs are sold (i.e., Target, Best Buy, Amazon.com, etc.)

Other Highlights
To read the complete description of the event, please visit www.oregonsynod.org//publication/events.php

Sundays in Starting in January
“Light in Winter” Concert Series

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 3880 SE Brooklyn Street, on SE 39th Avenue between SE Division & Powell Blvd.
4:00 pm on Sundays from January 6-February 3
For more information call: 503-236-2389. Admission Free (donations welcome)

January 13
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Augustana, 2710 NE 14th Ave., Portland, OR 97212
6:00 pm - Jazz Service
Visit www.augustana.org for more information.

January 20
Annual Interfaith Service for Peace
Augustana, 2710 NE 14th Ave., Portland, OR 97212
4:00 pm
Visit www.augustana.org for more information.

January 17—February 21 (7-9 pm- evening courses)
February 9 & 23, 2008
(8 am—5:30 pm-all day courses)
Basic Preparation for Parish Nurses & Health Ministers

University of Portland, Franz Hall Room 214, 5000 North Willamette Blvd.
Download PDF brochure with registration form

January 26
Confronting Crises and Finding Inner Peace: A Writing Workshop with Nan Phifer

Shalom Prayer Center, 840 S. Main St., Mt. Angel, OR
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
www.memoirworkshops.com.
Questions: call 503-845-6773 or e-mail shalom@mtangel.net. Register by January 23
 

January 22 – March 4
Sacred Dance as Meditation, Prayer, and Celebration: Reclaiming Our Heritage

Dances for Lent & Easter
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral – Kempton Hall, 147 NW 19th Avenue, Portland, OR
Tuesday Evenings, 7 – 9:00pm, $45
For more information and to register for this class contact The Center at 503-478-1218 or visit our web site: www.center-for-spiritual-development.org.

Holden May Youth Weekends Registration Opens Soon
Registration for the 2008 Holden Youth Weekends opens February 1, 2008. The dates for the 2008 weekends are May 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, and 25-27.  More information is available at www.tlc.edu/cyfcenter or email holdenmyw@tlc.edu

February 2
Eighth Day Network Gathering
12:00 - 4:00 pm
Enterbeing , 1603 NE Alberta, Portland
Please RSVP for lunch to Mark Douglass at eighth.day@earthlink.net, or call 971-570-2118.

February 15-17
"Manna and Mercy: Traveling through the Bible with wit and whimsy."

Speaker: Pastor Dan Erlander
Atonement Lutheran, 2315 N Coast Hwy, Newport
Please contact Alice and Bruce McCain at amccain@newportnet.com if you have questions.

February 13, 2009
Consultation to Clergy 40th Anniversary
Future of Ministry: Adaptation or Extinction

Pacific Lutheran University
A symposium sponsored by Consultation to Clergy and Pacific Lutheran University
Guest speakers: Michael Kerr, director of the Bowen Center for Study of the Family
Professor John Haught, Theologian at Georgetown University.

Position Openings
To view a complete listing of position opening around the synod visit: www.oregonsynod.org//congregations/positions.php.