Virginia Synod Christmas 1 Worship 2021

The Office of the Bishop will provide worship for Christmas 1 (December 26, 2021) in the following ways:
  • Streamed through Peace & Hope on December 26. Send all your online worship to Peace & Hope. Worship link: www.peacehopeva.org/worship
  • Pre-recorded and available for download on Vimeo for you to upload to your online platforms. Available by end of the day on December 15.
  • Digital worship materials for download to use in your worship planning.
Download the order of worship for congregational use here: A Thrill of Hope: Lessons & Carols for Christmas.
Download the prerecorded video for congregational use here: A Thrill of Hope: Lessons & Carols for Christmas
This file will download from Google Drive. Please note the following things:
-If you upload this to your platforms, you will need to list your congregation’s Sunday & Seasons License and OneLicense numbers in the video description.
-The bulletin has the words for the Nicene Creed, but the Apostles’ Creed is in the video. You may need to make adjustments.
-All words are on the screen.
Please let Pastor Colleen Montgomery (montgomery@vasynod.org) if you need help with any of these worship resources.

Virginia Synod Social Media Workshops

Advent & Christmas Content Creation Workshop

Held on Tuesday, November 16

In this workshop we worked together to brainstorm ideas for Advent and Christmas social media content and worked on content calendars and design too.

If you missed the workshop, but would like a sneak peak at some of the materials, you can download use this Content Planner for your ministry.

Contact Pastor Colleen Montgomery, Director for Digital Ministry, at montgomery@vasynod.org if you have any questions.

Hark! The Herald Facebookers Sing!

Online Engagement & Evangelism Training for Christmas 2021

Monday, December 6 – 7-8pm

Liking, commenting, and sharing on Facebook is a means of evangelism and outreach. In this training session learn why and how to do it authentically! This training is for lay people of all ages (and rostered ministers) to empower you to share your faith with your Facebook feed. Congregations are welcome to join as a group. You can submit specific questions ahead of time to be sure they get addressed. Contact Pastor Colleen Montgomery (montgomery@vasynod.org) with questions. Register here.

Luther Seminary invites you to use the 2021 Advent devotional, “Filled with Hope and Gratitude” for personal or congregational use this Advent.

Resources from Ministry Partners & Congregations

Lutheran World Relief Advent Resources

Lutheran World Relief has created FREE, easy-to-use resources based on the RCL Advent texts from the Gospel of Luke, all available at lwr.org/advent:

    • 4 weeks of new sermon illustrations (complete with photos and video)
    • 4 powerful videos to highlight your congregation’s love in action around the world
    • 4-week small group Bible study guides
    • Candle lighting litany

Invite your congregation to experience A Season of Hope this Advent.

LWR Advent Resources

Celebrate Advent with new ELCA World Hunger Advent Resources

ELCA World Hunger’s Advent resources are designed to equip you and your congregation in your work to end hunger and poverty. Through God’s work and together as a church, we are achieving things on a scale and scope we could never do alone.

ELCA World Hunger Advent Resources

This is a family faith formation activity shared with us from St. Philip, Roanoke.

Download Journey to the Stable. Note: You’ll want to edit and update to fit your context.

Let us journey to the stable to celebrate the newborn Prince of Peace! As we approach Christmas day, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are on a journey. Culturally, this season is one of busyness, consumerism, and activity. For the faithful, Advent is a season of hope, waiting, anticipation, and wonder. But Advent can also be a season of activity! We’re actively pondering God’s gifts of love as we approach Christmas. 

Use this resource to be active in the hopefulness, the anticipation, and the wonder as you explore the stories of how God’s love is made known in the coming of Jesus.  To give opportunity for deeper reflection and new insights from this powerful story, you are invited to visit stations throughout your community. You may complete the stations in a timeframe that makes sense for you and your family. It would be helpful for you to bring a Bible, or look the verses up on your phone, and perhaps something to take notes with as you go about the stations. 

Each of the stations are listed below with a coordinating text, short reflection and prayer. As you approach each station, read the scripture passage and see how this new place where you are reading it resonates or conflicts with the scenes of the text. You are then invited to move to the reflection and prayer. Take as long as you need at each station, give yourself time to delve into the story, the setting, and how God is speaking to you through them.

Thank you to Pastor Laura Swanson for sharing this resource!

Giving Opportunities

Dollars 4 Scholars – Supporting families of pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG)
The Virginia Synod invites you and your congregation to make a Special Offering to support scholarships for the Children of our Partner Papua New Guinea Pastors. This program enables Pastors to send their children to school without worrying about how to fund the annual school fees.
Fundraising goal = $15,000/year (about $100/congregation!).
Annual School Fees:
  • $50 – Elementary Student (<$1/week)
  • $100 – Primary School Student (<$2/week)
  • $300 – Secondary School Student (<$25/month)
  • $500 – College Student
  • $500 – Seminary Student
Checks sent to Virginia Synod Dollars 4 Scholars, PO Box 70, Salem, VA 24153. Make sure to include Dollars 4 Scholars on the check memo line.
*Recurring payments can be set up through the Synod website.
Listed as “PNG Dollars for Scholars” on the “Give” Page or by clicking here.

ELCA Good Gifts are an excellent option to replace traditional holiday gift-giving with something more meaningful. Each gift in honor of a loved one supports the lifesaving ministries of our church and the people we serve — one goat, water well, or school uniform at a time.

How it works:

  • Choose your gift. Give the gifts that mean the most to you, or choose gifts to give in honor of someone special.
  • Get a card to share with the person you have given in honor of. Mail, print or email a card to share the news of your gift with friends and loved ones.
  • Make and impact. Your gifts support the ministries of the ELCA in nearly 80 countries around the world.

Learn more and view the entire ELCA Good Gifts catalog by clicking here.

Want to plan an ELCA Good Gifts Giving Fair for your congregation? Check out these resources to help you plan!

Hope for the Holidays is an annual Christmas card and present program for children, families, and adults who recently immigrated to the United States.

Learn more about this program and get all the details you need to get involved at this link. Cards are due December 3, 2021. Financial donations can be given online through the end of the year.

If you’re interested in serving the Afghan community, you can give a gift card or partner with local agencies. You can fill out their volunteer form to get more connected. There is more information available by clicking here.

Advent and Christmas Graphics