7 COVID-19 Reminders and Resources
As followers of Jesus, we are called to look not simply to our own needs, but to love our neighbor and to consider the interests of others. (Phllippians 2:3-4). In the midst of so much [...]
Outdoor Ministry Continues at Caroline Furnace
For the first time in over 60 years, we did not have overnight Summer Camp at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp & Retreat Center. However, outdoor ministry is so much more than Summer Camp! When we [...]
Virtual Kairos 2020
Virtual Kairos, our Virginia Synod youth event for rising 9th through 12th graders, concluded last week. This year’s event may have looked a lot different as participants gathered virtually, but so much of what makes [...]
Micah Street Church: A Community of Hope is Born
In 2005, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist and Episcopal congregations in downtown Fredericksburg came together to form Micah Ecumenical Ministries to support individuals experiencing homelessness. The organization provides day services, organizes winter shelter, assists with [...]
Living Water Lutheran Church Gives $1,000 to Food Bank
In the months since the coronavirus pandemic began imposing restrictions on churches, affecting everything from how they conduct worship services to how they meet their financial obligations, the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church [...]
Power in the Spirit 2020 Online
Power in the Spirit took shape last week as a fully online event hosted for free for anyone who wanted to take part. From Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10, Power in the Spirit [...]
Should We? Or, Shouldn’t We? Returning to In-person, Inside Worship
You all have seen the headlines. The one today that caught my attention is: “Churches Were Eager to Reopen. Now They Are a Major Source of Coronavirus Cases.” The subtext reads, “The virus has infiltrated [...]
Virginia Forward Phase 3: Guidance for Congregational Leaders
Office of the Bishop Statement on Virginia Forward Phase 3 PDF As legal barriers to gathering again in-person are relaxed, the Office of the Bishop acknowledges the understandable desire to gather in-person. Therefore, we [...]
2020 Virtual Youth Assembly
On Saturday, June 13th, the Virginia Synod Virtual Youth Assembly connected over 70 youth and adult leaders throughout our synod in a new way. Attendees joined in a Zoom meeting from their homes, a change [...]
Emanuel Nine & Juneteenth – Bishop Bob Humphrey’s Statement on Racism
As we prepare to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the murders of nine Black members of a Bible study group in the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church by a white Lutheran (ELCA)-raised man [...]