Tapestry Team
Tapestry’s mission is to empower congregations in the Virginia Synod to be boldly inclusive in matters of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility while walking with God and guided by the Holy Spirit to bring healing, reconciliation, and justice. Tapestry provides resources, facilitates conversations, and fosters networking across the Virginia Synod in order to advocate for God’s desire to weave a rich and diverse Body of Christ!The Tapestry Team of the Virginia Synod has four Threads to address social justice issues throughout the year: Racial Justice, LGBTQIA+ Inclusion, Care of Creation Justice, and Justice for Women. Tapestry has Thread Teams devoted to planning events around these justice areas. NOW is the time to express your interest in participating in any or all of these teams! To get involved, please email: bayerderrick@vasynod.org.
Racial Justice
Coordinators
Pastor Harry Griffith
Maurice Gallimore
Pastor Paul Pingel
- Racial Justice Movie Night – February 24, 2025
- Black History Month Bulletin Inserts
- Black History Month Resources by Rev. Carla S. Christopher Wilson
- ELCA Racial Justice Ministries
- ELCA Racial Justice Blog
- African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrated Black History Month with Talks at the Desk, a video series that will explore diverse expressions of the church. YouTube Playlist all episodes and shorts.
See Tab below for Additional Resources
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
Coordinators
George Donovan
Pastor Colleen Montgomery
- 2024 Pride Worship
- 2023 Pride Worship
- LGBTQIA+ Resources and Information
- Looking to Love: LGBTQIA+ Conversations with Our Church
- Transgender Day of Visibility 2023 – Bishop Strickland and Bishop Bos
- Reconciling Works
- Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
- Out in Scripture: A collection of over 175 conversations about the Bible, for each Sunday of the Revised Common Lectionary. From 100 diverse scholars and pastors, from over 11 different denominations. This Human Rights Campaign resource places comments about the Bible alongside the real-life experiences and concerns of LGBTQIA+ people of faith and our allies.
- Straight for Equality Ally Calendar
Additional resources below.
Care of Creation
Coordinators
Sister Phyllis Cox
Bill Franz
- Season of Creation Worship Resources: Year B 2024 (Resources for congregational use between September 1 and November 3, 2024)
- Not Too Late Book Study: October 2024
- You’re invited to join the Care for Creation Tapestry Thread in reading and discussing Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility in October 2024. Use the link above for more information and to register.
- Season of Creation 2023 Invitation
- Season of Creation Worship Resources: Year A
- Tree Planting Liturgy
See Tab below for Additional Resources
Justice for Women
Coordinators
Sylvia Vick-Eley
Pastor Kayla Keilholtz
Tapestry Resources
Resources are grouped by Thread focus, however we recognize that justice ministries are intersectional.
Resources are grouped for ease of access, however we recognize that justice ministries are intersectional.
- ELCA Racial Justice Ministries
- ELCA Racial Justice Blog
- Under Our Skin: What Do We Mean When We Talk About Race? short video clips that invite conversation around race.
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (by Robin DiAngelo)
- Teaching While White Podcast
- How to Have Difficult Conversations
- Resource Guide to Address Racial Reconciliation in Your Congregation
- The ELCA Resolution on the Day of Remembrance and Repentance
- The Explanation of the Declaration to People of African Descent
- A Service of Mourning and Repentance commemorating the Emanuel 9
- Emanuel 9 Prayer Service
- Emanuel 9 Day of Remembrance and Repentance Video
- Emanuel 9 Memorial
- ELCA Juneteenth Worship Resources
- Bread for the World’s Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation
- ELCA Webcasts on Race and Culture
- WELCA Program Resources Page on Race
- WELCA How to have helpful conversations about race in the church
- WELCA Historical timeline of race relations
- 2022 Midwinter Power in the Spirit Racial Justice Presentation
- Midwinter PitS workshop: Blessed Are the Righteous – The Rev. Paul Pingel
- Black History Month Bulletin Inserts
- African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrated Black History Month with Talks at the Desk, a new video series that will explore diverse expressions of the church. YouTube Playlist all episodes and shorts.
- Weekly Devotions for October on Human Trafficking
- Justice for Women Resources
- Light Dawns: Human Trafficking and the Image of God. 3 week study taught by Pastor Kelly Bayer Derrick (Assistant to the Bishop) and Lisa Kersey (Executive Director of Freekind)
- A Litany for Advent
- The Basics of Human Trafficking – Presented by Sylvia Eley
- Additional Resources:
- Reconciling Works
- Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
- Out in Scripture: A collection of over 175 conversations about the Bible, for each Sunday of the Revised Common Lectionary. From 100 diverse scholars and pastors, from over 11 different denominations. This Human Rights Campaign resource places comments about the Bible alongside the real-life experiences and concerns of LGBTQIA+ people of faith and our allies.
- Straight for Equality Ally Calendar
- Virginia Synod Pride Worship 2022
Resources curated by Deacon Phyllis Cox
- Stewardship of Creation: A Thirty Day Discipline – Use this as devotional materials and to either begin or continue your congregation’s “greening” discussions. Its daily Bible passages and reflections can be downloaded, copied, and folded as a booklet for distribution. Download here.
- Season of Creation Worship Resources – Congregations are invited to celebrate the Season of Creation in worship beginning the first Sunday in September and to Bless Animals during the first week of October.
- Climate Change in Context
- Season of Creation
- VA Interfaith Power and Light
- Center for Climate Justice and Faith (for longer courses in working towards climate justice in context)
- Lutherans Restoring Creation
- YouTube videos ( recent webinars re: any resources policy advantages to saving money and resources on buildings)
- Hosting a Group Discussion resource
- Actions Speak Loudly!
- ELCA Climate Care
- One Home. One Future: Joining the One Home One Future campaign
- Women of the ELCA: Called to be Political (important difference between political and partisan)
- Saving Us Book Study – Join Deacon Cox for a book study on Katherine Hayhoe’s book, Saving Us, Thursdays in October. Participants will be responsible for purchasing their own book or checking it out from their local library.
- Climate Change in Context Webinar 2023
Do Justice is a bi-monthly newsletter of the Virginia Synod, lifting up God’s call and command that we, God’s people, do justice. You will find helpful info about justice ministries in congregations, around Virginia, and through the ELCA. If you have stories of justice to share from your congregation, please share those with The Rev. Kelly Bayer Derrick, Assistant to the Bishop at bayerderrick@vasynod.org so we share them with others in the synod!
For a full archive of Do Justice newsletters, visit www.vasynod.org/do-justice
Sister Phyllis Cox & George Donovan
Tapestry Team Co-Chairs
Tapestry Team Co-Chairs
Email: tapestry@vasynod.org
The Rev. Kelly Bayer Derrick
Staff Support
Email: bayerderrick@vasynod.org
Phone: 540-389-1000