This coming week is Virginia Synod’s 6th annual Week of Service, which coincides with “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday, the ELCA Day of Service on Sunday, September 9, 2018. This week of service provides the opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
From September 9th through the 15th, all congregations are invited to reach out into their neighborhoods to become God’s hands and feet, to serve those in need and to share God’s compassion with the world. The Week of Service is an opportunity for everyone to intentionally invest time in service projects outside the walls of the church.

On Tuesday, September 4th the Office of the Bishop volunteered their time with one of the Synod’s Mission Partners, Lutheran Family Services of Virginia (LFSVA). Bishop Humphrey and his staff spent the day visiting with the fun-loving individuals at LFSVA’s Day Support, a program which provides adults with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities activity-based, skill-building experiences. Skill-building activities are provided in areas such as self, social and environmental awareness, sensory stimulation, fine and gross motor skills, personal care skill, communication, learning, problem-solving, and community-living skills.

While visiting with the Day Support group the Bishop’s Office got the chance to host a bingo game. The Rev. Kelly Bayer Derrick, assistant to the Bishop, served as the bingo caller, and the rest of the staff assisted with marking bingo cards and cheering “BINGO!” for winning cards. Once the game was finished, the Bishop’s staff passed out prizes including puzzles, activity books, and sunglasses. The sunglasses prizes were a treasure for a lot of the individuals as they got a chance to show off their personal style!

Later in the afternoon, the staff had the opportunity to join in celebrating an individual’s birthday by passing out cupcakes and becoming part of the celebration. They also got to be present sharing conversations, songs, dances, and laughter with those who are part of the Day Support program. Lots of joy and smiles were shared, and new friends were made during the staff’s time together with the Day Support program.

Share Your Story of Service

Whether your congregation prepares and delivers meals to people who are homeless, cleans local parks and beaches or writes thank-you notes to emergency responders, your service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: All of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.

The Virginia Synod would like to hear about your experiences as your congregation embarks on the Week of Service. Please share with us your stories, photos and the impact of your work. Send these to Emily Pilat at pilat@vasynod.org with the subject line “Week Of Service 2018 [Name of Congregation]” and the following information:
  • List your project(s)
  • How many people participated?
  • How many people were helped?
  • Share one wonderful story from the day.
  • Share up to five pictures from the day.
  • What is the email address of a good person to contact for follow up information about the 2018 “Virginia Synod Week of Service”?
When you send your stories and images, they may be shared on the Virginia Synod’s website, newsletter, or social media pages. Also be sure to share and tag the Virginia Synod by using the hashtag #VASynodServes! We’ll be checking the hashtag all week long and look forward to your stories of service!