Headline
News
(5
December 2023)
Synod
Website Updates
The synod website updates frequently (as in often) and
irregularly (as in not on a particular schedule). Click here (or on the pic at
right) to find out what has been recently updated.
Lessons & Carols
A Festival of Lessons & Carols will be held at
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 16 Washington St, Cumberland,
MD, at 5:00 p.m., 17 December 2023. The Scholars of St.
Cecilia, Mountainside Baroque's resident chamber choir,
has offered this seasonal event since 2013, delighting the
public with music spanning six centuries, including
traditional carols, along with reading by local clergy and
officials. This year, the voices will join with
instruments for special music: a prelude of "Noëls" and
excerpts from Heinrich Schutz’s “Christmas Story." Lessons
and Carols is not ticketed, but donations are welcomed.
After the event, please join the performers for a
reception in the parish hall! You can follow the event on
Facebook or
learn more from MBQ's website.
Names of the Candles/Sundays
Having received more than one question about the names of
the candles on the Advent wreath, the Worship
Aids: Appointments for Advent has been updated with
some history and advice.
Wondering about the Advent Wreath (and the
Christmas Tree)?
It's time to decorate the church for Advent, and one of
the items that often finds its way into the sanctuary is
the Advent Wreath. The Advent wreath, as we know it, is a
much more modern contrivance than many realize. Explore
this church appointment's history and various disciplines
regarding its use on our Appointments
for Advent page.
You might also find the discussion of the Christmas Tree
interesting (and its tips for replacing those aging
Chrismons). That's on our Appointments
for Christmas page.
Worship Page Launched
A page dedicated to worship has been uploaded to the
synod's website. It is still in its early development. The
first items included are
- guidance on the prayers of intercession (for those
who have been complaining about the prayers provided in
Sundays and Seasons and Celebrate),
including the first installment of Zeidler's Altar
Prayers,
- a link to pulpit/altar supply information,
- resources for Sunday worship and worship appointments,
and
- the first of two liturgical templates for special
liturgies (a requiem mass form and Muhlenberg's 1748
Liturgy).
You can check this stuff out by visiting our Worship page.
Lutheran Day at the Coliseum
Saturday, 9 December 2023, is "Lutheran Day at the
Coliseum." WVU Men's Basketball is playing Drexel. Tip off
is at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased
online directly at http://tinyurl.com/LCMWVU23BASKETBALL—no
need to go through Pr. Reid, the Chaps. Erzkus, or anyone
else. A portion of each ticket sale goes to the Lutheran
Campus Ministry at WVU. After the game, pop on by the
Lutheran Campus Chapel for something to eat.
Future Church: Survey
All are invited to take the ELCA's Future Church: God's Love
Made Real survey. To learn more about Future Church, visit lovemadereal.elca.org.
Clergy Compensation Guidelines for 2024 Posted
With congregational budgeting season approaching, Synod
Council has adopted and posted clergy compensation
guidelines for 2024. Go to our Clergy Compensation
page for details.
Mission Support Request for 2024 Posted
Synod Council has set the request for mission support in
2024 at 10.75%. For details, forms, etc., visit out new Mission Support
page.
Parochial Report Portal Reopens
If you did not get your parochial report for 2022 in, you
are in luck (or, at least, not off the hook). The portal
for parochial report submission has reopened. For more
information, visit our Parochial
Report page.
Call Openings
We have one active MSP at the moment and a couple in
drafting. We also have some settings in which a call could
be considered without an active MSP. On top of that, there
is potential for contract appointments. With several clergy
vacancies across the territory, there are opportunities for
clergy interested in serving in the WV-WMD Synod. Visit the clergy
page to find out whats available (or will be available
once the MSP is completed).
Mutual Ministry Committee and the Driesen Manual
In partial fulfillment of an order from Synod Assembly 2021,
information about the Driesen Manual has been uploaded to
the website on a new page, Mutual Ministry
Committee and the Driesen Manual. You will find there
an explanation an a link to the manual.
If you haven't checked out the members portal...
Don't forget to take a peek of the members
portal (click the button at right near the top of this
page). It's not password protected. We only call it the
"members portal" because it's mostly stuff that deals with
the internal workings of the synod. Visitors looking for
more general information about the synod, will probably find
the "guest portal" more interesting. |