Please pray for Liz Smith, Gretchen Wiesner, Pastor Bob, and all the leaders of our synod as they gather online in Assembly Thursday night and all day Saturday. You can view the livestream at swpasynod.org/assembly2021 You’ll also find a virtual film festival, a coaching workshop, and the limited release podcast Faithful and Fulfilled: Stories on Purpose, for which Pastor Bob serves as an editor. Check it out!
We are pleased to announce the following services to make your Holy Week and Easter a profound and moving experience this year:
Please note that due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in our county, we have revised this plan since it was first posted.
The world around you insists “it’s the most wonderful time of the year!” You try to smile politely, but inside your feelings of sadness, loss and loneliness seem to get worse around Christmas. You steel yourself up to “have a blue Christmas.”
If this is painfully familiar, we invite you to one of eight “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” services being offered by congregations around our synod. These services are intended to give those grieving a safe place to gather in God’s presence to receive comfort and encouragement during what can be a difficult season.
Especially convenient, you don’t even need to leave your home to attend.
If you’re struggling to put on a brave face this Christmas, why not let down your mask for a little while among people who understand what you’re going through, and hear the good news once again that Jesus is with you right where you are?
From our partners at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA:
This year, as we have had to transform our worship, our gatherings, our understanding of church, the one thing that congregations continued to do exceedingly well was minister to one another and to the communities around them.
Your gifts to your congregation, to partner ministries, and to Mission Support have saved and improved lives across the globe.
Pass On the Gratitude
All the blessings we’ve shared happen because we each commit to participating in the Church’s call together. Please share the heartfelt thanks of all within our synod with your congregation, council, and lay leaders for their contributions to Mission Support.