Lower Susquehanna Synod ELCA

09/07/2026

2026-27 Pastoral Care Series
ULS Kindling Faith

October 12 & 15 - Beyond Spiritual Bypassing: Cultivating Spiritual Resources and Resilience in the Practice of Spiritual Care
November 9 & 12 - Seeing the Person Beyond the Diagnosis: Spiritual Care for Individuals and Families Living with Schizophrenia
January 11 & 14 - Spiritual Care for Citizens Living in a Dopamine Nation
February 8 & 11 - Spiritual Care and the Art of Embracing Hopelessness
March 8 & 11 - Spiritual Care with Transgender Children, Youth, and Their Families
April 12 & 15 - Understanding and Engaging Eating Disorders in Spiritual Care and Ministry

Presenter: Reverend Beth Toler, M.Div. Th.D., LMFT
Monday sessions start at noon EST and Thursday sessions are at 7pm EST.

Learn More & Register: https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/calendar/kindling-faith-2026-27-pastoral-care-series or at the link in our bio!

09/04/2026

Second Quarter Congregation Statements

This statement reflects the amounts received from your congregation by our office for the second calendar quarter of 2026. Please visit our synod’s finance page and scroll down to the section titled, 2nd Quarter Congregations Statements. There you will find a link to access your congregation’s statement. These statements are provided as part of our fiduciary duty to your congregation. Please take a few moments to verify that the information is accurate.

Links of Interest Gift and Bequest Policy SC amended 05-19-2022 2025-2026 Lower Susquehanna Synod Audit Report

09/03/2026

Reconsideration of ELCA Homelessness Social Message
Your input needed!

In 1990, the ELCA Church Council adopted the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment.” You can read this official 1990 social message under "Learn More." below. Since that time, much has changed in our experience and understanding of homelessness and housing insecurity in the United States.

Aware of these many changes, the ELCA Church Council has authorized a substantive reconsideration of two sections of the “Homelessness” social message, “with attention to contemporary and systemic issues affecting housing in the United States and impacting individuals experiencing homelessness.” The two sections are “Remembering the Reality” (pages 1-2) and “Walking with People Who Are Homeless” (pages 2-3).

Reconsideration of a social message is a formal process in which the whole church is invited to participate. While this reconsideration for revision may lead to substantive changes, there is no pre-determined outcome for the process.

A draft version of the reconsidered social message is now available for public comment. A survey is open now through November 30, 2026.

Learn More at the link in our bio or by clicking here: https://www.lss-elca.org/elca-homelessness-social-message-draft/

09/02/2026

Register today for Alive, the Lower Susquehanna Synod's middle school youth retreat! Join us at Camp Nawakwa September 25-27, 2026 where we'll be gathering under the theme "Rhythm," learning what it means to be in tune with God's rhythm and learning the rhythms of grace! Learn more at the link in our bio, and speak to your pastor or youth worker to get signed up today! Registration closes soon!

09/01/2026

Meet Communications Intern Alma Gimbel

We are excited to share that this fall, Susquehanna University creative writing communications intern, Alma Gimbel, will be contributing stories across the Lower Susquehanna Synod. Focusing on creative nonfiction techniques, she hopes to make the efforts of these congregations come to life on the page and inspire churches to continue doing God’s work. Alma is a member at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg. Please keep her in your prayers!

08/31/2026

We're Calling an Assistant to the Bishop/Director for Evangelical Mission
Applications Open Now

The Lower Susquehanna Synod is seeking to call an Assistant to the Bishop for Congregational Vitality & Collaboration and Director for Evangelical Mission to join our synod staff. This leader will work alongside congregations, rostered ministers, lay leaders, and ministry partners to strengthen congregational vitality, encourage collaboration, and imagine new possibilities for sharing the Gospel in our communities. The role will help congregations explore partnerships and new approaches to ministry, identify and equip leaders, develop new mission opportunities, and deepen connections across our synod and the wider church. We are seeking someone grounded in faith in Jesus Christ who brings a collaborative spirit, a heart for congregations and their communities, and a willingness to help the church faithfully respond to a changing ministry landscape. Please note that applications are being accepted through October 9, 2026. We are working with the ELCA to extend the date currently listed on their webpage as September 4.

Learn More & Apply at the link in our bio or by clicking here: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/4395203

08/31/2026

The Lutheran Camping Corporation of Central Pennsylvania Welcomes Rev. William “Bill” Worley as Executive Director Effective September 14, 2026

"Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce that Rev. William “Bill” Worley has been appointed Executive Director of the Lutheran Camping Corporation of Central Pennsylvania (LCC), effective September 14, 2026.

Rev. Worley will lead LCC as it continues its mission to provide a place and time apart where Christ’s love is experienced, and faith is renewed. In partnership with the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, congregations, donors, and friends of the ministry, Bill will help guide LCC’s programs, properties, and outreach into its next season of faithful service."

Read more from the Lutheran Camping Corporationf of Central Pennsylvania here: https://www.lutherancamping.org/general/leadership-announcement/ or at the link in our bio.

08/30/2026

Facilitating Conversations on the ELCA’s Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust Reconsideration Process
Recorded on Thursday, August 13, 2026

As congregations across our synod engage the ELCA’s ongoing reconsideration of portions of the social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, on August 13, 2026, we recorded a session on facilitating conversation on the social statement. This session is designed for those who may be facilitating the ELCA's study in their congregation or local ministry setting, led by Father Wicky Barnes, pastor of Shells Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grantville and a member of the ELCA's Human Sexuality Social Statement Reconsideration Task Force. Drawing on his experience as a member of the task force, he provides background on the current reconsideration process and offer helpful insights for facilitating local conversations.

The ELCA is requesting all leaders and participants who engage in these discussions to complete the online survey by September 30. Learn more about the reconsideration process and access the study materials at the ELCA's Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust reconsideration webpage here.

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08/28/2026

Back to School, Back to Ministry: Is Your Congregation Ready to Keep Children Safe?

Backpacks are packed. School buses are back on the road. Calendars are filling again. And in many of our congregations, fall also means the return of Sunday school, confirmation, youth group, children’s choirs, after-school programs, retreats, and other ministries that bring children and caring adults together. As we prepare lesson plans, recruit volunteers, organize classrooms, and fill the church calendar, there is another essential piece of preparation: making sure our ministries are safe places for every child and young person entrusted to our care.

If your congregation already has a child protection policy, now is a good time to review it, make sure your practices reflect it, and ensure that staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities. If your congregation does not have a written child protection policy, we strongly encourage you to make developing and implementing one a priority.

Creating safe spaces for children and youth is part of the sacred trust placed in us by children, families, and the communities we serve and congregations do not have to do this work alone. We have resources available to help congregations develop, review, and strengthen their child protection policies and practices.

Learn More here:https://www.lss-elca.org/back-to-school-back-to-ministry-is-your-congregation-ready-to-keep-children-safe/ or at the link in our bio!

08/27/2026

An Invitation from ELCA Presiding Bishop Curry, Back to School, Upcoming Events, and more are all available in the latest edition of WE News, the e-newsletter of the Lower Susquehanna Synod. Plus, the Lower Susquehanna Synod is seeking to call an Assistant to the Bishop for Congregational Vitality & Collaboration and Director for Evangelical Mission to join our synod staff! Read more here: https://conta.cc/4chjA5Y