Rev. Ed Chell and Rev. Barbara Groote are the Synod Council Communications Team. Our goal is to raise the profile of the council in the synod by communicating highlights from our meetings, other information on the things we are working on, fun bits about ourselves, etc.
Synod Council Retreat
Our May Synod Council meeting was hosted by St Paul’s Anglican Church in Nanaimo this year. We started by spending a wonderful day in retreat. Relationships were strengthened through a process of prayer, and reflections, discussions, laughter, tears, and an acknowledgment of our complex times. We noticed the flexibility of adaptive missional plans for the Synod. We made some changes to our communication patterns and were able to clarify the purpose of Synod Council. A sense of deepened unity and openness continued through the rest of the business meeting.
Leadership Team and Bishop’s Report
We welcomed Bishop Kathy back from sabbatical. The leadership was thanked for their extensive work during the sabbatical time. Council received the reports from the bishop, and the team. It’s good to have you back, Bishop Kathy!
Synod Convention 2027
The planning for the 2027 Synod Convention is well on the way. The convention will take place at UBC, June 25-27, 2027. Synod Council Executive is directed to find the chair for the Local Arrangements Leadership Team, members for this group are also needed. The Episcopal Election Task Force has been refreshed. Council will review the progress at the Council meeting in October. We had a lively discussion around possible themes for the 2027 Convention.
Welcome Statement
At the meeting we approved the new Reconciled In Christ Welcome Statement for the Synod:
We, the BC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, acknowledge that we gather on traditional and unceded Indigenous lands across the province. We strive to continuously educate ourselves on reconciliation and commit to building right relationships, acknowledging the harms of intergenerational trauma and continued trauma experienced by Indigenous Peoples in BC.
Rooted in Christ’s call to love our neighbour, the BC Synod strives to be a welcoming community where everyone is seen and heard. We welcome all people including, but not limited to, those of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, abilities, race and ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic status.
We commit ourselves to advancing racial equity and creating spaces where everyone can participate fully and safely. This means listening with openness, challenging systems and attitudes that exclude or harm, and continually learning how to better embody diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do.
Exciting News
- Many congregations in our Synod are moving through transitions, changes, and imagining what is next in this liminal time. For example, with a new sense of identity, the congregation of Christ the King Lutheran, Surrey, is embracing the Spirit’s call: Besides other community supportive action, five different faith-communities worship in the building throughout the week.
Each Council member was asked to answer the following question:
"What helps you when hope feels thin?"
"Gathering with others who share the same faith and hope in a God who is passionately committed to the life of this world."
"What helps me when hope feels thin, and my heart is weary, is to look to others to form the words of prayer. Meta Herrick Carlson and her book “Ordinary Blessings,” Sarah Bessey’s book "Rhythm of Prayer,” and “The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief by Jan Richardson."
"When hope feels thin, we choose to carry it together. We choose to remain open, to act with care, and to believe that healing and renewal are still possible. We remember that we are not alone. God is with us."
"My mind knows God is always near. To help my heart I talk to people, journal gratitude, sing, whistle and watch comedy."
"When hope feels thin I turn to family and church community."
Trying to remember that most of it isn’t under my control.
"I think that I finally realize that it's time to start listening."
"When hope feels thin, I step back and have a snack, preferably a muffin. Usually things don't seem so bad at that point."
"I tell myself that God is always doing a new thing."
"When hope feels thin i like to read novels, listen to uplifting music, go for long brisk walks, and sermonize."
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