Chesapeake District LWML- Convention

The leadership of the LWML 

is always blessed by gifted servant leaders.

 Teresa Tester- Center-

 is the new Chesapeake District LWML President.

Here are the newly elected leaders-
Teresa Tester, President Donna M Thompson, VP Human Care Michelle Baugham, VP Communications Deb Poese, Recording Secretary Yvonne Brown, Financial Secretary Paulette Bland Gaines, Zone Liaison Rev. D Keith Beasley, Junior Pastoral Counselor

 Linda Arnold of the Women's Leadership Institute- 

Concordia University, Mequon, WI.

 was the Keynote Speaker.

R-Pastor John Johnson and L-Pastor John Kassouf 

 led opening worship for the convention.

 Visual Faith 101 - 

A break out session.

What would it look like 

for a new prayer story?

 Or to bless others with prayer?

 Or spend time reading and processing

 in the Enduring Word Bible.

 Thanks to Jamee Thieme 

for co-leading the breakout session with me.

 Spiritual practices lead

 to eager conversationalists.

We have seen God's faithfulness.

 Always plenty of Show and Tell

 for Visual Faith. 

 Great to team up with 

Visual Faith Coach- Jamee Thieme.

 Thank you for your leadership- 

outgoing President Edi Colis!

 For Sunday Am worship we were joined by 

Southeastern District President John Denninger

 as proclaimer.

Praying the Lord's blessings

 on the work of the LWML in the Southeastern District!

Praying in Community- Hurricane Florence

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd,
 Olney, Maryland 

 held a prayer vigil to cover 

the church workers and churches 

affected by Hurricane Florence.

They prayed for the pastors and their wives

 and the congregations 

and members.

In prayer they remembered the first-responders

 and all those living in the devastated areas.

Debbie Harman shared the prayer cards

 where she added a Visual Prayer.
Flood waters are STILL rising
 in some areas in the next couple of days.
Please cover them in prayer for safety, 
ability to recover,
and hope in this time of devastation.

Thanks to Debbie Harman 
for taking time to share these with
 the Spiritual Life Team of the Southeastern District.

Visual Faith in Poland with Lisa Stanley

 Sometimes Visual Faith practices

 go with us in ministry to new places.

Here is a story from Lisa Stanley

 from July 4-29, 2018.

At Jawornik English Camp (JEC) in Poland,

 we have done a missionary story 

at the end of the day to settle the kids down. 

This year I asked if we could do Bible Journaling instead.

 Our Polish camp director said we could try it. 

Every morning we have a Bible story with a memory verse.

 The children compete for points at the end of camp. 

The room with the most points gets a prize. 

I had prepared a book with the Bible verses to Journal. 

Some of the campers hurried through,

 but some really took their time. 

One of the youngest campers took hers home

 to paint the picture 

and eagerly showed it to me the next morning.

Ania- one of the "overnighters", 

with her Visual Faith journal.

Another camper, who has dyslexia, 

 has problems in class with writing,

but loved drawing the pictures 

and so he could remember the verse. 

An older camper would work with him 

reading the Bible verse to him.

Here is a day camper with her Grandfather.

A fun intergenerational project.

This process really impressed
 the other counselors. 

This reached all levels of writing.

I wish I could have used the different mediums

 that I had brought like acrylics, gelatos, 

colored pencils and markers. 

But, we did this process in the chapel,

 so we didn't have tables set up. 

I am working on a way to have that happen next year.

 But, with 60 campers this might be hard.

  We do have the back of the pews that are slanted.

The work of international mission trips

 usually have their own set of problems to solve.

There is always a shortage of materials, 

supplies, and perhaps the format 

we would have used "back home."

We were blessed to introduce Visual Faith 

with our campers,

 and look forward to this being a part

  of all of our camps.

Lisa Stanley is a member of 
St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bay City, Michigan.
We thank her for sharing this story of encouragement
 to take Visual Faith Practices 
wherever the Lord sends us.
It is a story shared to give
 tools and insights for all of us.

Installation of Rev. Garet Ellis- Christ Community - Leesburg VA

A special celebration was held on 

Sunday, September 9, 2018

at Christ Community

 and the Open Arms Preschool in Leesburg, VA.

It was the installation of Rev. Garet Ellis-

 shown here with wife Bethany, and daughters-

Norah and Emery.

 A beautiful setting of food ready for sharing.

The celebration also included 

the 10th Anniversary of the Open Arms Preschool

and the Installation of Heather Menser

 as Director of Leesburg Open Arms.

Heather Menser and husband Greg,

 and their children.

 R-Mr. Bill Nau shares

 a reading during the installation.

 President John Denninger 

reads the vows to Pastor Ellis.

The promises made by

a pastor

 to his congregation are very important.

Circuit clergy joined in to share 

a blessing and Scripture over Pastor Ellis.

A Visual Prayer shared with the Ellis family.
May the Lord continue to grow
 and expand the ministry of 
Leesburg Open Arms into the community
 for the sake of the Kingdom.

Grieving with Hope

Grieving With Hope

"Since we do not grieve 

like those who have no hope,

 just how do we grieve with hope?

Here is one suggestion. 

Use your loved one’s personal Bibles,

 hymn books, devotional booklets, 

prayer books, catechism, or

old Bible class studies

 for your own study and devotions. 

There is a visceral connection 

when your hands hold the books they held, 

your eyes see the print their eyes saw, 

your voice sings what they sang,

 and the same Comforter enters your heart

 that entered their heart.

Annotate some of these books 

with memories about times, thoughts, 

and prayers you shared. 

Give some of these books to your children.

 Do you still have any of the Arch Books 

or Purple Puzzle Tree books 

that your loved one read to children? 

Read them to the children again 

and give the books to them.

Some of my favorite tools 

for grieving with hope are: 

my mother’s hymn book 

(it was a confirmation gift 

to her from her brothers);

 a set of commentaries 

that was a gift to my father 

from the Sunday School staff that he taught; 

a copy of the Parallel Bible 

that my father used for many years

 and then gave to my husband 

that he also used for years; 

two hymn books that my husband 

used to prepare services; 

a Bible study 

that my mother’s mother wrote 

(my uncle had a copy 

and his children copied it for me.)"
Natalie Hartwig

What faith legacy things 

do you have to pass to the next generation?

Perhaps a Journaling Bible 

will lend a view to your heart prayers.

 Perhaps you will leave a filled out copy of

 "Walking with the Lord"

 in your Bible for your family.

I (Connie) have one filled out 
and in my personal Bible.

Here is the link to download the form:

walking-with-the-lord-worksheet
(it is a free download resource 
at Visual Faith Ministry)

Thanks to Contributing Writer-

Natalie Hartwig 

for these words of encouragement-

 written for a friend, 

but a blessing to all of us.

Landis Shepherd- O Give Thanks

On Monday, August 27, 2018, 

my great nephew, Tommy, 

celebrated his first birthday!

  First birthdays are celebrated 

daily across the world.

  What makes this one so special?

One word sums it up, God.  

In His infinite mercy and love for us, 

He brought this beautiful child to life 

after he was born, but turned blue.

 Tommy had seizures, 
and needed to be resuscitated. 

God worked through the hands

 of all who ministered to Tommy.

God heard all the prayers 

asking for healing in the name 

of His Son, Jesus Christ, 

to bring Tommy through 

this heart-wrenching time.

Not in our time, but in His time.  

How we fretted. 

 I felt so sorry for the 1st time parents,

 grandparents and for myself.  

Now there is no more antiseizure medicine, 

no more neurological testing.  

Tommy is whole, 

healthy and I am humbled

 in His presence. 

Thanks be to God.

Thank you to Landis 
for sharing this heart warming update
 of a challenging journey.
There are many many stories 
of days and weeks and months 
of "the unknown" 
and we love to see these glimpses of hope.

Artist Carolyn Fletcher

The Crucifer

in the church entrance of 

Faith Lutheran Church- Kinston, NC.

This young gentleman is 

one of the newly baptized members.

Taking Supplies to the Shelter

The Youth Group at Faith Lutheran Church 

taking supplies to the shelter.

Truly a Live Generously lifestyle.

This painting is part of a series of paintings 

for a show at the art center in Kinston 

called ”The streets of Kinston”.

 This show opens 9/6/18 and runs for 6 weeks.

It will feature all the artists 

in the studio that Carolyn is a part of-

 ART 105 

Carolyn will  have 9 paintings in this show.

Crepe Myrtle in Winter.

The City in the Rain

is a random scene from a 
photo that Carolyn liked.

  Currently she has been painting 

random people just living life.

She has 3 future exhibitions 

that will require art submissions,

 so she remains busy.

And every artist hopes- 

 there are sales-

 so she can keep on painting.

We give thanks to the very talented Carolyn Fletcher
 for her partnership in sharing information for this post.
Rev. Ron and Carolyn Fletcher 
serve faithfully at Faith Lutheran Church
 in Kinston, NC.