Rev. Jaim Gann- Chester VA

 Rev. Jaim Gann was installed

 as the new pastor at 

Grace Lutheran Church

in Chester, Virginia

on April 7, 2019.

L to R-Rev. Matt Bean- Circuit Counselor,

Rev. Travis Guse-Central Region-

 Mission Engagement Facilitator Central Region, 

Rev. Jaim Gann, 

 Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger- SED President, 

and Rev. Bill Harmon- Central Region Vice President.

                                                                                                 photo credit- Diane Bean

Circuit pastors gather around Rev. Gann 

and his family for prayers and blessings.

                                                                                                  photo credit - Diane Bean

A wonderful gathering of circuit pastors 

to share in the installation service.

 The Gann Family- wife- Janine 

and children- David and Sarah.

It is always a blessing to have family

 gathered for such a wonderful celebration.

May the Lord bless this new ministry

 setting in the Southeastern District for 

Rev. Gann and his family.

here is a link to a wonderful
 welcome in the local paper-
new-pastor-on-board-at-chester-church

Rev. Rob and Kim Winston

 Rev. Rob and Kim Winston

 gathered with attending clergy
 on Rob's Ordination and Installation day-

February 24, 2019.

The Ordination took place at 
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,

 Springfield, Virginia.

L to R- Rev. Gary Rueter, Rev. Karl Schuler,
 Rev. Tim Christenson,

Kim Winston, Rev. Rob Winston,

 Dr. Don Wiley, Rev. Mark Boriack.

 Dr. Don Wiley is in charge of the 

SMP - ESE (SMP Spanish)

 course at the Fort Wayne Seminary. 

 He serves as Rev. Rob's academic supervisor.

Rev. Winston was installed as an 
Assistant Pastor SMP for Spanish Speakers
  for Spanish-speaking Ministry
 at Prince of Peace.
It is always a blessing to see ministry
 connections and partnerships.

We give thanks for Rev. Rob's 

continued ministry in the Southeastern District.

Here is Kim and Rev. Rob with his parents,

 Alma and Ramon Winston.  

Cristo para Todos!

"Cristo para Todos"
 means "Christ for All"
 in both Spanish and Portuguese. 

Welcome to the SED- Rev. Dr. Roy and Jennifer Minnix

 Welcome to Rev. Dr. Roy and Jennifer Minnix

 to the Southeastern District.

Pastors gathered to support Rev. Minnix

 and bring blessings at the installation service

 on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Left to Right-

Rev. Matt Bean- Circuit Counselor

Rev. Dr. John Denninger- SED President

Rev. Dr. Roy Minnix

Rev. Roy Minnix II- (His father)

Rev. Travis Guse- 

Mission and Ministry Facilitator- Central Region

President Denninger and Pastor Minnix

The new ministry team at Trinity-

Rev. Nyck Grieg and Rev. Roy Minnix

Pastor Roy and Jennifer and their children-

 Roy, Emily and Rachel.

Extended family members 
were in town for this very special celebration.
 May the Lord bless the Minnix family
 in their new ministry setting.

Caring for Caregivers

Although the term “caregiver” as we use it now is relatively new, dating to the mid-1970s, caregiving is hardly a new idea. Family members have been caring for the young, the old, the sick and those with disabilities for the entire span of human existence. Yet as modern medicine is helping individuals live longer lives, even with serious impairments and chronic diseases that would have been fatal in the past, unpaid family caregivers are providing care and companionship at surprising rates.  

According to a 2015 study published by the National Alliance for Caregiving, an estimated 43.5 million adults (representing 18.2 percent of the adult U.S. population) had provided some form of unpaid care for a loved one within the past 12 months. These numbers are expected to increase in coming decades as our population ages, especially since a substantial number (34.2 million) of these caregivers reported caring for an adult over age 50. 

These data suggest that in your congregation, right this very moment, nearly one in five adults is a caregiver of some kind, on average providing 21 hours of care (or more) per week. These men and women often find themselves burdened by responsibilities they may not have asked for and may not have been prepared for. Yet even so, the individuals serving in this capacity fulfill their commitments day in and day out, sometimes over many years. The assistance they provide may take the form of bill paying, shopping and housekeeping, companionship, emotional support and personal care. Yet whatever their caregiving looks like they are daily living out God's commands to "honor your father and mother" and "love your neighbor as yourself" as they serve, love and cherish their parents, spouses, children, siblings and others. 

Chances are good, however, that most of the time, the work they do goes completely unnoticed by those around them — including their fellow church members. There are several reasons why this is so. Caregivers are generally focused on the care of others and tend to neglect their own needs. And while they are good at offering help, they often avoid asking for it. Additionally, all too often, our society simply takes the important work of caregiving for granted. 

While caregivers may be reluctant to be recognized, it is only fitting that we should shine a light on them and their dedication — and offer them our help as they face a range of significant challenges. 

What are some of the challenges that caregivers routinely face? 

• Time. Caregivers feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities and burdened by a lack of time.
• Stress. They experience the stress of balancing work, family and caregiving and sense that nothing is getting done well because of the overload. 
• Physical health. Caregivers often put off medical care or disregard healthy activities they enjoyed in the past.
• Mental health. Forty to 70 percent of caregivers display significant symptoms of depression. 
• Fear for the future. Caregivers observe daily the distressing challenges care receivers face in their lives. They may understandably fear the future when considering further deterioration of their loved one’s health and abilities.  
• Relationships. Time spent caregiving takes time away from the support and companionship they may receive from spouses, children, friends, social interests, church activities and spiritual pursuits. This creates isolation and loneliness.
• Identity. Caregivers may experience a loss of identity as they put aside travel, fitness, friendships and other interests and hobbies they once pursued. 
• Finances. There is often a financial downside to caregiving. The majority of caregivers adjust their work schedules to accommodate their caregiving schedule. They may reduce work hours, take a leave of absence or even quit work altogether. In addition, while the caregiving is unpaid, there are still out-of-pocket expenses involved in caregiving. 
• Commitment. Caregiving may continue for a significant amount of time. The average length of time for caregiving is 5.5 years. 

What does this mean for congregations? Just as we try to anticipate the needs of other groups of people in the congregation, such as teens, young parents or seniors, it is important for us to consider the needs and concerns of caregivers, too. 

Here are several ways in which your congregation can uplift and sustain the caregivers in your midst:

1. Identify and acknowledge the caregivers in your congregation. Although they may be reluctant to be individually named, pray for them as a group.
2. Look for and support any “formal” programs, including congregational wellness initiatives and support groups, that may be in place to provide encouragement to caregivers. If such programs don’t exist within your church or at other LCMS congregations nearby, consider starting one yourself. (Ask your circuit or district offices to recommend resources or organizations that can help.)  
3. Consider informal methods of reaching caregivers, such as an email support group or a private Facebook group for encouragement.
4. Be flexible and accommodating. In order to attend services or meetings, caregivers may need to bring along their care receivers. This means that special needs individuals or adults with dementia may accompany them. Offer these children of God a warm welcome.

    What can you as an individual do to help?

1. Pray for the caregivers in the congregation as well as for the care receivers.
2. Provide an ear to listen and the comfort of your presence. Regularly phone or visit.
3. Brainstorm ways to make the life of the caregiver and care receiver easier. Provide a meal or a dessert. Offer to provide respite care for an hour or two. If the caregiver has children, offer to take them for an afternoon or even an overnight visit.
4. Look for home maintenance projects you could help with. Purchase and hang a holiday wreath or plant some annuals. 
5. Send an encouraging greeting card. Add a Bible verse.
6. Remember that caregiving is long term. The need for help doesn’t diminish after a month or two. 

Consider the individuals around you who are caregivers. There will likely be more than you realized. What can you do today to help support them?

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

 Vicki Hanson and Sue Bohlmann are members at 

Bethany Lutheran Church in Waynesboro, Va. 

Both have extensive experience listening to

 and working with caregivers.

If you would like to Read More in The Lutheran Witness-
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You can Subscribe right here:
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“This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition
 of The Lutheran Witness magazine 
and is reprinted here with permission.” 
A special thank you to Rachel Bomberger- Managing Editor
 for her help in securing this reprint.

Photos in this post are original- Connie Denninger

  

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.

Empty Bowls- a Way to bless your Neighborhood

Two hundred bowls, handmade by the community

 surrounding Melinda Reidy’s home and pottery studio. 

Two hundred bowls, carefully molded, fired, and glazed,

 wrapped in newspapers and packed into boxes

 for the trip just down the road to 

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

 in Springfield, Virginia.

It’s overwhelming, really, 

seeing stacks and stacks of boxes,

 and thinking of the many hands and hearts

 that went into creating the pottery within. 

All for an Empty Bowls fundraiser, 

to raise money for our local food pantry

 and social service agency, ECHO

Melinda has been welcoming neighbors and friends

 and church members into her pottery studio

 for nearly 10 months, 

teaching people from 4 to 85 years old

 how to form red-brown clay into bowls 

of all shapes and sizes. 

How to make beauty out of dust.

All of those bowls, wrapped in newspaper,

 look the same. 

Just a box, just a dish wrapped in paper. 

Until we start unwrapping. 

“Oh! Look at THIS one!” Melinda exclaims. 

She carefully places the treasure on the table, 

then reaches for the next anonymous package.

 “Oh! Look at THIS one!” 

Each bowl, 

shaped and colored and designed differently. 

Each bowl, wholly itself, 

cannot be mistaken for another.

“Isn’t that how God works?” says Melinda. 

Yes, indeed. 

We can think of the parade of people 

entering and exiting her pottery studio—

or entering and exiting our churches, 

our food pantries, our homes, our lives—as just groups,

 just numbers, just bowls wrapped in newspaper. 

One looks very much like another, 

stacked together in boxes, 

touching but not really touching, 

covered in protective wrapping. 

We can cover ourselves in our own protective wrapping—

the pleasant mask we show the world, 

the carefully styled hair, the neutral smile. 

We can choose to protect our real selves, 

to cultivate shallow relationships,

 to “never let them see you sweat.” 

Or we can shed that layer of protection 

and let our full, unique beauty shine.

For God does not stamp out people like factory-made bowls,

 every one alike. God molds us from the dust. 

God designs our minds, our bodies, our families, just so. 

Each dip of glaze, each brushstroke, each moment in the fire,

 all designed so that we come out shining, 

beautiful, ready to serve. 

“Oh! Look at THIS one!” 

God delights in us, in each one of us. 

Not only that, but He delights

 in the beauty of all of us together, 

of individuals sharing their 

hearts and hands and passions

 with each other, and in so doing, 

sharing the work of the kingdom. 

And in God’s kingdom, 

every person is fearfully and wonderfully made, 

and every empty bowl gets filled to the brim.  

Lifting up Visionary Idea leaders-

for iNeighborhood,

 Melinda and Michael Reidy.

 They were willing to tackle a BIG Project

 that brought a great blessing.

So it was a neighborhood affair when neighbors

 met for the Empty Bowls event 

on April 22, 2018 at Prince of Peace. 

Friendships were made from 

all walks of life while beautiful,

 hand crafted bowls were selected and tasty treats

 were served by neighborhood restaurants.
* $15,019 & 187 canned goods donated to ECHO!
We especially thank:
* the 70+ neighbor volunteers who made the bowls
* the 30+ POP volunteers who helped to set up,

 tear down, serve, and pick up food.
* Afghan Kabob, Trader Joes, Milano’s, Malek’s, Panera Bread, 

Hannah’s Catering and Arepas Bees 

for their food donations!
We thank God for the way He moved all 

of us to accomplish 

something bigger than ourselves for others
and the betterment of His kingdom.

Thank you to Jennifer Gross-
contributing writer for Journeys of Faith.

Consistent Prayer- Consecrated Hearts- Women's Retreat

 The Fall Women's Retreat

Our Savior's Way

Ashburn, Virginia

 Presenters- Deaconess Sally Hiller

and Connie Denninger

Wonderful preparations and welcome

for all the attendees.

 Visual Faith display 

of practices and projects.

Family Faith Rolodex

Advent and Lent prayer

Visual Prayer and

Bible Journaling 

The VRSLY project

Counting Gifts

Prayers by the Month

 Time in the Word.

Conversations around the Table.

Meeting new friends.
Great music and worship.

The Blessing of the Prayer Shawls.

Thanks to Nikki Deacon

 and Ramona Meese and her team 

for a beautiful day of refreshment.