Up and Down the Valleys: October 2024

A celebration of 200 years of ministry at St. Paul (Erdley’s) has held this summer with worship, fellowship, and a delicious lunch.

At a recent meeting of the synod youth team, officers were elected for this school year. They include Chair Gabe Schaeffer; Vice Chair & Publicity Coordinator Claire Hershberger; Secretary Evelyn Weiser; Treasurer Tavin Reitz; Congregation Outreach & Event Coordinator Ellie Schaeffer.

Ordination Anniversary Milestones: 55 years- Kenneth Louder (Sep 28); 45 years- Timothy Bingman (Nov 18); 15 years- Janice Moody (Oct 7), Stina Schaeffer (Oct 18); 5 years- James Vitale, Jr (Oct 26).

It was a great Bishop’s Day at Camp Mount Luther on October 10. Worship was “For the Healing of the Nations” and we heard from Linda Johnson Seyenkulo who is retiring as a missionary in Liberia.

Congratulations to Pastor Justin Lingenfelter (United In Christ, West Milton) and his wife, Kelsey, on the birth of their first child, Milo Gus. He was born on Sunday, September 15.

The Upper Susquehanna Synod Youth Team is looking to send as many youth as we can to Winterfest. Winterfest is January 3-5, 2025, at the Wyndham Resort in Lancaster and is a youth event sponsored by the Lower Susquehanna Synod. You probably know high-school aged youth who would love to attend and we ask you to please encourage them to go. We need adult chaperones, too! Reach out to cml@campmountluther.org and we’ll work on putting registrations together.

Hidlay Lutheran Church holds a congregation meeting in October to vote on a motion to close on December 1, on which date they will hold their final service.

Members of the Upper Susquehanna Synod Council and the synod staff met recently in retreat to do some prioritizing for the mission of the synod. The retreat was held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Faith, Lewisburg (Minister Bev Hoffman). Rev. Dione Klepetka from St. John’s Herr Estate, a Luthercare Community in Columbia, PA, was the facilitator. The council spent time getting to better know one another and discussing the synod’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and external threats. They came out of the day with three priorities for their work in the coming year and will refine that list at their next meeting in November. In keeping with traveling around the synod, that meeting will be held at Trinity, McAlisterville (Pastor Karen Ward).