CML Pick-An-Adventure
2021-08-02 - 2021-08-06
Camp Mount Luther is in full swing with their summer programs! There is still time to register for their new Pick-An-Adventure Camp which will be from August 2-6. This is a week for you to come for a day (or more) and do the activities that you want to do. Our staff will lead your family or just your kids for the day from 9-3:30. Lunch will be provided. You will have time and space to talk, listen, grow, share, play, sing, and pray together. Enjoy GROW Time, camp activities, and rest in God’s creation.
For more information, visit the camp website at www.campmountluther.org or call 570-922-1587. Stay connected to camp this summer and find out what is happening during our various programs, visit Facebook (www.facebook.com/mountluther), Twitter (@mtluther) and our blog (www.campmountluther.wordpress.com). We try to update these daily but please realize that our staff is quite busy and if updates are not posted, it’s because the campers and staff are so busy that they can’t get an update posted. And don’t forget, our daily First Light devotions will continue to be posted each weekday. Check them at www.cmlfaithformation.weebly.com.

Rostered Leaders Renewal Day
2021-08-04 09:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Bishop Collins invites rostered leaders and seminarians to a Renewal Day on August 4, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Camp Mount Luther. This one-day event will include opportunities for worship, conversation, relaxation, recreation, and refreshment. The day begins at 9:00 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m. The campgrounds will be open for exploring all day or bring lawn chairs or blankets for sitting on the grounds and enjoying a day away. Those who attend will have opportunities to participate in small group conversations, a nature hike, swimming, fishing, canoeing, and more. Also, Portico’s Barb Debski and the ELCA Foundation’s Marianne Brock will be on-site. Bishop Collins and Pastor Miller will be available for one-on-one conversation as well. This respite day is offered at no cost to participants; simply register by August 1 at https://forms.office.com/r/gDi2EEEiZM

Summer Institute for Ministry
2021-08-09 - 2021-08-12
Feeling emotionally spent, spiritually absent, and heading toward burnout? You are not alone! Join us for the 2021 ULS Summer Institute at Claggett Retreat Center in the rolling hills of Maryland where we’ll begin to breathe out the feelings of guilt, cynicism, and confrontation, and explore ways to be resilient, hold holy space, address struggles, and seek wellness even in the face of trauma and grief. Join us for this time with other Rostered Leaders to gather in person to rest, renew, reframe and breathe in God’s calling for us in this time. This rostered leader’s event is being sponsored by United Lutheran Seminary in Partnership with Regions 7 & 8 Synods. The theme is “Rest – Renew – Reframe.”
Each day will have no more than four hours of learning and will offer multiple times in the day to walk the labyrinth, visit a slave gravesite on the Trail of Souls, get a chair massage, nap, enjoy a guided meditation class, read a book on the veranda overlooking the Monocacy river valley, have time with a Spiritual Director or coach, and even find a friend to sit and remember what its like to just chat. We ask each person to bring a small bag of dirt from your home or ministry for our final sending.
Click here to register: https://ulsforms.wufoo.com/forms/z1q7x0l209d7ns6/
Click here for more information and a schedule: https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/calendar/summer-institute-for-ministry-a-rostered-leaders-event

Juniata Valley Conference Assembly
2021-08-16 18:00 - 19:00

Dandelion Trail Run at CML
2021-09-04 09:00 - 12:00
Camp Mount Luther will be holding a 5- and 10- kilometer trail run race at the camp on Saturday, September 4, 2021. This is an entry-level trail race on Mount Luther grounds with proceeds going to the camp. The start time for the race is 9:00 a.m. Runners decide on race day if they want to do a 5k or 10K (a double loop of the 5K) run. You must be registered by August 8 by 6:00 p.m. to receive a duffel bag. The 10k distance is included in the Rocksylvania 10k race series. More details on that are available at http://midpenntrailblazers.com/links.html. Registration is $35. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on race day. Shower facilities are available after the race. All miles for the course will be marked and there is one water stop on the course. Timing will be electronically done. To register, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Mifflinburg/DandelionRun5k10kTrailRace. The Dandelion Run, begun in 2002, is organized by Joel and Shelley Heasley of Middleburg. It was named in honor and memory of Rev. Glenn E. Heasley, Jr., former Assistant to the Bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Glenn’s favorite “flower” was the dandelion. Heasley’s widow, Shirley, is also involved in the planning of the race.

Synod Office Closed
2021-09-06
The Upper Susquehanna Synod Office will be closed on Monday, September 6, 2021, in observance of Labor Day. If you have an emergency, please call the synod office (570-524-9778) and the voicemail will give you phone numbers that you can call.

“God’s work. Our hand.” Day of Service
2021-09-12
Save the date! “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday will be Sunday, September 12, 2021. This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
You work every day to make your community a better place. Let us continue doing this work together! Access resources to guide your congregation’s planning, promotion and more, including a hymn you can sing that day at https://www.elca.org/dayofservice.
One project congregations may consider is to prepare Flood Cleanup Buckets for Church World Service. Information about putting together buckets can be found at https://www.uss-elca.org/flood-bucket-collection/ or by watching this video: https://youtu.be/7xtbvJB9fBk

CML Fall Frisbee Funday
2021-10-03 15:00 - 16:00
On October 3, we will be hosting Fall Frisbee Funday at Camp Mount Luther. At 3:00 p.m., the director will be at the A-Center for anyone who would like to play a round of Frisbee Golf. No need to sign-up, just show up to play.

Run4Camp 5K
2021-10-24
Camp Mount Luther invites you to be part of a fundraiser for camp that is being sponsored by Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. Lutheran camps from across the country, including CML, are looking for folks to run/walk/rollerblade/bike/ski/wheelchair (whatever!) on Sunday, October 24, 2021 (or another date of your choosing). You will enter with a $25 registration fee and then you should get at least five sponsors for your 5K with all proceeds going to Camp Mount Luther. This is also a fundraiser for the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries organization as Camp Mount Luther has paid an entry fee to be part of this event. Your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors — whomever you identify — will fill out a form and they will then be directed to make a gift to your camp. Every single nickel pledged/given in support of YOU will go directly to Camp Mount Luther. Then, during your 5K, you will send a selfie of yourself while you are out on the road, or the trail, or wherever. And there are plans to have a virtual finish line as well. Be part of this opportunity for LOM and Camp Mount Luther! To sign up, visit www.lomnetwork.org/run4camp.

An Opportunity for Church Musicians and All who Sing or Play Hymns
2021-10-30 09:00 - 12:30
This will be presented by Dr. Karl Moyer of Lancaster, organist and retired professor, on Saturday, October 30, 9:00-12:30, at Weber Chapel on the campus of Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove. His topic is titled “Authenticity in Hymn Singing, Translating Theology into Organ Sound,” addressing how different church bodies’ hymnody reflects their theology, citing Middle Ages, Moravian, Lutheran, Calvinist, Church of England, Lowell Mason, and Anabaptist hymnody. The event is sponsored by the Williamsport Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is free for any Organ Guild member; there is a $10 registration fee for others. For more information, contact Donna Elkin at 570-323-7367 or donnaelkin@gmail.com

Evening at Shade Mountain to Benefit Mount Luther
2021-11-05 18:00 - 20:00
This is a fundraising opportunity to share fellowship, entertainment, and locally produced wine, all to benefit Camp Mount Luther. It’s held at Shade Mountain Winery, 16140 Route 104, Middleburg, PA. There will be a limit of 50 people for this year’s event, which will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021. Entertainment will be provided by KJ Reimensnyder-Wager, a local folk musician. Menu to include heavy appetizers, desserts, and a complementary glass of wine. Reservations required. Call 570-922-1587 or email cml@campmountluther.org. Cost is a donation. Consider a donation equal or greater to the food and entertainment provided. If you choose to purchase any bottles of wine that evening, camp receives a portion of the proceeds. Promote it with this flyer: https://www.campmountluther.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-Shade-Mountain-Winery-Flyer.pdf

Buffalo Valley Conference Advent Bonfire
2021-11-21 17:00 - 19:30
All are invited to gather with Lutherans from around the Buffalo Valley for a time of community and worship at Zion, Turbotville, as we transition into the season of Advent. Bring along a dinner to cook over the fire or grill! Check out the Buffalo Valley Conference Facebook page for more details. The event begins at 5:00 p.m.

Synod Office Closed
2021-11-25 - 2021-11-26
The Upper Susquehanna Synod Office will be closed on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26, 2021, in observance of Thanksgiving. If you have an emergency, please call the synod office (570-524-9778) and the voicemail will give you phone numbers that you can call.

Winter Solstice Gathering for Rostered Leaders
2021-12-21 09:30 - 14:00
Rostered leaders and their family are invited to come together to celebrate the Winter Solstice on Tuesday, December 21st, which will take place at Camp Mt. Luther from 9:30 to 2:30. Come and step away from the busyness of the season and find rest as we take note of the day with the shortest amount of daylight of the year and remind each other of the light of Christ that never dims. The day will begin with a reflective liturgy and include opportunities for fellowship, indoor activities, outdoor walks for those braving the cold, and a warm lunch provided by the camp. But most importantly, it is a day for you to rest and recharge. Please RSVP by December 15th to Bishop Collins (bpcollins@uss-elca.org) or click here so we can include you and your family to our guest list for lunch. Also let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. Come and find rest. Come and be fed. Come…and walk away with the gift of light.

Office Closed
2021-12-24 - 2021-12-31
The Upper Susquehanna Synod Office will be closed from Friday, December 24 to Friday, December 31, in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The office will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022. If you have an emergency, please call the synod office (570-524-9778) and the voicemail will give you phone numbers that you can call. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Upper Susquehanna Synod Staff.

Service of Lessons and Carols
2021-12-26 - 2022-01-03
The synod created a lessons and carols service for the first Sunday of the Christmas season, December 26th. You are welcome to use this virtual service in place of or supplemental to your normal Sunday worship. The video and accompanying bulletin are linked below:
Video: https://youtu.be/CexLu9l8J4A
PDF Bulletin: https://www.uss-elca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lessons-and-Carols-for-Christmas-12.26.2021.pdf
Word Bulletin: https://www.uss-elca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lessons-and-Carols-for-Christmas-12.26.2021.docx

LARC Day of Dialog
2022-01-13 09:00 - 15:00
Join members of the three communions interested in the Church’s role in Dismantling Racism, at the Diocese of Harrisburg, 4800 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 The conference begins at 10:00 AM and ends at 2:00 PM. Lunch will be provided for those who attend in person. Livestreaming will be available with advance registration. The speakersare the Rev. Dr. Teresa Smallwood, James Franklin Kelly and Hope Eyster Kelly Associate Professor of Public Theology; and the Rev. Dr. Rodney Smalls, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and Supervisor of Nuclear Medicine at Northwest Hospital Center in Randallstown, MD. This event is open to anyone. Register at www.hbgdiocese.org/LARC or use this form: https://www.uss-elca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-LARC-Registration-form.pdf

Office Closed
2022-01-17
The Upper Susquehanna Synod Office will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2022, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you have an emergency, please call the synod office (570-524-9778) and the voicemail will give you phone numbers that you can call.

Buffalo Valley Lay School of Theology
2022-02-04 - 2022-02-27
Interested in learning more about worship leadership or liturgical practices? Want to hear how the good news calls us to engage with issues of poverty? Want to see how to drum up excitement in the church? Then join us for the Buffalo Valley Lay School of Theology! Register for workshops from pastors and leaders across the synod designed form church members to grow in faith and leadership! Check out the workshops at https://bit.ly/BVLaySchool2022. This year, we will be offering multiple workshops running from February 4th through February 27th. Please note that some workshops gather multiple times over the weeks while some are offered as asynchronous videos on YouTube. Any workshops with a date and time associated with them will be offered via Zoom; login information for those Zoom gatherings, as well as any additional supplemental resources, will be provided by the moderator after you register for workshops. You can register to participate in workshops using the link below! We look forward to you joining us for this year’s workshops! Registration Link: https://bit.ly/registerBVLST2022. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHt3TS0Fi5sPTZLBBXbtRA

GROW in the Snow
2022-02-04 18:30 - 2022-02-05 18:30
All youth in 6-12th grade and their youth leaders are invited to attend this synod youth retreat. The theme of this year’s will be around scripture. Experience your Creator, play winter games and find refreshment in the peace of camp in winter. The retreat is from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, but there is an option for youth and leaders to come just for the day on Saturday. Cost is $66 (whole program) or $45 (Saturday only). Each registered group should provide one adult (21 or over) for every seven youth and at least one adult for each gender represented. Cabin assignments will be made based on available adults and number of youth attending. Contact Chad Hershberger at chad@campmountluther.org with questions.
A flyer and registration form is available here: https://www.campmountluther.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022-Grow-in-the-Snow.pdf

CML Summer Preview Party and Camperson Meeting
2022-02-05 03:30 - 16:00
This year, we’ll have a Summer Preview Party as part of our GROW in the Snow weekend and invite campersons to come to hear about the program offerings for 2022. Join us at 3:30 p.m. on February 5 at the Evergreen Center for the preview and then campersons will be given additional information to share with their congregations. Expect to be here for an hour and fifteen minutes. What’s a camperson? A camperson is a liaison between camp and your congregations. They are ambassadors, regularly promoting camp news. Each synod congregation is asked to send a representative to this event to learn more about Mount Luther. Another benefit is that campersons will get Camel Bucks to the camp store for all those from their church who attend summer camp. We are also working to have an online component that you can join this meeting. Details coming soon.
Promote it! https://www.campmountluther.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Camperson-Meeting-Flyer-2022.pdf

Ignite the Church Conference
2022-02-08 - 2022-02-10
SEISMIC SHIFTS: Where do we go from here? Since February 2020, the Church has been enduring unprecedented seismic shifts. In response, a new Hybrid version of the grassroots Ignite the Church Conference will gather next February…In-Person in sunny Orlando AND Online…to reflect on the theme: SEISMIC SHIFTS: Where Do We Go from Here? The theme is grounded in the witness of Psalm 46: 1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, and the mountains shake.” Four large group sessions will focus on the following shifts: Public Church (Robin Steinke and Winston Persaud), Hybrid Church (Joe and Jess Liles), Adaptive Church (Tod Bolsinger), Thriving Church (Stephanie Spellers). Ten 90-minute workshops will dig deeper into these shifts to offer encouragement, inspiration, and challenge for church leaders. To register and learn more about the presenters, workshop options, and other details go to www.IgniteTheChurch.net. The Online option will provide live and recorded access to each large group session and the post-conference Resource Page. The Online option is FREE…with a suggested donation $30 to the ELCA Fund for Leaders invited. All proceeds continue to benefit the ELCA Fund for Leaders which has received $13,000 from the Conference in just the past two years.

Region 8 Radical Justice Training
2022-02-19 09:00 - 14:00
We are called to be a church that embraces each person and confronts racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, age, gender, familial, sexual orientation, physical, personal and class barriers that can manifest as unjust treatment, inequalities, exclusion, and violence. The ELCA’s Region 8 is committed to equipping leaders to recognize and understand the complexities and implications of racism and racial issues and is offering training in the areas of anti-racism and racial justice for leaders in partnership with synods, congregations, associations, and social service agencies.
Region 8’s Racial Justice Training equips leaders (rostered and lay) to face the challenges of racism in a diverse, complex and changing world by providing tools and resources that foster healthy and holy conversations. Each workshop addresses these aspects of racism:
1) Talking about Race: language and vocabulary
2) History and systemic racism in the United States, and
3) How to begin conversations and actions in your ministry context.
Each training is offered on Zoom using a combination of instruction and small group conversation. Facilitators will represent the region to the extent possible, spearheaded by the Reverend Carla Christopher Wilson. Cost is $25 per person; however, if cost is a barrier, please contact Marty Shifflett at mshifflett@lss-elca.org, or 717-652-1852, ext. 115. Because we want to make this training as accessible to as many people as possible, if two people from a congregation register, additional participants (beyond 2) from that congregation may attend at no cost. Those additional participants are required to register by contacting Marty Shifflett.
Region 8 is comprised of the following eight synods: Northwest PA, Southwest PA, Allegheny, Lower Susquehanna, Upper Susquehanna, Delaware/Maryland, Metro DC, and West Virginia/Western Maryland.
Racial Justice Training Opportunities
Saturday, February 19, 2022, 9AM-2PM
Friday, May 13, 2022, 12-5PM
Thursday, August 18, 2022, 11AM-4PM
Monday, November 7, 2022, 10AM-3PM
Click here to register
Attending this training fulfills the ELCA churchwide assembly’s directive that rostered ministers participate in racial justice training every two years.

Camp Mount Luther Sunday
2022-02-27
The Upper Susquehanna Synod Council designated that Transfiguration Sunday each year is “Mount Luther Sunday” to help promote outdoor ministries in the synod. Members of USS congregations are encouraged to celebrate outdoor ministries on February 27, 2022. Mount Luther is an extension of our ministry together and we hope all congregations will join in celebrating outdoor ministries by offering financial support, keeping the camp staff in prayer, and by participating in the numerous events and activities this ministry offers.
Ideas to celebrate Camp Sunday are here: https://www.campmountluther.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Mount-Luther-Sunday-2022.pdf
For a bulletin insert to use that day, click here: https://www.campmountluther.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016-General-Bulletin-Insert.pdf

Help Camp Mount Luther During Raise the Region
2022-03-09 18:00 - 2022-03-10 23:59
Camp Mount Luther is participating in The First Community Foundation Partnership of PA’s “Raise the Region” on March 9-10, 2022. It is a 30-hour fundraising event starting at 6:00 p.m. and ending the next day at 11:59 p.m. Money donated by the Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships will help stretch donations made to organizations that day. Additional monetary prizes and incentives will be awarded, too. Proceeds raised for Mount Luther these days to the camp’s Annual Fund unless a donor gets in touch with the camp office to designate it for another camp cause. To be part of Raise the Region, visit www.raisetheregion.org during the event and make an online donation to camp. Running totals will be shown throughout the day at the Raise the Region website. Camp Mount Luther has participated in Raise the Region for nine years and has garnered about $147,000 in donations during this event. The camp hopes you will help us to have another successful year!
Click here to download a flyer/bulletin insert to promote it!

SINDR Mission/Work Trip Planning Meeting
2022-04-03 19:00 - 20:00
Last December, tornado damage devastated Western Kentucky. The rubble is now cleared and it is time to help them rebuild. The SINDR is sponsoring a mission/work trip to Madisonville, KY, on April 24 -30, 2022. All skill levels are needed as we will be doing rough carpentry and some debris cleanup. Lodging and cooking facilities will be provided at First Presbyterian Church, Madisonville, KY. The cost is a contribution toward food and mileage. There will be a trip planning meeting on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Synod Office and on ZOOM. For more information, contact Craig Miller at the Synod Office. Here is a flyer about the events: https://www.uss-elca.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/WKy-Trip-Poster-Revised.pdf

GROW Writers’ Retreat
2022-04-05 10:00 - 15:00
Anyone wishing to come and write devotions for Camp Mount Luther’s First Light Digital Devotions is welcome to join other writers on April 5, 2022. The retreat will be from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Evergreen Center. It will be a day of writing and sharing resources for devotional writing. Please RSVP to chad@campmountluther.org or 570-922-1587.

CML Early Registration Deadline
2022-04-15
Register for summer camp at Mount Luther by midnight on April 15, 2022, to get a discount on your summer camp registration! Or, if you bring a friend to camp who’s never been there, you can get 25% off your registration fee. Program information at www.campmountluther.org/summer. Register online at https://www.campmountluther.org/online-registration/

Lutheran Day at the Capitol
2022-04-28
LUTHERAN DAY IN THE CAPITOL MOVED TO APRIL 28, 2022
As LAMPA continues to move through the pandemic, they look forward and invite you to mark your calendar for Lutheran Day in the Capitol. They will gather in Harrisburg on Thursday, April 28, 2022. They have moved this annual event to partner with United Lutheran Seminary’s Spring Convocation, in prayerful anticipation of gathering safely once more. Here is information on ULS’s Spring Convocation that runs from April 25-28:
https://www.unitedlutheranseminary.edu/calendar/spring-convocation-preaching-perspectives-pentecost-and-ordinary-time-gettysburg-campus-livestream
