Hopeful Leadership in Changing Times is the theme of the Pacifica Synod’s 2021 Bishop’s Gatherings, to be held via Zoom throughout the month of September. We are in a time of enormous change, spurred on by a pandemic that will not go away, and many of our congregations have undergone significant change. Some of our churches have grown stronger during the pandemic, with more people and more financial resources than ever before. Others have found themselves weakened, losing longtime, generous members to death, moving out of the area, and other churches. The Bible tells us that God has always been faithful to God’s people in changing times. God led the people of Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land. God stayed with the people when they went into exile in Babylon. God came to earth as Jesus in order to change the world and us, to reconcile all creation to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection. That same God is with us. We will reflect on how the Holy Spirit is guiding us in this changing, challenging time, and how we can support one another as we walk together in faith.
We will gather by Conferences, and invite each congregation to attend with their pastors, their deacons, and at least two key lay leaders, but all are welcome! Each gathering will last for about 90 minutes. Pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link in advance of each gathering and to ensure we have enough room on our Zoom feed to accommodate everyone. We hope you will be able to join us!
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