The Mission Office has moved!
The address for the new Mission Center is:
680 Copper Canyon Rd.
Argyle, Texas 76226
940-241-2099
Please make sure your records are updated. We will be discontinuing the use of the P.O. Box; all mail must be sent to the address above!
So far, 38 of you are my best friends, because you have already completed the Mayo Clinic health assessment. Yay, you!!
(Of those 38, only six of you have entered your name in the drawing for a $250 gift card. What’s up with that? Fill this out!!)
Okay, so the rest of you? Who have not yet completed the assessment?
Last year, 74% of you completed the assessment. We need 65% of the eligible ELCA-Primary health plan members to complete the Mayo Clinic health assessment before April 30 to qualify for the 2% discount. We currently stand at 25%. So what are you waiting for? Take the assessment!
New this year: To take the Mayo Clinic health assessment, access Mayo Clinic Healthy Living online directly through myPortico — no separate Mayo Clinic ID and password necessary. Go to PorticoBenefits.org/HealthyLiving for details.
Also new this year: the new, directly-through-Portico login means spouses must create a myPortico account… here’s a “cheat sheet” with instructions on setting up that account.
Post-Easter Retreat at Spirit in the Desert
Easter is soon approaching… and after that, those in leadership positions in ministry get to take a deep breath after the Lenten Season and all the services in Holy Week and Easter weekend!
The question is, do they truly get a break for their wellbeing? Do they get the opportunity to celebrate Easter with their family?
For 6 years Spirit in the Desert has had a post-Easter retreat called Spiritual Well-being. It is for all rostered leaders—including bishops!—and those who work full-time in the church. The retreat is designed to include their spouse/partner as well. (We’ve even had clergy father/son or mother/daughter attend, too. The flexibility is beautiful!)
Dick & Naomi Bruesehoff lead this retreat of well-being. Download the retreat brochure here; view the retreat schedule here.
The desert will be delightfully warm with still cool nights and everything will be in bloom … new life springs forth and what better time to have a post-Easter retreat!
Feel free to contact Cyndy Warnier at cyndy@spiritinthedesert.org or (480) 480-5218, if you have any questions.
Did you know Portico offers a way to pay your bill online?
Paying online is secure, efficient, and it’s also good stewardship of our shared financial resources—because it helps lower the cost of bill processing. It’s a simple process with only a few steps. Other advantages of paying online include:
- Better accuracy
- Payment is applied to your account faster
- Flexibility to schedule a payment up to 60 days in advance
- Health savings account (HSA) and retirement account contributions are deposited and invested faster
- It saves postage and paper
Remember: EmployerLink offers many resources in addition to paying online, including benefit and employment details, cost and compensation calculators, payroll withholding information, and more.
The ELCA is known for high-quality chaplains and applications from pastors willing to consider a Call into these ministries. Please review the following announcement from the Bureau of Prisons.
Interested clergy should go to the USAJobs.gov website and contact Eric Wester, Assistant to the Presiding Bishop and Director for Federal Chaplaincies, at Eric.Wester@elca.org or 202-417-3692 for the Ecclesiastical Endorsement (required).
Position: Chaplain
Salary: $74,195.00-$96,459.00 / Per Year
Series & Grade: GS-0060-12/12
Location(s): Seagoville, Texas
Open Period: 3/9/2015 to 3/23/2015
Announcement Number: SCR-2015-0140
Department: Department Of Justice
Agency: Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
Position Info: Full Time-Permanent
Who May Apply: OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS
Duty Location: FCI Seagoville, TX
Apply: www.USAJOBS.GOV
Qualifications:
Education: All applicants must possess a Bachelor’s Degree (any discipline) from an accredited college, and a Master of Divinity degree consisting of 80 hours or equivalent education from an accredited residential seminary or school of theology.
Experience: At least two years, or 4,174 hours, of pastoral/spiritual leadership experience in a congregational or specialized ministry setting within the endorsing body after formal ministerial preparation. Clinical Pastoral Education, a valuable training experience for chaplains, may satisfy up to one year, or 2,087 hours, of the requirement of pastoral/spiritual experience.
AND
Have an Ecclesiastical Endorsement. An Ecclesiastical Endorsement attests to: the applicant’s suitability for correctional ministry, support for his or her candidacy, a clear assurance statement that the applicant has no present or past legal or moral barrier to congregational ministry, and an affirmation that the applicant will facilitate inmates of all faiths opportunities to pursue individual religious beliefs and practices. The applicant’s relationship to the endorsing body must reflect a minimum two-year association before endorsement.
2015 Mission Support Pledge and Remittance Forms
Please complete the 2015 Statement of Intent form—download PDF versions below, or look for hard copies in the mail.
- 2015 Statement Of Intent Mission Support Folder
- 2015 Mission Support Pledge Form
- 2015 Mission Support Remittance Form Word | PDF
Financial Seminars from Portico
November 2, 2015: Portico Pre-Retirement Seminar
November 3, 2015: Early/Mid-Career Financial Wellness Seminar
Resources and Opportunities:
Other resources: