This Week's Jersey Jottings - Jan 21

[Lutheran Church Of The Reformation West Long Branch]

Jersey Jottings 2026| January 21   Ways to Give Events around the synod For Congregations We pray for... The congregation of Redeemer, Neptune as they continue to grieve the loss of their pastor, Randy Steinman. These congregations in our synod... Prince of Peace, Old Tappan King of Kings, Middletown St Paul, Millville These companion synods in the ELCA and around the world... Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Lutheran Confession of Cuba We continue our prayers for... If you missed last nights program for National Day of Racial Healing, you can still watch it here: A Night of Centering Multiracial Voices across the ELCA | Jan. 20, 2026 Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center Confirmation Camp Info Session Tuesday, January 27 at 7:00 PM (Zoom) We’re so excited to bring back Confirmation Camp at Cross Roads and invite you to join us to hear an overview of Confirmation Camp 2026 (July 5–11). Camp offers a powerful, formative space for youth, and we’d love to share why this week matters and how your congregation can participate. We hope you’ll join us! Click for Zoom Link FRIENDS & FAMILY RETREAT January 23-25, 2026 Bring your loved ones, unplug from screens, and reconnect amidst nature with the Friends & Family Retreat at Cross Roads. Families and friends of all ages are invited to enjoy fun outdoor activities, meaningful meals, worship, reflection, and plenty of time to build confidence, faith, and enduring relationships. It’s a values-based community experience where friendship and leadership grow organically. crossroadsretreat.com/friends-and-family-retreat/ SUMMER CAMP July - August, 2026 There’s no better place for your child to unplug, reconnect with nature, try new things, and build confidence. Our Summer Camp offers a safe, faith-and-values-based community where kids make friends, grow in leadership and life skills, and families trust the experience. With easy registration, inclusive pricing, and a strong promise of transformation, Cross Roads is affordable and accessible for families like yours. crossroadsretreat.com/summer-camp/ TWP Workshop The NJ Synod Anti-Racism Team and TWP Facilitators invite you to come, learn, and talk about the history of this country. Specifically, how it advantaged some and disadvantaged others. These will be conversations about privilege and race. This is a 3-part educational conversation. When we engage in conversations about privilege and race, we learn from and about others so we can love as Christ commanded us to do.  Saturday January 24 from 9 am - 12 noon Saturday February 21 from 9 am - 12 noon Saturday March 21 from 9 am - 12 noon The workshops will take place on Zoom. If you have not done so already, please download the Zoom app from the App or Google Play store onto your electronic device. It is free to do so. Then please register for the workshops. You will receive confirmation after you register. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-GAqSWT5TmWTBiF5g0GtsA   “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde NJ WELCA Invites you to a workshop. Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 7pm Join us for an Interfaith study on Esther, as prepare for our Fall Gathering in September. As we explore the story of Esther, how our differences in perspective and the courage and responsibility that Esther exhibited in the face of adversity.  Leader: Rabbi Debra Smith Rabbi Debra Smith is the Founder and Spiritual Leader of Or ha Lev Jewish Renewal Community, formerly in New Jersey and now a virtual full community. Rabbi Deb is a clinical social worker and marriage and family therapist with 20 years clinical experience in private practice. She is also the author and editor of five Jewish themed books . Join the Zoom meeting here. Nominate Young Musicians for Lutheran Summer Music Now is the time to nominate students for LSM 2026. Enrollment for next summer is filling quickly, and we expect most remaining spots to be filled by the March 1 Standard Enrollment deadline. At LSM, students connect advanced musical study with worship and the joy of Lutheran church music traditions. We welcome musicians on all instruments—brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, and harp—to study with nationally recognized faculty in a welcoming and supportive community. LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College from June 21–July 19. Know a young musician (grades 8–12) who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate. Questions? admis...@lutheransummermusic.org   A publication of the NJ Synod, ELCA ©2026

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