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Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” —Matthew 28:10 (NRSVue)   In Matthew’s Gospel Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to see the tomb on the morning after the sabbath. Matthew also tells us clearly that these two women are eyewitnesses to his death, his burial, and the sealing of the tomb. They know that he is dead and where his body has been placed. They also know that they will not see him again.   Yet on that morning when God upends all our human knowledge and expectation, they do see him again, and he is alive! Rather than prove them to be unreliable sources, Jesus gives them new information, good news: “go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”   There they will see me. Where they had already watched him in ministry; where he had first called his disciples; in their hometowns; among their people; there they will see me.   This is not merely a promise for the immediate time after his resurrection; this is eternal promise. After he ascends to the Father; as they continue his ministry; while they teach and proclaim and baptize in his name; there they will see me.   This is eternal promise for us, as well. In our congregations; out in our neighborhoods and communities; where we are called to proclaim good news; as we carry out the ministry he has given us: Jesus says, “There they will see me.”   This year, hear the message that Jesus gave to Mary and the other Mary. Wherever you gather, however you celebrate the resurrection to new life, whomever you are with, we pray that you see Jesus, and in seeing him, you receive new life. Blessings to you this Easter season.   In the peace of our risen Christ, +Bishop Kevin and the Office of the Bishop Staff: Dn. Alicia, Pr. Tyler, Pr. Marty Jo, Pr. Traci, Dn. Sue Ellen, Pr. John, and Michelle

Dear Preachers, lay and clergy, of Upper Susquehanna, Northwest Pennsylvania, and Allegheny Synods of the E.L.C.A.,   As Director of the Go Tell It IN the Mountains Initiative, I am keenly aware of the many weekly challenge of preparing a compelling sermon each week. I too share this challenge! Time is often the greatest stress as Sundays just keep coming! That is why I am pleased to provide a time‑saving resource to support your sermon preparation. Through the connectional resource of being in tri-synod cooperation, we are able to offer you a free of charge a membership into “The Pastors Workshop”. ( https://thepastorsworkshop.com )   This online liturgical and preaching resource is designed to help meet your weekly needs in sermon preparation. The curation filters used include excellence, integrity, and common language. This tool is Pericope based, yet also has an awesome text search option.   You’re welcome to explore the website to get a feel for the resource, but please do not sign up or pay the annual fee. The Go Tell It IN the Mountains Initiative has already contracted for 100 memberships to provide our preachers’ free access. Your registration must go through our contract, and we cannot reimburse anyone who pays individually. Since this is a contracted service, I need to gather registration information for the 100 leaders who will receive free access. Therefore, if you would like to participate and receive free access to The Pastors Workshop, you need to follow the link below and provide you name, phone number, email address and synod where you are rostered. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA4AE29A5F8C34-62506484-thepastors Once all 100 slots are filled, I will send this data to the Pastors Workshop who will then create passcode and usernames for you to enter the site. The overseer of The Pastors Workshop will visit our area on May 5 and will offer a session from 10:00 a.m. to noon at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 Queen St. Northumberland. He will also offer a session later that same day at Duncansville Lutheran Church, 1200 4 th Ave from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The training will include a one‑hour overview of the site’s resources followed by a one‑hour Q&A. This session is designed to answer your questions and help you navigate the resource more efficiently. Attendance at either seminar is optional and not required for free access to the site; however, participating may save you time by allowing the site’s organizer to guide you through its features. Registration details for these trainings will be shared soon, so please save the date. Please know that this resource is offered to you as a gift. There are no obligations or expectations attached. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. God’s Peace, John Kratz director@alleghenysynod.com

Click on the link above for the March edition of Synod Connections, the Allegheny Synod's e-newsletter. We would love to include your news in a future issue -- Do you have an event coming up that you would like us to share? Has your congregation reached out to help your neighbors? Please reach out to us at alleghenysynodcommunications@gmail.com  - we look forward to hearing from you! Did you know - you can also subscribe to receive Synod Connections and The Lutheran Letter in your email? Visit the sign-up link at https://www.alleghenysynod.org/blog and we'll take care of the rest!

Welcome to Allegheny Synod Connections We’re pleased to reach out to you with the first issue of Allegheny Synod Connections, a monthly (for now) e-newsletter designed to keep you connected with what’s happening around our synod and in the ELCA. But we need your feedback! Do you have some information you’d like us to share about an event that’s coming up? Has your congregation reached out to help your neighbors? We’d love to hear and share your news. Please reach out to us at alleghenysynodcommunications@gmail.com - we can’t wait to hear from you!   February 4, 2026 5th Wednesday of the Season after the Epiphany   Dear Friends:   Grace and peace to you in the name of +Jesus, who is our Salvation! Amen.   In my last letter I wrote that the Allegheny Synod Council approved a staff structure of four quarter-time Assistants to fulfill the duties of the Office of the Bishop alongside me. There are advantages to this structure, one of which is keeping gifted clergy at their current ministry sites while adding their gifts to Synod staff. It is my pleasure to introduce your Synod staff and their positions.   The Rev. Deacon Alicia Anderson  will serve as  Assistant to the Bishop for Formation . She will oversee our Synod’s candidacy process, work with people who are discerning public ministry, and coordinate educational events for lay people and clergy. She also serves as Campus Minister for Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State. The Rev. Tyler Graham  will serve as  Assistant to the Bishop for Transition . He will work closely with congregations who are seeking new leaders, clergy who are seeking a new call, and with Deans to secure pastoral coverage for ministries in times of vacancy. He also serves as Pastor of the Living Waters Lutheran Parish.   The Rev. Marty Jo Irvin-Stellabotte  will serve as  Assistant to the Bishop for Communications . She will generate official Synod communications across all of our media, interpret ELCA communications for our Synod, and work with congregations to help them spread their news in our Synod and local communities. She also serves as Pastor of the Geeseytown-Newry Lutheran Parish.   The Rev. Traci Marriott  will serve as  Assistant to the Bishop for Life Together . She will work with others to match people’s gifts to ministry needs in our Synod, to encourage a healthy philosophy of stewardship for congregations and individuals, and to ensure that Synod resources feed ministry well. She also serves as Pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Martinsburg.   Alongside these four gifted people,  Ms. Michelle Bossler  will continue to serve as our  Office Manager ;  Ms. Sue Ellen Spotts  will continue as our shared  Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM)  with Upper Susquehanna Synod; and  The Rev. John Kratz  continues as  Director of the Go Tell It IN the Mountains Initiative  among Allegheny, Northwest PA, and Upper Susquehanna Synods.   There are some details to be completed before our new staff begin their work. Their contact information will be shared when they officially begin in the Office. For now, please welcome them, congratulate them, and pray for us all in our ministry together.   In three short days I will be installed as your Bishop in the Allegheny Synod. I confess that I am nervous about the responsibilities that come with this call. Yet, when I consider these co-workers in the Gospel serving with me and the abundance of ministry I witness across the Allegheny Synod, I am encouraged and excited about what God can bring to bloom among us. As the Holy One promised our ancestor in faith Abram, as he journeyed toward an uncertain future, I trust that God will bless us, in order that we might bless all the people in these Allegheny hills and valleys and beyond.   In the peace of Christ,   The Rev. Kevin Shock Bishop, Allegheny Synod—ELCA .   Livestream link for Bishop Kevin's installation If you're not able to attend Bishop Kevin's installation this coming Saturday at 2pm at Mt. Calvary Johnstown,, you can watch it live-streamed on the church's Facebook page at the link below. A link will also be provided for the bulletin, which will be sent out later in the week. https://www.facebook.com/MtCalvaryJohnstown Installation of Pastor Regina Holliday The Rev. Regina Holliday will be installed as Pastor to the people of Amity UCC, Meyersdale, at 3pm Sunday, Feb. 22. All are welcome to attend and clergy are invited to vest; the color of the day is purple. She will continue in her call to the people of Horner Lutheran Church. Text Study for Preachers Dr. Allison DeForest, Kraft Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies in New Testament at United Lutheran Seminary, will lead a study on the upcoming seasonal lectionary texts on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at The Lutheran Home at Hollidaysburg. Doors open at 8:30am and study begins at 9am and will include lunch. The day will conclude at 3pm. Cost is $20 and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Seating is limited so please sign up through the Sign-up Genius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA4AE29A5F8C34-57215934-pericope Camp Sequanota hosts online Lenten Bible Study Join Pastor Nathan Pile and Bishop Kevin Shock for a study on Why Lutheran Voices Matter Today. The text for this year's study is the new Augsburg Fortress resource, "By Heart" (a Small Catechism resource). All are welcome! Attendees will meet weekly on Zoom to explore God’s story intertwining in our story. Dates: February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31     Time: 7pm For a link to the reading schedule and how to join the study on Zoom, please visit https://sequanota.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Participant-Guide-Why-Lutheran-Voices-Matter-Today.pdf

Southeastern Penn Synod is sponsoring a presentation for rostered leaders on Immigration Enforcement: Reality, Response and Risk of a Faithful Response on Thursday, February 19, at  4:00 p.m. EST ​ Using the events in Minneapolis as the basis, this presentation by national legal and religious professionals including ELCA AMMPARO will discuss what is happening in Immigration Enforcement and ways clergy and congregations may choose to be a resource for their communities.  The presentation will address: What has – and is - happening in Minnesota; Response, Risks, & Reality; Ways of Being a Faith-based Community Resource ​ Registration is required for the free event, which will not be recorded. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/s3y4xLhwRWiCFc1jovsS6w#/registration

For immediate release HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- The Rev. Kevin T. Shock will be installed as bishop of the Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Saturday, Feb. 7. He was elected on November 1, 2025, to serve a six-year term as synodical bishop.  The installation will take place at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 1000 Scalp Ave., Johnstown, beginning at 2 p.m.The event will also be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/MtCalvaryJohnstown . ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry will preach and preside at the installation. Several bishops from various faith denominations are expected to be in attendance.   “The people of this synod have loved and shaped me since my family moved to Altoona when I was 10 years old,” Shock said. “I am humbled and honored to be called to serve God’s people as bishop and to proclaim the abundant love of God in Christ together with them.”   He has served as Assistant to the Bishop for the Allegheny Synod since 2022, having concurrently served as Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) from 2022-2023.   Prior to this role, Shock was Pastor at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pleasant Gap (2006–2022) and Intern Pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Verona, NY (2004–2005). Before entering ordained ministry, he worked as Ministry Assistant at Zion Lutheran Church, Hollidaysburg (1998-2002) and as a counselor at Camp Sequanota, Jennerstown (1995).   Shock earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2006 and Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education (English/German) from Juniata College in 1998.   A native of Blair County, Shock and his spouse are residents of Howard, Centre County.   The Rev. Barbara J. Collins has served as interim bishop of the Allegheny Synod since September 2024; Shock began the work of bishop on February 1. - more- The Allegheny Synod of the ELCA is comprised of 97 congregations in seven counties across south central Pennsylvania, including Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon, and Somerset, and one congregation in Grantsville, Md.   The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.   ###   Contact: The Rev. Marty Jo Irvin Stellabotte, Assistant to the Bishop for Communications alleghenysynodcommunications@gmail.com   cell: 814-934-9941

If you're not able to attend Bishop Kevin Shock's installation this coming Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2pm at Mt. Calvary Johnstown,, you may watch it live-streamed on the church's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MtCalvaryJohnstown . You may access the Worship Bulletin at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LUVQjqIiydvG7VtELuaUG-Vy3SpzUoCA/view?usp=sharing

January 24, 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity   Dear Friends:   Grace and peace to you in the name of +Jesus, the ever-growing light of the world! Amen.   First, a word of thanks. I am full of gratitude from your well-wishes, words of prayer and encouragement, and your regular mission support and special financial offerings during, and in support of, this time of transition. The Spirit has moved us toward a greater sense of mission and cooperative ministry during this interim period, and together we can continue on this road for years to come. Please plan on being present at our shared celebration of my installation as Bishop on February 7, 2026 at 2:00 pm at Mt. Calvary Lutheran in Johnstown. If you haven’t already, RSVP as soon as possible to the email address above. If you are unable to be physically present that day, I ask for your prayers for all of us in the Allegheny Synod and invite you to watch the service on Mt. Calvary’s Facebook page.   Second, a word about Synod staff. On January 17 the Allegheny Synod Council approved a staff structure of four quarter-time Assistants to fulfill the duties of the Office of the Bishop alongside me. This decision is the culmination of many discussions among Council, Deans, and other leaders. Some advantages to this structure include keeping gifted clergy at their current ministry sites, clearly delineating and delegating specific responsibilities, and incurring no cost above our proposed Synodical budget while bringing more gifts to the Office. Detailed information about the roles and the people filling them will come in the first couple weeks of February.   Finally, a word of encouragement. As I have gotten to know many of you these last four years as Assistant, I have seen the value in gathering together. Connections are made to God and one another when we gather. Let us follow the advice of the author of Hebrews (10:24-25) in meeting together to encourage one another and to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Find reasons to meet, invite one another, and gather. Be sure to invite me! You can contact Michelle at the information above to get on my calendar. I look forward to getting to know you all better.   In the peace of Christ, The Rev. Kevin Shock Bishop-Elect, Allegheny Synod

Did you know that congregations can apply for a grant through the Allegheny Synod to help enhance worship? Thanks to the generosity of the Startzell Music and Technology Grant, funds are available from the estate of The Rev. Walter Startzell, who served as a pastor in the ELCA for more than 50 years. Pastor Startzell, who died in 2022, was an accomplished musician, vocalist and composer; having written several hymns that were used in his services. He served many congregations throughout the synod and had a passion for worship and music. A Music Grant could be used to: expand or enhance current worship services fulfill the dream of a congregational member to learn an instrument or experience voice lessons provide funds for church musicians to participate and grow through workshops bring special music to the congregation A Technology Grant could be used to: grow a congregation sound system cover the fees of copyright permissions provide startup funds for developing a church website enhance online streaming worship services These are just a few ideas; congregations are invited to apply for grants between $250 and $2,500.. Applicationos will be accepted on a rolling basis. Recipients will be asked to report the outcomes of each project in written or recorded form for use in Allegheny Synod publicity and media. For complete guidelines and an application, please download the application below.

A Music Grant could be used to expand or enhance current worship services fulfill the dream of a congregational member to learn an instrument or experience voice lessons provide funds for church musicians to participate and grow through workshops bring special music for worship group A Technology Grant could be used to grow a congregation sound system covering the fees of copywrite permissions funds for developing a church website Grants of $250-$2,500 will be awarded. Recipients will be asked to report the outcomes of each project in written or recorded form for use in Allegheny Synod publicity and media.

The Center of Addiction and Faith is presenting a free one-hour webinar entitled "When Play Becomes a Problem: Internet Gaming and Spiritual Formation” on Jan. 28, 2026, from 12:00-1:00 PM CT features special guest Michael Hsu, MD, a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and health services researcher and clinical faculty at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. He will explore the role of internet gaming and digital technology in the lives of children, adolescents, and adults—highlighting both the potential benefits and the risks of problematic or compulsive use. The session will help faith leaders recognize signs of unhealthy gaming or technology use, understand when gaming may be serving deeper emotional or spiritual needs, and offer practical, compassionate ways to support individuals and families while encouraging balance, community, and healthy limits.   The link to register is https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/b-6ZDaJ-Rdi8wmAL33bIvw?mc_cid=cbf735f1ad&mc_eid=UNIQID#/registration

In conjunction with the Installation of our soon-to-be-Bishop, Pastor Kevin Shock, Mt. Calvary Lutheran would like to create a bulletin board of well wishes from the congregations of the Synod to be displayed in Mt. Calvary’s narthex at the time of the installation. Our plan is to combine all the well wishes into a binder after the installation, and present it to our new Bishop at a later date.     To this end, we are requesting the congregations to send us a letter/card/poem,etc. expressing your good wishes. Because our space is not large, please limit your submission to something no bigger than  8.5x11. Your submission does not need to be elaborate. Our space truly is limited.   Digital submissions should be sent to Ms. Shannon Reed at SReed151@gmail.com . Hard copies can also be sent to Shannon at 1603 Arthur Drive, Verona, PA 15147. Submissions need to arrive by Friday, January 23, to give us time to create the bulletin board.   Thank you for your help with this project. We, at Mt. Calvary, look forward to greeting you in person on February 7.   Gloria Reed, Hospitality Committee Member