NEOS-ELCA
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Synod Staff & Partners
    • Synod Council >
      • Synod Council Documents
    • Conferences & Congregations >
      • Meet the Deans!
    • Policies & Documents
    • Region 6 Archives
    • Bishop's Page
    • Our Stories
    • Anti-Racism Resolution
    • Land Confession and Acknowledgment
  • For Rostered Ministers
    • Pulpit Supply List
    • Compensation Standards
    • Rostered Minister Forms and Reports
    • Spiritual Direction & Coaching
    • Congregation Vacancies
    • Mobility for Rostered Ministers
    • Tools, Trainings & More
    • Care of Roster Committee
  • For Congregations
    • Mission Support
    • One Church Experiment
    • Growing in Faith
    • Pulpit Supply List
    • Reports and Forms for Congregations
    • Constitution Updates
    • Compensation Standards
    • Congregational Systems Team
    • Worship & Devotions
    • Summer Sabbath Sermons
    • We Need a Pastor!
    • Tools, Trainings & More >
      • Congregation Leader Roundtable
  • Kaufman Resource Center
    • Resources >
      • Open Files
      • Featured Resources
      • Reviews
    • Useful Links
  • Synod Assembly
    • Assembly Info
    • Nominations
    • Materials
  • Connect!
    • Give to Our Shared Mission
    • "Walking Together," Our Newsletter
    • Affinity Groups >
      • One Body, Many Members: Anti-racist Conversations Affinity Group
      • Creation Care Affinity Group
      • Hunger Team Affinity Group
    • Upcoming Events
    • Coaching
    • Involvement Opportunities >
      • Thoughts.Prayers.Action
    • Let's Get Social!

Our Stories

The generous mission support from our congregations to the Northeast Ohio

Synod of the ELCA makes it possible for lives to be transformed.

To submit a story for this page (called, "impact stories"), please click here and fill out the appropriate form.

"Do Whatever Needs Done"

5/19/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture

As an only child often left alone, Anita Hlava played records, sang to herself, enjoyed the quietness of being still, curiously observed, and learned from artists working on their crafts about ways to use her talents to serve others. Anita's mother often reinforced this guiding concept by telling her daughter, "To do whatever needs done."


Reflecting on all, Anita witnesses, "God put this within me."

Anita's faith, gifts, and skills were further refined through being welcomed to practice daily worship and retreats that allowed time to "be still." "Church was the best place to be. I felt at home." As a nine-year-old, Anita confirmed her faith and consciously began her "walk with Jesus."

The church continued to be essential to Anita as an adult, but she felt disconnected when her community church's Oratorio Chorus disbanded. She missed singing in the church choir, and shared her sadness with her caring neighbor, telling her how much she missed it. Her neighbor then did an extraordinary thing! She invited Anita to join her in singing in her church choir. Anita accepted the invitation and joined the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church choir, where they welcomed her.

In addition to the choir, Anita also found a list of many opportunities to use her talents and skills "to do whatever needs to be done" with one of the women's groups, the Anna Circle. It seemed like a good match for her, so she attended a meeting, was warmly welcomed, and served the group well.

Anita soon received a request to be on the Women of the Church board. But she was not a member of the church! That soon changed. Anita's promise "to walk with Jesus" continued. She did what she felt called to do at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, encouraged and supported by our synod. As a member of the women's board, an elder, a choir member, the choir's director, a cantor, and as an assisting minister, she continues to serve as one who will "do whatever needs done."

Your generosity enables our Northeastern Ohio Synod to support organizations such as WELCA -which encourages women to serve in mission, the Kaufman Resource Center – which aids musicians and other workers in the church; and Hopewood Outdoors/LOMO -which provides the place and means to "be still" and hear God, so that like Anita, we all might "do whatever needs done" as we walk with Jesus. Thank you for your generous gifts!


1 Comment
Mature Gay Orange link
5/6/2024 10:59:07 pm

Hi great reading yourr post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    NEOS

    Archives

    April 2024
    March 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022

    Impact Stories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Synod Staff & Partners
    • Synod Council >
      • Synod Council Documents
    • Conferences & Congregations >
      • Meet the Deans!
    • Policies & Documents
    • Region 6 Archives
    • Bishop's Page
    • Our Stories
    • Anti-Racism Resolution
    • Land Confession and Acknowledgment
  • For Rostered Ministers
    • Pulpit Supply List
    • Compensation Standards
    • Rostered Minister Forms and Reports
    • Spiritual Direction & Coaching
    • Congregation Vacancies
    • Mobility for Rostered Ministers
    • Tools, Trainings & More
    • Care of Roster Committee
  • For Congregations
    • Mission Support
    • One Church Experiment
    • Growing in Faith
    • Pulpit Supply List
    • Reports and Forms for Congregations
    • Constitution Updates
    • Compensation Standards
    • Congregational Systems Team
    • Worship & Devotions
    • Summer Sabbath Sermons
    • We Need a Pastor!
    • Tools, Trainings & More >
      • Congregation Leader Roundtable
  • Kaufman Resource Center
    • Resources >
      • Open Files
      • Featured Resources
      • Reviews
    • Useful Links
  • Synod Assembly
    • Assembly Info
    • Nominations
    • Materials
  • Connect!
    • Give to Our Shared Mission
    • "Walking Together," Our Newsletter
    • Affinity Groups >
      • One Body, Many Members: Anti-racist Conversations Affinity Group
      • Creation Care Affinity Group
      • Hunger Team Affinity Group
    • Upcoming Events
    • Coaching
    • Involvement Opportunities >
      • Thoughts.Prayers.Action
    • Let's Get Social!