ELCA commemorates 25 years with 'God's Work. Our Hands. Sunday'

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Celebrating 25 years as a church that rolls up
its sleeves and gets to work, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) will participate in “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday,
Sept. 8 -- a dedicated day of service in which this church’s 4 million
members can observe the anniversary by playing a critical part in
addressing the needs of their neighborhoods and communities.
     “We are excited about the entire ELCA coming together to make a very
public statement that we are a church that seeks to serve,” said the Rev.
Leslie Price, senior pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in San Antonio.
Price’s congregation will volunteer at a local food bank, visit nursing
homes to share music, clean up parks and invite homebound members to
church.
     “As a local community of faith, we are constantly challenging
ourselves to do more hands-on service in the community. We never settle
in and say, ‘It's enough.’ Instead we strive to say, ‘What more can we be
doing? What are we overlooking? Who are we not seeing?’ We take seriously
Christ's call to action to serve those in need and work for justice
always,” said Price.
     Recognizing a need among military families in their community, and
also inspired by one of their own, the congregation of Lutheran Church of
the Good Shepherd in Brooklyn, Ohio, has invited local military families
to share in fellowship and a meal. Good Shepherd’s pastor, the Rev. James
Eckert, is currently serving as a military chaplain in Afghanistan, and
he will join via Skype to talk with those gathered. Ministry coordinator
Mary Beth Petzke said she hopes the event will provide a way for members
to share Eckert’s service experience with families who are missing loved
ones currently serving in the military.
     “The Skype (session) is focused toward our guests, to provide
prayerful encouragement and support from our pastor that they may know
the living and loving presence of Jesus Christ among us, especially in
the midst of difficult and challenging times. The military families and
veterans that we will welcome also need to be fed. God uses us as his
instruments to bring the living and loving presence of Jesus Christ to
this population that often struggles with fear, loneliness and
uncertainty,” said Petzke.
     At Advent Lutheran Church in Mentor, Ohio, members created service
projects for all ages to participate in the day of service. The
congregation plans to bake and distribute cookies to police and
firefighters, build and repair picnic tables for a local homeless
shelter, write letters to military personnel and veterans and perform
random acts of kindness around the community.
     “We sense this as an opportunity to be part of something much bigger
than ourselves and feel like it is having a bigger impact,” said the Rev.
Steven Bond. ”Advent Lutheran Church has always seen physical acts of
service as an expression of the love we have received from Christ and are
asked to share with the world. I am blessed to be a part of a
congregation that has always been a community that has looked for
opportunities for service,” he said.
     In Palatine, Ill., three ELCA congregations will combine efforts to
help make a difference in their community. The members of All Saints
Lutheran Church, Bethel Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church will
take part in many activities which include visiting shut-ins, preparing a
Habitat for Humanity house for rehab, quilting prayer shawls, assembling
and stocking shelves at the local food pantry, and helping with house
chores and yard work for seniors in the area.
     “This is a way for our congregation to intentionally show our corner
of the world who we are and what we do. But it’s not just here; there’s
this great spirit around the country. It’s great to be part of a church
that celebrates its anniversary by sharing God’s love with the world by
going out into the world,” said the Rev. Seth Moland-Kovash, pastor of
All Saints Lutheran Church.
     Additional service projects include:
+ Redeemer Lutheran Church in Penndel, Pa., plans to create 100 care
packets for a local hospital to distribute to families who have loved
ones in intensive-care or cardiac-care units.
+ Ballard First Lutheran Church in Seattle will kick-off a year of
learning and service, helping educate members about the many
opportunities to serve in the community.
+ Kihei Lutheran Church in Kihei, Hawaii, has collected more than 1,500
pounds of canned goods for the community food pantry and for low-income
school children who may not have regular meals on weekends.
+ Lord of Light Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, Mich., will collect non-
perishable food items for low-income students who may not have regular
meals during extended breaks from school.
     “We are working very hard to help our congregation members see the
need in our community, as well as (in) the world. Our congregation also
pushes us as leaders to find ways to put our faith into action,” said
Leslie Fort, council president at Lord of Light Lutheran Church.
     “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is designed to emphasize this
church’s commitment to participate in the work of restoring and
reconciling communities, and pursuing peace and justice.
     Price says her congregation embraces this calling within their
community and beyond. “We are not afraid to be Christ's hands in our
community. We aren't afraid to face the realities of brokenness, loss and
poverty in our world. We aren't afraid to sweat or end up covered in dirt
or exhaust ourselves with tough work. We aren't afraid to look a hurting
person in the eyes, to hold their hand, to see their soul as a reflection
of ours, to help them through in Jesus' name.”
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with more than 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations
across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church
of “God's work. Our hands,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the
world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church
reformer, Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877 or Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
http://www.ELCA.org/news
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