Lutheran Global Events to 'Communicate Hope'

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- =22Communicate Hope=22 will be the theme when up = to 4,400 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather this year for Global Mission Events. =20
Three summer events are to be held July 9-12 at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse; July 16-19 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, = Troy, N.Y.; and July 23-26 at San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif.=20 Another Global Mission Event will be held Oct. 30- Nov. 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The events will feature speakers from Argentina, Ethiopia, Russia, Saint Lucia and the United States. =20
=22The heart of the Global Mission Event is a challenge that through hearing stories of mission all of us -- children, youth and adults -- will be inspired to go home and tell the story, to boldly communicate hope in Jesus Christ,=22 said the Rev. Margarita Mart=EDnez, ELCA associate = director for global events.=20
The theme text is from the New Testament book of Acts (4:20): =22... = We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.=22 ELCA = members will come together to =22celebrate, deepen our commitment to mission and = grow in love and care for each other and all God=27s creation,=22 Mart=EDnez = said.
Emphasis will be on recognizing daily events as opportunities to testify to Jesus, advocating a message of hope, declaring our Christian identity and equipping ourselves to use today=27s technology as a tool for Christian communication, according to Martinez.
=22This year we want to stress the urgency of sharing our faith and witness,=22 Mart=EDnez said. =22We wish to challenge every member of the = ELCA to speak up and be bold about their faith in Jesus Christ. We have a = message.=20 We have the promise of the Holy Spirit, and we have a community of faith = to support us in our sharing.=22
At the first three events the Rev. James Kenneth Echols, president of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, will speak for the opening celebration. The Rev. Wakseyoum Idossa of the Ethiopian Evangelical (Lutheran) Church Mekane Yesus will provide a keynote address. Wakseyoum is president of the church=27s Central Synod.
Monsignor Patrick A.B. Anthony, St. Lucia, will provide daily Bible studies. Anthony is a member of the World Association for Christian Communication. The Rev. Twila K. Schock, ELCA missionary at the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy in Russia, will be the preacher for Sunday=27s = worship that closes the event.
The San Juan event has a special component celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lutheran church in Puerto Rico. The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will be the keynote speaker and = Dr. Jos=E9 M=EDguez Bonino will lead the Bible studies. M=EDguez teaches = liberation theology at the Evangelical Institute for Higher Theological Studies (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Seven =22global university=22 sessions featuring 75-100 courses will = be offered during each event. Topics range from reconciling and rebuilding = in Liberia to the struggle for self-determination in East Timor, from soup kitchen ministry in Moscow to health education in Chile, from =22Surfing = the World: Using the Web=22 to learning =22Percussion for Passion, Power and Praise.=22
ELCA missionary staff working in many countries will take part along with international guests from partner churches around the world. Music will come from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe. A special workshop track at La Crosse and Troy will feature concentrated study of Islam.
The events are inter-generational. A first-ever youth curriculum is called =22Surfin=27=40GME.=22 Children will take part in special global = programs and activities.

For information contact:=20
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS=40ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html