ELCA Women Experience 'Convention Without Walls'

ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- There were several opportunities for the 4,000 participants in the Fourth Triennial Convention of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to explore the organization's new three-year theme, "Live God's Justice," in nearby congregations and communities through "Convention Without Walls" programs.
The convention met here July 8-11 at the America's Center. The theme was unveiled at the convention amid Bible study, keynote addresses, workshops, business sessions and elections.
"Convention Without Walls" took many of the participants by bus to several area locations. They visited sites that provide housing and shelter, and sites that address the particular needs of women and children living in poverty.
"Everyone wants to live justice, but we see all the evils in the world and we are overwhelmed," said Linda Schroeder of Project COPE (Churches-Offenders Partnership Enterprise).
A session on prison ministry took participants to offices of Project COPE and Prison Family Services. Area congregations developed the programs through Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri to address a community problem -- a high percentage of those paroled from prison return.
Project COPE pairs individual offenders with church-based committees to assist the paroled person with guidance, housing, employment and other services for one year after release. Prison Family Services advocates in public policy and provides transportation for families to visit imates.
"This is a great program. I hope that you take it home. Take it in your hearts, and do what you need in your community," said one of the programs' "graduates."
Participants worked with local Habitat for Humanity volunteers to construct a low-cost residence and to renovate the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. They learned how Parish Partnership Transitional Housing is rehabilitating vacant buildings for homeless families to use as shelter while finding permanent housing solutions.
Sts. Peter and Paul Ministries, a meals program and men's shelter, is a ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church and two Catholic congregations -- Sts. Peter and Paul Church and St. Vincent DePaul Church. When it opened in 1981, the shelter had "no heat, no running water and as many as 120 people in a small space," said Tom Burnham, director of the shelter.
Burnham said things became more manageable after leaders decided to concentrate on men dealing with mental illness, addiction and HIV -- the virus associated with AIDS. Eventually, the shelter had hot water, heat and showers -- "an incredible blessing," he said.
In addition to the shelter, which houses about 70 men, the ministry includes mental health services, an occupational therapist, employment assistance and a meals program for anyone in need, serving 150 people at a time.
"In the past year, we've helped about 20 different individuals make the transition" back into the community, said Burnham. Yet many of the shelter's past residents continue to struggle, he said.
"One guy has not had a stable residence for three years," said Burnham, "but he's still clean from substance abuse."
Last year, the program was recognized for excellence in working with other local agencies to serve the community. It received a "Best Practices Award" from the City of St. Louis. Burham said other major U.S. cities including Chicago, are trying to imitate the program.
"I was really impressed by the award Sts. Peter and Paul ministries received," said Dawn Robson, Jamestown, N.D. "It's important to be able to coordinate what's there and not duplicate services."
"There is a need in any community for helping people with interview skills," she said. Businesses often won't hire "people who come in with a hole in their jeans and no idea how to interview," said Robson.
"Amber" is 16, homeless and eight months pregnant. Where would she go for help in your community? That's one of the scenarios posed for participants in a "Convention Without Walls" session sponsored by the ELCA Division for Church in Society. Many participants were able to name ministries already providing such assistance in their home communities, while others spoke of needs still unaddressed back home.
Participants read aloud letters addressed to "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," "God," and "Christian Friends" and applied three questions to each situation: + How does the church's ministry with women and children living in poverty affirm the dignity of the persons depicted in this letter? + What other resources could you suggest that this person and her or his family could find in your community? + What would you do to help these women have a voice in how public policy affects their lives?
The work of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) in Washington, D.C., and the ELCA's state public policy offices was presented to provide a model for addressing public policy issues at various levels of government.
The Good Samaritan House, a center committed to connecting appropriate services with those in need, presented a "Welfare Simulation" to help participants experience the welfare system and identify several gaps and opportunities women and children living in poverty face. Participants also heard about some of the ELCA's public policy advocacy work on welfare reform.
"Convention Without Walls" sessions also took participants to sites in the St. Louis area for programs such as Caring Communities, churches working with the St. Louis school system to make schools "comprehensive service centers" for children at risk; Community Stabilization, city government and churches working together to understand the needs of their neighborhoods; and Hannah's Daughters, Lutheran congregations mentoring girls and young women through spiritual nurturing.

** This story is compiled from reports Julie Winder and Liz Hunter
prepared for Triennial Times, Women of the ELCA's daily publication for
the convention.

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John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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