DENVER (ELCA) -- Voting members and guests of the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received an invitation to embark on a period of "discipleship and faith development," which will culminate in a celebration at the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The invitation came from members of the ELCA "Teach the Faith" Initiative team.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center. There are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,039 voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Hope for a New Century."
The invitation -- a "Call to Discipleship" -- is part of a major emphasis to "Teach the Faith," one of seven ELCA "Initiatives to Prepare for a New Century."
The 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted Initiatives or significant areas of ministry for the next century. Leadership teams were formed to provide guidance for the work of congregations, synods and churchwide organizations. Team leaders help provide an overall picture of how the church may be different as a result of the Initiatives.
"Call to Discipleship" is an invitation for all ELCA congregations to commit to a yearlong intentional focus on discipleship from September 2000 to August 2001, said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, an executive director for the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries. Bullock chairs the "Teach the Faith" Initiative team.
"This is a church that recognizes the importance of teaching the faith," said the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, bishop of the ELCA South Dakota Synod.
"The call also invites congregations to renew their commitment to be faith-forming communities that are grounded in Jesus' teachings, manifested in specific faith practices, and focused on reaffirming a baptismal understanding that emphasizes the importance of every follower of Jesus Christ striving toward maturity in faith and a fuller expression of a lifestyle that is Christ's style," said the Rev. Paul J. Blom, bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. Blom read from "Living Faith: An ELCA-Wide Call to Discipleship," a resource developed by the Initiative team.
Leaders of the "Teach the Faith" Initiative have designed Bible studies and resources to engage congregations, seminaries, outdoor ministry settings and the 65 synods of the ELCA in the call to discipleship.
Other resources produced include "Honoring Our Neighbors' Faith," in which religious groups tell "their own stories" about who they are, what they believe and how they practice their faiths.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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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 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities 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
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
