CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is hosting urban convocations to introduce the church's 10-year emphasis, "In the City for Good," and its theme of transforming lives, congregations and communities in U.S. cities. One event was held Sept. 11 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
"We had an opportunity to celebrate urban ministry here in the metropolitan Chicago area and a wider area," said the Rev. Lawrence J. Clark, Bethany Lutheran Church, Chicago. Clark convened the convocation and counted about 100 participants -- most from Chicago and neighboring cities but some from California and Ohio.
"Some of them are pastors, some of them are lay workers; we had about 10 seminary students who are thinking about urban ministries," he said. "We had a wide variety of church leaders."
The church is in "the business of transforming," said the Rev. Kenneth R. Olsen, bishop of the ELCA's Metropolitan Chicago Synod. "Before transformation can happen any place, you have to make connections."
"May you leave today ... with a sense of power, knowing you are in the city for good with partners," he said.
"I am here because my heart is in the city, and my heart is breaking," the Rev. Robert S. Klonowski, bishop's associate of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod, told the gathering. He said he was saddened by "competition" he witnessed among area congregations. "How do we build ministries to stay there?"
"There are people in the room who have the gifts we need," he answered. "If we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, this work can be done."
"What we need is a clear vision of what God wants to do in the city, in the suburbs and in the country," said the Rev. Ruben F. Duran, executive for congregational outreach services, ELCA Division for Outreach.
"Our purpose is to talk about that vision. You won't find a plan in the materials. The purpose is for you to make your own plan," he said.
Duran is one of six people who make up the ELCA's "urban team" -- church leaders who oversee coordination of the ELCA's "In the City for Good" emphasis. The Rev. Jerrett Hansen, Baltimore, chairs the team. Others on the team are the Rev. James Kenneth Echols, Chicago; the Rev. Susan K. Ericsson, Norristown, Pa.; Sylvia Pate, Dayton, Ohio; the Rev. Warren A. Sorteberg, Chicago; and the Rev. George Tan, Cerritos, Calif.
Through a series of worship services, small group discussions and workshops, convocation participants discussed their answers to four questions: What is God calling us to do in our place of ministry? Where is my congregation on the path of transformation? What one thing will I do to transform myself to be the agent that God is calling me to be there? What skills do we need to develop to move the transformation process forward?
"We hope that the convocation sparks an interest in people's minds to see how we can work together," said Clark. "In the workshops, people saw some common lines. People were able to share their stories, and some people were able to see where their stories connected with other people's stories."
"Even though there are these boundaries -- cities, suburbs and country -- people see they have similar problems," he said. "One of the hopes is that we can network and solve some of these problems together."
A convocation similar to the Chicago event was held Sept. 18 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Livonia, Mich., outside of Detroit; and another will be held Oct. 23 at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa., near Philadelphia.
ELCA congregations and outreach ministries in the Milwaukee area will host an "Urban Mission and Strategy Conference" Oct. 11-15 to familiarize local church leaders with the "In the City for Good" program and to study the resources for urban ministry already present in the area.
In June $347,179 in grants were awarded to 23 new urban initiatives through the "In the City for Good" program. Proposals included community development, strategic planning and educational projects.
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
