CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Engaging Tough Issues" is a training event the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will host Oct. 6-8 at the Atchison Heritage Conference Center, Atchison, Kan. Three different workshop tracks -- two in English and one in Spanish -- will address "talking about tough issues, organizing and acting together as Christian congregations and ministries for witness to God's action in the world."
"The whole church has tough issues, and we need ways to deal with them," said the Rev. Ronald W. Duty, assistant director for studies, ELCA Division for Church in Society. "These workshops will give congregations a couple of effective ways to deal with tough issues."
Ana Cobiella-Olson will lead the Spanish-language workshop, "Dialogando en Conjunto como Cristianos" or "Talking in Unity as Christians." It's designed to address the challenges of discussing and acting on tough issues facing Hispanic ministries. Participants will receive the Spanish-language version of the ELCA resource, "Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues."
Cobiella-Olson, Islamorada, Fla., is a sexual health educator and consultant in private practice. She serves on a working group of the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod to help the synod's congregations learn to deal with tough issues together.
The Rev. David L. Ostendorf, executive director, Center for New Community, Oak Park, Ill., will lead "Revitalizing Church and Community: An Introduction to Faith-Based Organizing." The workshop will look at ethical challenges facing Christians and consider ways to respond through biblical reflection, discussion and organizing. Participants will receive the center's training manual.
Ostendorf, a pastor of the United Church of Christ, works with communities throughout the Midwest to educate, train and organize civic, religious and community organizations to counter organized hate-group activity. The Center for New Community researches and monitors hate-group activity across the region.
Patricia Taylor Ellison, associate director for research, Church Innovations, St. Paul, Minn., will lead "Growing Healthier Congregations: Or How to Talk Together When Nobody is Listening." The workshop is meant to help Christians discuss and act on tough issues "from the perspective of faith and biblical discernment."
Ellison holds a doctorate in adult education from the University of Minnesota. She developed the training materials for her workshop with the Rev. Patrick R. Keifert, president of Church Innovations and a professor of systematic theology at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Participants will receive the Church Innovations tool kit.
Keifert will address all participants on the topic of the importance of engaging tough issues publicly for Christian ministries. He authored "Welcoming the Stranger: A Public Theology of Worship and Evangelism" and the "People Together" small-group ministry series.
In 1997, the ELCA designated "Initiatives for a New Century," significant areas of ministry for the new century. Leadership teams were formed in 1998 to provide overall guidance for the work of congregations, synods and the churchwide organization on each of the initiatives.
The leadership team "Witness to God's Action in the World: Moral Deliberation and Community Renewal" organized the "Engaging Tough Issues" workshops around three goals: + Learn helpful ways to talk together as Christians about tough ethical or social issues facing congregations or ministries as a process for discerning the Spirit together in local settings. + Develop new skills for faith-based organizing and action to talk about and address tough issues or conditions challenging ministries or communities. + Grow in the capacity to witness to God's action when dealing with tough ethical and social issues in congregations, ministries or communities. -- -- --
Detailed information about the workshop is available at http://www.elca.org/dcs/growdiscmins.html on the ELCA Web site.
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
