DENVER, Colo. (ELCA) -- North American Lutherans will welcome participants who attend the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Tenth Assembly this summer to 47 church ministry sites in the United States and Canada. Lutherans will host assembly participants from around the world before and after the LWF assembly in Canada and the United States.
The LWF is a global communion of 136 Lutheran churches in 76 countries. LWF membership includes 61.7 million of the world's 65.4 million Lutherans. The LWF Assembly, held every six years, will take place July 21-31 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the host church for the LWF assembly, is planning pre-assembly visits to 11 sites July 15-20. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) plans visits to 36 different ministries Aug. 1-10. Some participants who remain longer will be able to visit the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee, Aug. 11-17.
"We are so excited about what this can mean for our churches and the gifts we will receive," said Kathy J. Magnus, LWF Regional Officer for North America, Chicago. Planners from the churches and the LWF have been developing the visitation program for 18 months, she said.
The program will allow visitors to learn about social ministry, outdoor ministry, government policy advocacy, urban and rural ministries, ministry with people living in poverty, environmental stewardship, theological education, women in leadership, ministry among native people, maritime ministry, border/bilingual ministries and more.
Most who will visit the sites will have registered before the end of January, and assignments will be made beginning in late February, Magnus said. However, planners in North America will accept registration forms through mid-April, based on space availability.
Because of the assembly and the visitation program, the ELCA will not have Global Mission Events (GME) this summer, Magnus said. Normally, the ELCA hosts two GMEs each summer, which highlight the church's ministries throughout the world with speakers, worship and music. -- -- --
Information about the visitation program, including descriptions of the sites, is available at http://www.lwf-assembly.org/visitation.html on the Web.
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
