CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than 450 college-age students will meet in Washington D.C., Dec. 31-Jan. 4, for the annual gathering of the Lutheran Student Movement (LSM-USA). They will focus their activities on the Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which marked its 40th anniversary this year.
The theme of the gathering is "The Dream Continues ... to Challenge Us ... to Change Us ... to Take a Chance on Us." The event will take place at the Renaissance Hotel.
LSM-USA is a national organization of college, university and seminary students who worship in the Lutheran tradition. Through the organization, Lutheran students promote the active participation of students in the life and mission of the Lutheran church on their campuses, in their communities and as individuals. The Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) supports LSM-USA as an active voice of students in the larger church through financial and organizational support.
The LSM-USA gathering will feature Bible study, worship, prayer, learning opportunities, a servant event in the community, business meetings, plenary sessions featuring keynote speakers, and a tour of the nation's capital.
Keynote speakers include the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, Chicago; the Rev. Lionel Edwards, co-founder and president, Washington (D.C.) Interfaith Network; Mark A. Mummert, seminary musician, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; and Kathryn F. Wolford, president, Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore. The Rev. Theodore F. Schneider, bishop of the hosting ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod, will lead a worship service.
"It's fantastic to be surrounded by these students, their enthusiasm, their faith and their commitment that all witness to the grace and love of Christ that brings them together," said the Rev. Richard F. Zawistoski, DHES assistant executive director. "This year more than 200 students have chosen to participate in an afternoon of volunteer service projects around the Washington, D.C., area. The four days together always inspire those who intend to see their faith and their faith tradition in a large scope."
Through song, worship, Bible study and speakers, LSM-USA participants will explore the biblical foundations behind King's speech, delivered Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
"Our speakers will help the students unpack the scriptural basis embedded in the speech, as well as challenge them to put their faith into action," Zawistoski said.
In addition to plenary sessions and speakers, the gathering offers a series of workshops and seminars for participants. Topics include the church's role in advocacy, fair trade in Guatemala, healthy relationships, the death penalty, economic globalization, church participation after college, global college partnerships, HIV/AIDS advocacy in Africa, Christian peacemaking, homosexuality and the church, becoming a professional church leader, and social justice and peace in Colombia.
Participants will also work with various agencies in service projects in the Washington, D.C., area, Zawistoski said. Projects include painting, cooking, working with children, handing out information packets, and visiting shelters and kitchens, he said.
LSM-USA's legislative body operates on a regional and national level. It has an annual national gathering in late December and early January over the New Year's holiday with opportunities for worship, fellowship, service, faith exploration and fun.
Established in 1923 and originally called the Lutheran Student Association of America, its first gathering was held at Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. The gathering there began the tradition of an annual national conference. In 1969 the name of the association changed to the Lutheran Student Movement-USA. Led by and for students, LSM-USA strives to better understand and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ through the exploration of social and spiritual concerns as the active voice of students in the church at the regional and national level.
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Information about the LSM-USA gathering is available at http://www.elca.org/dhes/lsm/index.html on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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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
