WASHINGTON (ELCA) -- A study guide on global poverty and the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), produced by the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Episcopal Church, is
available for download and for purchase through Augsburg
Fortress.
"God's Mission in the World" is intended as a resource for
congregations and other groups looking to "broaden their
understanding of global poverty and become part of the worldwide
movement achieving the MDGs," according to the guide's
introduction.
The guide features six sessions examining Christian
understandings of social justice, global poverty and the MDGs.
The MDGs are eight interrelated development goals that flow from
the Millennium Declaration of 2000 adopted by all members of the
United Nations, including the United States. The goals for 2015
are to cut extreme poverty and hunger in half; achieve universal
primary education; promote gender equality and empower women;
reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability;
and create a global partnership for development, with emphasis on
debt cancellation, foreign aid and fair trade.
"'God's Mission in the World' invites participants to moral
deliberation on the realities of global poverty and offers
practical ways that we might together, as an ecumenical body of
Christ, respond to our baptismal call to love our neighbor by
raising our voices on behalf of those living in deadly poverty,"
said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA.
Hanson and the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding
bishop and primate, Episcopal Church, each contributed forewords
to the guide.
"This study guide is an easy-to-use, comprehensive journey
through the causes and solutions to global poverty," said Dennis
Frado, director, Lutheran Office for World Community.
"Congregation leaders can use this tool to motivate their members
to pressure their elected officials to fulfill their promises
toward achieving the MDGs."
The guide was released as part of the ONE Lutheran Campaign,
which encourages Lutherans to engage in political processes in
order to encourage the U.S. government to meet the commitments
they have made in the fight against poverty. ONE Lutheran
leaders have been established in 27 of the ELCA's 65 synods;
student groups on ELCA campuses have held ONE Lutheran events;
and individual ELCA congregations have been declared "ONE
Lutheran Congregations" by meeting certain goals.
"The commitment by Lutherans to engage in advocacy to end
poverty is growing," said Kimberly Stietz, ONE Lutheran campaign
coordinator, ELCA Washington Office. "In 2007 we plan to engage
Lutherans in advocacy to urge the U.S. Congress to increase
poverty-focused development assistance, support debt cancellation
for the world's poorest nations and make international trade
rules fair."
The guide is at http://www.ELCA.org/one/ on the ELCA Web
site and is available for purchase at
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/ELCAhunger/ on the Web site of
Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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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
