WASHINGTON (ELCA) - In observance of the Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) will participate Jan. 19 in President-elect Barack
Obama's national call to service to "Renew America Together."
"Lutherans believe they are called to share God's love with
the world and are ready to carry out God's work with their own
hands," said Andrew Genszler, director for advocacy, ELCA Church
in Society.
As part of the call to service, Lutherans will assemble
disaster kits, serve food to the homeless, tie quilts, sew crib
sheets and knit hats, donate blood, do yard work for the elderly,
package food for children who are hungry, build homes and more.
Nearly 6,000 volunteer service activities are listed at
http://www.usaservice.org on the Web. The Web site is a response
to the president-elect's call to service by doing volunteer work
throughout the year.
Congregations of the ELCA maintain a variety of community
service programs throughout the year. Members of Ascension
Lutheran Church, Citrus Heights, Calif., have "Mercy Ministry" --
a project designed to provide crib sheets, blankets and knitted
hats for the neonatal intensive care unit at Mercy San Juan
Hospital. Other congregations provide non-perishable food to
their local food pantries or soup kitchens. With the economic
downturn, the number of people needing such help has grown
dramatically, according Genszler.
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
