MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The winners of the 2009 "God's work. Our Hands." Video contest winners were announced Aug. 22 at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,405 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands."
The theme for the contest was the tag line of the ELCA. The winners are:
+ Congregation entry: "God's Work through Parish Nursing," Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, La Crescent, Minn.
+ Individual entry: "Unconventional," Eric Mennel, Largo, Fla.
Runners up are:
+ Congregation entry: "Nurturing Soul & Soil," Advent Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis.
+ Individual entry: "Project Mexico," Mary Fisher, Irvine, Calif.
Congregations and individuals submitted 224 videos to the contest, which closed July 15. Registered participants viewed entries online at http://www.GodsworkOurhands.org and rated them. The 20 most popular videos -- 10 from congregations and 10 from individuals -- were sent to contest judges.
The four judges were: Anne Farrar, former photo editor of the Dallas Morning News; the Rev. José Antonio Machado, Luther Seminary and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary vocational coordinator, musician and ELCA pastor; actress Kirsten Nelson, of the USA Network television series Psych; and Rick Steves, television host, European tour guide and author.
"The participants showed us that there is a passion to share what God can do through us with others," Nelson said. "It is not grandstanding or false modesty. It is humbly giving and for that, I thank all the participants for sharing their gifts."
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More information on the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.elca.org/assembly on the ELCA Web site.
* Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
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
