Lutherans Focus on ELCA Hunger Ministries
BALTIMORE (ELCA) -- About 150 people involved in hunger ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met at Christ Lutheran Church here June 25-27 to be inspired, to share information, to learn new ways of fund raising and education in congregations, and to reflect on the ELCA World...
Episcopal Church Adopts Full Communion with ELCA
DENVER (ELCA) -- "The Episcopal Church is now, as of today, in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on the basis of a shared ministry in the historic episcopate and for the sake of common mission in proclaiming and serving the gospel," the Most Rev. Frank...
ELCA Youth 'Chill' at Bishops' Beach House and Other ''Hoods'
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- With some dressed in straw hats, shorts and Hawaiian shirts, eight of the 65 synod bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) spoke with thousands of high- school-age Lutherans about abortion, capital punishment, homosexuality and other topics at the "Bishops' Beach House" held here...
ELCA Youth Help Build Home for Habitat for Humanity
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) Hundreds of youth from congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) helped build a home in East St. Louis, Ill., July 6, for Habitat For Humanity. The project was one of dozens of community service projects performed by participants at the ELCA Youth Gathering. The...
Episcopal Church Adopts Full Communion Agreement with ELCA
DENVER (ELCA) -- Through a series of votes, The Episcopal Church -- at its general convention here -- overwhelmingly adopted "Called to Common Mission," an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) proposal for full communion. Voting was completed July 8, when the House of Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favor of...
ELCA Youth Organization Elects Officers, Representatives
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ELCA) -- Members of the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) -- the youth organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- elected a new president for the LYO board, along with a new vice president, secretary and regional representatives, here July 4. Leota Thomas-Breitfeld, 18, Brookfield, Wis.,...
ELCA Youth Take on Difficult Issues
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ELCA) -- Capital punishment, ethnic diversity, homosexuality, music, premarital sex and suicide were among dozens of topics discussed by 350 high-school-age Lutherans here at the Fifth Triennial Convention of the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) July 2-5 at Southern Illinois University. LYO is the youth organization of the Evangelical...
ELCA Youth Conclude Gathering with Upbeat Worship
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Some 22,000 Lutherans of high school age and their adult leaders concluded the first of two events at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering with an upbeat worship service July 2 that included preaching, Holy Communion, drama and music. The service's theme was...
ELCA College, Seminary Students Discuss 'Crossroads'
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Three Lutherans currently studying at colleges and seminaries talked about their "crossroads" moments July 1 to about 22,000 high school-age Lutherans gathered here for "Dancing at the Cross Roads," the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering at the Trans World Dome. The ELCA Youth...
ELCA Youth Visit, Work at Retirement Facility
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Some 40 high school-age young people and adult volunteers spent an afternoon working at a local retirement facility and impressed the residents with their enthusiasm and work ethic. The 40 were from four congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and were participants in...
ELCA Youth 'Go the Extra MYLE'
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ELCA) -- "Let the Spirit Move You ... Go the Extra MYLE" was the theme that gathered more than 600 young people here at Southern Illinois University for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), June 25-28. MYLE participants came from many ethnic/cultural...
ELCA Youth Deal with Death, Get a 'Glad Surprise'
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Perhaps the heaviest topic life has to offer death greeted 22,000 teen-age Lutherans gathered July 1 for a morning Bible study in the Trans World Dome here. Stories of death were shared through skits, videos and song, based on the theme "Dancing on the Edge." The...
ELCA Youth Are "Very Special People"
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- "Everyone here is a 'VSP' -- a very special person," Archbishop Desmond Tutu told 22,000 high-school-age Lutherans gathered here for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering, "Dancing at the Cross Roads." The retired Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, spoke during the...
ELCA Youth Spruce up City Parks During Gathering
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Twenty-two city parks are getting an early summer sprucing, thanks to thousands of young members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who have come to town from across the United States and Caribbean and brought guests from around the world. The ELCA Youth Gathering is...
Lutherans Help with Cleanup Efforts in Minnesota, North Dakota
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), is providing emergency assistance to residents in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, after ten days of heavy rain produced floods in both states. An initial $65,000 in...
ELCA Youth Play at 'The Beat'
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) - Youth from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) participated in the interaction center at the 2000 ELCA Youth Gathering -- "The Beat" -- a place that features high adventure games. The ELCA Youth Gathering is meeting at the America's Center June 28-July 2 and July...
Definitely-Abled Young Lutherans 'Dance' at Leadership Event
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ELCA) -- "Get ready. We're going to put on our dancing shoes and dance," the Rev. Duane L. Steele, Gladesboro Lutheran Church, Hillsville, Va., told 11 young members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), who had come to Southern Illinois University here for the 2000 Definitely...
ELCA Youth Learn about Life's Purpose
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- People who are searching for their purpose in life may find answers in those times when their lives are interrupted by unplanned events or challenges, said Paula Sturgeon, Scottsdale, Ariz., in a Bible study at the Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)...
ELCA Youth Told: "Dance with God"
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- "God chooses to dance with you, so get dancing with God," Mike Yaconelli told 22,000 high-school-age and adult Lutherans gathered here for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering, "Dancing at the Cross Roads." Yaconelli spoke at the gathering's opening celebration June 28 at...
ELCA Youth Help Clean up Shelter for Homeless People
EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. (ELCA) -- Youth from two congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. John Lutheran Church, Eustis, Neb., and Trinity Lutheran Church, Lewisburg, Ohio, helped clean up the New Life Evangelistic Center's Free Store and shelter here June 29, as a "servant opportunity" at...
