ELCA YOUTH HAVE `HEARTS ON FIRE'
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA)-- Youth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America remembered their Baptism on the Mississippi River and explored Christ's gifts of hope through activities and conversations at "Hearts on Fire," a "trek" at the ELCA's Youth Gathering here July 23-27. The gathering theme was "River of Hope." About...
YOUTH LEARN THE MEANING OF "SACRIFICE"
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- He died on the cross. 30,000 teens here for the Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, July 23-27, gathered in the Louisiana Superdome Friday evening to celebrate the meaning of Jesus' death. The Rev. Walter Wangerin, Jr., speaker of weekly radio show "Lutheran...
YOUNG LUTHERANS' CREATIVITY IS UNLEASHED
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- Young Lutherans got a chance to try writing a song, drawing a cartoon, cooking a Cajun-style dish or just imagining ways of seeing things differently. They took part in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Youth Gathering here July 23-26. In a "trek" called "Creativity Unleashed,"...
LUTHERAN TEENS WITH DISABILITIES OVERCOME LIFE'S OBSTACLES
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- "Jesus Christ is a role model for suffering," the Rev. T. David Diamond, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., told a dozen high-school-aged Lutherans with disabilities. "His suffering accomplished something." Diamond led the Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event (DAYLE) through a series of Bible studies....
FUN, FRIENDSHIP, AND CHALLENGE AT "TUESDAYS"
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- Imagine a world of fun, friendship, challenge, teamwork and lots of games, and you have "Tuesdays," a multi-faceted event in which all 30,000 young people attending the triennial Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, July 23-27, found time to take part. The three...
MYLE YOUTH: "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY"
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- "I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky!" resounded throughout the McAlister Auditorium at Tulane University by high school youth attending the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), July 20-23. "Stones in the River" was the theme that...
LUTHERAN YOUNG PEOPLE CELEBRATE ETHNIC DIVERSITY
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- When it comes to sharing music and dance from various cultures, young people do it with passion, vigor and pride. About 1,500 high school age Lutherans celebrated diversity at "Festival of Cultures" -- a "trek" about ethnic communities -- offered at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in...
ROHR TELLS ELCA YOUTH: "TAKE RISKS AND RESPOND"
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- Steve Rohr told thousands of young people at the Louisiana Superdome, "Responsibility means our ability to respond." Rohr spoke to the Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, meeting here July 23-27. The event has brought 30,000 teens to the city for celebration and...
LUTHERAN YOUTH SEEK TO IMPROVE THE WORLD
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- "Almost one-fourth of our children in the United States live in poverty. That is not an act of God; there is no divine intervention saying that children must live in poverty," Paul Simon told 1,600 young people attending "Pale Blue Dot" -- a "trek" on political...
LUTHERAN YOUTH TAKE A TECHNOLOGICAL JOURNEY
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- A journey of a thousand miles, and almost as many definitions of technology was the order of the day for 5,000 teens who attended "Trek 2001: A Technological Odyssey." They gathered in the Louisiana Superdome, where the Western States Servant Band lifted spirits and gave the...
LUTHERAN YOUTH TOLD: `THE LORD HAS NEED OF YOU'
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- It was "Palm Sunday" in the Superdome and the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl told 37,000 young people, "You young baptized ones, the Lord has need of you to bear his word to the world." DeGroot-Nesdahl preached at the opening celebration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's...
Lutherans See the World at Global Mission Events
SEGUIN, TEXAS (ELCA) -- About 2,600 members of the Evangelical = Lutheran Church in America gathered from around the world for two Global = Mission Events, titled, =22Look to Jesus -- Run the Race.=22 They took = place July 10-13 at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill., and again July 17-20 =...
Lutherans Continue Assistance with Upper Midwest Flood Work
UPPER MIDWEST FLOOD WORK CONTINUES "I'm so tired" is a phrase the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst hears these days from pastors, Lutheran Social Service workers and members of clean-up crews working in the flood-stricken areas of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Furst is associate director for the Evangelical Lutheran...
Braasch Named Director for Women of the ELCA
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Catherine I. H. Braasch, 48, Capron, Ill., has been named executive director for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the women's organization of the ELCA. Women of the ELCA's executive board elected Braasch July 12. She will assume her new responsibilities Sept. 1. Braasch is...
ELCALutherans Observe Rachel's Day
RACHEL'S DAY OBSERVED "Many children today fear they will not grow up to be adults," said Joan Pope, a program director for the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the women's organization of the ELCA. "They also fear drugs, guns, gangs, going home to an empty house, friends...
The Rev. Juan Cobrda Re-Elected in Slovak Zion Synod
COBRDA RE-ELECTED IN SLOVAK ZION SYNOD The Rev. Juan Cobrda, 66, was re-elected June 28 to a six-year term as bishop of the Slovak Zion Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The election came on the third ballot during the Slovak Zion Synod Assembly, June 27-29, at Muhlenberg...
Reformed Churches Approve Full Communion with ELCA
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Three U.S. churches of the Reformed tradition have given initial approval to sharing full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly will vote on the proposal when it meets Aug. 14-20 in Philadelphia. "The work we do in the name of Jesus...
The Rev. Gregory R. Pile Re-Elected in Allegheny Synod
PILE RE-ELECTED IN ALLEGHENY SYNOD The Rev. Gregory R. Pile, 48, was re-elected June 13 to a six-year term as bishop of the Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The election came on the first ballot during the Allegheny Synod Assembly, June 12-14 in Altoona, Pa. Pile...
Lutheran Church Planter Minnick Retired
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. M.L. Minnick Jr., 65, retired July 15 from the active ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and as executive director of the ELCA Division for Outreach. Minnick is credited with seeing the starts of 875 Lutheran congregations across the United States and Caribbean...
ELCA Members Plan for Initiatives
ELCA MEMBERS PLAN FOR INITIATIVES About 60 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) helped develope "creative and exciting" action plans for seven "Initiatives for a New Century." The initiatives are entitled: Deepen Our Worship Life, Teach the Faith, Witness to God's Action in the World, Strengthen One...
