Welcome Church Receives Grant from Deaconess Community
The Deaconess Community of the ELCA has awarded a Mission Support Grant of $10,000 to Welcome Church's "Welcome Table" program.
New Bill Seeks To Clarify Child Protection Rules
On Monday, June 8, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Children and Youth Committee will consider House Bill 1276, legislation introduced to address the glitches that have surfaced in the wake of the comprehensive reforms to the state's Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). It is particularly aimed at organizations with volunteers. There's a lot in the bill and much could change as it works its way through the legislature. Learn more in this summary from Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania.
Students Need You To Act For Fair Funding in June
Join LAMPa for a state-wide education advocacy day in on Tuesday, June 23rd, at Messiah Lutheran Church and the State Capitol. Lutherans will be engaging in a Day Of Action, including fasting, prayer and legislative visits. More details coming soon, or contact us now to signal your interest.
ELCA Reaches Milestone Welcoming New Congregations
For the Rev. Ruben Duran, the message is quite clear - "Christ's church is not dying." That's a different message, he says, than what has been widely reported in recent years about the decline in membership among U.S. mainline denominations, such as the 3.8 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Since the ELCA began in 1988 as a result of a merger, more than 500 new congregations have been "planted, organized and joined the ELCA. That is a milestone worth celebrating," said Duran. Read more
Liberians Give Thanks; Country is Ebola-Free
Tenacity, determination and faith - that's how the Rev. Andrea L. Walker described members and leaders of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, as well as people of the West Africa country, in response to their efforts to become Ebola-free.
"When Ebola was considered a crisis in August 2014, the people of Liberia took it very seriously, including the leaders and members of the Lutheran Church in Liberia," said Walker. "People took up new practices." Read more
Lutherans, Catholics Celebrate 50 Years of Dialogue
Lutherans and Catholics in the United States have been in dialogue for the past 50 years. A Service of Thanksgiving and Prayer to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dialogue took place May 27 in the chapel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Center in Washington, D.C. Lutheran and Catholic leaders then gatheedr for this sixth meeting of Round XII of the U.S. Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue on the topic of "Faithful Teaching." Read more