As the United States pauses to honor and celebrate the Indigenous people who first settled on the land thousands of years ago, the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA) has released “A Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to American Indian and Alaska Native People.” The declaration is a direct result of the social policy resolution “Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery,” which was passed by the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In the declaration, the ELCA acknowledges the theological and Christian foundation of the Doctrine of Discovery, which has codified colonialism and religious intolerance as societal norms for more than 500 years. As the United States pauses to honor and celebrate the Indigenous people who first settled on the land thousands of years ago, the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA) has released “A Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to American Indian and Alaska Native People.” The declaration is a direct result of the social policy resolution “Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery,” which was passed by the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In the declaration, the ELCA acknowledges the theological and Christian foundation of the Doctrine of Discovery, which has codified colonialism and religious intolerance as societal norms for more than 500 years.
Dealing with the pandemic has uprooted the “status quo” of our lives, exposing the deep fractures and fissions in our society. The blinders have been removed, giving us new eyes to see what our faith means, what is central to traveling the way of Jesus and participating in God’s reign. Our Fall Theological Conference is a unique hybrid of technology and in-person discussion exploring the meaning of faith as we participate in God’s mission of radical love and justice. We are grateful for the opportunity to gather.
2022 ELCA Youth Gathering If you have questions about the Gathering: Check the Gathering website https://www.elca.org/YouthGathering/ Check the Gathering Facebook group and search for your topic (use the magnifying glass on the right beside the "Message" button). https://www.facebook.com/youthgathering Check/search our Synod Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/csselcayouthgathering Email me csselcayg@gmail.com For a list of updated Frequently Asked Questions, we encourage you to visit: elca.org/YouthGathering/COVID19 . The 2021 ELCA Youth Leadership Summit equips youth leaders through workshops, speakers, and other hands-on activities. The youth will be challenged to take home what they learn at the Summit and inspire action in their own synods, congregations and communities. Another priority of this event is to help these high school youth “look toward” their next faith community. The Summit invites staff from Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Lutheran Campus Ministries, Lutheran Colleges and Universities, YAGM, Young Adult Ministries, and an ELCA Military Chaplain to share how young people can connect after high school. Youth will also have an opportunity to see where the 2022 ELCA Gathering will be held and get to run through the Gathering’s Synod Day curriculum.
All lodging, meals, and programming are provided by a gracious grant from the ELCA. The Synod will pay for half of transportation costs; the congregation and/or family pay for the other half of transportation costs.
Applicants must:
Visit www.elcayouthministry.com for information.
If you know of someone who might be interested in attending the 2021 Youth Leadership Summit, please contact Mindy Tillberg: csselcayg@gmail.com
Saturday, October 23, 2021 • 11 am to 5 pm Camp Tomah Shinga • 7821 E. Lyons Creek Road, Junction City, KS 66441
Presentation at 11:00 am followed by Lunch, Outdoor Time, and Resource Sharing (A Zoom option for the presentation will be available for those unable to attend in person.)
To register for the retreat, please go to: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/4203121
Make sure to choose ticket type: In-Person or Online , and use country code “US” when registering. A Zoom link will be sent closer to the event for those who are participating online. LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY has two classes coming up with unique emphases, each of which can stimulate thought and nurture faith to be put into action. Please join us and invite your friends to also be a part of these experiences. Until further notice, our classes are offered via Zoom.
#1 LST continues the tradition of offering a class by a New Testament theologian on the gospel primarily featured in the next lectionary year cycle. This year we are pleased to invite you to join Dr. Eunyung Lim, Assistant Professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago on Thursdays, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm CST on October 21, October 28 and November 4. Dr. Lim will be teaching The Gospel of Luke: Finding God’s Radical Love in Our Time .
This class explores a set of main themes and key passages in the Gospel of Luke, aiming to contextualize them in our contemporary context as we prepare for Year C. Focusing on stories about women, children and social outcasts we will learn how Luke’s storytelling leads us to see God’s radical and concrete love for all in our time. Dr. Lim’s teaching has been recognized four times with the Harvard University Distinction in Teaching Award. Register here: https://lststl.org/themes-in-the-gospel-of-luke/ Costs: $40
#2 Our 2021 series on Public Church concludes with three presentations by Dr. Linda Thomas, Full Professor of Theology and Anthropology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Dr. Thomas has been one of the primary architects of LSTCs “Public Church Curriculum,” which explicitly seeks to unite the academic study of theology for the church with service/justice work in the world.
Womanist Musings on Faith, Democracy and #BlackLivesMatter for the Church will occur on the following Saturdays from 9:00 - 10:30 am CST: Oct. 23 Faith and Democracy; Nov. 6 Black Embodiment Over and Against White Supremacy, Nov. 13 Theological Education and the Future of the Church. Register here: https://lststl.org/womanist-musings-on-faith/ Cost $30
“The pandemic was a stark illustration of the fact that the church is not a building,” said Sandra Rudd, pastor of Sitka (Alaska) Lutheran Church. “A lot of people say that, but we didn’t fully know it until we didn’t have a building to use. We learned that there are many ways to be connected as the church.”
Annual Report Covers for 2021 are now available.
This resource is designed for congregations to use during their annual meetings and includes a letter from Presiding Bishop Eaton, a few references to stories that can be found in Stories of Faith in Action and a litany and a hymn for worship. The Annual Report covers can be downloaded as a spread or in a one page per section format. Both versions can be found using the resource link below.
The National Lutheran Choir's 36th Season Tickets on sale now!
Welcome to the National Lutheran Choir's 2021-2022 season!
We're excited to share that we are planning a return to in-person performances in November and are continuing production of virtual programming. No matter where you are or what circumstances you are experiencing, NLC's music will be available to you.
Visit nlca.com for info
Stephen Ministries St. Louis is now training caring ministry leaders through a live, interactive online training experience called the Bridge Leader’s Training Course (BLTC). This event fully trains Stephen Leaders—the pastors, church staff, and lay leaders who begin and lead Stephen Ministry in their congregation. To learn more about Stephen Ministry, visit www.stephenministries.org or call (314) 428-2600. Additional information about the Bridge Leader’s Training Course is available at www.stephenministries.org/bridge .
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