ELCA mission developer Margaret Kelly sees her ministry bringing “new life” to those living with poverty and homelessness. | more »
Outreach
Thanks to ELCA World Hunger, Sentongo Abdul says, “My future and that of my siblings is surely brighter.” | more »
A creative idea at an ELCA congregation in Port Jervis, N.Y., is helping the community one pet at a time. | more »
Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Seattle gives away the sky above their heads. | more »
ELCA World Hunger helps an ELCA congregation in O’Fallon, Ill., reach out to its neighbors. | more »
A new ELCA ministry in Durham, N.C., invites the community to get creative about expressing their faith. | more »
With some help from ELCA Missionary Sponsorship, youth groups in Decorah, Iowa, lead their community to help refugees in Syria. | more »
Young adults in Alaska join with an ELCA congregation to fight hunger. | more »
A small ELCA congregation in Jacksonville, Fla., helps make a big difference through their donation to the ELCA Malaria Campaign. | more »
The ELCA homeless ministry network helps ministries like Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino, Calif., provide a welcoming home. | more »
An ELCA ministry at the Nebraska State Penitentiary rallies around prisoners to help them “find their place in the world upon their release.” | more »
Here are a few suggestions on how you can help congregational members and groups develop sustained relationships in service to the needs of others. | more »
Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy complicate recovery in Haiti, but the effort to improve life there presses on. | more »
Yesterday with members of my congregation’s outreach committee I attended two churches for worship to experience how these congregations welcome visitors and newcomers. | more »
“What would you do if you didn’t have the four walls and the container that basically makes ‘the us and the them’?” | more »
Unlike the movie, church members don’t just magically appear out of the corn fields. | more »
At Bread of Healing in Milwaukee, members are offered a hot meal, free health care and a powerful community. | more »
We are called to be Lydias today — people who hear the good news and share the good news in all that we say and do. | more »
Celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week by recognizing your volunteers and looking forward to “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday. | more »
Water is the most abundant resource on the planet, yet getting access to clean water remains a dangerous problem in much of the world. | more »
For an ELCA worshiping community, the cross necklaces they wear have become more than just jewelry — they have become a part of who they are. | more »
Here are some ways, with a few examples, of how to create emails that won’t be sent to the trash. | more »
An ELCA congregation in Chicago connects with their artistic, urban community. | more »
Kristina Johnson, 17 years old, mobilizes the youth of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn., to fight hunger. | more »
A recent Barna Research report finds that 55 percent of those surveyed read the Bible to be closer to God; down 9 percent (from 64 percent) in 2011.
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They are leaving the crowded camps where they took refuge and, with the help of ELCA World Hunger, are returning to rebuild their villages and lives. | more »
Peace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee gets creative about stewardship. | more »
It’s time to challenge one another to learn to live in Christ. | more »
I’m learning that talking about God — witnessing, evangelism — is as easy as talking about Fat Stoppers, or any exciting job, program, sport or hobby. | more »
I had been given a chance to live my faith, and I hadn’t taken it. I had turned my back on someone in need. | more »
Peter says, “I’m going fishing” — getting back to normal — but because of the Risen Christ, nothing can be normal again. | more »
Follow these steps to put your new digital newsletter online. | more »
Camp Victor Ministries in Mississippi transitions from responding to disaster to being prepared for it. | more »
The Samaritans at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kissimmee, Fla., take on homelessness in Disney World’s backyard. | more »
I’m a lifelong Lutheran who enjoys our heritage greatly, but I believe it is time for a new emphasis on building bridges rather than living on islands. | more »
She wanted to give her testimony on Easter because she feels that she has been brought back from the dead. | more »
Here are ideas for volunteering this summer and at other times during the year. | more »
Shekinah Chapel seeks to inspire youth and young adults through its performing arts and mentoring ministries. | more »
The Catacomb Churches in western Washington want to "to engage as saints and sinners, not as people with all the answers." | more »
For Molly Cook, faith hasn't been that "gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, never-ceasing" experience. Serving in Malaysia, however, seems to be changing that. | more »
The recent election of Pope Francis has been an inspiration for a new beginning that he has already stirred among many people. | more »
You don’t have to be Lutheran to believe that all children are worthy of food, but it is beautifully Lutheran to see all people as children of God. | more »
The first step is to make a solid subscriber list. | more »
Well, not being Catholic maybe I don't get to say "we" have a pope. But still it was all very exciting. Social media makes these events so much more fun. | more »
It’s like the loaves and fishes. For so little, so much is done. | more »
Mother of the Savior Lutheran Church in Dearborn, Mich., joins with its neighbors to fight intolerance. | more »
At the very basic level even throwing around a label like “None” is troublesome. (See also: “unchurched or underchurched.”) Stop using them. | more »
Every day of the week, Jim Freeman can count on a warm meal delivered to his home, thanks to ELCA World Hunger. | more »
Grace Lutheran Church finds itself on a journey of faith, facing the challenge of how to demonstrate the love of God to new neighbors. | more »
It’s about God working through you and the members of your congregation that you might become vibrant witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ. | more »
The Holy Spirit is at work in ways we may never see, using our gifts to make a real change in another person. | more »
Team Garden has another goal: to grow fresh tomatoes, zucchinis, beans, lettuce and peppers to donate to the local food pantry network. | more »
Each of us has been given gifts by God for service to others in the name of Christ by all we do with our daily lives. | more »
In today's Web, it is not enough to just make your content available; you need to serve it up in a way that makes it easy for people to access and listen.
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Placing thumbprints and signatures on their new charter was an important milestone for all members at River of Hope, an ELCA worshiping community in Hutchinson, Minn.
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What are some of the traditions surrounding the day before Ash Wednesday? | more »
“What gets me through?” asks ELCA member Herb Nellis. “That people care.” | more »
Cathedral in the Night welcomes everyone who worships, “rain, sun, snow or shine.” | more »
If you want to understand what is going on in a congregation, you need to listen to the stories. | more »
St. Stephen Lutheran Church in South Plainfield, N.J., opens its doors to neighbors after Hurricane Sandy. | more »
Volunteers from the South-Central Wisconsin Synod get creative when it comes to spreading the word about ELCA World Hunger. | more »
It is all about God working through you and the members of your congregation.
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A Wisconsin congregation raises over $17,000 for the ELCA campaign to help contain the disease in Africa. | more »
Here are five ways members can participate in and extend the digital media of their congregations. | more »
For the second time in its history, Atonement Lutheran Church in Chicago will become home to a growing, invigorated community of members. | more »
Neatness counts; what message is your congregation sending to the neighborhood? | more »
It was a small price to pay to break through barriers, establish relationships, and enter into a place of trust as we were connected through our relationship in Christ. | more »
"Protestantism isn’t going to cease to be. It will give way to something new," says author Phyllis Tickle. | more »
One person’s trash is another’s opportunity to serve their neighbors.
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For an ELCA congregation in Elgin, Ill., re-enacting a 400-year-old Mexican Christmas tradition is a way to welcome their Spanish-speaking neighbors.
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Here are some considerations for rethinking outreach to twenty- and thirty-somethings. | more »
Whether it’s a small change or a large one, how can you add to your ministry in the new year? You might also want to read: A new chapter What we can learn from Google A new ministry begins outdoors... | more »
The world needs the light of the gospel, but the gospel is not a garish, neon light.
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They capture memories, promote the vision and mission of the congregation and are a resource for potential and new members. | more »
Has your congregation been involved in a project that made a difference in the lives of others? Or have you been the recipient of the generosity of ELCA members? When have you seen the effect of “God’s work. Our hands.”?... | more »
For people affected by Hurricane Sandy, Jesus didn't come at Christmas, he's been there all along, both in the pain and in the coming together of communities to serve. | more »
Whether it was a recent event, such as Hurricane Sandy, or more in the past, how did the concern, aid and support of others make a difference? You might also want to read or watch: A post-Sandy Christmas — a... | more »
You won't find holiday decorations or snow at this Kenyan congregation. But you will find children helping celebrate the birth of Jesus — just as in congregations everywhere. | more »
Hip-hop worship draws people into experiencing God in new and exciting ways. | more »
In South Hadley, Mass., Cathedral in the Night is a worshiping community without walls. How do you or your congregation take your faith beyond the walls of your church? You might also want to read: On the waterfront Not going... | more »
We aren’t just a loose federation of churches. We are a communion of churches. | more »
Are the proceeds targeted for a specific cause? What makes it a special event for the members of the congregation and, perhaps, the neighborhood? You might also want to read: Hosting an ELCA fair-trade fair Balanced gift-giving in an unbalanced... | more »
When you're far from home, a hand-made card at Thanksgiving makes all the difference — especially if you're an ELCA missionary. | more »
How does your congregation reach out to the people in the neighborhood and their needs? Are there areas in which the outreach could be even more effective? You might also want to read: Holy ground Built into the fabric of... | more »
How during Advent — and throughout the year — can your waiting help bring light to a dark world? You might also want to read: Here I am Are we there yet? Keeping watch!... | more »
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church assists families and individuals in the area through its Community Resource Center. | more »
Open Mike Night is one way Grace in Action, a new ELCA congregation, works to build a community in the Southwest neighborhood of Detroit. | more »
Experience and the right technique can help spread interest in your congregation. | more »
Megan Ross, an ELCA deaconess, discovers what it means to live the diaconal life half-way around the world. | more »
Are there ecumenical services or events that involve those of other faiths? Does your congregation have programs that are a shared effort that strengthen those ecumenical ties? You might also want to read: A time to gather Building bridges between... | more »
A simple “thank you” is priceless, but what other means have you used to show your appreciation? You might also want to read: The Thanksgiving tree Thankful Bible verses Thanksgiving... | more »
On this Thanksgiving Day, I think of all the housed and homeless families, the fights and grateful feasts happening around the country. | more »
Is part of your Thanksgiving tradition giving of your time? Do you help out at a free holiday meal or share your own meal and time with someone? Has someone done the same for you when you’ve been in need?... | more »
Kaw Prairie Community Church in Lenexa, Kan., started because leaders in the community heard God's call to step out in faith, says Dan McKnight, its pastor. | more »
To follow Jesus isn’t like joining a club that gets together and has communion every once in a while. | more »
We are called to look past the daily to see the eternal; to stare into the face of the truly human to perceive there the image of the truly divine. | more »
Look to provide opportunities for everyone to grow in a relationship with Jesus in a gracious, welcoming and redeeming community.
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Members of First Lutheran sponsored their first ELCA missionary in 1999, which has led to the support of an additional missionary every year since. | more »
Today is World Kindness Day, which stems from a global movement started in the late 1990s to promote kindness across political and social borders. What can you do today to increase the kindness in your corner of the world? You... | more »
An emerging church is setting up tents in places where people gather for socializing — in the marketplace, parks, town squares, laundries, coffee shops and even subway stations. | more »
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