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Our next training is Saturday, April 28 from 2-5 pm at Atonement Lutheran Church in Racine. Youth and adult leaders will do the training separately. Adult leaders will receive training in how to facilitate a small group. We encourage all adults going to the Gathering to attend this training in order to make their time in New Orleans a richer experience for their youth. More promotional materials coming soon.

On any given Wednesday, you can find Lorna sharing food, friendship and respect at My Friends House, a ministry that grew out of Ascension Lutheran Church in Los Angeles, California. “I come to My Friends House when I need to provide for my family. I know that there I will be treated with respect and dignity. No one there is judging me!” exclaims a client. Lorna is 66 years old. She has been serving with My Friends House for the past 15 years.

The ministry started out by providing bread to the hungry in the area, but Lorna is always looking for opportunities. Under her care, the ministry has built valuable partnerships with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, as well as with local grocery stores and restaurant chains to provide fresh produce and other special foods to people in need.

Lorna has participated in several ELCA World Hunger trainings. She says that it is her heart, passion and commitment to human dignity that keep her in this work — even as she retired last year. “She insists upon treating everyone with respect,” says Tempie Beaman, current board chair and incoming volunteer interim executive director. “She is always available for prayer and provides a caring, loving and faithful experience.”

In the words of another regular client of My Friends House who is also a friend of Lorna, “I don’t feel like I am getting a ‘hand out,’ but a helping hand.”

Lead by Lorna’s passion, My Friends House provided 34,378 pounds of food to 10,543 people from January to July 2011. Your gifts to ELCA World Hunger support My Friends House and hundreds of projects like it here in the United States and around the world.

Here’s some more details:

• Stories need to be between 2 and 5 minutes long when told orally. (Yes, this will require some script writing and editing)
• We recommend keeping your story focused on one particular ministry. If your church has multiple stories of holy ground, get different people to tell each story
• You will need to provide a story teller–someone to tell, or recite this story. (Someone who is willing to be on camera. Don’t worry, we can edit out “um’s” and pauses. ) We will capture and edit the video.
• Videos will be shot “on location,” so please think of a location that relates to the story
• The stories are not limited to what happens within our church walls. Any example of “Holy Ground” within our ministry partners and communities may be included. “Out of the box” thinking is not only welcomed, it’s encouraged.
• The Greater Milwaukee Synod reserves the right to edit (as needed) and publish these stories / videos both online and offline. They will not be sold, but may be used in the future for Synod related events or marketing.

Interested? Fill out the form below with your story!

Ventures in Growing Stewards addresses stewardship education and renewal in congregations.  While maintaining a flexible and organic approach, this four-part workshop series:

• builds a foundation for stewardship education and response
•  trains leaders in a holistic approach to being God’s stewards
• designs & guides implementation of year round stewardship ministry
• trains leaders to carry out a thorough financial response method,
• fosters deeper relations within and among congregations,
• creates excitement about growing competent, well-formed stewards

In the Ventures workshop series, leaders will be taught to lead in your synod.  It is designed for a group of six to nine congregations.  Each congregation will have a team of four to seven people including a pastor, but may vary depending on the size of the congregation.  Each participant will have access to Ventures online resources for at least two years.  Each person on the team is asked to make a covenant to walk together in this stewardship journey for the two years. Additional information about Ventures in Growing Stewards and becoming a leader is available from Keith A. Mundy, ELCA Program Director for Stewardship at keith.mundy@elca.org.  If you are interested in participating please contact Sandy Chrostowski, Director for Evangelical Mission/Assistant to the Bishop.

Employees of a non-profit senior living community were recently honored for the years they’ve dedicated to providing service to older adults.

Luther Manor, located at 4545 N. 92nd St., honored more than 100 staff members for employment milestones ranging from five years of service to 35 and beyond. Luther Manor currently employs about 700 full and part-time employees.

“Thank you for continuing to bring Luther Manor’s mission to life,” said Luther Manor President and CEO Pastor David Keller. Keller addressed employees at a recognition banquet Feb. 7 in Luther Manor’s on-site restaurant, Chives American Grill.

“This evening is designed to be a special way of saying ‘thank you’ for your part in fulfilling Luther Manor’s mission and in helping to maintain our quality care reputation and the life enrichment that our residents and program participants enjoy,” he said.

About 800 people call Luther Manor “home,” living at either the 29-acre campus in Wauwatosa, or at River Oaks, Luther Manor’s Mequon campus. In addition, about 80 people participant in Luther Manor’s Adult Day Service programs in Wauwatosa and Grafton.

The journey to becoming Luther Manor began in the fall of 1956, when Rev. William B. Downey, pastor of Fox Point Lutheran Church, appointed a committee to study the needs of older adults and how to best meet them. The recommendation that emerged was to build a 65-person facility to serve the aging population of the greater Milwaukee area. From this recommendation was borne the United Lutheran Program for the Aging (ULPA), a non-profit, faith-based organization advocating for the needs of older adults of all faiths.

After several years of planning, the ULPA purchased a 29-acre site in Wauwatosa and construction began on a 97-bed residential retirement community that is today known as Luther Manor. Luther Manor’s mission is to share God’s love by enriching the lives of older adults through excellent housing, care and services.

“Without a dedicated, hard-working staff, our mission could not be accomplished,” said Kathy Czarniak, who serves on the ULPA Board of Directors. “It is the employees that carry out this mission on a day-to-day basis, and who have the opportunity to make a difference through their interactions with the residents, their families and friends.”

The Race, Church and Change award recognizes individuals who have significantly impacted society through multicultural ministry, race relations and reconciliation. Luther Seminary presents the award annually to an individual who has heroically served in their community with the hope that such recognition will inspire others to similar ministry to improve the world around them.

The Race, Church and Change committee is seeking nominations of servant leaders who represent diverse communities, serve God’s church in the cause of multi-cultural ministry, and have a commitment to leading the church into a future of spreading the Gospel to all of God’s people. Please prayerfully consider lifting up a person you know whose story can inspire the next generation of leaders of the church.

Learn more about the Race, Church and Change award, and see a list of past recipients at luthersem.edu/rcc

Criteria for Nomination

Who should be nominated for the Race, Church and Change Award?

• Someone who has carried out significant service of reconciliation among diverse people.
• Someone who has demonstrated commitment to constructive change that heals the community in which they live and work.
• Someone who is committed to ministry within the context of a congregation.
• Someone who would be a good role model for seminary students.
• Someone who has been “unsung” in their faithfulness to a ministry of reconciliation.

Submit a Nomination

To nominate an individual or ministry, fill out this online nomination form by March 31, 2012:

The Race, Church and Change award will be presented in a public forum at Luther Seminary near the start of the 2012 Fall Semester.

Questions? Contact Kate Sterner at ksterner@luthersem.edu.

Wartburg Theological Seminary has announced the offering of a new certificate program; the Certificate in Theology and Congregational Leadership has been created to meet the needs of those who want to strengthen their ministry leadership. This program was designed especially for the enrichment of church members. Dr. Craig Nessan, Academic Dean of Wartburg Seminary, says of the new program, “One of the new populations with hunger for in-depth theological education are active members of congregations. The certificate courses offered by Wartburg Theological Seminary address this need with high quality content, taught by the seminary faculty. We love teaching members of congregations who are eager to go deeper.”

The program consists of twelve courses, combining foundational subjects such as Bible, theology, and church history, with two courses in the area of specialty. The program is completed through a combination of online and intensive on-campus courses, allowing students the flexibility to work at their own pace, taking one, two, or three courses at a time.

The Certificate in Theology and Congregational Leadership joins two other certificate programs already offered at Wartburg Seminary: the Certificate in Town and Country Church Leadership and Certification in Youth and Family Ministry.

Wartburg Theological Seminary is one of eight theological schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Wartburg is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and educates women and men to serve the church’s mission as ordained and lay leaders. Established in Dubuque, Iowa in 1854, Wartburg Seminary is in its 158th academic year.

Learn more about this program on Wartburg’s website

Gloria has worked hard for her International Computer Certificate at the InfoHut — and along the way, she’s learned how to prevent HIV and AIDS.

“You bait your hook with what you know the fish would like to eat.” This African saying sums up why the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa puts computers at the center of an innovative HIV and AIDS prevention program for young adults.

The InfoHut is a simple building outside a school. Inside is a fully- equipped computer lab with up- to-date software — and students eager to learn how to use it. Not only do the students learn technical skills in preparation for the industry-recognized International Computer Certificate, which will help them earn better jobs, they learn important life skills, like how to prevent HIV and AIDS.

After class hours, the InfoHut welcomes all members of the community to learn about computers and health — a win- win for the whole community!

As Kate Mattson, our new director of Youth and Family Ministries, and I looked at the needs of the people going, we determined that about $30,000 of synod support was necessary to make sure that everyone would be able to attend.

$30,000 is a lot of money. It will not happen with an extra synod-wide Sunday offering. So how does the synod raise that kind of money?

I had an idea – some of you may have experienced what is called a “50/50 raffle”. They have them at Brewer’s games all the time. Essentially, you buy a raffle ticket during the game and then in the later innings there is a drawing.  The Brewers get half the pot and some lucky fan gets the other half.

I like the concept, although we in the ELCA are not into raffles. WE ARE INTO STEWARDSHIP.

Therefore I am proposing the First Annual 50/50 This Is Not A Raffle.  (I even checked with the ELCA lawyers to make sure it is both legal and ethical.)

This is how it works. The challenge will be to sell at least 6,000 $10 this-is-not-a-raffle tickets. If they are all sold, there will be a pot of at least $60,000.  $30,000 will go to support congregations and individuals who are attending the Gathering. For the other 50%, there will be a drawing of three names at the 2012 synod assembly.

Those three winners will be asked to help steer the remaining $30,000 toward ELCA ministries, choosing from a list of:

1. Any ELCA congregation (including their own)
2. Greater Milwaukee Synod Campus Ministries
3. Outreach for Hope
4. Our global partnerships in Tanzania and El Salvador
5. The ELCA Malaria campaign

Since no one will receive any personal financial gain, all of the ticket sales (i.e. contributions) remain tax deductible.

I think it is a great way, not only to support the Gathering, but to lift up vital ministries within our church. I think it also reminds us that stewardship can be fun! In fact, I think it’s such a good idea, I am willing to put $1,000 personally toward the First Annual 50/50 this-is-not-a-raffle!
- Bishop Jeff

Buy a ticket online »