Blogs of the ELCA

Blogging from the Lutheran Center and beyond

Australia: Renewed Flooding in Queensland

from ELCA Disaster Response
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Matthew Ley

Flooding in the southeast part of Australia seems a bit like deja vu. This same area of the states Queensland and New South Wales was hit by major flooding in January 2011. According to the Lutheran Church of Australia, the damages have not reached the same levels as last year. Though coming on the heels [...]

Haiti: Groundbreaking at Gressier Model Village & ELCA Cholera Work

from ELCA Disaster Response
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Matthew Ley

Last Thursday a fairly momentous occasion happened in Haiti. A new project, that has involved many months of conversation, negotiation, community input and planning came together with the groundbreaking for the Gressier Model Village. This village of 200 housing units and community space will provide some of the hardest hit families of the 2010 earthquake [...]

Pray for the People of Syria

from Peace Not Walls
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Julie Brenton Rowe

The people of Syria are in our thoughts and prayers as the violence intensifies following lack of action by the UN Security Council.  China and Russia vetoed a Western-Arab U.N. Security Council resolution backing an Arab League plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside and end the government’s violence against its people.  The [...]

Hamas and Fatah Reach Accord

from Peace Not Walls
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Julie Brenton Rowe

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will lead the new unity government of technocrats following a unity agreement by Fatah and Hamas, announced on Feb. 6.  Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted, saying Abbas and the Palestinians must choose between peace with Hamas or peace with Israel. Netanyahu points to the 1988 Hamas Charter, which does not recognize Israel and [...]

February 12, 2012–Filmmakers Prepare to Lose Capitol Building

from Faith Lens
Posted on February 7, 2012 by faithlens

Contributed by Steven Alloway, Granada Hills, CA   Warm-up Question Have you ever suddenly been told you could no longer do something which you’d always been allowed to do in the past? What was your reaction? Did you continue to do it or did you stop? Filmmakers Prepare to Lose Capitol Building It’s an iconic [...]

Just arrived in Madagascar

from Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Hand In Hand

Austin and Tanya Propst are the new ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) coordinators for Madagascar. They have just arrived in what will be their new home for the next four years. The YAGM  program is reliant on the coordinators who facilitate the young adults’ ministry and provide mentoring and spiritual guidance.  To support [...]

The power of inviting. (Have you asked?)

from Women of the ELCA
Posted on February 6, 2012 by women

I have recently come to realize that an invitation can be a powerful thing. I know this is not an earth-shattering revelation, and I suppose I’ve always known it to be true, but I find myself focused on this idea these days. Let me start by saying I do not consider myself a blogger, but [...]

Our last months in Japan

from Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest
Posted on February 4, 2012 by Hand In Hand

Doug Foster and Sue Wironen Foster are ELCA missionaries in Kumamoto, Japan, where they are ESL teachers.  To support them, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.   It does not seem possible that so much time has gone by since we moved to Japan and now we are planning the reverse move [...]

ELCA leaders visit U.S. State Department to make nutrition a priority for mothers, children

from ELCA Updates
Posted on February 3, 2012 by elcaupdates

A group of ELCA leaders met with staff of the U.S. State Department Feb. 1-2 to help make nutrition a priority and support the “1,000 Day Movement” — an international initiative to promote maternal and child nutrition in the 1,000 days between pregnancy and age 2. At the meeting ELCA members, along with other religious [...]

Alabama: Federal Emergency Declared in Two Counties, Hold on Volunteers

from ELCA Disaster Response
Posted on February 2, 2012 by Matthew Ley

The president has just declared two counties in Alabama (Jefferson & Chilton) federal disaster areas. This means they are now able to receive federal funds to help them respond to the effects of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding early last week. Other counties maybe included once the total assessment of damages has been carried out. [...]