ELCA Disaster Response

Last week the Lutheran World Federation’s Department of World Service (LWF-DWS) gained certification from Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) International. To give some context to what this means, here is a an overview of HAP’s purpose from their website:

[HAP] International is a multi-agency initiative working to improve the accountability of humanitarian action to people affected by disasters and other crises….The vision of HAP International is a humanitarian system with a trusted and widely accepted accountability framework, which is transparent and accessible to all relevant parties. Its mission is to make humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries through self-regulation by its members linked by common respect for the rights and dignity of beneficiaries.

What this means is that LWF-DWS engages in disaster response in a people-centered way. There response makes sure that those with and for whom they work are being treated with respect, that they are given voice in the process, and the response does not ignore but builds on the strengths already existent in the community. They are living out the understanding that all are created in the image of God, instilled with a fundamental dignity as part of God’s good creation and to be treated as such.

So congrats to LWF-DWS on there certification and keep up the good work!

To read more about how the process worked check out the LWF-DWS post: DWS Certification Shows People at Center of Humanitarian Response

————-
Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

• » Comments (0)

ACT 2010 Annual Report. Click to download.

The ACT Alliance has released its 2010 Annual Report, their first Annual Report! The ELCA is a member of ACT and we are grateful for their continued work of coordination that helps resources reach those in need with more efficiency and speed. Through their added value your gifts to ELCA Disaster Response can reach farther.

So read about how ACT coordinate their great work globally through stories, reports and financials and learn more about how the ELCA Disaster Response works with partners to carry out our good work. Learn about how they work with partners in the UN and around the world. Read about how dollars raised become lives enhanced. Read about how God’s work is being done through your support.

Also, read ACT’s General Secratary, John Nduna’s, letter about the report.

• » Comments (0)

“… but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

Sunday August 29th, 2010 marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast. Across our country, and even around the world, there will be solemn remembrances as we keep alive the memories of the people and the places that were lost to that terrible storm. The passing of time cannot fully heal, but only lessens, the anguish and grief felt in the days that followed the disaster.

I encourage Lutherans everywhere to take time Sunday August 29th to remember in your worship and prayer all of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please especially remember the pastors and people of the ELCA Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, the ELCA Southeastern Synod, and the LCMS Southern District who have served so faithfully in the five years following Katrina. The ELCA Worship and Liturgical Resources Unit has produced excellent worship resources to assist in these commemorations and has posted examples of prayer vigils created by congregations in the ELCA. To download these resources, click here.

I also want to encourage you to think about the five years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina. Living in an Easter world of faith and hope, we recognize that it is our response to tragedy, that which follows, that truly defines us. Indeed, on Sunday August 29th 2010 we remember the amazing things that have happened along the Gulf Coast since August 29th, 2005, which cannot be summed up or defined merely by a single day.

In these five years, we remember the courage and steadfastness that the people of the Gulf Coast have shown in rebuilding their communities. We give thanks to God for their witness.

In these five years, we remember the countless many who prayed and gave gifts to support the work of the church in these communities. We give thanks to God for their faithfulness.

In these five years, we remember the more than 50,000 Lutheran volunteers who have traveled from near and far to help their neighbors in need. We give thanks to God for their enduring generosity.

In these five years, we remember thousands of Lutheran young people who gathered in New Orleans as a hopeful witness of the Resurrection. We give thanks to God for their energy and their service.

In these five years, since August 29, 2005, God has been showing us signs of help, hope and healing in these and many other ways. So let us remember together all of these five years, as we continue to accompany and comfort those who mourn, and in deep gratitude for the many signs of continued recovery.

In Christ,
Rev Kevin Massey – Director – Lutheran Disaster Response

• » Comments (0)