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Faith, Hunger & Justice: The ELCA Young Adult Cohort at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Gina Tonn

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March 24, 2015

Looking at a picture of the ELCA Young Adult Cohort, one might think we look like quite the random conglomeration of people – 3 men, 12 women; 13 young adults, 2 not-quite-as-young adults; 5 ELCA networks. What brings this group together, particularly around the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) and gender justice?

The ELCA networks from which individuals come to the ELCA Young Adult Cohort include the Justice for Women Program, Young Adult Ministry, Strategy on HIV and AIDS, Young Adults in Global Mission alumni and ELCA World Hunger. All of these groups bring their respective priorities and goals to the cohort, but more importantly, each of us comes to the table with a commitment to and interest in the intersection of faith and justice. Gender justice, or rather gender injustice, is prevalent in the work of each of these networks. As the ELCA World Hunger network, we are aware that hunger and poverty disproportionately affect women and their children. Anthony Mell shared this example from a session hosted by The Hunger Project in Bangladesh and the UN Zero Hunger Challenge in his post on the ELCA Young Adult Cohort blog:

In Bangladesh family life it is typical for the husband and other men to be given a larger portion of food relative to the rest of the family. This simple patriarchal cultural norm has profound consequences. Because of the state of poverty in which most Bangladeshi families live, the extra food taken by the husbands leads both their wives and their children to malnutrition. The injustice does not end there. The children also often suffer these nutritional deficiencies during key periods of cognitive development, the negative results of which can greatly affect them for the rest of their lives.

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Women’s equality and empowerment are prerequisites for development and eradication of hunger and poverty. Through the ELCA Young Adult Cohort and our presence at the UN CSW, ELCA World Hunger connects with other faith-based groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to relief, advocacy, sustainable development, and grassroots organizing around the issues of hunger and poverty.

From my perspective, playing double-duty as cohort member from the ELCA World Hunger network and an ELCA World Hunger staff person, one of the most impactful aspects of the trip was witnessing and experiencing the ways in which the spirit of ELCA World Hunger’s message and mission touches people. The ELCA Young Adult Cohort did not only attend sessions; we also hosted several events. Over 100 members of the New York and New Jersey attended a “Meet & Greet” to learn about the cohort and its networks. We brought young people of faith together for conversation about justice and culture. We created space for dialogue about the church’s role in perpetuating and ending sexism and gender-based violence. Through all three of these events, and in all our interactions, I witnessed the spirit of our work to remain even as the specific content or presentation style varies to fit the setting. I believe this spirit endures because our work is firmly and clearly rooted in our identity as the church.

The ELCA Young Adult Cohort engages at the intersection of faith and justice. We also engage with the building up of young leaders in our church. These words shared during the March ELCA World Hunger Network Webinar by cohort member, seminary student and Hunger Leader Jessica Obrecht capture the connections between faith, work with ELCA World Hunger and membership in the ELCA Young Adult Cohort, and development as a leader in the church:

As I am new to the World Hunger network, it was really stark to me how connected World Hunger and the experience at the Commission on the Status of Women was…If we truly want to eradicate poverty and hunger we really need to empower women and look at how women are oppressed in different ways and the reality that 1 in 3 women has experienced gender based violence. We need to look at how that affects not only our economy, but how we function as a world interpersonally.

The fact that so many young adults participated in the experience raises the question: How do we empower young adults and pass the torch? As we listened to men and women speak about how we need to work together in the world, it was powerful to feel that we are at the table and that we are welcome to become leaders as well.

While the presentations and information sessions I attended during the UN CSW were fascinating and energizing, the time I spent with my fellow members of the ELCA Young Adult Cohort was inspiring and gives me so much joy and hope to be part of our church and have the privilege to be part of a group of convicted and passionate leaders for justice.

I will end my comments about the experience and takeaways of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women here, and allow the words of my peers shared on the ELCA Young Adult Cohort blog during and after the UN CSW witness to the change ahead – within the church and around the world.

As a church, how do we measure gender justice? At the very least, we need sex-disaggregated data about our leadership, members, communities, institutions, and the lives the church touches. We also need qualitative data to understand how women, girls, and LGBTQ persons are viewed and valued in all areas of ministry and church life. It is assumed that having females in leadership roles or educating girls will lead to empowered women….In Bible studies and other spiritual formation, may we learn to directly address detrimental inequalities in our hearts, families, churches, communities, and world. We need to partner with others to build gender justice. Gender experts emphasize that gender is found in all sectors of life and that complicated gender issues – such as gender-based violence – must take a multi-sectoral approach. This means you can look for or assess gender in EVERY context!  – Crystal Corman – Young Adults in Global Mission Alumni

Men are needed to break this silence, and the first thing to do is to become aware, a problem can’t be solved if you don’t even know it exists.  – Richard Adkins – Young Adult Ministry & Strategy on HIV and AIDS

I am a youth, children, and family minister within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I have returned home inspired with a renewed commitment to not only exemplify what it means to be a Christian feminist, but to be an active participant in creating a church culture that speaks about and practices taking up the cross. Within my sphere of influence, I wish to live out a theology of the cross by naming the reality and pervasiveness of sin as it is exemplified in the oppression of patriarchy and acts of gender-based violence. I will continue to recognize Christ in our midst, who bears the wounds of death, but is no longer fettered by death. I will remember the grace of the cross; that it is not our will or perfect abilities that will change the oppression of this age, but the transformative power of Christ within each of us. It is the power of Christ that strengthens us to step forward together, speak out against the reality of sin, practice forgiveness, and live remembering that the kingdom of God is among us. – Casey Cross – Young Adult Ministry

I am reminded that patriarchy is a pervasive, systemic, and viciously subtle force. It moves us and in us in ways that we struggle to conceptualize and combat. However this is not meant to be defeatist. Rather it has served to me remind of the diligence and creativity required to overcome these obstacles. Simply put combating patriarchy cannot be a part time job. – Anthony Mell – Justice for Women Program

I get overwhelmed as I learn more about the realities of women and girls in the world.  And then Jesus puts it in perspective: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”(Matthew 22:37-39) – Fern Lee Hagedorn – Justice for Women Program

I understand that my sisters all around the world are being raped, beaten, oppressed, silenced and ignored every single day.  I understand that this problem is not just somewhere else, it is in my own country, my own state, city, community, and church.  And I have a seat at this great table, amongst great minds, warm hearts, and beautiful souls. What an honor, what a privilege, what a joy, and what a responsibility that holds. – Jessica Obrecht – ELCA World Hunger & Young Adults in Global Mission Alumni

 

Gina Tonn is a Program Assistant for ELCA World Hunger Education & Constituent Engagement through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. She graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN with a BA in Economics and Religion in 2014. She lives in Chicago, IL with four other Lutheran Volunteer Corps members.

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March 29, 2015 How Can We Help?

Seth Moland-Kovash, Palatine, IL

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Warm-up Question

With whom do you feel closest? Is it your family, your friends?

How Can We Help?

There are many reasons that we can feel divided as people. We sometimes divide people into groups and separate based on gender, or on race, or on class, age, or sexual orientation. Some separations can be healthy – you are not a member of family. That is not a judgement; it’s just a simple fact. But often, separations and divisions keep us all from being the people we can be and that God created us to be. One of the most enduring and powerful ways in which people are separated is based on race. We have recently watched events surrounding the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma as well as divisions in our society based on the events in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, and elsewhere.

Recently, the national coffee chain Starbucks has begun to promote a “Race Together” conversation guide and encouraged baristas to write “Race Together” on customers’ coffee cups on March 20. The goal, as Starbucks states, is to get customers and employees talking together about race in our society and about how these things have affected them personally.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Which types of divisions do you feel at work in your life in a negative way?
  • Do you feel as though divisions based on race are at work in your school? What about in your church?

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Mark 14:1-15:47; Mark 15:1-39 [40-47] (alternate)

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

We often say that Jesus came into the world to break down divisions. Jesus came to bring people together. He ate with those who other would not. He touched lepers who were shunned by others. He reached out to Samaritans and commissioned his disciples to go “into all nations” with God’s message of reconciliation and forgiveness.

As we enter Holy Week we contemplate the ultimate way in which Jesus broke down barriers. Not only did Jesus come to break down barriers between people, but Jesus came to break down barriers that keep us as people separated from God. Mark 15:38 says that “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” at the moment that Jesus died. That curtain symbolized the separation between humanity and God. In Jesus’ death, the separation was broken down.

Discussion Questions

  • What would it feel like to feel as close to God as you do to the person sitting next to you right now?
  • How do you think Jesus’ death brings us together with God?
  • How do you think Jesus’ death brings us together with other people?

Activity Suggestion

Participate in your congregation’s full slate of worship services this week. Walk the journey and experience the whole story. Let it bring you closer to God.

Closing Prayer

Good and gracious God, in this Holy Week bring us together. Bring us together with others and bring us together before your throne. Amen.

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Living Earth Reflections: ​Water for the City

Mary Minette, Director for Environmental Education and Advocacy

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city.”

Revelation 22:1-2

Just as the crystal water of the river of life is central to the shining city of New Jerusalem, clean and abundant water is a critical component of economic development and fruitful life in communities around the world. Each week an estimated one million people move into the world’s cities. This places an increased demand on water supplies and infrastructure such as pipes, sewers and treatment plants. Many cities, even cities in our wealthy country, have inadequate water systems: old pipes that can easily break, aging treatment plants that put water quality at risk, and sewer systems that pollute water supplies during heavy rains. Increased demand from new urban dwellers only adds to this problem. The addition of earth’s changing climate, with its floods, droughts, rising seas and melting glaciers, adds another layer of complexity.

To meet the needs of growing populations now and in the future, cities will need to build more sustainable, and more weather resilient water systems.

The large and sprawling city of Los Angeles is facing water infrastructure challenges that are exacerbated by California’slong term drought, now in its third year. L. A. has dramatically reduced water consumption per capita over the last 40 years, with the city using around the same amount of water now as it did then but with a much larger population. Los Angeles uses less water per capita than any other large U.S. city—about 123 gallons per person per day. Recent mandatory restrictions and price increases have reduced water usage 23 percent since 2009.

However, L.A.’s water infrastructure is in need of crucial repairs— a problem it shares with other cities across the U.S. that contributes significantly to wasted water nationwide. With about one million feet of pipes that are a century old, L.A.’s water utility is currently replacing them at a rate of once every 300 years due, in large part, to the high cost and difficulty of replacing underground infrastructure. And L.A. is not an isolated example of aging infrastructure. In 2013 the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our country’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructures “D” grades, noting that without significant investment now, we risk water quality for our communities in the future.

Other cities around the world face similar problems, but may lack the means to tackle them. Lima, Peru is one of the driest world capitals, with a large and growing population and average annual rainfall of less than half an inch. Lacking its own water resources, the city depends on diverse sources that include rain and glacier melt from the mountains and water transfers from the Amazon basin. As a result of climate change, all these water sources are under threat.

But Lima’s water faces other challenges. Once water reaches the city, it is often used in inefficient ways. For example, potable water is routinely used to irrigate green spaces, and only 10% of the city’s treated wastewater is reused for irrigation. The city lacks sufficient infrastructure to serve its population; about a million people don’t have access to running water, while another million residents have their supply cut off periodically. Observers estimate that 30% to 40% of water is lost in the system through leaks and theft. Despite being in a desert, the per capita use of water in Lima is double that of some European capitals in part due to this waste and inefficiency.

If both Los Angeles and Lima are to grow and thrive, they will need to replace and build water systems that not only meet current needs for water, but also ensure a sufficient supply of clean water for future needs. The water system of the future will not just need to deliver water to homes and businesses— it will need to be resilient to a changing climate by better managing wastewater, preventing waste throughout the system, and adopting new technologies to meet and reduce demand.

Meeting these goals comes with a hefty price tag, but in Lima and L.A. leaders are already planning to invest in new systems. Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown and the state legislature announced that they are setting aside $1 billion to tackle the state’s drought-related water problems, including infrastructure challenges like those in L.A. Lima’s water system is planning to spend $2.3 billion in the next five years to replace aging infrastructure and expanding services to residents that don’t have access to running water. As these changes take shape, advocates for low income citizens in both cities will be challenged to ensure that the costs of necessary innovations do not put clean water out of the reach of those with the least means.

Yesterday, on March 22, the U.N. celebrated World Water Day, and this year’s theme is Water and Sustainable Development. On this World Water Day, let us give thanks to God, our creator, for the gift of water, but also pray that our communities take the time to think about how to manage this precious gift sustainably and equitably so that it continues to bless our communities well into the future.

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World Water Day – March 22, 2015

Gina Tonn

How many times a day do I turn on the faucet in the kitchen or bathroom to fill a glass, wash my hands, brush my teeth, or fill a pot with water to cook pasta? How many times a day do I flush a toilet? How many times a day do I stop and think about the privilege of my easy access to clean, potable water? The answer to the former questions is “many,” the answer to the latter is “too few.”

This Sunday, March 22nd is World Water Day. This year’s World Water Day also marks the conclusion of the UN-Water’s Decade for Action “Water for Life.” Last week, while in New York City with the ELCA Young Adult Cohort attending theUnited Nations 59th Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) I took some time to explore an exhibit in the entrance hall of United Nations Headquarters commemorating the progress of the Decade for Action and looking ahead to the unmet needs for water access and sanitation around the world that call for action in the future.

Knowing I would have the opportunity to share both my experience at the UN CSW and call attention to World Water Day through the ELCA World Hunger blog, I made sure to pick up the exhibit brochure and snap some photos of the exhibit on my phone. Now, a week removed from the throes of the UN CSW and my perusal of the “Water for Life: Voices” exhibit, I realize that my experience in New York, the opportunity to research and promote World Water Day, and my position with ELCA World Hunger aren’t just happy, coincidental life experiences, but that working for gender justice, water rights, and solutions to hunger and poverty are inextricably linked. Women bear much of the burden for collecting water for their families in Sub-Saharan Africa and other areas of the world. The many hours women and girls spend collecting water are hours not spent in school or participating in economic activity, earning money or growing food to feed their families, or contributing to their community.

Over the summer, thousands of youth will converge on Detroit, Michigan for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering. ELCA World Hunger’s Walk for Water at the gathering has a goal to raise $500,000 through fundraising efforts, to be matched dollar by dollar through the gift of very generous donors. If we meet our goal, $1 million of water-related projects will be funded around the world. You can read about ELCA World Hunger’s Walk for Water, including the types of projects the initiative will fund, fundraising ideas, and statistics about the water crisis, at www.ELCA.org/walk4water.

A point that was raised frequently at the UN Commission on the Status of Women is that, too often, when we throw phrases like “internationally” or “around the world” out into conversation, we forget that the United States is included. At UN CSW this was usually in regards to oppression and discrimination against women; no nation in the world, the United States included, has succeeded in establishing gender equality in legislation, in sentiment or in practice.

The same is true of the water crisis. Because of the effects of climate change, failing economies, or corporate negligence, there are people in the United States who would answer the questions I posed at the outset of this post rather differently. In fact, right in the ELCA Youth Gathering’s backyard are people experiencing the effects of a water crisis – the Detroit water shut-offs. Ryan Cumming, Director for Hunger Education, drew attention to this problem back in August in his post “Myths and Realities about Water Shutoffs in Detroit.” Water shutoffs continue to loom in Detroit, even as the city and suburbs justapproved an increase in water utility rates.

As Lutherans, we proclaim that all people, all around the world, are created in the image of God, are privy to equal rights and protection and inherent dignity. Gender justice affirms that no one should suffer discrimination, oppression, or exploitation on account of their sex or gender. Working to end hunger and poverty affirms that we live in a world of abundance that has been perverted by broken relationships and greed. The Water for Live: Voices Exhibition brochure voices invites visitors to the exhibit to add their voice to those featured because “humankind is notable for its rich diversity; yet we are all the same in our need for water and sanitation.”

This World Water Day, I invite you to add your voice with mine in prayers for strength for my sisters around the world who walk for water each day and the mothers who struggle to feed their families, prayers of rejoicing for the progress made during the Decade for Action and potential impact through ELCA World Hunger’s Walk for Water, and mindful prayers of thanksgiving for the life-giving gift of water…

We pray for people who don’t have access to clean water to drink. We pray for people who must walk long distances to collect water. We pray for people, especially children, who face disease and death because of unclean water. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We pray for areas of our world impacted by drought and chronic water insecurity. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We pray for areas of our world that are impacted by frequent floods, severe storms and other natural disasters.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

We give you thanks that through water and the Holy Spirit you give us new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life.  Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Amen.

 

Prayer & Litany for World Water Day written by Pastor Annie Edison-Albright of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  

Gina Tonn

Program Assistant, ELCA World Hunger

Lutheran Volunteer Corps

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Lenten Reflection: Walking with our brothers and sisters in Central Americas

Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, Assistant Director, Migration Policy and Advocacy

“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

– Deuteronomy 31:6

Alaide Headshot 1For many Christians, Lent is a time of spiritual renewal and preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. My preparation had to do with being a witness to the causes of migration in Central America. A few weeks ago, I traveled with ELCA leaders to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to learn more about the reasons why children and families are fleeing their countries of origin and to better understand what happens when they are deported. What we saw and heard continues to stay with me – not only because the violence faced in these countries is worse than I imagined, but also because many of those we met stood with strength and boldness through incredibly difficult situations. We heard over and over how faith and belief that God is with them provides this strength.

As we listened to stories, met with government and non-government officials and prayed with people in these communities, I kept thinking about my favorite song about Latin America (watch the amazing video here) that includes the line “un pueblo sin piernas pero que camina,” which translates to “a community without legs but that still walks.” I have always thought that this line the best way to summarize the communities in Latin America that I grew up in. They were communities where many people went hungry or didn’t have proper housing or running water, where many felt their voice didn’t count. But still, people helped each other and many worked to fix what they saw was broken. They walked.

In the communities we visited, I witnessed similar experiences. People face violence from gang members, military, police and other government forces that work with criminals or narco-traffickers. Many of the members in their communities also live in poverty and are forced to pay an ongoing fee to gangs to avoid being targeted. Yet many of the people we heard from also highlighted the beauty of their countries and their appreciation for the people. Many were also working to reform the systems that keep violence and poverty alive or the corruption that feeds those same systems. They walk.

It always troubles me when I write about the strength of communities without also pointing out that there are many people who feel defeated. We also met with people who weren’t sure what they could do, and the toll of the violence weighed on them heavily. We prayed with them and I, at times, still feel defeated with them when I think of all of the forces that work together to push people out of their communities of origin while also working to strip them from their rights as they journey.

All the people we met knew someone who had migrated and many knew people who left their home because they were going to be killed if they didn’t. These people left their communities and sometimes their countries to survive. They left in the middle of the night and many walked through areas controlled by narco-traffickers. Some knew of the dangers that would face them in Mexico, and some didn’t. They had hopes of a better life, but also a safe life. Many of them were returned, most from Mexico, but continued to face the same country they had to leave.

Let us walk together, and with God, for positive change.

I left with a sense that we all need to walk together in order to change these conditions that force people to migrate and cause governments to ignore human dignity. I am driven to learn from experts, service providers and people in these countries and help amplify the voices of my brothers and sisters. Our travel to Central America was a time of preparation to be bold in our witness to the stories. Please join us in bearing witness by signing up for updates from our network, where you will hear more about the work that came out of our trip. Also, please continue to pray with your congregation and community for the women and children who are forced to migrate.

May God walk with us as we continue letting decision-makers know the stories we heard. May God walk with those we met as they continue to fight for safer countries and dignity for all people. May we all be strong and bold.  

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March 22, 2015 Seeing the Unseen

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

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Warm-up Question

What is the one sight you want to make sure to see in your life?

Seeing the Unseen

Last weekend a video surfaced of members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Oklahoma singing a racist chant while traveling on a bus to a party.     The chant, which included references to lynching and racial slurs, has caused quite a backlash.  The fraternity house has been banned, the students have moved out and the leaders of the chant have been expelled from the university.  Several protests have been held on campus including the Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops and his football team walking arm-in-arm across campus.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Racial issues have been in the news a lot over the last few months.  What are your thoughts on race in the United States?  Where has progress been made?  Where are there still gains to be made?
  • Many organizations, like the Oklahoma football team, have marched in protest of the video.  When have you stood up for something you thought was wrong?  When have you stayed silent even when you know something is wrong?

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Hebrews 5:5-10

John 12:20-33

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

“Sir, we want to see Jesus”

I wonder what the Greeks were looking for when they came to the disciples with this request.  Did they simply want to see the man who was drawing all the attention?  Were they hoping to see a sign for themselves?  Were they there to request a healing or ask a question?

Whatever caused them to seek Jesus out, I doubt they expected everything that they would see and everything that would happen. But as Jesus responds to the relayed request, he seems to say if you want to see me; then be ready because what is coming is what you must see.   Life with Jesus is more than spectacular signs and stories.  Life with Jesus is serving others, life with Jesus is sacrifice, and life with Jesus is laying down your life.

Jesus death on the cross is a sign of solidarity with the suffering of humanity.   His death promises that no matter what terrible thing you are going through Jesus has been there and will go there again to be with you. This promise brings us comfort, but it also means that when we go looking for Jesus we may have to look to the places we’d rather not see. ‘

An Oklahoma student said racism has been a problem on campus for a long time, but no one wanted to see it.  As disciples we are called to see the evil and ugliness in the world even when we would rather look away.   Jesus spent his life among the sick, poor and marginalized and that is where Jesus is found today.   We can feel powerless against evils like racism and it seems easier to try not to notice all that is wrong. Yet, Jesus is found among the unseen and unheard and we are called to follow him there trusting that with Jesus on our side even the most insurmountable situations can be changed.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some of the evils in the world you would rather not see or think about?  How is pretending these problems do not exist easier than working for change?
  • Who are the unseen people and what are the unseen problems in your community?  In your church? What would you like to change?  How can you make that change happen?
  • How have you seen or felt God’s presence in the low times in your life?  Where do you see God in the situation at the University of Oklahoma?

Activity Suggestions

  • There are many people in our own life that we rarely notice or interact with even though we see them on a daily basis.  Brainstorm the unseen people in your life (bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, etc.) and chose one to write a thank you note to for all they have done for you.
  • Make up your own positive chant about what you like or what you’d like to change about your church.
  • Go to the movie Selma and continue the conversation on race in the United States.

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, We give you thanks for your promise to be with us no matter what we are going through.  Open our eyes to all the injustice in the world and give us the courage to stand with those in need.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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Index of the March 2015 Issue

Issue 39 of Administration Matters

​Health insurance premium reimbursement payment plans
Health insurance premium reimbursement (non-employer coverage) reporting requirements have changed, and if applicable to your setting, non-compliance could result in fines of $100/day per employee. >more

Prep work key to safe mission trips
Each year thousands of people go on mission trips. They have a desire to experience and discover their faith in new and meaningful ways and hope for personal growth while serving others. In all of the excitement, however, it can be easy to overlook necessary logistics preparations. >more

Credit card best practices for congregations
Used wisely, corporate credit cards are a good tool to cover certain approved, business-related expenses, but users have to understand the credit card policies, procedures, spending limits and restrictions. >more

Recommendations for congregation secretaries
The secretary is a required officer of the congregation. While the secretary’s duties may vary from one congregation to another, there are certain tasks that all secretaries should see that are accomplished. >more

The importance of workers’ compensation coverage
Workers’ compensation insurance provides coverage in case of an accident. It’s not only important to be prepared, but it’s also the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the workplace is safe for everyone. >more

Spring Checklist
As winter ends, give your building a complete physical—inside and out—to ready it for those warm-weather months ahead. >more

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Serbia: Post-flood rehabilitation

Megan Brandsrud

​Roma population

On May 13, 2014, a cyclone hit Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in widespread, record flooding and landslides. Overall, approximately 1.6 million people were impacted by the cyclone and the flooding and landslides that followed. Last spring, Lutheran Disaster Response worked with Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization to provide immediate relief resources, which included food, personal health and hygiene supplies, disinfection equipment and tools.

The emergency phase of the disaster has passed, but there is still a lot of work to be done, especially with housing. Serbia was hit hardest by the severe weather, with 200 collapsed homes, more than 18,000 damaged homes and approximately 32,000 people who had to evacuate.

The Roma settlement in Mišar, City of Šabac, in western Serbia was greatly affected by the floods. There are approximately 500,000 people who make up the Roma population in Serbia, and they generally live in worse conditions than the rest of the population due to discrimination, employment exclusion and poverty. The poor living conditions mean that these people are more vulnerable to larger damages caused by disasters.

Lutheran Disaster Response is again working with Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization to assist in rehabilitating homes and improving livelihoods for Roma families in Mišar that were affected by the floods.

Home rehabilitation assistance will be owner-driven, so primary resources provided will be technical support and tools and construction materials. Assistance to revive and increase livelihood opportunities will consist of assessing the current situation, identifying self-employment opportunities, creating documentation for start-up grants and building capacity through business plans for income-generating projects.

Special attention will also be given to mobilizing resources and raising awareness around disaster-risk reduction and resiliency.

We will continue to accompany our brothers and sisters in Serbia who are still dealing with the after-math of last year’s flooding. If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in Serbia, please visit the giving page.

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Changing Schools, Changing Lives: God at Work in Bolivia

Ryan P. Cumming

A lot of folks know how stressful it can be to switch schools.  Imagine not just going to a different school in a new neighborhood but in a whole new region!  For children displaced from rural areas to the cities in the Latin American country of Bolivia, this is a real challenge.

We know the strain instability can have on children in school.  Research indicates that when families move, children often have difficulty adjusting to their new communities and new schools.  When they are already vulnerable to economic instability, the challenges can be especially tough.  When education is so central to reducing vulnerability to poverty and hunger, this is a serious issue.

In Bolivia, displaced families have found the support they need to meet some of these challenges.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bolivia (Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana – IELB), with support from ELCA World Hunger, has welcomed displaced families to take part in the Escuela Biblica Apoyo Escolar after-school program.  This program provides a space of support to at-risk children and youth.  At the program, children learn about tolerance and equality and get help they need to build their math, spelling, and reading skills. During breaks from school, the center still runs, offering in 2014 not only tutoring in regular classes, but also workshops on peace and nonviolence relating those to Christian values.

Together, IELB and ELCA World Hunger are actively accompanying children and families in Bolivia as the church lives out its calling to serve the whole person.  This is work we are called to do as Church, and it is also work the IELB is empowered to do as Church.  As one representative wrote, families involved in the program are starting to see “the congregation as a new social service place, both for the youth and…for the families.  Much of this confidence originates in the trust [the congregation has] from having this church program.”

As Lutherans, we recognize the role of both Law and Grace.  Under the Law, we are commanded to be servants of God and neighbor in the world.  By Grace, we are invited and empowered to do this work.  For the IELB’s after-school program,the grace which inspires the church to be a place of welcome and trust is the very grace that empowers them to be part of the community, to walk alongside children and families as they gain the skills they need to feed themselves and their neighbors for years to come.

The ELCA has been invited to be part of IELB’s ministry by supporting this program for at least three years, during which many more families will be able to take part in this impactful ministry.  Because of gifts to ELCA World Hunger, our church has been able to say “YES!”

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Lenten reflection: “Our Dream is a World Free of Poverty”

Patricia Kisare, Program Director, International Policy

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister[a] in need and yet refuses help?

1 John 3:16-17 (NRSV)

PK headshotThe words “Our Dream is a World Free of Poverty” are enshrined on the walls of the World Bank building in Washington, D.C. Although I had seen them before, the meaning and symbolism of this phrase never truly struck me until a few weeks ago when I attended a meeting there. The slogan represents the overarching mission of the World Bank – the largest multilateral institution tasked with the job of ending extreme poverty globally.

The World Bank reports that in the past 20 years, extreme levels of poverty in developing countries have been reduced tremendously. Between the years 1990 and 2010, 700 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty, living on  $1.25 per day. Investments by governments, the private sector, churches like ours and other non-governmental organizations have contributed to this progress.

Though this progress is reassuring, approximately 1 billion people continue to live in extreme poverty. For them, having access to basic necessities is a constant challenge – many are forced to make impossibly difficult choices every day. Because of these challenges, people living in extreme poverty are often denied the basic freedoms and human dignity that many of us enjoy.

 

Dreaming of a world free of poverty

What might a world “free of poverty” look like? I encourage you to allow yourself to imagine that world.

For me, a world without poverty is one where all of us, no matter where we live, have adequate nutritious food to eat daily. It means each of us has access to health care and education. A world free of poverty means homelessness and slum dwelling are a thing of the past.

Indeed, a more peaceful world it would be.

 

Reflecting on our response to global poverty

The Lenten season is a good time to reflect on our individual and collective response to global poverty. For us living here in the land of plenty, it can be easy to isolate our lives from the lives of those whose daily survival depends on the support of others. The stark contradiction between these two worlds can be confounding. On one hand, we live in a society overrun by too many choices and insatiable keenness for material possession. On the other hand, 1 billion of us struggle to fulfill our very basic needs (food, shelter, water). How do we reconcile these realities?

Scripture is filled with many stories of Jesus caring for the poor and oppressed. At the outset of his ministry, Jesus repeatedly reaches out to people at the bottom of social stratification. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to do the same for the marginalized among us.

As I reflect on the gift of life given to us as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I am heartened that our church remains very active in the fight against extreme poverty. Many lives have been renewed because of this life-giving ministry. While we rejoice over the fact that 700 million people are no longer living in conditions of extreme poverty, let’s be reminded of the immense challenge ahead. Ending extreme poverty requires us to multiply our collective efforts. In addition to donating financial resources, I encourage you to join other Lutheran advocates who are working together to fight systems that perpetuate poverty.

I end my reflection today with an offer of a familiar prayer:

“Gracious God, loving all your family with a mother’s tender care: As you sent the angel to feed Elijah with heavenly bread, assist us in this ministry on which we are sent forth. In your love and care, nourish and strengthen those to whom we bring this sacrament, that through the body and blood of your Son we may know the comfort of your abiding presence.”Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Leaders Edition Pg. 140

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