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ELCA Advocacy Update – June 2015

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthy State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

 

​​​Washington, D.C.
Advocacy Director, Stacy Martin
www.elca.org/advocacy

LOGUMReport on Central America: This month, ELCA Advocacy completed a report on the findings from a recent trip taken by ELCA leaders to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to better understand what drives so many children and families to flee their homes. This report, titled “Our Communities in Crisis,” takes a faithful look at the root cause of Central American forced displacement and the repatriation of children and families after the summer of 2012. The ELCA continues to be committed to lifting up the voices of our communities in Central America. Take action today by urging President Obama to speak out for the protection of those fleeing violence and persecution in Central America – visit our Action Center now to send a message to the president.

Global Food Security Act: Recently, members of the House and Senate reintroduced the Global Food Security Act – an act that will enhance international development programs and investments, such as Feed the Future. The Global Food Security Act will help institute a comprehensive strategy to promote global food security, strengthen existing monitoring and evaluation practices to ensure efficiency and accountability, and support initiatives, such as improving maternal and child nutrition. ELCA Advocacy is taking action to help promote food security by urging members of Congress to pass this legislation. Learn more about Feed the Future and our efforts to support responsible international development in our Global Food Security Act fact sheet.

Green Climate Fund: ELCA Advocacy announced its support of the Green Climate Fund last month. This international initiative mobilizes support for developing nations struggling to combat the growing effects of climate change. The consequences of climate change fall hardest on our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are least able to adapt because they live in communities already struggling with poverty and hunger. The fund will help pay for developmental initiatives for marginalized countries, increasing their ability to adapt to new environments and expanding their capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can learn more about the fund at our ELCA Green Climate Fund Fact Sheet.

Financial debt in Nepal: Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of organizations and faith communities of which the ELCA is a member, is spearheading an international effort to support Nepal’s recovery efforts by cancelling the country’s overwhelming debt. ELCA Advocacy joined Jubilee USA in urging the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to provide immediate debt relief to Nepal so that the government can redirect these funds toward recovery and rebuilding efforts. Take action on this issue by visiting our Action Center.

New York, NY
Dennis Frado​
Lutheran Office for World Community

Peace Not Walls conference call with Presiding Bishop Eaton: LOWC joined other staff in planning for a conference call held on May 19 by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Global Mission Area Program Director Cindy Halmarson with ELCA members with a keen interest in the Peace Not Walls campaign. It was an opportunity for those listening to hear about the Presiding Bishop’s recent January visit to the region and her perspectives on the current situation there.

U.N. Post-2015 Development Agenda: The fifth session of intergovernmental negotiations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place between May 18 and 25 in New York. Just three more sessions are planned before the conclusion of negotiations in late July. Disagreements remain as to whether implementation of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals will involve “follow-up and review” (which most developing countries support) or “monitoring, accountability and review” (which many developed countries support). There appears to be emerging consensus that the High-Level Political Forum, created at the Rio+20 conference in 2012, will be the venue for follow-up activities once the agenda is adopted. Consensus has not yet been reached on the means of implementation for the goals or on the relationship of the findings of the August Financing for Development conference to the Post-2015 Agenda.  A “zero-draft” of the outcome document, which would be considered at the late September U.N. Summit to the Adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda, is to be released on June 1.

Visitors: LOWC has hosted a variety of visitors in recent weeks. These included Caroline Tveoy, Lutheran World Federation World Service Program officer for the Middle East and North Africa, based in Geneva, who stopped in New York to discuss the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls campaign, while in transit to Haiti. The Manhattan Ministerium of the Metro New York Synod visited to learn about LOWC’s work. The Rev.  Joachim Tröstler of the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church is on sabbatical and was interested in comparing the linkages between ministry with migrants and congregational-based community organizing in Germany and in the United States and how the issues are handled at the United Nations. Lastly, a group of Upstate New York Synod participants in a Peace Not Walls-related visit to the Holy Land stopped by on their way to the region.

California
Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy
www.loppca.org​

Synod Assemblies: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson participated in one day of the Pacifica Synod Assembly in Riverside, affording a chance for renewal and reconnection after missing last year’s in Hawaii. Mark left early to return to the Sierra Pacific Assembly in Sacramento, where LOPP-CA and Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy in Nevada hosted a breakfast for about 55 people with California Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross on the topic of food, farming, drought and climate change. As Texas was devastated by floods, the Central Valley Flood Control Agency heard a report that the Sierra snowpack, which provides about one-third of California’s water supply, is at 2 percent of normal.

1aLobby days: Mark teamed with Mark Lowry, a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Orange and executive director of the Orange County Food Bank, for legislative visits on Hunger Action Day, supporting repeal of the Maximum Family Grant aid limit for TANF/CalWORKS families, an increase in the minimum wage, “breakfast after the bell,” and simplification and expansion of tax credits for California farm product donations. Mark gave a prayer of thanksgiving at the interfaith service to open Immigrant Day at the Capitol, followed by lobby visits. He and a “dreamer” from Ventura County broke away to attend an event with state and local elected officials where solar panels were placed on the roof of a low-income homeowner in a “disadvantaged neighborhood,” using carbon cap-and-trade funds.

UPCOMING – California Interfaith Power & Light Lobby Day, June 17. LOPP-CA is the site host.

Colorado
Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado
www.lam-co.org

The first legislative session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly is officially in the books. With control of the two chambers split between parties, it was a tough year for many groups to get their priorities passed, but LAM-CO had several important bipartisan victories.

Child Support Pass-through: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado and several of its partners in poverty-related legislation were thrilled that Senate Bill 12 made it through both the Senate and House and is currently awaiting a signature from Gov. John Hickenlooper. The bill, which allows families receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) benefits to also receive child-support payments that were previously withheld by county governments, is one of the measures that will directly benefit families living in poverty that survived this year’s Legislature.

Affordable housing: Several late-breaking bills on affordable housing were quickly advanced through the House before being killed in the Senate. These bills would have used surplus funds from a state trust fund to invest in affordable housing construction and rent subsidy for low-income workers, as well as extending the life of the low-income housing tax credit.

Other priorities: A measure to provide an affirmative defense for the crime of prostitution to minor victims of human trafficking was passed and signed by the governor. The House narrowly killed legislation that would have created paid family and medical leave insurance. A Senate committee defeated a bill to create a rural economic initiative grant program.

Illinois
Jennifer DeLeon, Lutheran Advocacy Illinois
www.lutheranadvocacy.org

Legislative session: We are at the end of the legislative session, and it seems like the Legislature will not pass a balanced budget by their May 31 deadline and that they will be called back for a special summer session. There is still time to act:

Budgets are choices. It’s time for politicians to choose Illinois children, families and communities. Illinois doesn’t have to make the deep cuts proposed in the governor’s budget; we have a choice. Instead of painful cuts to vital programs for our children, families and communities, lawmakers and the governor must choose revenue.

Act NOW! Tell lawmakers to choose to stand up for Illinois families and communities and prevent cuts by choosing revenue to close the budget hole. Do two things today:

  • Call your lawmaker tool free at 844-311-CUTS (844-311-2887) and tell them to choose revenue to prevent cuts to children, families,and communities.
  • Click here to send an email and for more information.

We continue to work with Judith Roberts, director of Racial Justice, and we have submitted a criminal justice resolution at both the Metro Chicago Synod and Northern Illinois Synod assemblies , which calls on congregations to advocate for social justice and to support Lutheran Social Service of Illinois prison and family ministry programs.

 ​Minnesota
Tammy Walhoff, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota
tammy@lcppm.org  

The legislative session is (sort of) over: Differing visions made “final” legislative negotiations difficult. Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed three budget bills, meaning the Legislature returns for a special session.

Health and human services: Despite a $1.9 billion surplus, hundreds of millions were cut from low-income programs. Nevertheless, intense advocacy efforts achieved moderate increases in some housing-related services. Notably, $2 million was added to base funding for homeless youth over two years.

Affordable housing and clean energy: Affordable housing, jobs, economic growth and energy were all in the same bill. LA-MN and Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light presented their clean energy faith-leader letter with 300+ signers to Gov. Dayton, conference negotiators, leadership and legislators. LA-MN also generated letters, cards, emails and calls from key districts regarding affordable housing.

Conference negotiations on the bill never occurred, but the chairs introduced replacement language in the final moments of session. Watch the House pass it in the last two minutes, with the wrong bill number, amidst chaos! Energetic advocacy efforts prevented renewable energy and energy-efficiency roll-backs and cuts to housing. The bill was vetoed, so LA-MN and its partners hope more gains may be made.

Synod-related activities: Tammy Walhof, LAMN director, was the speaker for the Southeastern Minnesota Synod Creation Care Assembly and also led workshops. She had display materials at the Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly and stayed briefly before heading to the Northwestern Minnesota Synod Assembly, where she led workshops on affordable housing and advocacy.

Like Lutheran Advocacy-MN on Facebook

Follow Lutheran Advocacy-MN on Twitter: @LuthAdvocacyMN

 New Jersey
Sara Lilja, Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in New Jersey
Visit us on Facebook!​

New Jersey Advocacy is growing! We have launched a new advocacy body, the Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry of New Jersey (LEAMNJ), headed by the Rev. Sara Lilja.

The goal of LEAMNJ is to be a powerful public witness of faith through advocacy, representing nearly 80,000 people in 450 parishes in New Jersey, backed by the national Lutheran and Episcopal churches, reflecting more than 8.7 million people in the United States. It will shape and influence public policy in New Jersey and in local communities as that policy  affects vulnerable populations, social justice issues and other priorities that reflect the common teachings and values of the partner groups.

There is great excitement by all the partners for the promise of the combined new entity to have an impact on policy affecting the concerns of people in our neighborhoods and state.

“As society has become more bifurcated into seemingly separate worlds of those with means and those without, we come together to forge a strong voice to express the commitments of our faith traditions in advocating for policies leading to a just society,” said Lilja. She added, “I’m proud to lead this charge on behalf of our new partnership and to grow the expression of compassion and social justice by means of education and advocacy through congregations throughout the state.”

 ​New Mexico
Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico
www.lutheranadvocacynm.org

2“We are Church: Better Together” That “the church” is much more expansive than each individual congregation was highlighted over and over at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 1-3. “Our form and structures may change, the extent of our actual usefulness to God may wax and wane, but that God can and does work in and through us – this is a promise,” said Bishop Jim Gonia, addressing the assembly.

The state public policy offices in Colorado and New Mexico, which are an integral part of the ministry of the Rocky Mountain Synod, were an active part of the Synod Assembly. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado had displays about their work and activities. Directors Ruth Hoffman and Peter Severson presented an advocacy toolkit during an interest dinner. Additionally, they served on the Committee on Reference and Counsel, which reviewed proposed resolutions and memorials for consideration by the assembly.

3Affordable housing: Director Hoffman is a member of the State Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee. At the committee’s most recent meeting, several low-income housing projects were recommended for funding. The projects included those at Santo Domingo Pueblo, Silver City in southwestern New Mexico and in Albuquerque.

​Ohio
Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good
nick@oneohionow.org

Ohio budget: The Ohio Legislature continues to focus its time on Ohio’s two–year budget (HB 64). This budget accepts a new normal of higher poverty and fewer resources. The biggest component of the budget is another tax shift increasing taxes on many while cutting the income tax to benefit the wealthiest Ohioans.The Faith Coalition for the Common Good is an ecumenical coalition formed to advocate through the budget process for increased state funding for food security and affordable housing (and other services to help low-income Ohioans), and expanded resources for education. All of these things are possible if Ohio foregoes the proposed $5.6 billion in tax cuts.

The coalition organized a panel on March 18 in front of the Finance Health and Human Services Sub-Committee. The Rev. Gregory Kenderick (The United Methodist Church) facilitated the panel of individuals who have experienced poverty. About 60 people from the faith community showed up to support this panel’s testimony. The testimony focused on the importance of public investments that help people transition out of poverty. The Ohio House Finance Committee is currently receiving amendments to the budget. We also submitted testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee opposing the proposed income tax cut.

The budget bill will move to the Senate in late April and to the governor’s desk by June 30.

Pennsylvania
Amy Reumann, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania
Tracey DePasquale, Associate Director
www.lutheranadvocacypa.org

May and June are busy months at LAMPa as synods gather and the General Assembly gets down to business around the budget. Director Amy Reumann spoke on hunger at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly and staffed an interactive booth at the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly where attendees made video messages for lawmakers on education funding.

LAMPa staff members have also been attending briefings by Gov. Tom Wolf, Budget Secretary Randy Albright and Secretary of Planning and Policy John Hanger and are engaged in planning events around the state to raise support for a fair and adequate education funding formula.

Reumann and Tracey DePasquale, associate LAMPa director, met with Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg representatives to debrief about collaboration on our 2015 Lutheran Day at the Capitol (see highlights) last month and agreed to partner again in 2016, with a common thread of faith and science.

4Reumann and the Rev. Bruce Osterhout, policy council member, attended a protest against family detention at the Berks County immigration detention facility. Osterhout also wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the Reading Eagle.

LAMPa hosted a call on theology and water for our creation care team, featuring Dr. Gil Waldkoenig of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg. Listen to a recording. LAMPa is partnering with the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania and Moms Clean Air Force, with whom we are working on common policy initiatives.

LAMPa continues to promote the Pennsylvania School Breakfast Challenge and has facilitated cooperation between state hunger partners and the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

Virginia
Charles Swadley
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy organized and hosted a “Consumer Finance Reform and Regulation” policy discussion call with Sen. Mark Warner on Monday, May 18, attended by more than 40 faith leaders from across Virginia. VICPP also recruited participants to the National Faith-Based Partnerships teleconference held by Director Richard Cordray of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on May 21.VICPP hosted a “Faith-Based Partnerships to End Child Hunger in Virginia” webinar on May 27 with Dorothy McAuliffe, the first lady of Virginia, regarding engagement with the Virginia Kid Hungry program attended by more than 75 faith leaders and supporters from across Virginia. An article was also published in the Fauquier Times on May 1 about the VICPP’s Northern Piedmont Chapter’s very successful community forum, “Fact vs. Fiction: Unmasking the Truth about Immigrants in Virginia’s Workforce.” The forum was attended by more than 100 people on April 28 at Lord Fairfax Community College.

The Northern Virginia Chapter is hosting a “redistricting” event on June 4 at George Mason University-Arlington that the NoVa Chapter is co-organizing with the university, the League of Women Voters and OneVirginia2021. The VICPP Richmond Chapter is hosting a Healthcare Access Forum with political and faith leaders on June 30 at 7 p.m. at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center. The forum will include excerpts from the Remote Area Medical film about providing medical and dental services to those in poverty and without insurance in rural areas, such as Wise County, Virginia. The forum is in partnership with Bon Secours.

VICPP’s Annual Policy Priority Survey is out and all supporters are invited to participate using this link to assist in developing our 2016 Policy Priorities.

Washington
Paul Benz, Faith Action Network
www.fanwa.org

5Legislature: May 28 was the last day of our first special session. Legislators were working that week and budget negotiators are getting closer to resolving differences for all three budgets (operating, transportation and capital). FAN is active with the Washington United for Fair Revenue coalition, which sponsored a “call-in day for revenue” on May 28. Hundreds of advocates called their legislators from around the state saying, “The wealthy and big corporations do not pay their fair share into the state budget to help meet the critical needs of our state.” FAN’s key policy bill remains the state voting-rights act. If the state Senate agrees to this, our state would join three others (California, Florida and Illinois) having a state voting-rights act to better enfranchise the disenfranchised communities of color.

Congressional issues: FAN has four issues in Congress that we are focusing on: Trade/Trans-Pacific Partnership, Child Nutrition Reauthorization, I-VAWA International Violence Against Women Act, and the Green Climate Fund. FAN is working with our allies here in Washington state and with the ELCA Washington, D.C., office to better engage our advocates and their members of Congress on these issues.

Organizing summits: This is the time of year for FAN’s four regional summits. At these we continue to build relationships with our advocates, review our legislative agenda, and build toward creating next year’s agenda through table conversation by legislative district. By the time you read this, two summits will be completed (Spokane and Vancouver), and Seattle and Yakima will occur in June.

ELCA and denominational assemblies: FAN has had a presence (displays, podium time, and networking) at all three ELCA synod assemblies, as well as the annual conference of the regional United Church of Christ. We will also have a presence at The United Methodist Church’s June annual regional conference.

Wisconsin
Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin
www.loppw.org

6aSynod assemblies: LOPPW’s Advisory Council member Eric Larson, from the Northern Great Lakes Synod, manned a display table at his assembly. He provided post cards for the ELCA’s campaign supporting child nutrition and the WIC Reauthorization Act at the LOPPW display table and the synod hunger team’s table. The director led a workshop at the East Central Synod Assembly and will lead workshops at the other four synod assemblies.

Proposed state budget:  LOPPW is working with a coalition of secular and faith-based nonprofits, called Better Choices, to make better state budget choices known.  LOPPW has helped organize two press conferences: On May 4, Bishop Mary Froiland spoke on a panel in Madison. On May 14, Bishop Rick Hoyme and ELCA member and professor James Boulter spoke on a panel in Eau Claire. Bishop Hoyme discussed prioritizing those who are most vulnerable in the budget. Boulter focused on protecting our environment. LOPPW also posted a statement on revenue estimates, which were lower than some lawmakers had hoped for

Human trafficking: The Joint Finance Committee approved $2 million for youth victims of sex trafficking.  Two Democrat legislators are trying to secure co-sponsors for a safe harbor bill. LOPPW has helped to target possible co-sponsors. The director visited with a Republican legislator who has agreed to be one of the co-sponsors.

Living-wage coalition: LOPPW joined a coalition of faith-based and secular organizations to strategize advocating for a higher minimum wage in Wisconsin.

What advocacy efforts are going on in your synod or state? We want to hear about it!

Contact us at washingtonoffice@elca.org ​​

 

 

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Welcome to ELCA World Hunger’s 2015 Summer Interns!

This summer, ELCA World Hunger welcomes three new interns to our team at the churchwide office!

Anna Smith- Hunger Education
annaHello! My name is Anna Smith. I come from the town of Osceola, Wisc. I am will be a senior this fall at Concordia College. I am studying Global Studies-Development and Psychology. This upcoming year will be busy for me as I serve as the Social Justice Coordinator for Campus Ministry Commission and the Co-Service Lead for Better Together Interfaith Alliance. A fun fact about me is that I actually spent my first year of college in San Antonio, Texas, at Trinity University.

I have always been passionate about social justice issues but that really came to the forefront of my life after I spent the fall of my junior year on the Social Justice, Peace, and Development Program in India. We intensively studied class inequality, food insecurity, and the implications of war, among other things. It was during my time in India I saw the world’s great need for justice and I committed my life to working towards that in every way I can. That commitment along with my deep Lutheran faith is what led me here this summer.

I have spent the past three summers of my life working at Luther Point Bible Camp in Grantsburg, Wisc. I am looking forward to this summer and finding new ways to live out my faith in a different environment. I love the big cities and I foresee enjoying living in the Windy City very much so. Although I haven’t been to Chicago since I was in Elementary school –way back when Willis Tower was still the Sears Tower. I can already tell my time here will be one filled with adventure, learning and spiritual growth!

Jennifer (Jenny) Sharrick- Constituent Engagement

jennyHi everyone, I’m Jenny! I am so absolutely thrilled to be the newest constituent engagement intern. In my life outside of Chicago, I am a master’s in public health student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. My concentration is focused generally around Maternal and Child Health, but my specific passion areas are domestic rural food insecurity and hunger, as well as reproductive health and comprehensive sexuality education. My undergraduate education focused on biopsychology and religion. Then I took a quick detour to medical school, before landing in the amazing field of public health.

My call is somewhere in the intersection of medicine, ministry, and justice. And while I am still discerning exactly what that means for the future, continuing my work with ELCA World Hunger seemed an appropriate fit.

My work within the Church has been varied, but bountiful. I have served as an intern in a parish for youth and young adult ministry and Campus Ministry Associate for Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry at Hastings College. I have also been on my synod’s hunger team for several years now. Additionally, I am a member of the ELCA Young Adult Cohort which went to the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women this past March.

Service learning and volunteering have been integral to my background (my Dad is so proud to say that my very first meeting with a service organization was within a week of my birth). This has taken on various forms over the years. One organization I am especially proud to be associated, offers free chlamydia and gonorrhea testing and treatment as well as reproductive health education to inmates in the county jail (unfortunately the county where I currently reside has an epidemic associated with both of these STIs). While that likely doesn’t sound all that appealing to many of you, the men and women I have met have had a profound impact on my life and have taught me much more about life than what I’ve learned in the classrooms of medical school and public health. Empowering and educating people to make the best health decisions for themselves has truly become a passion of mine because of this.

In my spare time, I love spontaneous dance parties and going on adventures whilst wearing my sequined fanny pack. My seven-year-old goddaughter likes to tell everyone that my favorite color is “glitter” and I have a special affection for beautiful shoes.


Ben Brown- Fundraising

benHi my name is Ben Brown, and I am the ELCA World Hunger Fundraising Intern and I will also be working some with the ELCA Malaria Campaign. I am a rising senior year at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in the fall studying
Religion and Political Science. I come to Chicago after spending the spring semester studying in Washington, DC with students from other Lutheran colleges where I interned with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) as the Public Policy and Fundraising Intern. When not at Wittenberg, I call Indianapolis home.

I am passionate about issues of social justice, specifically hunger and food justice and the ways in which faith can play a role in that work. At Wittenberg I spend my time in Weaver Chapel with Campus Ministries and in the community through my work in our community service office. Through my experiences in Springfield’s community gardens and Promise Neighborhood and with Wittenberg’s CROP Walk I have come to learn a lot about the realities of hunger and the ways communities come together to end it. In the future I hope to pursue a career in advocacy, but first hopefully a year with one of the many service-year programs, like LVC!

For fun I have recently discovered a love for the Indy 11, Indianapolis’ soccer team. I also really love eating and look forward to exploring Chicago by way of its food.

I am really excited to be with ELCA World Hunger this summer and hope to learn a lot and grow while I’m here!

 

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Responding to the severe flooding in the southern plains

Megan Brandsrud

​Texas, Oklahoma and now Arkansas are experiencing severe flooding that started due to heavy rainfall and flash floods in the region during Memorial Day weekend. This has been the wettest May, or even month, on record for most of the region. In Texas, it is estimated that 35 trillion gallons of rain have fallen during the past month. Some cities in Texas have received at least four inches of rain for the past 25 consecutive days. At least 27 people have died due to the flooding in the U.S., and several more people are still missing. Normally dry riverbeds are flooded, leaving 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed and many streets and interstates submerged.

And the rain is still falling.

Flood waters cover Memorial Drive along Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas May 26, 2015 in a photo provided by the Harris County Flood Control District. Torrential rains have killed at least eight people in Texas and Oklahoma, including two in Houston where flooding turned streets into rivers and led to nearly 1,000 calls for help in the fourth-most populous U.S. city, officials said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Harris County Flood Control District/handout via Reuters - RTX1EN9D

Flood waters cover Memorial Drive along Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas May 26, 2015 in a photo provided by the Harris County Flood Control District. Torrential rains have killed at least eight people in Texas and Oklahoma, including two in Houston where flooding turned streets into rivers and led to nearly 1,000 calls for help in the fourth-most populous U.S. city, officials said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Harris County Flood Control District/handout via Reuters – RTX1EN9D

Flooding in Houston, Texas. Credit: Reuters

Lutheran Disaster Response has been in contact with our disaster affiliates on the ground in the region, as well as with synods and congregations. We are keeping up-to-date on the situation and are assessing the immediate and long-term needs of those in the flooded areas. We will act in coordination with our network of social ministry organizations and synods to respond to these needs, and we will walk with those who have been affected through every phase of the disaster recovery process. We will stay long after the water recedes to assist in the rebuilding and recovery long-term response needs.

Please support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in responding to the flooding in the southern plains by visiting the U.S. Spring Storms giving page.

Please follow Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and Twitter.

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Living Earth Reflection: Protecting the Waters of the United States

Mary Minette, program director, Environmental Policy and Education

​May 2015

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Amos 5:24

Water as a metaphor flows through scripture, perhaps because of the essential role water plays in sustaining human life and the abundance of God’s creation. Water is also central to our spiritual lives. In the waters of baptism we begin our journey as Christians; the water that makes possible both the bread and wine of Communion.

So how does the scriptural significance of water relate to our calling to seek justice for our communities and protect that which plays a central role in creation?

For more than four decades, the federal Clean Water Act has protected our nation’s waters, including the smaller streams and wetlands that feed into larger rivers and lakes. But many of these bodies of water are still under threat from pollution.

In recent years two Supreme Court cases created uncertainty about whether smaller streams and wetlands merit the full protection of clean water regulations, and ordered the Administration to resolve this ambiguity. This week, the EPA issued a new clean water rule that protects small and seasonal streams and wetlands that connect to larger bodies of water, which we rely on for drinking, fishing and other uses. Under the new rule, many of the streams and wetlands that were historically covered under the Clean Water Act will again be covered. The rule carefully defines “waters of the United States” to clarify that all bodies of water with a clear connection to larger watersheds are protected, but also allows for case-by-case evaluation of streams and wetlands with less certain connections to downstream bodies of water.

The new rule has drawn criticism from groups that argue that it will regulate irrigation ditches and puddles, and that it will cause economic harm to landowners, who will be required to ask permission before using their land in ways that may affect water quality. The EPA has responded to these concerns and attempted to reassure groups worried about the economic impact of the rule— that these impacts are overstated and that the benefits of the rule outweigh the economic costs. Such conflicting points of view about economic impacts are nothing new; nearly every new environmental regulation proposed in the last 30 years has had to overcome arguments that these rules are overreaching and economically harmful. In the midst of such conflict, how is God calling us to be stewards of Creation?

As Lutherans we believe that we stand at the foot of the cross, and are called to acknowledge our own sin and brokenness. But we are also set free from sin and captivity by the love of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so that we can be loving servants, caring for our neighbors and seeking justice for all the earth.

What does justice for creation look like? To quote from the ELCA social statement “Caring for Creation”: “When we act interdependently and in solidarity with creation, we do justice. We serve and keep the earth, trusting its bounty can be sufficient for all, and sustainable.” Justice for creation includes four principles—participation, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability.  Within this framework of justice, the principles of sufficiency and sustainability speak most directly to the need to balance economic interests against protection of the earth to meet the needs of current and future generations.

Take Action

  • Learn more about the proposed rule and the Clean Water Act on from our ELCA Waters of the United States resource.
  • Write your U.S. Representative today at the ELCA Action Center, and ask them to oppose efforts that prevent the EPA and Army Corps from protecting small streams and wetlands—your voice will make a difference!
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Faith Lens Summer Hiatus

Faith Lens Editor

​Faith Lens is not published during the summer.  The next Faith Lens is scheduled to be posted  September 1, for Sunday, September 6, 2015.

upset_edited-1

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Ebola Outbreak: Liberia declared “Ebola-free”

Megan Brandsrud

​On March 30, 2014, Liberia confirmed its first two cases in the recent Ebola epidemic. A little more than a year later, Liberia was officially declared Ebola-free on May 9, 2015, after 42 days of zero reported Ebola cases.

Day 42 is the magic number because it is double the timeframe of the virus’ incubation period of 21 days, which is the official criterion needed to declare that the human-to-human transmission of the virus is over. This is an enormous achievement for Liberia – a country that was reporting 300-400 new Ebola cases every week during the peak of the epidemic.

The Rev. Andrea Walker, Global Mission area program director for Madagascar, West/Central Africa was in Liberia when the epidemic officially ended.

“The most incredible thing to me as I visited Liberia during the week they were declared Ebola-free is the hard work of the people of Liberia,” says Walker. “Everywhere they showed extreme vigilance. The directive to wash your hands and to have your temperature taken were measures that I am sure helped to curtail this disease. It was good to be with the people of the Lutheran Church in Liberia once again. I felt the absence of the usual hugs and handshakes, but I realize that this change of cultural practice had been necessary for survival.”

Ebola poster from Liberia

A poster from Liberia on Ebola prevention tips that was used to help curtail the outbreak.

While they could have felt defeated as the Ebola virus continued to spread throughout their country, Liberians did not give up – they fought against the disease with everything they had.

“Liberians were hard at work during the Ebola crisis, trying to save their way of life,” says the Rev. Themba Mkhabela, Global Mission regional representative for Madagascar, West/Central Africa. “Liberia would not be free of Ebola today if Liberians did not fight to save their country. The efforts of the international community also helped win the fight against Ebola, but the efforts of the international community would not have succeeded without the role played by volunteers, ordinary Liberians and the people of faith.”

One of those people of faith was Bishop D. Jensen Seyenkulo of the Lutheran Church in Liberia, who stayed in Liberia throughout the outbreak to provide support and serve as a trusted voice. Many Liberians were initially cautious of the government’s warnings about Ebola. Bishop Seyenkulo made many trips around the country in the midst of the epidemic to make sure people understood the seriousness of the situation and the care that was needed.

“I am reminded of an incident in one of the most devastated villages in the country where people refused to accept the county medical team or government officials,” says Bishop Seyenkulo. “The only person they were ready to listen to was their bishop. At the invitation of county officials, I dropped everything and drove there to reassure community members. At that point, the community opened itself to the medical help it needed.”

Thanks to the gifts given by people like you, Lutheran Disaster Response was able to assist in the fight against Ebola in Liberia when the outbreak was just beginning. We worked with our companion, Lutheran Church in Liberia, and partners, ACT Alliance and Global Health Ministries. Lutheran Disaster Response provided medical and disinfectant supplies, distributed food to people who were quarantined and helped ensure World Health Organization standards were met in the construction of an isolation center at Phebe Hospital. We also helped cover air-freight costs for shipments of personal protective equipment to Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. Your generosity allowed Lutheran Disaster Response to be the church and accompany our brothers and sisters in Liberia during this difficult time.

While we give thanks for Liberia being declared Ebola-free and celebrate with the people whose vigilance made it possible, we continue to pray for the people of Sierra Leone and Guinea who are still fighting against the Ebola outbreak. And even though Liberia is now Ebola-free, the work necessary to rebuild communities and health systems is just beginning. We will continue to walk with the people of Liberia as they begin the post-Ebola phase of recovery.

Please continue to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in the fight against Ebola by visiting the Ebola Outbreak Response giving page.

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Exploring: Advocacy

Ryan P. Cumming

​May 21, 2015

In this series of posts, we will take a closer look at some of the areas of work ELCA World Hunger supports domestically and internationally.  Previously, we looked at relief and education.  This week, our focus is on “advocacy.”

The Work We Do: Advocacy

What Is Advocacy?

Speak up!

Advocacy is a public witness to the gospel of Christ where the church speaks with and on behalf of others in need.  It is the work the church does when it speaks up and out, lending its voice to support, to vindicate, and to challenge.  One of the most visible forms of advocacy is public policy advocacy.  This includes listening to the experiences of community members, lifting up these experiences during conversations with policymakers, and educating Lutherans about current priorities in government.  It also includes working for change in public policy based on priorities drawn from ELCA social statements, Lutheran ministries, programs and projects around the world. Our public policy advocacy colleagues at the state, national and international levels are often in deep conversation with Lutherans in the ELCA and with our ecumenical partners about the impact of policies on hunger.

Advocacy doesn’t just happen in the halls of government, though.  Any time we bring our voices to bear on issues of justice, we are advocating in the spirit of the church’s calling to be advocates of justice and mercy (ELCA, “Church in Society,” [1991], p. 6.)  This can be something as seemingly small as writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper to inform readers of the realities of hunger and poverty.  Or, it can be correcting colleagues at work or friends at school whose prejudices disparage people facing hunger.  Speaking up, being advocates, is central to the work we do together.

Many Lutherans do this often.  When misinformation and xenophobia galvanized opposition to unaccompanied children crossing the border from Mexico this summer, Bishop Michael Rinehart (Gulf Coast Synod) used his blog to speak the truth and give voice to the realities many of these children face.  In September 2014, hundreds of ELCA members joined others in the People’s Climate March in New York to bring attention to issues related to climate change.  There are countless other examples.

ELCA World Hunger supports staff dedicated to public policy advocacy.  The Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) in New York City is an office of the ELCA, but it also represents the Lutheran World Federation.  The staff of LOWC advocate for peace, human rights, justice and better standards of living for all people.  It monitors the United Nations on behalf of the ELCA and on behalf of the 72 million Christians represented by the LWF.  Our ELCA Advocacy staff in Washington, DC, advocates with US policymakers on issues ranging from the Farm Bill to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act.  And our eleven State Public Policy Offices (SPPOs) across the country are voices for change on issues like minimum wage, school breakfasts, and access to clean water.

Roots of Advocacy

Biblically, many people trace the roots of public policy advocacy to the Prophets.  When Amos cries out for “justice in the gate” (5:15), he’s demanding just and fair court practices.  And even modern-day political rhetoric hardly approaches the vitriol expressed by the prophet Isaiah: “How the faithful city has become a whore!  She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her – but now murderers!…Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves!” (1:21-23a).

There are some limits to applying the prophets to public policy in the here-and-now, most notably the fact that we in the US don’t live in a theocracy, so purely religious arguments have little traction in the public square. But this is precisely where Lutheran theology steps in, providing a path for bringing faith to bear on public life in a way that doesn’t demand that a government be Christian in order to be good.

We have a name for this theology: two kingdoms.  (I know, I know.  Commence groaning.)  The common name might not be the best to describe what is going on in this theology.  A better phrase might be “God’s two ways of governing.”  On the one hand, God “governs” the world through the gospel.  This is the foundation of God’s reign in the perfect kingdom.  Here, mercy, love and forgiveness are the guiding principles.

Of course, with sin, this doesn’t always work in the “real world.”  Here, today, people suffer.  People cheat.  Greed runs rampant.  Is there no grace to be found in our daily lives?  Is our faith merely a matter of waiting for Heaven?  No!  Sin hasn’t left us to our own devices apart from God.  Indeed, God graciously provides for us in another way as we await the fullness of God’s perfect reign.  Here, God has established other structures and principles to help us live meaningful lives now: justice, peace, equity.

Human communities may not be perfect communities of love and mercy.  But they can be communities of justice and peace, and this can give us a taste of what perfect justice and perfect peace might be like in God’s full reign.  They can be communities in which the dignity of each person is protected and in which every person has an equal shot at a life lived without fear, without hunger, without oppression.

In baptism, Lutherans are called to build this kind of community – “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”  Doing so is so central to who we are as the people of God that, according to the bible, we cannot be an authentic worshipping community without being a justice-seeking community:

In Isaiah’s words:

Yet day after day they seek me

   and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness

   and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgments,

   they delight to draw near to God.

‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?

   Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,

   and oppress all your workers.

Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight

   and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today

   will not make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast that I choose,

   a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,

   and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,

   a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:

   to loose the bonds of injustice,

   to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

   and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:2-6)

Or again, from Micah:

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Advocacy – being voices of justice in an unjust world, voices of peace in the midst of conflict, and voices of solidarity amid marginalization – is central to who we are as church and central to our work to end hunger.  As Lutherans, we believe God has ordained that we have governments, churches, families, and communities not so that some profit while others hunger but so that all may be fed.  Our work as policy advocates and public advocates in other areas of our life is a key part of our role in God’s establishment of a world worth living in and, if the health outcomes of hunger are any indication, a world that is possible to live in.

Examples of Advocacy

In December 2014, ELCA Advocacy urged followers to support the ABLE Act, which passed in the US House of Representatives by a 404-17 vote. The ABLE Act would allow people with disabilities to set up savings accounts for housing, transportation, educational opportunities, and other expenses without jeopardizing their eligibility for Medicaid and Social Security benefits. The act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in January 2015.

Also in December 2014, the Secure Choice Savings Program Act was approved by the General Assembly of Illinois, with support from Lutheran Advocacy-Illinois.  This act will give millions of private sector workers in Illinois the opportunity to save their own money for retirement by expanding access to employment-based retirement savings accounts, a benefit more than 2.5 million workers do not have.  With food insecurity affecting nearly 15% of seniors in Illinois, this act could be a significant step in reducing hunger among retirees.

The Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in New Jersey is currently in the midst of working toward passage of a state-wide earned sick days bill in the Assembly. The bill has passed the Assembly Labor and Budget committees and is awaiting a full floor vote. It is a model earned-sick-days law that covers nearly all 1.2 million workers in the state who lack earned sick days. The majority of those who will benefit are low-wage workers earning less than $10 an hour.  The bill allows workers to use earned sick days to care for themselves as well as all immediate family members when sick and to use earned sick days to deal with, relocate or find safe accommodations due to circumstances resulting from being a victim of domestic or sexual violence.

 

Learn more about ELCA Advocacy at the ELCA Advocacy blog: http://www.elca.org/blogs/advocacy

Sign up for ELCA Advocacy updates and alerts: http://www.capwiz.com/elca/mlm/signup/?ignore_cookie=1

 

 Ryan P. Cumming, PH.D., is program director of hunger education for ELCA World Hunger.  You can reach him at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

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Nepal Earthquake: Krishna’s story

Megan Brandsrud

​The April 25 and May 12 earthquakes in Nepal affected more than 8 million people. Thanks to your generosity, Lutheran Disaster Response was able to provide assistance right away, working with our partners on the ground – The Lutheran World Federation, Lutheran World Relief and United Mission to Nepal. Since the earthquakes, we have been helping provide for immediate needs with distributions of emergency food packs and shelter kits. Along the way, we have heard many stories of how the earthquakes have affected families and the way of life in villages around the country.

Below is Krishna’s story that has been shared with us from our partner, Lutheran World Relief.

Krishna has lived in the village of Jaubari Dhansar her entire life. Located in the remote Gorkha District of Nepal, it is among the hardest hit by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal April 25.

In fact, the village is so remote that LWR team had to switch from regular four-wheel drive SUV to a customized Jeep designed to navigate the rough terrain. It took more than two hours to drive less than 20 miles, with no sight of paved road for most of the trip.  It takes the villagers more than four hours and costs $2 in bus rides to get to the nearest town.

Krishna says she feels lucky that her family – including her husband, two sons and pregnant daughter-in-law – weren’t harmed in the quake. It struck during a time when many people in the village are usually outside sitting or working.

While Krishna is thankful to have survived the earthquake, she says she’s lost all her belongings. Her family’s food supply is buried under the rubble and she says it will take them years to rebuild their house on the roughly $8-10 per day income her husband and sons bring home from working in the nearby town. As for herself, Krishna says she’s traumatized. “It feels like the earth is shaking all the time,” she says.

Tarps for temporary shelter Credit - LWR

Pictured: Krishna received a temporary shelter kit and food pack during a distribution with Lutheran World Relief and other partners in Nepal.

Krishna said she’s had to borrow food from those who had some left. The food packages LWR distributed that day are designed to last 15 days for a family of five, but she hopes it will last longer. The family also received a 12- by 15-foot tarp to cover the roof of their house.  This will help protect Krishna and her family from the rains, which will intensify during the upcoming monsoon season, which runs from June through September.

The food pack and tarp will help provide for immediate needs for Krishna and her family, and we will continue to work with Lutheran World Relief, The Lutheran World Federation and United Mission to Nepal to provide long-term assistance. We will be there to help families like Krishna’s rebuild their homes and restore livelihoods so we can help them recover and increase their resilience to disasters.

If you would like to continue to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in Nepal, please visit the Nepal Area Earthquake giving page.

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“Innovative Program of the Year” for storm shelter pilot project

Megan Brandsrud

​Lutheran Disaster Response was awarded “Innovative Program of the Year” for its storm shelter pilot project during last week’s National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) annual conference in New Orleans. The award recognized our work with our partners, Upbring (formerly Lutheran Social Services of the South) and Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), on this project that assists families in tornado-prone communities.

The pilot project was developed to help people who have been affected by tornadoes by providing resources and technical support to install storm shelters on their properties. During the year-long pilot project, 206 families in the greater Oklahoma City area and 19 families in Louisville, Miss., received storm shelters. We worked with long-term recovery groups in these two tornado-affected areas to identify families who were most vulnerable to tornadoes and to provide case management in the storm shelter selection and installation process.

Safe room 2

Pictured: A storm shelter that was selected based on a family’s specific needs and installed on their property.

The storm shelter project is continuing beyond this pilot year, and more storm shelters are slated for installation. The learnings from the pilot will be used to help create and advise national guidelines for other storm shelter programs around the country.

This award comes at a time that serves as another reminder of the importance of storm shelters and disaster preparedness, in general. Today marks two years since deadly tornadoes tore through Moore, Okla., and the surrounding area leaving physical and emotional destruction in their path. We remember the people who were affected by these tornadoes and we hold them in our prayers as we acknowledge that they are still on their journey of recovering and rebuilding. And, we give thanks for our partners who have helped us implement the storm shelter pilot program—a project that provides physical safety and peace of mind for people living in these tornado-prone areas of the country.

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May 24, 2015 Under the Rubble

David Dodson–Fort Walton Beach, FL

​

Warm-up Question

Have you ever experienced a natural disaster or severe storm?  Were you frightened?

Under the Rubble

On April 25th, 2015, a major earthquake rocked the mountainous nation of Nepal.  With a magnitude of 7.8, this earthquake was the most violent natural disaster to hit Nepal in 81 years.  At least 8,259 people died in the quake, and nearly 20,000 people were injured when the buildings around them came crashing down.

shutterstock_273291338edit

Australian Camille Thomas was in the village of Langtang when the earthquake began.  When the Australian Associated Press interviewed Camille, she labored to explain how terrifying the experience was.  “It was pretty scary, pretty horrible, nothing you can really explain,” she said. “We ran and hid under some stuff and it all started coming down.  Snow and rocks and houses, everything.  An avalanche.”

Though Camille made it to safety, many others did not.  In the days following the earthquake, Nepalese men and women, with the help of the Nepalese army, began digging through the rubble, hoping desperately to find survivors buried beneath.

Miraculously, a few survivors appeared.  Sonies Aawal, a five-month-old baby, was among the first reported miracle survivors, pulled out of the wreckage 22 hours after the quake to the relief of his parents.  A 15-year-old boy named Pemba was buried in rubble for a full five days before being pulled out.  Astonishingly, Pemba was not the last survivor found.  A 101-year-old man by the name of Funchu Tamang was dug out a week after the earthquake.  Tamang had only suffered minor injuries in the quake.

The survivors are incredibly lucky, but they certainly experienced days of uncertainty and fear, buried in the darkness, unsure if help was coming.  Pemba spent so long in the darkness prior to his rescue that he admitted, “I did not know if I was alive or dead.”

 

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever felt helpless in the face of a situation you couldn’t control?
  • What could someone have said to you or done for you in the midst of that situation in order to help you find strength?

Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:22-27

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

(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 rejoin Jesus and his disciples as Jesus offers his final teachings following the Last Supper.  After he finishes speaking, Jesus and the disciples will go to the Garden of Gethsemane.  The disciples may not know it yet, but they are about to experience a situation in which they will feel helpless and alone.

The disciples had learned to rely on Jesus.  Sometimes that was a hard and frightening lesson to learn, as when Jesus calmed the storm that had the disciples terrified and fearing for their lives.  Sometimes it was simply miraculous and humbling, as when Jesus caused four loaves and two fish to feed a multitude.  By this time, though, the disciples were getting it.  Jesus was not only their rabbi (their teacher) but also their Rock and their Shelter.

Jesus knew, of course, that the disciples would struggle with his death and his ascension into heaven.  After learning to rely on Jesus in a very real way, would the disciples feel abandoned and alone when they didn’t have Jesus physically by their side?  Certainly, we can relate to this.  Haven’t we all felt alone sometimes?  Have you ever wanted Jesus to be physically beside you?

Fortunately, Jesus has some comforting news for us.  As scary as the idea of Jesus’ departure is to the disciples, He tells them, “It is to your advantage that I go away…”

By His death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven, Jesus is preparing the world for the coming of the Holy Spirit, which He calls “the Advocate” in this passage.  The term “advocate” is a powerful choice of title.  An advocate is one who fights for a cause – one who cares deeply and passionately and who works tirelessly on behalf of another.  The Spirit of God, Jesus says, is our Advocate!

This is the simple truth that makes the rest of the story of our Christian faith so powerful.  After Jesus ascends into heaven, His followers receive the Spirit of God to be their strength, to teach them to have faith, and to fill them with hope and love. As we read about the miracles of Peter and Paul in the book of Acts or read Paul’s letters to the churches of Europe and Asia, we should keep in mind that the same Spirit of God that gave these early disciples strength and faith has been given to us as well.  We, too, can open ourselves up to be filled with God’s Spirit!

We may never experience something quite as traumatic as Pemba did, being trapped under rubble for days.  However, we will all experience times of loneliness or worry.  It is at those times that we should remember that we have the most powerful Advocate the world will ever know – the Spirit of God through Jesus!

Discussion Questions

  • We often use metaphors to describe the nature of God.  God is often referred to as a “Father”.  Jesus calls himself the “bridegroom” of the Church in the gospels.  What metaphor might be useful to describe the role of the Holy Spirit?
  • Why is “hope” an important part of our faith in God?

Activity Suggestions

As a group, plan a “pep rally”.  Instead of focusing on school spirit, though, focus on the Holy Spirit!  Some members of your group might paint banners, some might come up with cheers or chants, and so on.  The themes will be hope, advocacy, and strength. (If you can, invite younger groups of Sunday School classes to join you in your pep rally!)

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, through the death, resurrection, and ascension of your Son, you have entrusted us with the precious gift of your Holy Spirit.  Help us to always treasure this gift, relying on your strength and power whenever we feel powerless or alone.  Teach us to spread this gift of your Spirit to our community and our world, so that all of your children know what a powerful Advocate they have.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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