Be a part of the response:

Pray

Please pray for the people who have been affected by wildfires in California. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Pray that God will deliver comfort to those who mourn the loss of loved ones and strength to first-responders who diligently work to contain fires and care for affected communities.

Give

Gifts to “U.S. Wildfires” will be used to assist those affected by the wildfires until the response is complete.

Connect

To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Share this bulletin insert with your congregation and encourage support.
• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and follow @ELCALDR on Twitter.

Be a part of the response:

Pray
Please pray for people who have been affected by the typhoon. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give
Thanks to generous, undesignated donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response will be used where there is the greatest need.

Connect
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and follow @ELCALDR on Twitter.
• To download a PDF version of this situation report, click here.

Last year, the Lutheran Disaster Response-US (LDR) network discussed climate change – what it is and why we care. We were inspired by the stories of the communities we accompany and driven to action by the questions that were asked. The network asked us, “What does this mean for our work?” We heard their question and happy to announce the 2019 LDR Consultation: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. The event will be held October 14-17 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

LDR recognizes that our ministry is more impactful when the whole church participates in the response. This year, along with our network of affiliates, we invited synods and identified congregational leadership to participate in this consultation as we continue to explore opportunities and best practices of working collaboratively as LDR, synods, congregations, and social ministry organizations in disaster and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The consultation is designed to move beyond the initial data and science around climate change and to explore strategies and tools for mitigating and adapting to it. In addition, the consultation will enable participants to discuss how climate change affects our communities and to plan how, in our varied roles, we might address these impacts as church — together.

During the event, participants will be able to share current practices and explore context-specific (i.e., regional) concerns and strategies, emphasizing pre-disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, and community resilience. Through dynamic speakers and engaging sessions, conversations will be grounded in the church’s commitment to environmental justice, emphasizing the impact of climate change on marginalized communities, and will focus on the structural and systemic barriers and opportunities as we try to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

We hope that leaders will leave with greater confidence and a commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation tools and best practices. We also hope to create a more connected network of leaders across the various ministries of our church — exploring the roles of LDR, social ministry organizations, synods, and congregations — that can work closely to address context-specific impacts in communities.

Be a part of the response:

Be a part of the response: