Lanny Westphal, director of ELCA Global Church Sponsorship

Three young churches in Myanmar, new members of the global Lutheran family, have begun to work together with a longer-established Lutheran church on programs of evangelism and education.

Read on for updates on Myanmar: Strengthening the Emerging Church (GCS4025), an ELCA Global Church Sponsorship project that is part of Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA. To make a gift to this Global Ministry, clickhere.
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July 2014

THE CHURCH:
Three new churches in Myanmar have recently become part of the global Lutheran family. While new to the global scene, they also are young Lutheran churches. These are the Lutheran Church of Myanmar, Myanmar Lutheran Church and Mara Evangelical Church. These ethnic-specific churches have joined together with the much older and existing Lutheran Bethlehem Church to form a National Committee for The Lutheran World Federation.

THE NEED:
Plans are in place to build up the capacity of Lutheran churches to evangelize and participate in the mission of the church, not just in their respective ethnic or language communities, but also with a common Lutheran voice within the country.

THE OPPORTUNITY:
Your gifts to ELCA Global Church Sponsorship will provide new programs for these churches:

• training programs for pastors and lay leaders in mission and evangelism
• theological education and formation
• building up capacities for strategic planning
• networking opportunities with other Lutherans
• creating a vision for evangelism that is appropriate to the context

GET INVOLVED!
This ELCA Global Church Sponsorship priority is a new ministry as part of Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA. You can help by sharing this information, by praying, and by making a donation.

By check: Make your check payable to “ELCA Global Church Sponsorship” with “Myanmar, GCS4025” in the memo line, and send it to: ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009 or place your gift in the offering plate.
Online: Go to https://community.elca.org/Myanmar to make a one-time gift.
By phone: Call 800-638-3522 and pay with a credit card or set up a monthly gift.

For more information please visit www.elca.org/globalchurch or contact:
Rev. Lanny Westphal, director, ELCA Global Church Sponsorship
8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL  60631
773-380-2641
lanny.westphal@elca.org