On September 22nd, 2025, ELCA World Hunger will officially release our short educational documentary, “Intersections: Justice Ministry with ELCA Partners,” for free on YouTube and Vimeo. You can watch a trailer for the film at the link here. “Intersections” explores stories from three ELCA companion ministries, responding to the overlapping root causes of hunger in the United States and around the world.

This an interview with Mikayla Irle, who was the editing producer of “Intersections,” is an experienced documentary filmmaker. She was the primary creative professional supporting the development of this project.

Thank you for taking time to share more about your work, expertise, and professional story. I’m looking forward to this conversation.

First, tell us a little bit about yourself and your work. How do you understand your work as a documentary producer?

Mikayla Irle (pictured here) is a documentary filmmaker and the producing editor of “Intersections.”

“Producing” can mean a lot of things on a documentary, from managing the shoot to providing funding, but my role was focused on “writing” the story based on the footage we had and putting in the legwork to creatively fill any gaps. So, I watched all the interviews, put them in order to convey the information clearly, and gave it a beginning, middle and end. I also searched online for music and archival footage to help the stories come alive and wrote any text that appears onscreen. Of course, the team at ELCA World Hunger helped me along the way!

I am a freelance editor, who is, weirdly and happily, living on a Christmas tree farm in Washington State. For about a decade, I worked in New York on bigger-budget films, but I have happily transitioned to working more deliberately on documentary stories that excite me. Anyone who’s got a story to tell about how they’re finding solutions to big struggles in our world…that’s what I love to work on!

What is one of the most lasting lessons you learned–either about yourself or the work of the ELCA and its partners–while producing and editing Intersections that you did not know before?

I’m most proud of the scope of this short film! We covered stories from a rural farming community in Cambodia, an urban US city, and several countries in Central America. We touched on the themes of climate change, political and economic history, racial and gender disparity. While each story could have been a documentary unto itself, I think we managed to tell a short version of each and still connect them to the big theme of hunger.

What are some of the challenges you had to overcome while working on Intersections?

What made me most proud of this documentary is also what made it most challenging: the scope of world hunger is huge! The causes of and solutions to hunger in each story were so different, it was challenging to focus each story so it still connected clearly to the mission of ELCA World Hunger’s work. It wasn’t clear when we began how we would actually connect the stories, but we wanted the audience to learn about each place as a unique example and still get educated on the ELCA philosophical framework. Ultimately, our solution was to have Angela [Galbraith], an advocate, explain the framework between stories and use a graphic of the Earth rotating from location to location to transition us between stories.

If folks are looking for a documentary producer or editor, how can they get ahold of you?

The easiest way to contact me is directly through email! You’re also welcome to check out my work at my website.

mikayla.irle@gmail.com
https://mikaylairle.wixsite.com/editingresume

About the Author

Mikayla Irle is a documentary editor and producer working in the Seattle area. She loves working on big stories about people doing their piece to make the world a better place. Her background is in feature and episodic documentaries that have appeared on HBO, AppleTV, independent cinema screens and more.  

On September 22nd, 2025, ELCA World Hunger will officially release our short educational documentary, “Intersections: Justice Ministry with ELCA Partners,” for free on YouTube and Vimeo. You can watch a trailer for the film at the link here. “Intersections” explores stories from three ELCA companion ministries, responding to the overlapping root causes of hunger in the United States and around the world.

This an interview with Ashlyn Rhyne, a recent alumna of the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program, who served in Cambodia. Rhyne worked primarily with the Lutheran Hope Cambodia Organization (LHCO), who features in the first part of “Intersections.” In addition, she played a key role supporting the production of the film on the ground, coordinating videography, translation, and interviews. This interview was conducted while she was still working in Cambodia.

Thank you for taking time to tell us your story of work alongside our partners in Cambodia, Ashlyn. I’m looking forward to this conversation.

While in Cambodia you’ve spent much of your time accompanying Lutheran Hope Cambodia Organization (LHCO). Can you tell us a little bit about LHCO’s work and what you appreciate most about it?

Ashlyn Rhyne, photo provided by author

Lutheran Hope Cambodia Organization (LHCO) is an NGO that serves vulnerable communities in Cambodia through development programs that prioritize human dignity. The main office is in Phnom Penh, and others are in various provinces.

What I appreciate most about LHCO’s work are the people. This year, I have mainly worked in the Phnom Penh office but have also gotten the opportunity to visit other offices. Through these times of accompaniment, I can tell that those who work for LHCO are doing it because they deeply care about the communities they are walking alongside. They are passionate about implementing impactful programs, leading relevant training, finding appropriate funding, and simply completing their everyday work. The positive energy they put into the work then trickles into those they help.

I am continually inspired by the work of LHCO, and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn from them.

Speaking of accompaniment—the ELCA theology of walking with communities as partners in the gospel—could you speak about how you understand “accompaniment”? How have you seen it in person since you began your ministry in Cambodia?

To me, accompaniment is walking alongside my siblings in Christ as we learn from each other, love, yet challenge one another and most importantly, embrace the joy that surrounds us.

Before my YAGM year, I thought of accompaniment on a much larger scale, seeing it more as a series of grand gestures. However, in Cambodia, I have realized that while it can be seen in grand gestures, accompaniment is an everyday act. I feel it when my co-workers step in to translate a conversation from Khmer to English for me. I notice it when strangers help each other cross the busy city streets. My cohort members and I walk hand-in-hand as we journey through our year of service together. I feel it each time I am offered food to try or taught a new Khmer word. I experienced it each day during a week-long holiday, Khmer New Year, when a friend invited me to travel with her family. Accompaniment finds us in the smallest of things. May we continue to find it too, as we learn, love and grow together.

As you know, ELCA World Hunger is preparing to release a short documentary about intersectional justice called Intersections: Justice Ministry with ELCA Partners that, in part, features LHCO’s ministry. You had a large role in bringing that film to audiences in the ELCA network. Could you tell us what your part in the project was?

I worked alongside Mr. Yu, who specializes in IT and communications at LHCO. Prior to filming, I assisted Mr. Yu in creating questions for each interview. We then traveled to two sites in one of the provinces where LHCO has an office. At each site Mr. Yu filmed drone footage, while I captured footage on my camera. During each interview, I listened and watched the camera to make sure the audio and framing stayed consistent, while Mr. Yu asked the questions. Following the filming and interviewing process, Mr. Yu translated the questions and answers from Khmer to English. After Mr. Yu translated the script, I assisted with grammar and spelling corrections. I am honored with the opportunity to share these stories alongside Mr. Yu and I am thankful for how our relationship grew in trust and teamwork.

Finally, to take a phrase from my colleague Regina Banks in the ELCA’s advocacy team (and host of the ELCA Advocacy podcast, “Here I Pod”), where have you seen the Gospel lately?

During my time with LHCO, I have assisted with a new project – Fullness of Life for Children and Youth of the City (FLUCY). As I near the end of my YAGM year, and my time with LHCO, I recently attended the last two FLUCY events before I leave. The youth know little English, and I know little Khmer. This limits our conversations, but, this is how I have learned that connection overrides any language barrier. Through these youth I have learned that one does not need language to communicate. It is a beautiful thing really – to feel so much love and joy from people who you have not had a full conversation with.

I see the Gospel through these youth. I feel it in our interactions during games, when we share meals, or simply take photos. I see the Gospel through their leaders, teachers and guardians. One of the main activities each youth group coordinates is a service project in their own communities. They are constantly learning through FLUCY and then choose to share what they are learning. The youth share their love, care and joy with me, and those around them.

Thank you, again, for your ministry, Ashlyn. It has been a pleasure to learn from you and to celebrate the ministry of LHCO through “Intersections.”

About the Author

Ashlyn Rhyne served as a Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) volunteer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, volunteering with Lutheran Hope Cambodia Organization (LHCO). She grew up in Lincolnton, NC and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May of 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism. Following YAGM, she plans to serve as a short-term recruiter for the program.

The 2025 ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grant application cycle is now open!

Hunger Education and Networking Grants are one of the ways ELCA World Hunger accompanies congregations, synods, organizations, partners and local teams throughout the US and the Caribbean. We know that learning about the root causes of hunger and effective responses is key to ending hunger locally and globally. 

We will be accepting proposals from August 4th through September 15th. Grant application review will begin after September 15th. Please allow 2-4 weeks for review of your application. Grants average between $500 and $1,000 and are non-renewable. 

ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grants support work that: 

• educate and engage ELCA congregations, groups, and/or synods;
• influence this church body toward better action and engagement against hunger and poverty;
• encourage sustainable participation in the work of ELCA World Hunger beyond the conclusion of the project, event or initiative. For more on the intersectional priorities of ELCA World Hunger, visit the link found here.

Hunger leaders of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Area Synods, discussing areas for future collaboration of their justice ministries.

ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grants are designed for projects that provide educational opportunities to deepen participants’ understanding of poverty and hunger (including root causes and intersectional issues) and equip participants to work toward effective solutions.

Projects involving direct service within communities are only eligible if the service happens within a program for service learning. If your project involves direct service, ELCA World Hunger’s Domestic Hunger Grants or Daily Bread Grants may be more appropriate for your needs. 

Some examples of past grant partnerships or potential future projects include (but are not limited to): 

• synod-wide bike rides to promote hunger awareness; 
• creation of shareable networking databases for hunger ministries, community organizers, or advocates; 
• service learning events for youth and young adults; 
• online and in-person workshops; 
• climate justice education opportunities; 
• community organizing training; 
• creation of new resources to help participants learn about hunger; and 
• local research projects to help others learn more about hunger, health, and housing in their community. 

The work of grant partners in the past has focused on a wide variety of areas, including climate change and sustainability, housing security, racial justice, worker justice, reducing food waste and economic justice. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for an ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grant, proposals must be: 

• received through the ELCA’s online Grantmaker portal (the link to the Grantmaker portal is at the link found here) from August 4th through September 15th, 2025; 

• • [Note: If you have any difficulties with the ELCA GrantMaker platform and would prefer to apply in a different format, we can provide a Word document application. This is available upon request via email to Peter McLellan (peter.mclellan@elca.org).] 

• submitted by a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization; 

• • [Note: If your organization does not have 501(c)3 status (this might include a synod hunger team), your ELCA synod can serve as your fiscal agent. Contact your synod office for this support.]

• focused on education, engagement, and networking toward a just world where all are fed; and 

• consistent with ELCA World Hunger’s values and priorities (found at the link found here). 

In addition, eligible projects must occur within the geographic footprint of the ELCA, which includes the United States and the Caribbean. 

Hunger leaders in the Northeastern Minnesota Synod participating in a hunger simulation.

How to Apply

Applicants must pre-register on ELCA GrantMaker in order to access the grant application. Approval of registration may take up to ten business days, so register now at ELCA.org/grants, and submit your application by September 15th. 

If you have any questions, please email Peter McLellan, program director for hunger education, at peter.mclellan@elca.org or hunger@elca.org. 

Ms. Ritu Rishidev (shown in the picture above), 18, a +2 student from the Rishidev community in Arjundhara Rural Municipality-7, Bangari Rishidev Tole, Jhapa, Nepal, is emerging as a young community activist and a passionate advocate for the rights of the Musahar community. Living in a society where domestic violence, gender-based violence (SGBV), discrimination, and child protection issues are prevalent, Ritu has faced numerous socio-economic challenges. Despite these obstacles, she is determined to stand up for her community and work towards ending gender-based violence, domestic abuse, and social inequality.

Recently, Ritu had the opportunity to participate in a two-day orientation on “UPR & CEDAW Reporting Process, ESCR, Climate Justice Rights, Evidence-Based Policy Advocacy, and Disability Inclusion.” The orientation, organized by the Lutheran Community Welfare Society (LCWS) in partnership with the Lutheran World Federation Nepal and funded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), was a transformative experience for her. It marked the first time Ritu was introduced to national and international human rights laws, including those protecting the rights of women and children.

During the orientation, Ritu learned about the foundational concepts of UPR and CEDAW—two crucial international mechanisms for safeguarding human rights. She also gained valuable knowledge on advocacy techniques and tools to push for social justice. Armed with this new understanding, Ritu has become an active voice in her community, committed to raising awareness and advocating for change, particularly in combatting domestic violence and child protection issues.

Reflecting on her experience, Ritu shared, “This is the first time I’ve had the chance to learn about UPR and CEDAW. Wherever I go in the future, I am committed to working for my community.”

While Ritu’s ultimate goal is to become a soldier—a symbol of her desire to protect her country—she also envisions herself as a protector of her community’s rights. With her newfound knowledge and determination, Ritu Rishidev is a rising force for justice, aiming to uplift the Rishidev community and eradicate all forms of social discrimination and violence.

[Musahar = classified within the Madheshi Dalit group, it is one of the most marginalized and impoverished ethnic groups in the country. They face significant challenges in areas like education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.]

Members of the Saibi Samukop Village, Mentawai Islands

In the quiet hamlet of Sua, Saibi Samukop village, Mentawai Islands, Ibu Dewi is a humble farmer, tending to her family’s small plot of land. For years, she followed traditional farming methods, without realizing the potential her land held. Everything changed when she joined an organic farming training program organized by the Indonesian National Committee of the LWF (KNLWF). The program opened her eyes to a new technique that not only promised a healthier harvest, but also a sustainable way of life. With dedication, Ibu Dewi transformed her land into a thriving organic farm, producing bountiful harvests and making a real impact in her community.

As her farm grew, so did her confidence. Ibu Dewi is a living example of what organic farming programs can achieve, inspiring others in Sua. Her success did not go unnoticed, and when an opportunity arose for a cross-village agricultural training program, Ibu Dewi was selected as a trainer. This was a pivotal moment for her-she had gone from being a farmer eager to learn, to a leader ready to share her knowledge.

The prospect of teaching others is both exciting and daunting, but Ibu Dewi is determined to give back to the community that has supported her journey.

The cross-hamlet training program brought together farmers from several hamlets in Saibi Samukop Village, each arriving with their own unique challenges and aspirations. Ibu Dewi embraced her new role with humility and enthusiasm, sharing not only the techniques she had mastered but also the wisdom she had gained through experience. She taught her peers about composting, pest management, and crop rotation, but more importantly, she imparted the spirit of resilience and hope that had carried her through her own transformation. The training sessions became more than just an educational experience; they became a space for community building, exchanging stories, and fostering a sense of mutual support.

Through this experience, Ibu Dewi’s life was enriched in ways she had never imagined. The program not only empowered her with skills but also gave her a platform to lift others. “Seeing my farm transform with organic methods gave me hope. Now, teaching others and watching their farms flourish is the greatest reward,” she said.

And now, as she watches the farmers from other hamlets implement the techniques she had taught them, she feels a profound sense of fulfillment. Her journey from a struggling farmer to a community leader had come full circle, and she knew that the seeds of knowledge she had planted would continue to grow, bringing new hope and prosperity to the Mentawai Islands. Ibu Dewi’s story became a source of inspiration, showing that with the right support and a desire to learn, even small beginnings can lead to remarkable changes.

The ELCA Building Resilient Communities (BRC) team invites nominations of adult leaders, ages 18-and-older, to participate in the inaugural Building Resilient Leadership (BRL) cohort.

Over twelve months, BRL participants will grow their public leadership skills while they develop a justice-oriented project in their community, build relationships with a peer mentoring group, and participate in community-organizing skills workshops.

BRL seeks to work with leaders who already demonstrate leadership in their communities on an everyday basis and seek to further develop their ability to accompany their community as it continues to flourish.

If there are any adult leaders in your life who you think would be a good fit for this program, please send them the link to this page. If they indicate a desire and capacity to apply, please nominate them using this form.

Nominations will be accepted through June 16th (please note the expanded deadline). Nominees will then be asked to officially apply, with a due date of July 7^th for that application.

Who is the Building Resilient Communities team?

ELCA adult leaders, shown here at the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Houston, TX.

BRC is the office of the ELCA that represents the three direct service, intersectional justice ministries of the church: ELCA World Hunger, AMMPARO, and Lutheran Disaster Response. We meet human need and enhance human dignity, work to overturn oppression and injustice, and engage members and constituents collaboratively toward the flourishing of human community.

Program Highlights

• Participants will create a project in, with, and for their community. BRL’s goal is to support leaders whose work throughout the program prioritize the stories of their community, is open to people from any identity or background, and increases their community’s power. The project might be a single event or seek to have longevity beyond the 12-month program. Some potential projects might be (but are not limited to):
  • Community-based mutual aid groups
  • Local community spaces (physical or virtual)
  • Safe spaces for marginalized people in a community (physical or virtual)
  • Regular resiliency training for community members
  • Local advocacy dedicated to building power for marginalized members of a community
  • First steps toward creation of local food-hub
  • Most importantly: participants do not need to have a project in mind before they start the BRL program.
• Peer mentoring. In peer mentoring sessions participants will develop their project relationally, alongside other BRL leaders and an assigned mentor. Through reflection and open discussion, colleagues will hold one another accountable for the growth of their project and their leadership skills.
• Participants will attend a monthly workshop series that will inform the growth of their project. Each workshop will feature experts from the ELCA ecosystem, focusing on different aspects of leadership development and community organizing.

BRL leaders benefit from the following:

• Up to $1,000 in seed money to develop a community project.
• Connection to the national, intergenerational network of ELCA justice ministries: ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and AMMPARO.
• Tangible, transferrable skills for leadership in career, volunteering, and recreation.
• Deepened relationships with people in their communities.
• New connections with peers passionate about many of the same justice issues as themselves.
• A prestigious addition to their resume.
• The opportunity to shape a growing leadership development program from the ground-up, through participation in this inaugural cohort.

Participants’ Time Commitment:

• Participation at a two-day, in-person orientation at the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Columbus, Ohio in September.
• 5 hours/month to attend and prepare for workshops and peer mentoring sessions.
• Any time spent on their community-based justice project. This is up to the participant and depends on the extent of the project. Intensive work on projects will begin around November and continue into the following summer.
• A final celebration and presentation of projects in August.

If you would like to nominate any adults in your life, please do the following:

• First, let them know! When you do be sure to acknowledge and celebrate their leadership. Then, make sure the program is something they can commit to. Their participation in all elements of this program is required. Feel free to send the potential candidate the link to this page. They should also know there is a brief application process for nominees.
• Once you have confirmation that one or more leaders in your life are interested and able to apply, please fill out this form.
• Self-nominations are also welcome.

Questions?

Email Peter McLellan (ELCA Program Director, Hunger Education) at peter.mclellan@elca.org.

(This message was written by Pr. Jamie Gallagher, Pastor of First Lutheran Church, Monmouth, IL.  The Northern Illinois Synod held its annual Congregational Resourcing Event (CRE) on March 22, 2025.)

Since the announcement was right before Lunch, I started by asking who was hungry — with a lot of hands going up, I simply said, there are millions of people who are asked that question and there is not a table of lunch sitting right there waiting for them.  I then reminded the gathering that it was 50 years ago when Lutherans just like us gathered in a room just like this had someone raise their hand to ask “Can’t we do something about the hunger crisis” and all the other hands went up and said, “yes we can”.  Today, ELCA world Hunger is a ministry worth over $21 million dollars, but that money doesn’t come from thin air, it comes because we Lutherans still raise our hand and say, “Yes we can”.

I then spoke about the giving challenge, and how it is the generosity of a donor from our synod that is going to match up to $100,000.  And I don’t really remember how else I said everything, I didn’t have anything written down. I just went up there and spoke about it.  I also shared the story of how my congregation is giving toward this, and how as of that morning I was anticipating over $1,200 to go toward ELCA World Hunger.

What I didn’t know Saturday but what I do know today is that my congregation is at $1,698 and I have one more week to collect for ELCA World Hunger.  This has been the largest single month collection for what our church calls “vision and purpose giving” our monthly outward benevolence offering collection.  And it isn’t even close.  I think for St. Jude’s we once raised $650.  For LDR last month, we raised $515, but that is the best we have done before. So, I am excited for the enthusiasm my congregation is pouring into this, and I am looking forward to our synod having that same enthusiasm.

The workshop I led had 10 participants.  I used the take home version of the Generation Zero activity from the 2024 Youth Gathering.  They were assuming family roles and playing them well – they were counting candies in the jar and guessing way off but having fun.  They played with playdough and made goats, some good, some not so good, but all in good fun, and they learned what some of the root causes of hunger are and what ELCA World Hunger is doing amid those causes.

It was a great time.  We also collected a bunch of new ideas we will be sharing on our synod website for fundraising ideas for ELCA World Hunger as they all had great ideas.

So, it was a great day to announce the challenge and present the workshop.

This is a guest post from Rev. Elazar Atticus Schoch Zavaletta of Good Trouble Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

Pastor Elazar and the Good Trouble Church Community

The mainstream expression of many ELCA Lutheran Churches is defined by being a white, middle-class witness to Christ.  With hearts open to and appreciative of the saving grace of God through Christ, and often with generosity in serving the Lord locally and globally, nevertheless, few Lutheran churches truly know or understand the struggle of other peoples as they navigate a society defined by white supremacy and systemic oppression. Many of those on the margins of our churches struggle daily with homelessness, poverty, racism, and frustrating battles with bureaucracies to achieve the medical, financial and housing assistance they need to live and thrive.

Good Trouble Church, an ELCA congregation in Baltimore, Md, lives deeply and personally in that world of struggle.  Led by its pastor, The Rev. Elazar Zavaletta, and by numerous empowered members and community folks, most who personally understand the struggle for survival in urban Baltimore, Good Trouble has become a “A Way Out of No Way.”  It has become a safe home where friendship, non-judgmental caring and acceptance, trusted resources and hope can be found.

Good Trouble’s leaders, while understanding firsthand the exploitation, trauma and uncaring reality of those experiencing poverty, address together the systemic issues that purport to block them from health, safety and hope for the future.  Their work includes (1) Resilience based organizing- directly impacted leaders engaging in their own style of gospel-centered resilience-based organizing – naturally calling into question the powers that be through the way they organize their community and change their neighborhood – living into the world as it should be; (2) A Farm to Stoop Free Market- where fresh farm foods, meals, and clothing are distributed in a joyful time of community connection and mutual aid, along with social service agencies can meet people in a trusted arena, such as health clinics, etc; (3) Family Life- community creating a rich liturgy, inspired through Afro-Indigenous wisdom and symbol and inspiring a unique “theology of the block”; (4) Leadership and Liberation Workshops utilizing problem-posing pedagogy; (5) Social Work Support and Drop-In assistance; (6) Safe space housing for a few persons via its harm reduction-based Red Shed Village; (7) Good Trouble Guardians – who develop local leadership to help to de-escalate conflicts, keep people safer while avoiding police intervention, provide overdose response and connect persons to resources, etc.

Good Trouble Church is supported financially by its own funds, grants from the ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran churches in the Delaware-Maryland Synod, among others.  There are numerous community and city partners that share the same vision as Good Trouble to work toward love and liberation those who have been made most vulnerable and face food and housing insecurity.

Good Trouble Church–love and freedom, leadership and liberation, community care and sacred ceremony–God showing A Way Out of No Way!

No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. (Micah 6:8)

This is a re-post of an article by Rev. Taryn Montgomery, originally published in the Northeast Minnesota Synod Enews, covering the October 12th “Walking Together” celebration of ELCA World Hunger’s 50th anniversary. Note: this article was written on October 29th, before the November 5th election, which Rev. Montgomery references in the piece as an upcoming event.

“For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” -Matthew 26:11

“Pastor Taryn, why are we gathering again?” asked the 13 year-old usher, as we prepared for worship at the Walking Together event earlier this month.

“Because we’re marking the 50th anniversary of world hunger and how we as a church have been able to help those who experience food scarcity,” I responded.

“Um, I’m pretty sure world hunger has been around longer than 50 years,” she said deadpan.

Rev. Taryn Montgomery welcoming the participants to opening worship.

Touché.

I left out the ELCA part of World Hunger when responding to Lila that morning, but she is right. Jesus was right. People have been hungry for centuries upon centuries. The poor have been among us from the very beginning. And let’s be clear, “the poor” is not a “them”. It can be our neighbor, our family, even ourselves.

It’s in this spirit that we gathered on Saturday, October 12th at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa to straddle the line between celebrating a ministry milestone and being inspired to “keep on” in our work of ending hunger. Both/and.

And it was a great event! We gathered in worship, confronting a scripture that both challenged and stirred us. We experienced a poverty simulation, walking through a month in the life of a family trying to make ends meet. We learned how hunger interacts with issues of climate change, racism, and conflicts in the Middle East. We wore party hats and blew noise makers, and we gathered in silence for the people of Gaza. We enjoyed a delicious Caribbean lunch, and we remembered those who went without a meal. We made art together, bid on baskets together, and rallied around a common mission together – to give thanks for the past 50 years and to keep working long into the future.

Participants talking part in a hunger simulation.

One week from today our polls will open. Some of you have already filled out your ballot. As a nation we will cast our vote, a kind of faith statement. A statement of what we believe, what we value, what we hope for. We won’t all vote the same way and that’s okay. But may we vote in the spirit of reaching across the table, of extending the table. In the spirit of invitation for the hungry, the poor, and those on the margins – those we will always have with us. May we cast our vote recognizing the both/and experience of our faith.

Lila was right, world hunger has been around far longer than 50 years, and it doesn’t have to be that way in the future. It might be – history has shown that to be true. But it doesn’t have to be. Because we are people of faith, followers of Jesus. And, if there’s one thing we’re really good at, it’s hoping for things as yet unseen.

This is a re-post of a piece from the St. Paul Area Synod blog, by Vernita Kennen of Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview, MN. The original blog post can be found here.

People who care about hunger issues from the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Area Synods gathered in March to talk about how we might work together. We acknowledged needing renewed efforts within our congregations, communities and our synods. Some of us came from congregations, some from specific hunger ministries, some from synod and churchwide staffs but all came with a heart for those who live with hunger. Some had years of experience working on hunger issues and others had less, but everyone came with a passion somehow connected to hunger.

Conversation about programs and policies, local and global efforts, immediate aid and sustainable efforts abounded. Networking was raised as a need as was acknowledging monetary contributions, advocacy, and hands-on efforts. We see the need to talk about “on ramps” to engage others in hunger ministry. Our hope is that we can work towards something that supports the current hunger ministries across the synods as well as moves to more education and learning for all of our congregations.

Additional voices, experience, and questions are valuable and welcome! Please contact or Justin Grimm (Saint Paul Area Synod) at justin.grimm@spas-elca.org or Bob Hulteen (Minneapolis Area Synod) at: b.hulteen@mpls-synod.org if you are interested in joining future planning.

Vernita Kennen
Incarnation, Shoreview