Today we remember those who have died by gun violence, those who have survived gun violence, those who mourn deaths of family and friends by gun violence. Aching with sorrow we grieve this pain and death that surrounds and fills us. Today we remember mass killings in places of prayer and ordinary life, in churches...
Category: Faith in action
May 20, 2022
Prayer: Remembering Those Affected by Gun Violence
Today we remember those who have died by gun violence, those who have survived gun violence, those who mourn deaths of family and friends by gun violence. Aching with sorrow we grieve this pain and death that surrounds and fills us. Today we remember mass killings in places of prayer and ordinary life, in churches...
May 20, 2022
Pastoral Message on Buffalo Racially-Motivated Killings
“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?” —Jeremiah 8:22 Our hearts grieve for those who have been killed and our souls cry out against more lives lost to the hatred birthed by racism. As we mourn those lives lost...
May 19, 2022
Heeding God’s Call Statement on Mass Shootings
Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence is a partner in the work of addressing gun violence in our communities: Philadelphia: Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence (Heeding), the statewide faith-based organization devoted to reducing and preventing gun violence called for prayer for all those taken by gun murder in Buffalo and Geneva, for...
September 14, 2021
Help Afghan Evacuees
Last week Pastor Nathan Krause of Redeemer, Jamison received a call from a church member who had a contact at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. That’s where many of the refugees from Afghanistan are being processed. The contact related her personal experience of what she was seeing and the needs of the refugees. The...
September 13, 2021
How’s Your Vocation Going?
The Rev. Karen Sease, Assistant to the Bishop for Vocations and Leadership/Mission Advancement, reminds us that “vocation” is a calling on our lives that extends beyond professional ministries in the church. [ See video and transcript below. ] 〝But if you’re still wondering about rostered ministry, still praying about whether God is calling you to be a...
August 5, 2021
You’re Invited to the ELCA Day of Service
On Sunday, Sept. 12, ELCA congregations will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday. This annual day of service is an opportunity for us to celebrate who we are as the ELCA — one church, freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor. We rejoice that many in-person church activities have resumed, and...
March 8, 2021
’I Was Homeless, Now I Help Make Tiny Homes for People on the Street’
“I was homeless from 2008 to 2013,” says Jacqueline Chapman. Today the active Welcome Church leader is advocating for the needs of homeless people as vice-president of the board of the Sanctuary Village project, which will develop tiny houses in Northeast Philadelphia to house people now living on the streets. Jacqueline shares her story in...
February 10, 2021
Your congregation can sponsor a missionary
Dear friends: Bethany Friberg works as an ELCA missionary in Ketumbeine, Tanzania, but her definition of missionary service is much more expansive. She believes all Christians are missionaries. “I’m always struck by how wonderful it is when people have committed their life to the Lord and are praying, ‘Lord Jesus, show me how to live...
July 8, 2020
Sacred Hospitality
Even before the 2019 Churchwide Assembly declared the ELCA a “sanctuary” denomination, congregations have been working out just what it means to be a “sanctuary.” For First English Lutheran Church in Columbus, OH, it means opening its doors to an undocumented immigrant who had lived in Columbus over a dozen years, held jobs, and paid...
June 1, 2020
Called to Racial Reconciliation and Healing
Three years ago our Synod Assembly focused on racial justice. As part of the Assembly’s opening worship there was an order of Anti-Racism Confession and Reconciliation, which was also shared for use in congregations. Today our city, region, and nation are rocked by the ongoing tensions painfully exposed in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna...
May 19, 2020
Offerings of Hope in the Pandemic
From Trinity Lutheran, Fairview Village: Even in a pandemic, Christ’s love shines! The people of Trinity, Fairview Village faithfully serve every month at Cecil and Grace Bean’s Soup Kitchen in Norristown. Even in a time of social distancing, the soup kitchen is still serving bagged meals to the hungry. We prepared the bagged meals and handed...
May 8, 2020
Disaster Update: Flooding in Tanzania
Be a part of the response: Pray Please pray for people who have been affected by the flooding in Tanzania. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Give Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your...
April 28, 2020
Disaster Update: COVID-19 Response
Be a part of the response: Pray Please pray for people who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Give Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts...
April 13, 2020
Feast of Justice is Food ‘Supersite’
As the need for emergency food grows in Philadelphia and food sites dwindle, Feast of Justice in Northeast Philadelphia decided not to close and instead expanded its services to food-insecure people in the city. They are prepared to serve from 600-700 households per week, up from 285 households a week before COVID-19. Volunteer with Feast...
April 10, 2020
St. Paul’s Gets Creative in Olney
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in collaboration with the health ministry staff of St. Helena Catholic Church, regularly hosts Senior Wednesdays each week for the older adults of their community. Providing opportunities to benefit their spiritual, physical, and mental wellbeing, this program brings seniors together and provides ministry, meals, activities, exercise and more. But with the...
April 10, 2020
‘E-Meals’ Fill the Gap in Souderton
Knowing that other local food sources would be stressed, Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Souderton started the E-meals program on March 16. Meal bags are for “anybody in need,” Pastor John Heidgerd said. “We don’t ask any questions. We don’t ask you to prove that you’re in need. You come to us for help and the...
February 19, 2020
Food From Pickleball
Pastor Chris Franz of Advent, West Chester and Pastor Dan Krewson of Calvary, West Chester, recently presented a check for $901 to the West Chester Food Cupboard. The funds were raised by the Tuesday night Pickleball Fellowship players, who are each asked to donate $1 or more per session to play. This joint ministry of...
February 19, 2020
What Are We Taking On For Lent?
Lenten Message from Bishop Davenport Reflection on Isaiah 58:6-9 Watch video message Download print vision February, 2020 Greetings, beloved. So what are we taking on for Lent? Jesus’ journey to the cross was a path through sacrifice and discipline. Our Lord took on the weight of the whole world. He poured...
January 21, 2020
Extravaganza of Generosity
“You can’t love Jesus and not give,” pastor and author Clif Christopher said in his keynote at the 2020 Extravagant Generosity program Jan. 10. “It’s just impossible.” Yet some churches lose the battle with money because “there are more people who think money can save them than think Jesus can save them,” said Christopher, author...
January 21, 2020
Cultivate a Heart of Love
Dear friends, If you missed our Stewardship Extravaganza in January, you missed a great event with excellent keynote addresses, an outstanding sermon and wonderful workshops. But, here is a chance to benefit from that experience. One of the workshop leaders, Rob Blezard, has a monthly “Toolkit” that provides helpful bulletin inserts, thoughtful newsletter articles and...
