Tag: July

Warm-up Questions What does it feel like to have your plans disrupted? What does it feel like to experience delays that are out of your control? A Global Software Glitch  Just small mistake in a few lines of code. That’s all it took to cancel thousands of flights, lock hospital computers, freeze bank operations, and even temporarily shut down government operations. Throughout the globe, millions upon millions of people’s lives were impacted by just a small mistake in a few lines of code. Some of you reading this may have dealt with the impacts directly. As I write this, I’m…

Issue 94 of Administration Matters How to Create a Mission Endowment Fund: A Guide for Congregations The ELCA Foundation has created a tool to help congregations that are considering an endowment. “How to Create a Mission Endowment Fund: A Guide for Congregations” provides a systematic approach to establishing a mission endowment fund, which enables congregations to be thoughtful stewards of bequests and planned gifts. You can find an electronic copy of the guide here. To learn more, you may also contact the ELCA Foundation at 800-638-3522 or email elcafoundation@elca.org. Information needed when filing an insurance claim for embezzlement Each situation…

Issue 88 of Administration Matters Protect your church’s operating reserve A well-designed contingency plan for a congregation maintains an operating reserve to cover the church’s expenses for at least four months should it experience difficulties and its income be drastically reduced. >More Know when to retain or discard synod or congregational records Congregations and synods must know which records and information they should keep and which can be removed. Some records need to be maintained permanently; others can be discarded periodically. >More for Synods. >More for Congregations. Church building redesigned with MIF loan Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minn., had…

This month’s article is written by ELCA Disability Ministries Advisory team member Rev. Peter Heide, written from a perspective of blindness. “Organizations by and for people with disabilities have existed since the 1800’s.” [1] In 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Home | American Foundation for the Blind (afb.org) was created to help veterans who had been blinded during World War I. Through the AFB, supported by Helen Keller and the national organization of Lions (Keller called them the Knights of the Blind), great strides were made creating employment opportunities for the blindness community (e.g., Randolph-Sheppard Act, 1936) Randolph…

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts:  In gratitude for and solidarity with members of our community living with disabilities… For communities harmed by earthquakes in the Philippines and threatened by wildfires in California… For the life of Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, the first Native American woman ordained…

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available. U.N. | Colorado | Minnesota | Pennsylvania | Virginia | Washington   U.N. Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc Dennis Frado, Director The UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) is was held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Thursday, 7 July, and from Monday, 11 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It…

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts:  For those in London and all across Europe, experiencing record-high temperatures and facing the on-going threat of wildfires… For jurors, students, and families in the midst of the Parkland shooting sentencing trial… For the victims of the mall shooting in Indiana,…

Issue 83 of Administration Matters ELCA Churchwide Assembly Pre-event: “Embody the Word” Bible study sessions In preparation for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA members are encouraged to participate in a series of online Bible studies. Participants will explore the meaning of “embodiment,” from Luke 24, and get the chance to engage with the presenters. Sessions take place Sunday afternoons in July from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Central time, and they can be streamed live or on-demand in the Churchwide Assembly Playlist of  the ELCA YouTube channel. The presenters are: • Rev. Jay Alanis (July 10). • Sally Azar (July…

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts:  For the community of Highland Park, IL, and for all areas in our nation suffering recent gun violence… For Jayland Walker’s family and community following the release of police bodycam videos… For those injured and traumatized by gun violence, for grieving…

Lutheran Disaster Response has raised over $ 10 million in support of refugees and internally displaced people in Ukraine and surrounding countries. New partnerships in Eastern Europe include: L’Arche has nearly 60 years of experience supporting people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and knows they are among those most at risk in times of crisis. It is providing immediate relief to refugees with disabilities in Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland. Activities will include purchasing accessible vans to transport people with disabilities within Ukraine and along the border, building the capacity of local disability service providers and adaptations for people with…