The cows came home at the La Crosse Area Synod Assembly. With pledges of $500 per cow, the 142 wooden cows raised $71,000 for ELCA World Hunger.
Metropolitan Chicago, June 10-11, Tinley Park, Ill.Under the theme “Transformed and Transforming,” the assembly passed a resolution to raise $1 million by Oct. 31, 2017, for ELCA World Hunger. The challenge makes note that this year ELCA World Hunger is an emphasis of Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA and witnesses to what it means to be a Lutheran today, living with open hands. —Jeff Drake
Western Iowa, June 10-12, Omaha, Neb. (
wisynod.org/ assembly-2016.html). Under the theme “We Are Church Together,” participants enjoyed hearing from many ecumenical leaders, companion synod bishops from Chile and Tanzania, and Bishop Brauer- Rieke from its partner synod of Oregon. Throughout the weekend members shared stories of how their congregation lives out being church together. Members also donated diapers for Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. —Lynn Egesdal
Virginia, June 10-12, Salem, Va. Participants heard that Charles and Helen Schumann of First English Lutheran Church, Richmond, Va., have contributed $1 million for a ForwardingFaith campaign, which seeks to raise $2 million to provide permanent funding for youth and faith formation ministry. This brings the total raised to $1.5 million. Kevin Strickland, ELCA worship director and keynote speaker, told participants that worship is “at the heart of what we do. … Worship is central because Christ is central.” —George Kegley
Northeastern Iowa, June 10-12, Waverly, Iowa. Voting members resolved to express praise and thanks to their companion synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary, for their witness, leadership and Christ-like service to Syrian refugees. They heard that the H. George Anderson Fund for Leaders Endowment has grown in value to more than $510,000 to provide scholarships for seminarians from the synod.
Congregations were invited to support the campaign to fully fund the endowment with the same creativity and excitement they showed for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. —Marcia Hahn
Northeastern Pennsylvania, June 17-18, Allentown, Pa. (
nepasynod.org/assembly-2016). In response to a challenge to match the first $15,000 raised for ELCA World Hunger by the end of the assembly, congregations collected $85,000, including a $50,000 gift from one congregation. This enabled the synod to contribute $100,000 to World Hunger. The assembly also heard from the synod’s team that traveled to Wittenberg, Germany, to plant tree No. 322 as part of Luthergarten: 500 years of Reformation—500 trees for Wittenberg. —Paul Braden
Southwestern Pennsylvania, June 17-18, California, Pa. (
swpasynod.org). The theme was “We are Stewards of the Gospel.”
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