"Welcome, Welcome: Guide to Ministry with Asian Members." In the 21st century, we need more than ever to develop our awareness, knowledge, and skills in ministry across cultures. "Welcome, Welcome" offers an overview on how to make your English-speaking congregation a truly welcoming place for Asian people. This guidebook is for English-speaking congregations who want to strengthen and retain Asian membership in areas where Asian populations are not large. This resource is a concise and practical guide to building relationships with this growing population of God's people in the United States.
The strategy presents the ELCA Asian and Pacific Islander community's vision for the 21st century. The vision is to grow in strength for ministry, using God's gifts of culture, language and heritage to share God's love in a multicultural world. Currently this involves emphases on congregational development, membership, leadership and resource development, social ministry, stewardship and Asian homeland ministries.
A guide to ministry with American Indian and Alaska Native people. Produced in partnership with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ and the ELCA.
"Breaking the Bonds" is an internalized racial oppression resource. Facilitators of this process would lead individuals through a process that will help them to get in touch with the negative messages they have internalized about themselves and others over the years from the oppressive system of racism.
Here's a valuable resource designed to help families and congregations consider the spiritual implications of adopting across cultures. This book includes moving stories by adopted people and adoptive parents who live at the intersection of faith and adoption. The experiences of their lives honestly reveal the joy and pain that unfold through the process of adopting and being adopted.
The recommended actions are for the ELCA's participation in the continuing journey of African descent Lutheran ministry. This strategy is a living document intended to stir imagination and ministry initiatives beyond what is presented on its pages.
The Arab ministry strategy seeks ways to invite Arabs and Middle Easterners into the Lutheran expression of the body of Christ through biblical hospitality (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2) and in the spirit of Jesus’ admonition that the neighbors we are called to love and serve all our fellow human beings.
Also available for free download in English and Arabic.
A practical, "how to" field guide to cross-cultural conversation and moral deliberation for congregations, judicatories, and other groups and organizations in which religious commitments and perspectives are included in the conversation. Includes specific information on 20 cultural groups in the U.S.
Living the Faith is a compilation of stories, advice and reflections about creating and nurturing multicultural relationships, for individuals and congregations seeking to reach out to people whose race is different than their own. Presented in five sections, it is particularly well suited for adult forums or other groups that meet regularly. Includes exercises that help shed light on how you understand that faith transcends culture, and through our shared faith in Christ, it’s relatively easy to share friendships across cultures.
The recommended goals and strategies by which the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can become effective in its ministry with American Indians and Alaska Natives. The plan guides the ELCA, as we work on behalf of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
This leader's guide lays out a framework for conducting basic cultural awareness workshops. Designed to provide facilitators with information, exercises, experiences and process points that will help participants in dealing with people and situations that are different from their ethnic, racial and cultural group experiences.
Please note: this resource comes bundled in packs of 3.
This document is a re-commitment that the ELCA shall establish membership of at least 10 percent people of color and/or primary language other than English.
Troubling the Waters for Healing of the Church is a resource that is developed specifically for White congregational members and others to help them understand the role that White privilege and internalized White superiority has had in shaping their own attitudes, belief systems, cultures and those of the church and society at large. This resource has been designed by White people for White people to equip them with tools that will aid them in addressing and breaking the cycle of socialization that perpetuates racism and sustains an exclusive church. The resource will help White congregational members or groups to embark on a journey of learning from one another as well as from people of color who may enter the river of conversations with them as time goes on. The resource is broken down into 18 sessions starting with the Advent season and ending with Pentecost.
The resource material should be presented by two facilitators, but can be done by one facilitator. Participants are not expected to have a copy of the resource, however, it is expected that each facilitator have a copy. The resource is separated into two sections:
1. Facilitator instruction and guide
2. Participant handout section which may be photocopied
This resource contains the ELCA's social message on mental illness. Please note: this resource comes bundled in packs of 5. For a free complimentary copy, call the ELCA contact center at 800-638-3522.
A collaborative project with the Council of Native American Ministries. A guide and source of help for congregations and communities who accept the challenge of continuing Christian ministry in reservation and rural ministry.
The Explanation of the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent gives a detailed explanation of the apology, which was presented at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. One packet contains five copies of the doucment.
