All Things New at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Sermon from Bishop-Elect Erwin will be history in the making
Join ReconcilingWorks at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly August 12-17 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We are excited to be part of this important event that takes place only every few years and helps determine the direction of the ELCA. It is also a time to come together as a church family and for us to stand in solidarity with each other for the issues we care about.
A highlight of our activities will be the worship service hosted by ReconcilingWorks and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries on Wednesday, August 14, at 8:00 p.m. We are delighted to announce that our preacher will be Bishop-Elect Guy Erwin and the presiding minister will be Bishop Dean Nelson. Both leaders are from the Southwest California Synod. We will gather in worship to receive God’s unconditional welcome as well as to give formal witness to the lingering incompleteness of the institutional church’s welcome, inclusion, and advocacy. All churchwide voting members, assembly visitors, and the general public are invited.
See a brief schedule of our activities here. Check back often for updates!
The legislative business of the churchwide assembly will include consideration of three memorials sponsored by ReconcilingWorks. They concern immigration reform, employment non-discrimination, and ministering to same-gender couples and their families. In support of the memorials, we will host educational events on the memorial topics. Voting members will also elect leaders to serve in the important roles of Presiding Bishop, Secretary, and members of the Church Council.
We will distribute a daily devotional guide with stories from individuals and families whose lives have been affected by the legislative issues being considered by the assembly.
The ELCA’s theme for the 2013 Churchwide Assembly is “Always being made new.”
We encourage all to consider attending the assembly for all six days or just for one. Our participants will sing in the hallways, distribute devotional booklets, pray together, laugh together, and gracefully engage with voting members and visitors. According to reports from the churchwide office, a new feature for this assembly will be that visitors will be able to participate in Bible study sessions in small groups with voting members. This will be a wonderful way for our participants to explore God’s Word together.
If you can’t join us in person in Pittsburgh, we encourage you to watch the proceedings of the assembly broadcast over the web on the ELCA’s website (www.elca.org), where other news and information from the assembly will also be distributed.
Please also follow the happenings of ReconcilingWorks at the assembly through our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. And, of course, we also welcome your prayers for our participation in the assembly and for voting members as they deliberate and make decisions.
The ReconcilingWorks website will provide full details as they are solidified. Please remember to check www.ReconcilingWorks.org often for updates.
All Things New at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Sermon from Bishop-Elect Erwin will be history in the making
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