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May 29, 2023

Memorial Day

As we celebrate the un-official kickoff to summer, please take some time to pause and reflect about the meaning of Memorial Day.

 

Does Your Congregation Have or Support a Hunger Ministry?  Letter of Inquiry Must be Completed by May 31!

ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants accompany congregations and their partners throughout the United States and Caribbean as they draw on the strengths of communities to address local issues such as food security, clean water, housing, job access, human rights, policy change, leadership development and more. Together, these ministries are part of a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger — for good.
You can learn more about how the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants can help your hunger ministry by visiting: https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Relief-and-Development/ELCA-World-Hunger/Get-Involved/Domestic-Hunger-Grants?_ga=2.83737246.945398118.1684186483-186456418.1675961184
 
For FAQ’s and to watch a webinar regarding the new application process, visit: https://sway.office.com/uQKO5j0xUCQEoEL

 

The AntiRacist Table 30 Day Challenge

Take a stand for humanity! Do you want to be part of the solution? Learn how to be AntiRacist and how to incorporate AntiRacism into your life with our FREE Self-Paced, 30 Lesson Program. The journey to cultivating a life committed to being AntiRacist is a lifelong pursuit that starts and ends with you. AntiRacism is an intentional daily practice that requires willpower, truth, love, and patience. 

The AntiRacist Table 30 Day Challenge is a long-form contemplative study, specifically curated to educate, to help people face and get past shame, anger, and blame, and to develop empathy–all key elements of creating an AntiRacist America.

During the Challenge you will have opportunities to cultivate mindfulness and daily practices centered around equality, justice, and humanity as you integrate The AntiRacist Table Core Principles into your life.  Engaging and interactive, the daily lessons infuse videos, readings, reflection, meditation, and other disciplines. Our self-paced Challenge is composed of 30 lessons that lay the foundation for active AntiRacism.

Housed on our platform, the lessons and our community space can even be accessed through a convenient mobile APP! Our Challenge can be done solo or in groups and provides the perfect framework for meaningful discussions and real change. Find more information here.

 

Protect Kids Not Guns Press Conference at Synod Assembly

Join Southern Christian Coalition who is hosting a press conference at 10:30am on Friday June 2nd, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Room 11. Bishop Strickland, along with other faith leaders, will be speaking. Sign up here to attend the press conference. Please note that if you have not signed up for Synod Assembly, there will be NO onsite registration. 

 

Chance to Come Home  June 1, 2023 2PM EST

Join the National Immigrant Justice Center and advocates around the world for a virtual even to launch a campaign to give unjustly deported people a Chance to Come Home to reunite with their loved ones. Be the first to see a new short film produced in partnership with award-winning film maker Alex Rivera and meet 10 people who were unjustly deported from the United States. The event will feature former Congressman Mondaire Jones, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, and other members of Congress who are calling on the Biden administration to create a process for unjustly deported people to return home.
RSVP now and watch the trailer for the film: 
https://immigrantjustice.org/ChanceToComeHome/Launch

 

Drag Me to Church - Commemorating the Stonewall Riots  June 25th, 6pm EST

St. Luke Lutheran Church, Atlanta, Georgia, an inclusive and affirming congregation of the ELCA, proudly announces a special worship service in partnership with The Atlanta Pride Committee to commemorate the historic Stonewall Riots. “Drag Me To Church,” to be held on June 25, 2023, at six o’clock pm, will feature the participation of talented Atlanta-based drag queens, serving as a testament to our church's commitment to continuing the work of Jesus by standing with the oppressed community and those on the margins. 

 

Looking for Summer Programming? Host a Movie Screening of "The Letter" in Your Congregation

IPL is partnering with the Laudato Si’ movement to bring you free screening rights for the moving documentary film, “The Letter”.  It can be screened at any time. This gorgeously filmed story, featuring scenes from around the world, puts a human face on climate change. Consider hosting a free screening for your congregation.

The Letter tells the incredible story of the Laudato Si' encyclical letter by Pope Francis, through the eyes from frontline leaders battling the ecological crisis across continents. A powerful - and surprising - dialogue with the Pope brings new hope for our common home. Featured in the film are Arouna Kandé, a climate refugee in Senegal; Cacique Dadá, an environmental defender and leader of the Maró Indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon; Ridhima Pandey, a youth climate activist from India; and Greg Asner and Robin Martin, biologists studying coral reefs in Hawaii. The film features exclusive footage from their encounter with Pope Francis, alongside the personal stories and scientific findings throughout the documentary. View the trailer and register to screen the film here. 

 

Please note there will be no Advocacy E-News next week due to Synod Assembly.
 

To learn more about Advocacy in the ELCA, visit: https://elca.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/Advocacy

To contact Allison Lizdas, Assistant to the Bishop for Advocacy, email alizdas@elca-ses.org or call our Synod office at 404-589-1977  ext. 224

 

 

ELCA-Southeastern Synod

Physical Address and address for UPS and FedEx
c/o St. John's Lutheran Church
1410 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA, 30307

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 400
Decatur, GA 30031

Phone: 404-589-1977
Fax: 404-521-1980
Email: synod.office@elca-ses.org