education

Revisiting Human Sexuality: ELCA Seeks Input on Social Statement Edits

/ Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada / Leave a comment

ELCA social statements are documents that help people think through social issues and that guide the church’s teaching and policies on those issues. However, their language can become outdated over time as laws and language change.   

The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted to have our church reconsider certain passages from the ELCA social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust in light of changes in U.S. laws regarding marriage since 2009 and in acknowledgment of the church’s understanding of the diversity of family configurations.  

A task force, with people of diverse perspectives from across the ELCA, has been appointed by the ELCA Church Council to shepherd this process.  

In early November, the task force released a set of draft edits for public comment. These are potential editorial changes only — small word changes that update the text without changing its meaning.   

The task force invites you to review these and to share your feedback. This feedback is critical for our discernment as church together, and the task force will prayerfully consider all comments before proposing changes to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly for their action. The deadline for your response is Jan. 31, 2025.     

You can share your feedback by taking an online survey or by emailing the task force directly at Reconsiderations@elca.org.   To help your discernment, several resources are posted at www.elca.org/reconsiderations, including an explanation of each.

Immigration and Refugee Resources

/ Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada / Leave a comment

As the new administration’s policies and executive orders are revealed, LEAN would like to offer some resources and alerts for Nevada parishioners seeking ways to help protect refugees in our midst.

First, read Presiding Bishop Eaton’s Pastoral Letter on Executive Orders HERE

Also, The Asociación de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA has released a statement in response to executive orders of the U.S. government. English and Spanish versions can both be found HERE!

Check out Global Refuge’s explainer of the key executive orders and proclamations that directly impact refugees and other immigrants in the United States and beyond. Click HERE.

Attend Global Refuge’s Policy and Advocacy Team on February 4 at 11 AM PT for “Post-Inauguration Days: Understanding Recent Policy Changes from the Trump Administration and the 119th Congress” Register HERE.

Plan a worship welcoming the stranger and centered on celebrating new refugees. Click HERE for the Worship Order!

Learn How Trump’s Rescission of Protected Areas Policies Undermines Safety for All by Reading This Fact Sheet Or This Handout in Espanol

Visit National Immigration Law Center’s Know Your Rights: Expediated Removal Expansion Information. Click HERE.

Print Red Cards & How To Use Your Red Card Available at Your Worship Space

Read The Asociación de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA‘s statement in response to executive orders of the U.S. government. English and Spanish versions can both be found HERE.

Share AMMPRO’s (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities) Blog With Friends & Family

ELCA World Hunger Offers New “Health And Hunger” Toolkit

/ Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada / Leave a comment

ELCA World Hunger has released a new toolkit for churches, ministries, and small groups, exploring the relationship between hunger and health.

Hunger is shown to have negative affects on both short and long term health, and understanding these complex outcomes is an important part of understanding food insecurity. This tool kit includes information about how poverty, unexpected health problems, and inaccessible communities can worsen and are worsened by hunger and lack of access to nutritious foods. The kit includes three modules of study and activity, including prayers, liturgy, and Bible readings. In addition to statistics and contemporary hunger information, this kit also includes interactive activities! Groups can learn together through building maps, playing the “Healthy Life Board Game,” using prompt cards to share their own health stories, and more. Each module ends with discussion questions, and the kit finishes with service opportunities your congregation can implement.

This toolkit is meant to be explored and learned together! We encourage you to use this tool kit with your social justice ministries, civic engagement groups, human care committees, or adult forums!

Click the button below to read and download the Health and Hunger Toolkit.

DOWNLOAD HEALTH AND HUNGER TOOLKIT

Living With Hunger Handbook

/ Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada / Leave a comment

LEAN has long been a strong advocate for hunger awareness in Nevada and around the world. In that spirit, we have created a handbook for congregations to learn about what causes hunger, how families cope, and where they can seek help to create a stable, hunger-free future. This downloadable 20-page document offers five family role-playing scenarios for small group study, plus in-depth facts and figures about hunger in America and Nevada, study questions and much more. Download today and schedule a “Living With Hunger” educational event at your place of worship or small-group meeting venue.

lean-hunger-handbook-2022-2023Download

Join LEAN For Nevada Legislature Primer

/ Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada / Leave a comment

Zoom Event Shows How To Connect With Lawmakers, Follow Bills

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), a statewide faith-based organization that advocates for just and fair legislation and public policy for all Nevadans, will host a special Zoom workshop as the 2021 Nevada Legislature prepares to open its bi-annual session on February 1. “Connecting with the Nevada Legislature 101:  Advocating for our Neighbor as Lutherans” takes place on Thursday, January 28 at 2 p.m.

LEAN speaks at the Legislature through its Advocate, Bill Ledford, on matters that affect the most vulnerable in our state and in relation to the ELCA statements about social justice as decided by its board members. LEAN also strives to educate parishioners on the issues and on ways to be engaged, effective citizens. 

Bishop Deborah Hutterer of the Grand Canyon Synod

In this workshop, participants will:

• Hear from our Bishop Deborah Hutterer of the Grand Canyon Synod, on calling Christians to speak publicly on behalf of “the least of these my brothers and sisters.”

• Learn how you can find your way around the Nevada Legislature website

• Learn where to find potential new laws being presented this session 

• How to effectively communication with legislators

• Grow in seeing how the ELCA Social Statements guide LEAN’s advocacy efforts

Click here to join this engaging event on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 850 3440 4792
Passcode: 629332
If calling in by phone, click here to find your local number.  

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada is a partnership effort of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), through the Division for Church in Society (the Division) and the Grand Canyon and Sierra Pacific Synods.