DID YOU KNOW?

The Three Expressions of the ELCA

We are one church with three expressions — a churchwide national organization headquartered in Chicago, 65 synods throughout the country, and a network of nearly 10,500 congregations.

Each of these three interdependent parts works together to form the ELCA.

The average congregation gives the Synod between 3-5% of their local offerings.

The Synods keep 50% of what they receive from congregations, and forward the remaining 50% to the ELCA churchwide organization.

-- Patricia Gibbons, Mission Focus Team Leader

VIDEO OF TOWN HALL MEETING WITH ELCA BISHOP MARK HANSoN

If you did not have a chance to view the live town hall meeting with ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson on Sept. 19, 2010, you can now watch the video. Click here. Unrehearsed questions came in from ELCA members all across the country, and the Bishop handled all very respectfully and did a fine job of responding.

LIVE TOWN HALL MEETING WITH ELCA BISHOP 9/19/2010

This Sunday, 9/19/2010 at 4:00 pm there is an exciting opportunity to engage with Bishop Hanson and ELCA members from across the country at a live online town hall meeting.

Participating is easy:

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  Watch the event live online from 4:00-5:00 p.m. Central Time at
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  http://www.elca.org/townhall
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  Log in to ask a question.
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  View open captioning if you wish.

If you've ever wondered what’s on the minds of other ELCA members

 ... if you have a question for Bishop Hanson

... and especially if you care about the ELCA and its mission

please listen and watch this event on Sunday afternoon, September 19.

NITA AUER'S RETIREMENT VIDEO

In case you missed Nita Auer's retirement celebration on August 29 , here is the video that was shown at the party:

2010 SYNOD LEADERSHIP GATHERING

Hosanna belongs to the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a network of 126 Lutheran congregations. Today pastors and members from those congregations met at Zion Lutheran in the Heights for a Leadership Gathering. As the incoming President of Hosanna I attended, as did Pastor Boldt, incoming Vice President Pat Gibbons, Cantor Gay Zimmerman, and our organist, Sister Anna Marie Flusche.

I learned a lot, and came away enthused and inspired. Now I know the simple but powerful mission statement of the synod:

Biship Mike Rinehart addresses synod leaders at Zion Lutheran

                       
TO MAKE DISCIPLES

How does the synod leadership intend to do this? They seek to equip congregations by equipping congregational leaders. This gathering was an example of that. What vision do the synod leaders have? What do they hope things will look like if we make disciples? Our 126 churches will be a network of growing, Christ-centered, outwardly focused congregations passing on the faith to the next generations.

We will be doing our part at Hosanna, with Pastor Boldt's Sunday class on Discipleship starting this week at 9:00am. Don't miss it!

Nancy Agafitei