100 years of inspiring faith
Mission & Ministry

100 years of inspiring faith

James Hazelwood didn’t grow up in the church. Still, the directors at El Camino Pines, a Lutheran outdoor camp north of Los Angeles, took a chance on this “unchurched guy,”…

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Mission & Ministry

A cross-country gospel message

For three years, Mikah Meyer was consumed with one thing: visiting all 419 National Park Service sites in one trip. On April 29, he achieved his goal. “Everything I did…

A commitment to service
Faith in Action

A commitment to service

For First Lutheran, St. Paul, Minn., caring for people who don’t have a safe place to live or who are living in poverty is as important to its mission as…

Perspective: Our promise to baptized children
Faith in Action

Perspective: Our promise to baptized children

Here’s a familiar Sunday scene: Before worship begins, a baby wearing a white gown is passed around between parents, grandparents and godparents. Noticing the baptismal party, parishioners check the bulletin…

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Mission & Ministry

Legal advice offers hope

The ELCA Outreach Center in Kenosha, Wis., has worked with individuals and families since 1997, providing job search assistance, personal care programs, youth camps and more. One client’s need led…

Young adults claim camp as church home
Mission & Ministry

Young adults claim camp as church home

Editor’s note: “There are no young people here” is a common refrain as some worry about the future of the church. But young adults are indeed active across the ELCA…

Faith on the stage
Faith in Action

Faith on the stage

Mark Erson’s complex and innovative ministry can best be understood by a single photo he took in Edinburgh, Scotland, during a visit to the city’s famed artistic Festival Fringe. It’s…

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Faith in Action

The liturgical calendar through stained-glass windows

It’s not unusual to have a calendar on a wall, but the one facing worshipers at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn., is a colorful array of stained-glass windows outlining…

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Faith in Action

Fearfully and wonderfully made

Years ago, I experienced adverse reactions to various foods I’d eaten. My doctor took months to pinpoint the issue, and I lost a good amount of weight in the process….