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Mission & Ministry

Women of purpose

Sarah Abendanon just bought a winter coat. “It is heavy, and I feel so big in it,” said the freshman at Augsburg College, Minneapolis. Used to the tropical weather of…
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Faith in Action

Ice cream evangelism

One Monday morning, Twila Schock, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Belvidere, Ill., was in for a pleasant surprise when she opened her work email. A mother wrote to thank her…
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Faith in Action

‘Gifts for Jesus’

Members of St. George Lutheran Church, Edinburgh, Ind., for years celebrated the gifts of the magi every Epiphany by offering their own gifts. Called “Gifts for Jesus,” members were invited…
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Faith in Action

Formerly jobless and better for it

A recession-forced exploration of vocation was life-changing.
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Faith in Action

Coloring for spirituality

Take a look at Amazon’s best-seller list and you might be surprised to find adult coloring books in the mix. While adult coloring is mostly being marketed as a balm…
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Faith in Action

LIRS hosts award gala

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service hosted the Walk of Courage Award Gala Oct. 28 at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. The event celebrated the journeys of people newly…
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Faith in Action

ELCA at papal mass

When throngs of the faithful gathered in Washington, D.C., for the papal mass Sept. 23 during Pope Francis’ U.S. visit, an ELCA organist was one of the participants. Joy-Leilani Garbutt…
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Faith in Action

Faith and politics

In an effort to deepen relationships and strengthen the intersection of faith and social issues, ELCA and Episcopal Church leaders met with more than 60 congressional offices in Washington, D.C.,…
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Mission & Ministry

Desire

When I ask people to describe their Christian faith, I typically hear them recite a list of religious ideas they believe. “I believe in God,” many will say. “I believe…
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Mission & Ministry

Fundraising via social media

One growing area of raising money is called “peer-to-peer fundraising.” This approach invites individuals or groups to support a cause by contributing to a giving goal. For example, you may…
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From The Presiding Bishop

Coming to grips with happiness

In her book Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World, Barbara Ehrenreich wrote about the relentless pressure she faced to be upbeat while undergoing treatment for…
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Faith in Action

The best professional development I never wanted

Like millions of others, I lost my job in 2009 due to the recession. After 17 years with an international aid organization, I believed on some level that I was…