wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Invited to Network Electronically

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 11, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY INVITED TO NETWORK ELECTRONICALLY
01-CWA39-LS

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Ministry happens online for Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) members. Paul Edison-Swift, director
for resources and information, ELCA Department for Communication, told
participants in the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly how Lutherans use the
World Wide Web for ministry.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     Edison-Swift presented his report in a video that showed a real-time 
e-mail conversation with his wife Sue Edison-Swift, assistant
director for colleges and universities, ELCA Division for Higher
Education and Schools.
     Web ministry is a part of an ELCA initiative to "Strengthen One
Another in Mission." Final reports on each of the seven initiatives,
launched by the ELCA in 1997, are being presented at this assembly.
     Paul Edison-Swift said three things happened because of the
initiative. Online discussion grew, Web conferences were created and an
ELCA-wide Web search engine was implemented, he said.
     The ELCA's computer communication network, LutherLink, is
available through Ecunet, which is a nonprofit online Christian computer
network.  LutherLink allows subscribers to have online discussions via
standard e-mail, Edison-Swift said. There are more than 3,000 members,
he said, and about 200 have joined since Aug. 4.  His goal is to have a
LutherLink subscriber from each of the ELCA's nearly 11,000
congregations.
     Online discussions help Lutherans share ideas in ministry, Edison-
Swift said. "LutherLink is full of stories," he said. A pastor in Alaska
found resources for dealing with a suicidal teen and a resource center
director discerned her call with others online, Edison-Swift said.
     Webboard conferences are the second part of the initiative's
success story, Edison-Swift said. This tool allows live online chats,
like those used at a recent ELCA Youth Gathering.
     Finally, initiative team members have expanded the ELCA's Web
research abilities. "On the ELCA Web site we index every word on every
page of sites at all ELCA institutions," Edison-Swift said. According to
Edison-Swift, there are more than 107,000 pages.
-- -- --
     Information about assembly action is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded updates
during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html