wfn.org | Young Lutherans Imagine a World without Hunger in 'Taking Root'

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Title: Young Lutherans Imagine a World without Hunger in 'Taking Root'
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>March 25, 2009  

Young Lutherans Imagine a World without Hunger in 'Taking Root'
09-070-MRC

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Children, youth and teenagers can play
an active role in ending hunger.  The Rev. Stacy K. Johnson,
a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
hopes that young Lutherans understand that as Christians they
are called to work for an end to hunger in creative,
imaginative and faithful ways.

To help them understand their roles, Johnson spent two
years putting together "Taking Root" -- a new ELCA World Hunger
curriculum for children in grades 3-6, youth in grades 7-9 and
teens in grades 10-12.  Taking Root challenges students to
imagine a world without hunger.

The heart of the curriculum lies in the idea of
transformation, Johnson said.

"Hunger will not stop simply because people are told that
it must end.  Hunger will end when the human family changes the
way it understands hunger and defines it as unacceptable and
solvable," she said.

"Taking Root attempts to contribute to ending hunger by
helping people to imagine a world without hunger and then
consider the steps to transform that image into reality,"
Johnson said.

A mother of three children, Johnson said she wanted to
write a curriculum that would be engaging to kids, "not trite
or tired."  Taking Root makes a conscious effort to feature
projects that are engaging and offer lasting value, she said.

"Many hunger curricula teach about hunger, emphasizing
facts, figures and statistics.  Taking Root is different.
It seeks to focus on the deep, structural and attitudinal
reasons for hunger and the strategies that can end hunger,"
Johnson said.

Taking Root includes five sessions for each age group.
All groups share the same biblical texts and themes.  For
grades 3-6 and 7-9, "hunger newspapers" present ideas and
information about the root causes and root solutions of
hunger.  For senior high students, a "hunger notebook"
provides ideas and images for students to engage in the
reality of hunger and poverty.

Other components include leader guides, music,
children's literature and stories, videos that portray
five people who experience hunger and poverty, and art
projects.  Students will also examine hunger from an
African context.  Taking Root is meant to be used in
vacation Bible school, Sunday school, confirmation,
retreats, multigenerational settings and more.

"The curriculum is concerned with fostering a

lifelong commitment to faithful stewardship, not only
in terms of giving money, but understanding the ways
individuals and congregations are connected to relief
and development work," Johnson said.

David Creech, ELCA director for hunger education,
said trying economic times makes it difficult for
Americans to remember their abundance of blessings.

"In times like these God calls the church to be
the church.  Taking Root reminds us what that will look
like," he said.  Taking Root's "Bible studies, crafts
and activities remind us that poverty and hunger are not
God's ideal and that, as the church, as God's people, we
are called to strive with and on behalf of those who are
most vulnerable for a more just world."

Taking Root will be released formally in a celebration
April 29 at the Lutheran Center here.  The curriculum is
available through Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, the
publishing ministry of the ELCA.
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Information about ELCA World Hunger is at

http://tinyurl.com/d8gqz5 on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog