wfn.org | ELCA Congregations and Ministries Are 'Engaging Tough Issues'

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 13, 2000

ELCA CONGREGATIONS AND MINISTRIES ARE 'ENGAGING TOUGH ISSUES'
00-216-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Engaging Tough Issues" is a training event the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will host Oct. 6-8 at the
Atchison Heritage Conference Center, Atchison, Kan.  Three different
workshop tracks -- two in English and one in Spanish -- will address
"talking about tough issues, organizing and acting together as Christian
congregations and ministries for witness to God's action in the world."
     "The whole church has tough issues, and we need ways to deal with
them," said the Rev. Ronald W. Duty, assistant director for studies,
ELCA Division for Church in Society.  "These workshops will give
congregations a couple of effective ways to deal with tough issues."
     Ana Cobiella-Olson will lead the Spanish-language workshop,
"Dialogando en Conjunto como Cristianos" or "Talking in Unity as
Christians."  It's designed to address the challenges of discussing and
acting on tough issues facing Hispanic ministries.  Participants will
receive the Spanish-language version of the ELCA resource, "Talking
Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues."
     Cobiella-Olson, Islamorada, Fla., is a sexual health educator and
consultant in private practice.  She serves on a working group of the
ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod to help the synod's congregations learn to
deal with tough issues together.
     The Rev. David L. Ostendorf, executive director, Center for New
Community, Oak Park, Ill., will lead "Revitalizing Church and Community:
An Introduction to Faith-Based Organizing."  The workshop will look at
ethical challenges facing Christians and consider ways to respond
through biblical reflection, discussion and organizing.  Participants
will receive the center's training manual.
     Ostendorf, a pastor of the United Church of Christ, works with
communities throughout the Midwest to educate, train and organize civic,
religious and community organizations to counter organized hate-group
activity.  The Center for New Community researches and monitors hate-group activity across the region.
     Patricia Taylor Ellison, associate director for research, Church
Innovations, St. Paul, Minn., will lead "Growing Healthier
Congregations: Or How to Talk Together When Nobody is Listening."  The
workshop is meant to help Christians discuss and act on tough issues
"from the perspective of faith and biblical discernment."
     Ellison holds a doctorate in adult education from the University
of Minnesota.  She developed the training materials for her workshop
with the Rev. Patrick R. Keifert, president of Church Innovations and a
professor of systematic theology at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
Participants will receive the Church Innovations tool kit.
     Keifert will address all participants on the topic of the
importance of engaging tough issues publicly for Christian ministries.
He authored "Welcoming the Stranger: A Public Theology of Worship and
Evangelism" and the "People Together" small-group ministry series.
     In 1997, the ELCA designated "Initiatives for a New Century,"
significant areas of ministry for the new century.  Leadership teams
were formed in 1998 to provide overall guidance for the work of
congregations, synods and the churchwide organization on each of the
initiatives.
     The leadership team "Witness to God's Action in the World: Moral
Deliberation and Community Renewal" organized the "Engaging Tough
Issues" workshops around three goals:
+ Learn helpful ways to talk together as Christians about tough ethical
or social issues facing congregations or ministries as a process for
discerning the Spirit together in local settings.
+ Develop new skills for faith-based organizing and action to talk about
and address tough issues or conditions challenging ministries or
communities.
+ Grow in the capacity to witness to God's action when dealing with
tough ethical and social issues in congregations, ministries or
communities.
-- -- --
     Detailed information about the workshop is available at
http://www.elca.org/dcs/growdiscmins.html on the ELCA Web site.

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