wfn.org | Lutherans Approach the Holiday Season with 'Good Gifts'

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Lutherans Approach the Holiday Season with 'Good Gifts'
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>November 17, 2008  

Lutherans Approach the Holiday Season with 'Good Gifts'
08-193-MRC

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) is offering consumers the opportunity for one-stop
shopping this holiday season with exclusive gifts that not only
support the mission and ministry of the church but that are
designed to help change lives around the world and close to home.

"ELCA Good Gifts," the church's 2007-2009 giving catalog,
features 32 pages of gift ideas designed to end world hunger,
invest in future leadership, share the gospel, bring relief after
disaster, support domestic and international ministries, and
support the ELCA Vision for Mission fund.

A gift of $200 can support the establishment of a community
vegetable garden in Mexico, and a $10 donation to the ELCA World
Hunger and Disaster Appeal might provide a family with 10 chicks
or a fruit tree seedling.  A gift of $50 helps develop a youth-
focused Bible study, and an $883 gift could support a young adult
in global mission for a month.

To date about "7,200 donors have responded to this catalog
with about 9,500 gifts, totaling more than $2 million," said
Laury Rinker, coordinator for marketing, ELCA Foundation and
Development Services.  Rinker said Lutherans can also give online
at http://www.ELCA.org/goodgifts through ELCA Good Gifts.  Many
of the ministries featured in the catalog are supported through
regular Sunday morning offerings, she said.

"ELCA Good Gifts make great gifts for friends and family
this holiday season.  When a gift is made in honor of a loved
one a variety of personalized e-cards or printable gift cards can
be found on the Good Gifts Web site, making it easy to tell
others about what you have done," said Rinker.  The catalog
includes "tribute cards" to announce gifts.

Ten pages of the catalog are devoted to projects that focus
on ending hunger, said Sue Edison-Swift, communication director,
ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal.

"ELCA Good Gifts to combat hunger -- animals, agriculture,
water, training and education, and more -- represent the
comprehensive, connected and compassionate efforts funded by
donations to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal," she said.  "They make
a life-saving difference for neighbors around the world and close
to home," said Edison-Swift, who traveled to Malawi and South
Africa in October to observe projects supported by the ELCA World
Hunger Appeal.

"Samuel/Chakwela village in Malawi is an example of the
integrated, comprehensive and self-determined nature of effective
development," she said.  "Borehole wells, a seed bank,
reforestation and tree seedling efforts, and animals including
goats, pigs and chickens.  It all works together.  It's 'God's
Global Barnyard' in its fullness, in action."

"Once one of the poorest villages in Malawi, Samuel/Chakwela
will soon be able to pass on the precious gifts of animals and
seeds to another village.  These gifts keep on giving," said
Edison-Swift.
- - -

Information about the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal
is at http://www.ELCA.org/hunger 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