ELCA Churchwide

1120 of 192 items

IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

by Melissa VanTassell

    With the new tax reform increasing the standard deduction, many people will no longer find it beneficial to itemize their deductions and therefore not be able to deduct there charitable contributions. However, there is a tax strategy that is available to some of us. The IRA qualified charitable distribution (QCD) provides a way for donors […]

    A Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

    by Melissa VanTassell

      “In the Wilderness” In the Hebrew Bible the book of Numbers is called “In the Wilderness.” It starts with great hope. God delivered God’s people from Egypt, from bitter slavery, grinding toil and infanticide. What a delivery! The entire people—ancients, infants and everyone in between—escaped from one of the world’s superpowers, walked dry-shod through the […]

      LEAF Scholarship Fund

      by Melissa VanTassell

        The Foundation would like to remind our members that this scholarship fund is available from the Foundation to assist students who attend colleges associated with the ELCA. Scholarship applications are available in the church office for anyone from the congregation who is attending or contemplating attending a Lutheran Church school. We would also encourage contributions […]

        A Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

        by Melissa VanTassell

          “So Now What?” This month marks the 501st anniversary of the Reformation. Last year it was all Reformation all the time. It was our year! News, media and the public paid attention. Hundreds of Reformation-themed events took place. Documentaries were produced and joyful liturgies with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters were held. I have […]

          Quilts Are On Their Way!

          by Melissa VanTassell

            Thanks to your on-going generosity we were able to collect enough funds to ship every one of the 80 quilts that our quilters made this year! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank you to everyone who donated fabric and batting and to the talented individuals who assembled it into these warm quilts. Special […]

            A Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

            by Melissa VanTassell

              “Big Look at Small Catechism” Editor’s note: This is reprint of ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s column from July 2014. Just as she did at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly, Eaton encourages people to “dust off” their Small Catechism and take another look at the basics of our faith as we near the 500th anniversary of […]

              Quilt Blessing

              by Melissa VanTassell

                We will be displaying a sample of our finished Lutheran World Relief quilts in the Sanctuary next Sunday. Pastor Bond will offer a blessing for the quilts and those who will use them. The LWR Boxcar loading for the quilts will be held in Madison on October 13th. On the 7th, we will also be […]

                A Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

                by Melissa VanTassell

                  “We are the branches” Is it possible to be Lutheran and an ecumenist? Of course, the answer is yes. The ELCA has continued the work of our predecessor churches—the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, the American Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Church in America—all of which engaged in dialogues with other denominations. When the ELCA […]

                  A Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

                  by Melissa VanTassell

                    “Serving the Neighbor in Need” Editor’s note: This is a reprint of the June 2017 column from the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. These are politically charged times. This very sentence in the presiding bishop’s column is likely to raise eyebrows. Across this church I’ve heard stories of parishioners disturbed by […]