Thursday, May 22, 2008
So... let's talk!
Maybe you're a member of Bethany. Maybe you're a friend of the congregation. Either way, we'd be interested in hearing how the fact that you have a Bethany connection has helped your journey of faith. Post a comment and let us... and the whole world... know!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Bishop Ullestad Offers Postville Ideas
In consultation with Pastor Steve Brackett, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Lutheran Disaster Response, Bp. Steve Ullestad of the Northeastern Iowa Synod makes these requests:
1. Continue to lift up the people of Postville in your prayers. Quite probably, hundreds of families will be relocated with the possibility of many people being imprisoned for an extended period of time. Families and friends are suffering tremendous loss and grief. The long term implications for these families as well as the impact on the schools and businesses of Postville are significant.
2. We are developing a list of Spanish speaking pastors to assist with communication. These pastors will be called on as needed.
3. We are inviting Bethany and other congregations to engage in a conversation on immigration. The following links may assist in your conversation. I am also attaching comments that I made at an immigration rally held in Dubuque in August of 2006.
ELCA message on immigration:
www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Messages/Immigration.aspx
Article by Bishop Mark S. Hanson
http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=7019
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services website
http://www.lirs.org/
4. Please make a gift to support the ministries of the church and the families who have been directly affected by this crisis. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), in consultation with Bp. Ullestad, has designated this crisis as a human disaster. LDR will be working with St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville and other community service organizations to provide immediate and long term support. You can help by making a gift to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, with a note or memo indicating your gift is designated to Postville. Gifts may be sent directly to Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631-4101.
1. Continue to lift up the people of Postville in your prayers. Quite probably, hundreds of families will be relocated with the possibility of many people being imprisoned for an extended period of time. Families and friends are suffering tremendous loss and grief. The long term implications for these families as well as the impact on the schools and businesses of Postville are significant.
2. We are developing a list of Spanish speaking pastors to assist with communication. These pastors will be called on as needed.
3. We are inviting Bethany and other congregations to engage in a conversation on immigration. The following links may assist in your conversation. I am also attaching comments that I made at an immigration rally held in Dubuque in August of 2006.
ELCA message on immigration:
www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Messages/Immigration.aspx
Article by Bishop Mark S. Hanson
http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=7019
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services website
http://www.lirs.org/
4. Please make a gift to support the ministries of the church and the families who have been directly affected by this crisis. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), in consultation with Bp. Ullestad, has designated this crisis as a human disaster. LDR will be working with St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville and other community service organizations to provide immediate and long term support. You can help by making a gift to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, with a note or memo indicating your gift is designated to Postville. Gifts may be sent directly to Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631-4101.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
How to help folks in Postville
This afternoon Pastor Steve Brackett of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville sent out a short e-mail to area pastors regarding the situation in Postville. He reports that St. Bridget's Catholic Church has become a sanctuary for several people. St. Paul LC is helping to house, feed people, helping them find family members, and seeking legal aid. His suggestion is to send financial donations to St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministry Fund.
St. Bridget's Catholic Church
135 W. Williams
PO Box 369
Postville, IA 52162
Along with your prayers for people on all sides of this difficult situation, your gifts will be appreciated.
St. Bridget's Catholic Church
135 W. Williams
PO Box 369
Postville, IA 52162
Along with your prayers for people on all sides of this difficult situation, your gifts will be appreciated.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Postville Under the Gun
It's hard to know what to think about all the stories coming out of Postville. Iowa this evening. Television news provides their story, but is it the real story? Not surprisingly, lots of reports floating in the fog of a homeland security / ICE raid.
Do you have any first-hand accounts of what's going on? Let the world know - and we'd be glad to hear, too.
Do you have any first-hand accounts of what's going on? Let the world know - and we'd be glad to hear, too.
A Blog is Born
Greetings, Bloglings!
This blog is being put-together in the hopes that it will be a vehicle for members and friends of Bethany Church in Elkader to share information, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perspectives on matters that relate to faith and life.
We'll try to include matters of interest to bloggers of all ages - from local to global - and welcome YOU and YOUR best thoughts whenever you'd like to share them. Or not. ;-)
Feel free to share as much as you want - or as little. And let's all do our best to make this a new kind of Christian community - a community that reflects the best of the faith that God has put into us!
Pastor Jim Klosterboer
Bethany Church
Elkader
This blog is being put-together in the hopes that it will be a vehicle for members and friends of Bethany Church in Elkader to share information, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perspectives on matters that relate to faith and life.
We'll try to include matters of interest to bloggers of all ages - from local to global - and welcome YOU and YOUR best thoughts whenever you'd like to share them. Or not. ;-)
Feel free to share as much as you want - or as little. And let's all do our best to make this a new kind of Christian community - a community that reflects the best of the faith that God has put into us!
Pastor Jim Klosterboer
Bethany Church
Elkader
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