ELCA World Hunger Celebrates 50 years of Ministry!

Dear Grace Family,

Since 1974 hundreds of thousands of generous people from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church have contributed more than $650 million dollars to support ELCA World Hunger. This year marks 50 years since this work began and still there is more to do. ELCA World Hunger shares that “together we have made great strides against hunger and poverty, providing food to meet immediate needs while equipping communities to foster long-term change through access to education and quality health care, sustainable solutions in agriculture, and advocacy for just laws that make ending hunger possible.”

This is Gospel ministry that ELCA World Hunger does; Jesus said: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” (Matthew 25)

And this is the Gospel ministry that we participate in here at Grace. Grace is one of the largest contributors to ELCA World Hunger in the entire ELCA. You may recall that each first Sunday of the month at our ONE Worship Services we take up a loose change offering for ELCA. These small bits of loose change really add up to making a huge impact just like the Widow's Mite from Luke 21.

As we set out into this new year we will be celebrating with our friends and ministry partners in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger and the most important work that they do. We will continue to collect money for ELCA World Hunger on the first Sunday of the month. We will gladly accept additional donations for this important work, and we will be inviting a speaker to come from ELCA World Hunger to celebrate with us and to share more about this important work. We also have sisters and brothers in our pews who have helped get ELCA World Hunger started and who have brought this ministry here to our Grace Family. All this we will be doing throughout the year, and we ask you to join with us in this celebration and this work of Jesus!

Pastor Jonathan Schnibben