God’s work. Our hands. 

It’s exciting to point to all the ways that one congregation, Grace Church, North Tonawanda, is living out these words. A recent church newsletter highlighted all the ways in recent months that the hands at Grace have been doing God’s work. 

For example:

• 140 health kits assembled for migrant workers in Niagara County
• 83 hats and 16 blankets knitted and crocheted for at-risk babies around the world through Global Health Ministries
• over 35 shoeboxes of gifts and $400 for Operation Christmas Child, so children not only get Christmas gifts but also receive story books about Jesus’ birth and a connection to a Christian faith community
• 2 members of Grace spending a week’s vacation in Mississippi with Thrivent to rebuild a home destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
• a community food drive for the Food Pantry
• over 20 Grace disciples who participated in the CROP Walk to help those in hunger and poverty
• over $700 raised through chowder and a brunch for brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe
• $600 raised through the rummage sale for Community Mission in Niagara Falls, the children of Compassion International developmentally disabled youth and adults through Lutheran Service Society
• visiting and care for those who are sick

In telling this story, Pastor Janet Griffiths writes:

"And this is just in the past two months! "

"If we looked back over the entire year, I could show you many more ways Grace has been reaching out with hands of love to be a part of God’s work here in North Tonawanda and around the globe. And what makes it so exciting is that it has involved so many of you, from children in Sunday School to those who are homebound. "

When God’s work is being done with our hands, we are living our mission to be resurrection people who pray first, walk together and change lives. It’s that simple!

One of the strong signs of resurrection hope in the Upstate New York Synod is our work in Candidacy.  When people sense a call from God the Candidacy Committee works with them over a period of time to discern whether they have the appropriate gifts for leadership in this church at this time. The Candidacy Committee shepherds potential candidates through the entrance process, nurtures and encourages them while studying at seminary and after much evaluation and lots of hard work, rejoices with them when they are approved and then become available for their first call.

In January 2010 we had 14 candidates and 7 of their spouses meet with the Candidacy Committee.  This was the largest event in several years and we are delighted with the quality of the candidates.  We have 30 candidates who have been approved for entrance (the first step in the process) and there are 30 more with whom we’ve had some contact.  Upstate New York Synod students are attending 7 of the 8 ELCA Seminaries. 

In January we rejoiced as 3 seminary seniors were approved – they are Krista Zimmermann from Transfiguration, Irondequoit is a senior at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.  Shawn and Scott Hannon from First, Jamestown are seniors at Southern Seminary in Columbia, S. Carolina. We will continue to pray for them as they work their way through the Assignment Process for First Call. 

Candidacy is one of the best examples of our partnership with the whole church.  We walk together with the Vocation and Education Unit, the 8 ELCA Seminaries as well as congregations to prepare those who will lead this church into the future.

Those being prayed for in the pictures:

Above: Krista Zimmermann, below left: Scott Hannon and below right: Shawn Hannon.

From ELCA.org

Many are familiar with the tradition of giving something up during Lent. Last year, Pastor Steve Biegner of Zion Lutheran Church in Clarence Center, N.Y., decided to add something to his Lenten tradition. For 40 days, he stopped drinking coffee. And in its place, he gave whatever money he normally spent to support ELCA World Hunger.

“What does giving up coffee have to do with my relationship with God?” Pastor Steve asked. “Nothing. But focusing on the problem of hunger does. It helps ‘enlighten my eye’ to the ongoing problem.”

He placed a large, empty pickle jar outside the sanctuary of his church and asked others to join him. Each day, members of the congregation would sacrifice their favorite morning beverage and save the money they would have spent. By Easter Sunday, the pickle jar was full of donations to help end hunger and poverty.

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For resources to help your congregation remember those who are hungry and living in poverty this Lenten season visit http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/ELCA-World-Hunger/Resources/For-Congregations/Lent.aspx.