October 4, 2005

CHICAGO – Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have set a creative example for gift giving with a purpose. Through "ELCA Good Gifts," Lutherans can honor a family or friend's anniversary, birthday or other special occasion with a gift that also supports the vital and varied ministries of the church.

"ELCA Good Gifts: The Giving Catalog of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" is a 2005-2007 catalog featuring exclusive gift ideas designed to support a particular ministry of the church. A $10 gift can support a child for one month at a church-based after school program; a $1,000 gift provides training in quality control and organic production for 100 fair- trade coffee farmers in Nicaragua.

The 32-page catalog paints a picture of the many domestic and global ministries of the ELCA, said Kathleen Hetland, associate director, ELCA Vision for Mission.

Illustrating the five strategic directions of the ELCA churchwide organization, the catalog is divided into five sections: "Congregations: Building up the Body of Christ;" "Leadership: Raising Up Faithful Leaders;" "Witness: ELCA World Hunger Appeal;" "Evangelism: Telling the Good News;" and "Global Mission: Walking with other People of Faith." Each section features stories and information on how Lutherans are living out the directions, along with opportunities to honor family and friends with gifts that support the church's ministries.

The catalog includes a gift card that can be clipped out, wrapped up in a small box or inserted in a birthday or greeting card "to indicate you've made a gift in someone's name," said Hetland. Sending an "e-card" at – http://www.ELCA.org/ecards/ – on the Internet is another possibility to announce that a gift has been made, she said.

The catalog features a special children's "mini-catalog." A $1 gift provides meals for a child involved in a disaster, and a $30 gift provides one month of care for an orphan or an abandoned street child.

The catalog also contains information on Vision for Mission. Established by the 1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Vision for Mission supports global and domestic mission through "celebrative giving." Vision for Mission allows for direct support from individual members of the ELCA through gifts used for current operations or as an endowment.

"Next door and around the around the world, our commitment to life-changing ministry enriches us spiritually as we make a difference in the lives of our global neighbors," wrote the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, in the catalog. Hanson also serves as president of the 66-million-member Lutheran World Federation.

ELCA Good Gifts combines the former "Response: Gift Giving Catalog of the ELCA" and the "ELCA World Hunger Alternative Giving Ideas Catalog." The catalog is available from Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, the publishing ministry of the ELCA, and at http://www.ELCA.org/goodgifts/ on the Internet after Oct. 15.

ELCA News Service