August 18, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. – The winners of the 2011 "What does it mean to live Lutheran?" video contest were announced Aug. 18 at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The video contest was featured on LivingLutheran.com, a multi-author blog site that "serves up a daily blend of culture, conversation and community" for ELCA members and friends.

There were two categories for entries: congregation and individual. The winners are:

• First place in the congregation category: "Be the change. Be the gospel. Freed in Christ to serve," House of the Rock, a ministry of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta. The first-place prize is a $3,000 ministry grant.

• First-place individual entry: "The everyday life," Katie Osweiler, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Woburn, Mass. The first-place winner receives a cash prize of $1,500.

• Second-place congregation entry: "Zion in Anoka, Minn. – Living Lutheran," Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, Minn. The second-place prize is a ministry grant of $1,500.

• Second-place individual entry: "Washed, wrapped and wading: Living Lutheran in western North Dakota," Western North Dakota Synod. The second-place winner receives a cash prize of $1,000.

• Third-place congregation entry: "Living Lutheran – creatures of His zoo," Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas. The third-place prize is a ministry grant of $500.

• Third-place individual entry: "Living Lutheran at 15," submitted by the Rev. Juli Lejman-Guy, of Grace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Ill. The third-place winner receives a cash prize of $250.

First- and second-place winners were judged on how well they met the contest criteria. Third-place winners received the most votes from registered users of LivingLutheran.com.

Speaking of their entry, the producers of the first-place congregation video explained, "We believe that religion and church are very relevant – maybe more than ever in this the 21st century. We are a congregation focused on ‘living Lutheran' through service to others as an outgrowth of our gratefulness to God for His grace given to all through Jesus our Lord."

Katie Osweiler wasn't sure how to describe her "Lutheran life" while waiting for her husband to return from a six-month military deployment. "It didn't seem that different than my everyday life. Perhaps, that's the point," she said. Osweiler placed first in the contest's individual category.

Odyssey Networks was the sponsor of the video contest.

The 2011 Churchwide Assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting Aug. 15-19 in Orlando. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Freed in Christ to Serve."

To view the winning videos, and all the contest entries, visit http://www.livinglutheran.com/contest/.

ELCA News Service