Mission Support Memo: February 2023

Storytelling Engagement

Cookies Abound

A story from our La Crosse Area Synod

Wednesday may be a slump day for some, but at the La Crosse LuMin Lutheran Campus it’s all about grace through free cookie Wednesday. Want a cookie? Take a cookie! They just give out cookies to make folks’ day better — no strings attached.

As he’s giving out the cookies, it’s not unusual for Pastor Ben Morris to be asked, “Where do the cookies come from?” The answer is Lutheran grandmas up in the bluffs and hills made them with real butter and real love. Each week congregations throughout the La Crosse Area Synod drop off 500 cookies to be given away. Pastor Ben says, “It’s like manna in the wilderness; there always seems to be enough,” and these cookies taste better.

LuMin La Crosse is a place to gather in worship, connect to study, grab a cup of coffee, share a family style meal, sit in prayer, make bread for the women’s shelter, take walks together and explore places afar in service to others. They advocate for others, share space with multicultural student groups, proudly display the pride flag and mostly reconnect with humanity and each other. Oh, and give out cookies!

Like all ELCA LuMin campus ministry sites across our synods, this ministry happens because congregations share food — yes, cookies — and also through Mission Support that is shared with our synods and churchwide organization to support these vital, transformative, grace-filled ministries with students. Mission Support is just one way campus ministry is funded, so learn more, pray for them, donate or connect with your local campus ministry by checking out luminelca.org.

Engage with Us

Join us Tuesday, April 18, for a MISSION SUPPORT STORYTELLING gathering, with sessions on Zoom at 12:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Central time.

We are offering the session twice, so choose the time that works best for you and come ready to engage in our Mission Support stories as well as share your own Mission Support stories!

LuMin La Crosse is a place to gather in worship, connect to study, grab a cup of coffee, share a family style meal, sit in prayer, make bread for the women’s shelter, take walks together and explore places afar in service to others. They advocate for others, share space with multicultural student groups, proudly display the pride flag and mostly reconnect with humanity and each other. Oh, and give out cookies!

Like all ELCA LuMin campus ministry sites across our synods, this ministry happens because congregations share food — yes, cookies — and also through Mission Support that is shared with our synods and churchwide organization to support these vital, transformative, grace-filled ministries with students. Mission Support is just one way campus ministry is funded, so learn more, pray for them, donate or connect with your local campus ministry by checking out luminelca.org/.

Grateful

Being thankful for one another and for our relationships as church together is so vital and important. The power of these relationships within the three expressions and across the many partners of the ELCA allow us to engage in one another’s ministry through stories, collaborations, gatherings and of course through our collective Mission Support.

We are excited that we will be, again, creating a Mission Support Memo monthly to connect you across our wider church. We hope that you will find each story engaging, that you will consider engaging with us in gatherings and conversations, and of course that we will continue our relationships that make us all stronger together.

We plan to share more Mission Support details from 2022 with you in our March and April memos, so please keep an eye out for that.

Blessings from your Churchwide Mission Support Team,

Victoria Flood - Senior Director for Mission Support, Nick Kiger - Director for Mission Support, Karen Kretschmann - Coordinator for Storytelling Engagement