On April 9, the church commemorated Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, died 1945. Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who wrote profoundly, yet in an accessible manner. In the Second World War, he became a leader of the Confessing Church in Germany that resisted the Nazi movement. Linked to a plot to kill Hitler, he was hanged shortly before the end of the war.

We pray this prayer - for a time of conflict, crisis, and disaster: 

O God, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance. Where distrust twists our thinking, grant healing and illumination. Where spirits are daunted and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. (ELW p. 76)

Black Maternal Health Week

April 11 to April 17 is Black Maternal Health Week in Virginia. This is a great time to celebrate bills that passed the General Assembly to address the Black maternal health crisis, including four bills with strong bipartisan support, HB1130, SB118, HB781, and HB831

Click below to find events around Virginia to celebrate and commemorate this important week.

Click below to sign a petition encouraging the legislature to support unconscious bias training.

April is Autism Acceptance Month!

Including Autistic Children in Church

In this article from Faith+Lead, Kristin Thomas Sancken shares what her autistic daughter, Lucy, and the rest of their family experienced in congregational life and worship. The article provides more than just tips for being inclusive; it gives readers hope and a new perspective on hospitality and welcoming for autistic children and their families.

For this Autism Acceptance Month, we invite you to check out some resources provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here you will find a partner tool kit, access to studies, and social media content. How might your congregation come together to think beyond awareness and promote acceptance of our autistic siblings in Christ?

Holy Trinity, Wytheville’s Luther’s Lunch Bags - 

Supporting Minnick School Students

Imagine a small room in a small church, tucked away in a small town, where a dedicated group of individuals comes together to tackle a big issue: childhood hunger. This is the story of Luther's Lunch Bags, a mission initiated by the congregation at Holy Trinity to address food insecurity among local students. 

Approximately 90 percent of students at Wytheville Minnick School face the harsh reality of food insecurity, unsure if they'll have enough to eat over the weekend. This moved the members of Holy Trinity into action. Led by compassionate individuals like Janice Shriver and Lisa Alderman, they embarked on a journey to make a tangible difference in the lives of these students.

Since its inception in 2015, Luther's Lunch Bags has been providing weekend meals to students in need, ensuring they have nourishment during those critical days away from school. But their impact doesn't stop there. The group has integrated itself into the school community, offering support beyond just food — from landscaping to volunteering in classrooms, they've become an integral part of these students' lives.

Today, Luther's Lunch Bags serves around 50 students during the school year, and approximately 10 during summer school. Each student served costs about $210 for the academic year — a small price for the immense impact it has on these children.

You can support this mission to feed kids at the Minnick Schools by donating today.

Who Are the Arab Christians? 

ELCA Racial Justice Blog

(by guest writer Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras)

April 10, 2024

In observance of Arab American Heritage Month, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras to share her thoughts on this topic with our readers.

People in the West often assume that Arab Christians were converted from Islam to Christianity by Western missionaries. However, Arab Christians have always existed in the Middle East and have enjoyed significant influence in the Arabian Peninsula.

To understand Arab Christians, it helps to know the geography of the peninsula. Arabia, known as Jazīrat Al-ʿArab (“Island of the Arabs”) in Arabic, extends beyond present-day Saudi Arabia, encompassing the Arabian Peninsula (bordered by the Red Sea to the west), the Gulf of Aden to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf) to the east.

In sum, Christians in the conquered territories became Arabized when the Arabic language was imposed upon them. In other words, they are not Arabs by ethnic or race bound but by the Arabic language.

Read more of the Rev. Dr. Ibrahim Sarras’ article:

https://blogs.elca.org/elcaracialjustice/who-are-the-arab-christians-by-guest-blog-writer-rev-dr-niveen-ibrahim-sarras/ 

The Rev. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras was born and raised in Bethlehem, Palestine. She is the first Palestinian woman ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA. Her passion for the Bible started through attending Sunday school at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and attending Lutheran school in Bethlehem.