What's Happening Now...
Join the $1 per Lutheran Campaign!
Bishop Gomez has challenged each Lutheran in El Salvador to give $1 in support of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church Pastors Endowment Fund. The Salvadorans have set a goal of collecting $20,000 over the next year. During the first few months of 2012, the Greater Milwaukee Synod has raised about $3000 for the fund. We recently learned that during that same time, Lutherans in El Salvador raised $2165! Bishop Gomez recently presented the funds for deposit into the ELCA Foundation account. |
Many new resources have been developed to promote and The ENDOWMENT FUND and the $1 per Lutheran Campaign. Funds may be donated by individuals or by congregations and sent by check made out to "Greater Milwaukee Synod" El Salvador Endowment on the memo line) or donated online. (Click on "donate now" and scroll down to the El Salvador options). Our synod then sends the fund to the ELCA Foundation, where the endowment fund is held.
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MISSIONS OF HEALING 2013
A group of more than 30 leaders from the Salvadoran Lutheran Church and the Greater Milwaukee Synod met following the Mission of Healing 2012 to develop strategies for future missions. Beginning in 2013, Missions of Healing will be coordinated by Micro-Region. The Greater Milwaukee Synod has sister relationships in 3 of the 5 Micro-Regions (Northern, Central/South Central and Eastern) and is committed to providing support for 3 missions. A GMS Mission of Healing Roundtable has been established to coordinate the 3 missions. Participation in the Roundtable is open, meeting dates are listed on the calendar below. For more information, contact the Roundtable Coordinator.
Missions of Healing 2013 Resource Page
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Disaster Relief Report
The Greater Milwaukee Synod raised almost $11,000 for disaster relief following the October 2011 tropical storm and severe flooding. Thank you to all of the congregations and individuals who contributed! Families were provided with emergency food aid, and then with seed. The replacement crops produced a harvest which has helped to prevent widespread hunger. Updates will continue to be posted on the Disaster Response Page.
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GMS El Salvador Committee Publications...
- GMS El Salvador Committee Brochure (New in 2012!)
- GMS El Salvador News March 2011
- GMS El Salvador News October 2010
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What we do...
Whether we are working to grow church to church relationships or our companion relationship with the Salvadoran Lutheran Church as a whole, we use the accompaniment model of walking together. We work closely with the Sister Parish Office and Micro-Region leaders of the SLC, coordinating all of our visits and interactions with broad and transparent communication.
The GMS El Salvador Committee strives to develop resources which are helpful to churches within our synod and througout the global community of folks who have a heart for the people of El Salvador. This is one of the reasons we have developed this web site. The committee hosts educational events (such as La Fiesta and Movie Discussion NIghts), provides resources and guest speakers to congregations, provides coordination and guidelines for sharing of monetary gifts, promotes development initiatives of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church and Comunidad Rutilio Grande, and encourages advocacy.
There are all kinds of amazing relationships and accompaniment activities which are happening within our synod. Many of these are taking place within the sister church relationships and are recorded in stories and photos within the links on the church-to-church page on this site.
The Greater Milwaukee Synod El Salvador Committee typically meets on the third Monday of each month in the synod office conference room. Meetings are open to all who would like to attend.
GMS El Salvador Commttee Calendar of Events
- January 21, 2013 - Committee Meeting - Synod Office - 7:00 pm
- February 18, 2013 - Committee Meeting - Synod Office - 7:00 pm
- March 9, 2013 - Romero Workshop - St. Mary's Catholic Church, New Berlin - 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
UPCOMING DELEGATION VISITS
- Northern Micro-Region Mission of Healing - February 2-10, 2013
- Central/South Central Micro-Region Mission of Healing - February 2013
- St. Peter Sheboygan Sister Church Visit - March 2013
- Greater Milwaukee Synod Learning Delegation - A Trip for Newbies - June 19-27, 2013
- Sister Church Visit - St. John's ELCA Brookfield - August 2-10(tentative)