International Mission

Global Mission Sunday – October 6th, 2019

University Evangelical Lutheran Church (UELC) – Gainesville, FL

Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) -

Churchwide Global Activities

  • 135 Missionaries to 42 countries, including 21 new missionaries in 2018: Invited by companion churches & sponsored by the ELCA
  • What do they do?
  • Educators: 55 as teachers, professors & trainers
  • Administrators: 27 as program facilitators & communicators
  • Parish Ministry: 25 as pastors, interns & worship assistants
  • Health Professionals: 8 as doctors & health care coordinators
  • YAGM: 14 as coordinators for Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM). Since 1999, 925 young adults have served with YAGM. 30% of YAGM alumni go into seminary, 50% work in non-profit organizations, 60% get involved in advocacy & justice work

Companion-Synod Relationships

  • ELCA synods participate in nearly 120 relationships with international companions that extend bilateral relationships between the ELCA and Lutheran church bodies in other countries, as an expression of the communion fellowship among the 145 member churches of The Lutheran World Federation

UELC’s Global Outreach:

  • Continuing Sponsorship of Children at the Village of Hope, in Haiti. We have consistently sponsored over 20 children each year, for each of the past 12 years
  • Participation in the FBS’s Global Mission Committee and it’s Haiti Task Force (HTF) sub-committee
  • Mission Share to the FBS FBS to Churchwide

Florida-Bahamas Synod (FBS) Outreach to Companion Churches

  • CUBA: United Evangelical Church – Lutheran Synod(Iglesia Evangélica Unida - Sínodo Luterano) (IEU-SL) in Santiago, Cuba. Most Pastors in the IEU-SL are females who speak limited English. FBS will make an immersion visit in December 2019 focused on strengthening the Companion relationship
  • Guyana-Suriname: Group from FBS currently visiting these Companion Churches (ELCG (Guyana): Sept. 29 – Oct. 03 & ELKS (Suriname): Oct. 4-6). Visit focused on opportunities for strengthening the Companion Churches
  • Haiti: FBS’s Haiti Task Force is actively supporting several projects identified by the Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne D’Haiti (ELCH) or (ELH)
  • Jamaica: FBS’s Companion Relationship is with the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI), Mona Campus, University of the West Indies (UWI). A Team from FBS visited the UTCWI in January 2019 to explore ways of strengthening the Companion Relationship

 

Other Outreach Beyond Our Borders:  

The title of the Lazarus Project  refers to the New Testament character Lazarus. In chapter 11 of the Gospel of St. John, Lazarus is raised from the dead by Jesus after having been entombed for four days. Otherwise, nothing in the film's plot parallels the New Testament story; in fact, the film's protagonist rebels against those who "raised" him from the dead, something inconceivable for the character Lazarus.

ULC members sponsor 22 children at the Village of Hope School villageofhopehaiti as part of the Lazarus Project.

Thank you for the support for the Village of Hope Christmas Project. A $120 check was sent to VOH to purchase 120 boxes of Jumbo Crayons.   An additional $155 was donated and this money is going to help with the LIFT sponsorship of their child.

A check for $6,720.00 was sent to VOH in June representing the 23 children that are sponsored through UELC. Another check will be sent at the end of the year with donations of members who pay monthly.
The following is from the thank you letter that was sent to UELC from VOH:
"The prayers and support of Village of Hope student sponsors make a difference in the lives of many people in Haiti. We are able to offer quality Christian education to over 600 students. We are working to fight malnutrition, provide better health, and offer dental and eye care for students and staff. Dedicated teachers, staff, mission team members, and volunteers enable us to keep administrative costs to a minimum so that we can focus on maintaining excellence in our Christian Education and Health Ministry."
"Most important, we depend on the support of caring Christians who know that through all of us, God can make a difference in Haiti."
Sponsorships can begin at any time during the year. Contact Janet Janke, UELC Lazarus Project Coordinator, for information.

Sponsorships at the Village of Hope provide a child with a Christian education, uniforms, two meals each school day, and dental and medical care.

The cost to sponsor one child is $480 a year. This can be paid annually, quarterly, or monthly at $40 a month. Another option is for two or three people to share a sponsorship of a child.

Checks should be made out to University Lutheran Church and put in your offering envelope with the notation "Lazarus Project" on the special gift line and also on the memo line of your check. Your contribution will be reflected on your UELC statement of giving.

Watch the progress on the poster in the Narthex. As sponsorships are renewed a "smiley face" will appear on the large heart. Let's continue to try to match or beat last year number of 22 sponsorships!

For additional information contact Janet Janke, Lazarus Project Coordinator at University Lutheran Church, at 372-8610