Dear friends in Christ,

"On behalf of the City of New York, I commend all those associated with the Lutheran Disaster Response for your compassion and concern for those most affected by the tragedy of September 11th... I am grateful you are reaching out to our City's young people and exploring ways to assist them in their grief."  These words are in a letter from New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg expressing thanks for the New Ground Day Camp at Our Saviour's Atonement Lutheran Church in Manhattan, one of thirty-eight such camps for children offered this summer in metropolitan New York and New Jersey.

I just returned from several days in New York, where, among many stops, I visited "New Ground" at Our Saviour's Atonement Lutheran Church.  I first wrote to you about "New Ground" last December, when a variety of Lutheran resource people came together to vision a ministry to the children traumatized by the September 11 attacks.  The core concepts of "Camp Noah" (a "kindergarten to sixth grade" program developed by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota for children affected by natural disasters) were expanded to meet the needs of the urban children in New York, New Jersey affected by the 9/11 human-caused disasters, and were broadened to include the age pre-school children and adolescents.  The theme is "Joseph's Journey."  "New Ground" is managed by Koinonia, a joint camp ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), based in Highland Lake, N.Y.  At each camp a counselor from the Lutheran Counseling Center (Mineola, !
New York) is on hand to provide mental health resources and extended help, if needed.

On the front of the church was a big banner welcoming neighborhood children.  Pastor Kathleen Koran was excited about the neighborhood response.  Of the children attending, two-thirds are not members of this congregation, and one-half are members of no congregation.  "New Ground is enabling our congregation to offer hope and new life in the name of the Lutheran church to the people of our community."  Anita, the mental health therapist, told me "the children are ready and willing to talk about 9/11."  What I observed was a balanced mix of faith activities, emotional support and fun.  The children see skits, sing songs, play games, make crafts, and hear Bible lessons.  They take home a "parent's journal" describing the days events and offering suggestions to continue the day's conversation with their children.  The story of Joseph's journey helped the children understand the themes of loss, sadness, and God's love.  Nancy Lustenring, the site coordinator, was thankful that th!
is small congregation in the upper northwest side of Manhattan could serve the community on behalf of the national church.

Your on-going support is making "New Ground" possible for hundreds of children these weeks to address their feelings of loss and sadness in the context of God's love and support.  "New Ground" will continue to be offered, and different ways of delivering it to children are in development.  A generous grant of $50,000 was presented to Lutheran Disaster Response by Florence A. Coppola, director of the United Church of Christ National Disaster Ministries Program.

The church through Lutheran Disaster Response continues to respond to other places as well.  LDR is also responding to the September 11th events in New Jersey and Washington D.C.  This past week LDR initiated responses to three new disasters:  to severe wind storms in South Dakota; to recent flooding in Nebraska; and to the mining rescue in southwest Pennsylvania.  In addition, LDR is presently coordinating flood responses in both Houston and south-central Texas; floods and tornadoes in Southern Illinois; fires in Arizona and Colorado; flooding in northern Minnesota and West Virginia/Virginia; tornadoes in Maryland; floods in upper Michigan; and storms/tornadoes in Mississippi.

I attended many other disaster response ministries in New York this week.  I will speak of them in my next New York update, as well as provide pertinent financial information.

The opportunity for the church to do ministry is great.  How can you help?  You can pray.  You can volunteer in areas of the country where repairs and rebuilding are needed.  You can support financially the coordinated efforts of the church.

This is a wonderful time for the church to be the church, and to reach out to others with the same love that God has reached out through Jesus Christ to love us.

ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response -- "September 11: Comfort and Renew"
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
   Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
   Credit card gifts via the web:
   www.elca.org/disaster;

LC-MS World Relief - "September 11: Comfort and Renew"
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-9810
   Credit card gift line: 1-888-930-4438.

Along with Mayor Bloomberg and the people of New York and New Jersey, I thank you for your compassion and concern, for your on-going interest and support in providing help and hope in the name of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on August 9, 2002, at 3:40 PM
  Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (Division for Church in Society),
  Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS)
  8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631   PHONE: 773-380-2719  FAX: 773-380-2493
Visit our website:  www.ldr.org