ELCA NEWS SERVICE June 22, 2009 ELCA to Engage in 50 Days of Prayer Leading to Churchwide Assembly 09-135-JB/ CD* CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has asked the church's 4.7 million members to pray and study Scripture for 50 days starting June 29, in preparation for the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The assembly is the ELCA's highest legislative authority and meets every two years. The 2009 assembly is in Minneapolis Aug. 17-23. The assembly will act on a proposed social statement on human sexuality, a recommendation on ministry policies and various churchwide program proposals. It will conduct elections and consider memorials (proposed at synod assemblies) and resolutions (proposed by voting members at the churchwide assembly). The proposed social statement and recommendation on ministry policies are sources of significant discussion within the church. Members are being asked to pray daily; meet in weekly groups, use daily Scripture readings for reflection, hymn and prayer, and use suggested petitions for prayers during worship. Resources are at http://www.ELCA.org/50days on the Web. "The resources are provided in a way that allows them to be used by individuals, in congregational groups such as Bible studies, youth groups or meetings, or even in larger gatherings," said the Rev. Robert G. Schaefer, executive for ELCA Worship and Liturgical Services. In an April 27 message to associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained clergy, Hanson said the idea for 50 Days of Prayer came from his own experiences and from people in the church. Hanson also met this spring with pastors who will preach during worship at the churchwide assembly. "The richness of the conversation reminded me how much I have missed the weekly text groups that have been so formative in my ministry," he said. Hanson said that the call to study and prayer comes "from the church's most fundamental and enduring practices of faith." The 2003 Churchwide Assembly overwhelmingly adopted an evangelism strategy that called the ELCA to pray for renewal grounded in Scripture. The 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago endorsed the "Book of Faith Initiative" calling the ELCA to study and learn Scripture, he noted. "Even when we are not of one mind about all the matters to be decided by the assembly, we have a marvelous opportunity as a church body to witness to the common source of our hope. In fact, an appropriate prayer may be that God use the diversity of our opinions to witness to one Lord, one faith and one Baptism," Hanson said. Hanson said that he looks forward "with confident hope" to the assembly. "The source of my confidence is ... God's faithfulness to God's promises and the Holy Spirit's power," he said. "This church has an opportunity to give public witness that we are a church united in evangelical mission for the sake of the world. I invite your prayers for the sake of that mission and the work of the churchwide assembly." The 50 Days of Prayer is also an opportunity for church members who are unable to attend the churchwide assembly to participate, Schaefer said. "We all can't be in Minneapolis this summer, but all can be together as one in prayer as part of this one expression of the Body of Christ." --- * Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog