Title: ELCA Assembly Gives Away Faceted Glass Window
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 13, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY GIVES AWAY FACETED GLASS WINDOW
01-CWA63-LRJ

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America 2001 Churchwide Assembly placed colored-
glass pieces into a carton to put together a faceted glass window
for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Milton, Ky. The artwork was designed
by Dennis Roberts of IHS Studios Inc., Fredericksburg, Texas. The
window project was sponsored by the studio, the ELCA Division for
Outreach and 'Mission 2000' of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the
ELCA.
     The Churchwide Assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.
There are about 2,500 people participating, including 1,039 ELCA
voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making
Christ Known: Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     St. Peter church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996 in
rural northwestern Kentucky. The congregation had gone through a
decline in membership, subscribed to the ELCA transformational-
redevelopment workshops, signed the covenant to make changes, and is
now seeing a resurgence in membership. The congregation went from 22
worshiping members in April 1998, to an average of 55.
     "The choice of this congregation hoped to spotlight all
struggling congregations who are taking those steps to revitalize
their mission and ministry," said Marlys Waldo, director for mission
partners and outreach services, ELCA Division of Outreach.
     The window has 1,059 pieces of glass designed to fit a specific
spot in a heritage wooden church building. "This is somewhat
different from years past, when the window was going into a not-yet
designed building for a mission congregation. The designer had a
more complicated design and needed to simplify it to meet these
qualifications." explained Waldo.
     Waldo continued, "When the Rev. Matthew Young, pastor at St.
Peter, first announced being the chosen congregation for the gift of
the window, a thrilled visitor was attending the service from the
congregation who received the fifth biennial churchwide assembly's
window six years ago, Feast of Victory Lutheran, Acme, Michigan."
     Young addressed the assembly, "I've been watching you for the
last few days from my computer at home and thought, 'please, do not
let there be anything controversial about this window.'"
     "This window will stand as a witness and a testimony to the
interconnectedness we all share in our baptisms into Christ, the many
pieces representing the mixture of people found within our Church,
all flowing out into the world with the cross of Christ as the
center. The Church is much more than all of us. It is not about us
at all, but it is about God," said Young.
     The designer Dennis Roberts contributed his time and materials
for the window. Roberts owns IHS Studios, an art studio specializing
in the custom design, fabrication and installation of architectural
glass and artwork.
     "We gave a duplicate piece of glass to each person who put a
piece in the window, to put that piece in a visible place as a
reminder to pray for Pastor Young and this congregation, that their
ministry be encouraged and strengthened and once again it can be a
strong center for mission," continued Waldo.
-- -- --
Information about assembly actions is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded
updates during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html