Here is the Mission Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.
Here are the mission and vision statements of the denomination, joined together:
Vision Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:Claimed by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we are a new creation through God’s living Word by the power of the Holy Spirit; Gathered by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we will live among God’s faithful people, hear God’s Word, and share Christ’s supper; Sent by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we will proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, serve all people following the example of our Lord Jesus, and strive for justice and peace in all the world.
Here are the strategic directions of the ELCA's churchwide organization, which is but one expression of this church. (The other two are synods and congregations.) Here are the Strategic Directions for the Churchwide Organization: Claimed, gathered, and sent by God's grace for the sake of the world, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in and through its churchwide expression will:
• Support congregations in their call to be faithful, welcoming, and generous, sharing the mind of Christ;
• Assist members, congregations, synods, and institutions and agencies of this church to grow in evangelical outreach;
• Step forward as a public church that witnesses boldly to God's love for all that God has created; • Deepen and extend our global, ecumenical, and interfaith relationships for the sake of God's mission; and
• Assist this church to bring forth and support faithful, wise, and courageous leaders whose vocations serve God's mission in a pluralistic world.
These strategic directions are offered with profound gratitude for the outpouring of gifts the Holy Spirit gives to members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.In the course of implementing each of these strategic directions, the churchwide organization must and will:
1. Encourage, welcome, and depend upon the lively and creative exchange of resources and ideas throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;
2. Recognize and encourage the vital contributions and deepening relationship with institutions and agencies of this church and with Lutheran, ecumenical, and interfaith partners;
3. Confront the scandalous realities of racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, age, gender, familial, sexual, physical, personal, and class barriers that often manifest themselves in exclusion, poverty, hunger, and violence; and
4. Pursue ardently the ELCA's commitment to becoming more diverse, multicultural, and multi-generational in an ever-changing and increasingly pluralistic context, with special focus on full inclusion in this church of youth, young adults, and people of color and people whose primary language is other than English.
A Volunteer will be primarily responsible to represent and support the work of the Justice for Women program and the Theological Discernment Team in the Office of the Presiding Bishop. They will work with external and internal partners to plan and coordinate meetings and events with a wide range of partners across the ELCA and this church's partners. They will coordinate with colleagues to support gender justice through various media and public efforts. They will process invoices, file, prepare materials for archives, proofread and edit materials, and otherwise support the efforts of the Theological Discernment Team, which includes Theological Ethics. They will gain knowledge in and contribute to conversations in feminist, womanist, Latina, and mujerista theologies, gender studies, and Lutheran theology.