Sponsoring a Refugee Family
What's involved in sponsorship of a refugee family? Hear from Samaritas New American Families specialists as well as members of Hope Lutheran's 2019-2020 Co-Sponsorship team regarding what is involved in sponsorship of a newly arriving refugee family: the commitments, the time frame, the preparation, the experience, the lasting results. This is the ideal workshop for those thinking of sponsorship as a church group, community group, or as an individual or simply curious how they can help support and welcome newly arriving refugees.
Defining Systemic Racism:
Why God is calling the church to fight.
We will deepen our understanding of institutional racism, engage in conversation, share in a Bible study and learn how God is calling the church to fight against the sin of institutional racism.
Making Worship Inclusive and Accessible across the Intersections
Moving from the knowledge that change needs to happen into specific strategies to create inclusive, welcoming, and affirming worship spaces and services for all of God’s Beloved.
2023 Justice Summit Workshops
Reconciling in Christ (RIC):
Our Congregation is Already Welcoming, Why do we need to say so?
The Reconciling In Christ (RIC) program recognizes Lutheran congregations, synods, organizations, colleges and seminaries that publicly declare their welcome and hospitality to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions.
Experienced lay leaders from our SEMI Synod Diversity Task Force will guide us through dialogue and conversation to answer specifically why it’s important to make public our welcome, what it means to be an RIC congregation and how to begin the RIC journey.
What is Food Justice
The Hunger Team wants to help us move beyond the food pantry and into policy and the effects of the intersections of race, class, gender, and other systems of oppression. If you're curious about digging deeper into the root causes of food insecurity, and exploring food Sovereignty (the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems) then this course is for you!."
Who are the immigrants?
Why are immigrants coming to the U.S. and where are they coming from? What is happening at the southern border? What rights do asylum seekers have? How do our immigration laws and policies impact families? Learn how you can support just and fair immigration laws. Find out how we work to accompany migrant minors in Michigan through the Guardian Angels program.
Ableism in the church: what is it, where is it, and how we use it against others.
Come participate in an honest conversation about the ways in which ableism permeates our church communities from the inside out. We'll also do some work together on finding simple (and perhaps not so simple) solutions we can bring back to our congregations that will begin the work of eradicating ableism from our lives, and the lives of those around us.
Living into our Values
This workshop, based on Brene Brown's work and led by FedUp Ministries staff, will help you explore questions about what you value individually and collectively and how your ministry can share those values with others. "Living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we practice them. We walk our talk—we are clear about what we believe and hold important, and we take care that our intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with those beliefs." Every church, ministry, and organizational leader will benefit from this type of introspective work.