As members of the body of Christ, we are called to serve our neighbors in response to God’s grace. “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, taking place September 8, is a chance to renew our commitment to love and to serve in and with our communities. We can make God’s love real by calling for justice in the public square.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)—one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Let LAMPa help your congregation take your service another step toward justice by adding your voices to the work of your hands. We can tailor education and advocacy opportunities to the service you are already doing in your community. We can also connect you with one of our issue networks for further engagement in an issue area where you are positioned to make an impact. Contact us here.

Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: That all of life in Jesus Christ—every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life—flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. 

A 2024 toolkit has been created to suggest ways you and your congregation might engage this day of service and include advocacy in service to neighbor as part of that engagement. You can find it here.

You can also use an advocacy-specific resource that includes a link to take action online on federal policy and a template for writing letters to legislators. We also encourage you to visit our LAMPa advocacy page to take action at the state level here in PA! LAMPa can provide you with templates for handwritten letters that staff can deliver in person to lawmakers. You can also sign up to receive our action alerts, news, and resources here.

For civic engagement as church in your context, please visit the ELCA Civic Engagement Guide. You can also visit the LAMPa resource “In a Pivotal State, Ways to Serve Our Neighbor in an Election Year.” The ELCA Advocacy blog also lists several resources for civic engagement in an election year like the one in which we find ourselves.

This year, in celebration of 50 years of ELCA World Hunger, congregations are invited to extend their service activities from Sunday, Sept. 8 through World Food Day on Oct. 16. This is also in recognition of the service that is already part of ministries and congregations across the church. “‘God’s work. Our hands.’ Every day.” Hunger ministries like those that have been part of ELCA World Hunger from its beginning are often a part of “God’s work. Our hands.” service across the Commonwealth, and they serve as a reminder of how advocacy for public policy is shaped by those ministries and how advocacy is crucial in working toward a world where all are fed. Our service and our advocacy are both informed by our learning, our listening, and our relationships.

The ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy” notes, “Over time Lutherans have learned that energetic civic engagement is part of their baptismal vocation, both as individuals and through the church’s corporate witness. Such civic participation is not simply voluntary, idealistic, or altruistic. The ELCA holds to the biblical idea that God calls God’s people to be active citizens and to ensure that everyone benefits from the good of government (Jeremiah 29:7, Romans 13: 1-7).”

Last year marked 10 years of “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday with the service day in September 2023. 

We look forward to “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday in September and invite you to share your plans with us at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org. In addition to our service, we live out our faith through our advocacy, and we would be happy to connect you with resources. 

You can find resources for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday here. You can also find resources, including for worship, here.

You can visit the event page on our calendar for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday here.