May 1, 2020
“Christians are called to be stewards of our common life through serving as faithful and active citizens. We live out our mutual responsibility for one another by guaranteeing our neighbor’s right to vote and participate freely and fully in society.” — The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA For many of us, voting,...
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May 1, 2020
The 2020 Census is happening now. It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone, or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker. Taking time to respond to the 2020 Census now means a census taker will not need to visit your home later. Census takers will...
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March 31, 2020
April 1, 2020 is National Census Day. By this date, every home will have received their invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. When you respond to the Census, you tell the U.S. Census Bureau where you are living as of April 1, 2020. Every household can respond to the 2020 Census online, by mail,...
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March 31, 2020
On March 27, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, H.R. 748 (CARES Act), a third economic aid package to help bring direct relief to families, reinforce struggling industries and the healthcare sector, and extend assistance to vital state and federal support programs. Members of Congress and their staff worked intensely to...
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March 28, 2020
Dear church, The last couple of weeks have been trying ones for everyone across this church. Our synods, congregations and ministries are facing challenges that they’ve never faced before. Being church together means more now than ever before. The churchwide office is launching a comprehensive Covid-19 response across the ELCA beginning today. We have three...
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March 28, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in ways we could never have imagined. Lives are being lost, schools and businesses are closed, and our way of life has drastically changed. An additional consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic are the increasing volume of hate/bias crimes and incidents targeting members of the Asian American Community. These...
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March 26, 2020
Pennsylvania’s Surprise Balance Billing Protection Act, HB 1862, bill passed out of committee unanimously, and is now sitting on the House floor, waiting for second consideration. The bill keeps consumers stay out of the middle of this issue in an emergency situation by allowing them to pay the expected in-network rate. In this bill, out...
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March 26, 2020
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) has shared The First Draft of the Social Message on Government and Civic Engagement: Discipleship in a Democracy. The development of this message on government, civic engagement, the relationship of church and state and related matters, was called for by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. This is not...
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March 16, 2020
On Friday, March 13, a federal judge from the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) for Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) from taking effect. The Trump administration rule, scheduled to take effect April 1, would have forced nearly 700,000 Americans off food stamps...
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March 11, 2020
The ELCA has published a Civic Engagement Guide. The resource guide is designed to encourage, empower and equip voter education and other responsible civic participation shaped by faith values. Civic engagement, according to a frequently referenced definition, means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the knowledge, skills,...
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