“Freely you have received, freely give.”  (Matthew 10:8, NIV)

This verse from Matthew has been chosen as the Council meeting 2018 theme. This passage invites us to not only recognize the freely given Grace of God but also to commit and walk the path of gifting.

The Lutheran World Federation's annual governance meeting takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 June to 2 July 2018. On 27 June the LWF Executive Committee will meet and a Pre-Council meeting for women and youth will take place.

The LWF Council meets once a year and is responsible for LWF business between Assemblies. It consists of:

• the President
• the Chairperson of the Finance Committee
• 48 lay or ordained people, from LWF member churches in seven regions.

Members of this Council were appointed at the 2017 Twelfth Assembly.

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LWF Council News

The LWF Strategy in Bahasa Indonesia and Swahili 21 February 2019 GENEVA New LWF member: United Evangelical Church in Cuba Lutheran Synod 23 January 2019 SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba / GENEVA Witnessing through dialogue, education and women’s empowerment in the Holy Land 11 January 2019 JERUSALEM /GENEVA New LWF member: Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala 16 November 2018 GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala/GENEVA

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Resources

Council 2022 documents 25 May 2022 Download exhibits and other Council 2022 related documents Department for Planning and Coordination Council 2021 documents 16 June 2021 Download exhibits and other Council 2021 related documents Department for Planning and Coordination Council 2019 documents 5 June 2019 Download exhibits and other Council 2019 related documents Department for World Service Council 2018 documents 20 June 2018 Download exhibits and other Council 2018 related documents Department for World Service

First gathering of the Theological Education and Formation Strategic Advisory Group (TEF SAG)

Theological education and formation have always been a profound part of our Lutheran identity and the driver of religious, social, political, and economic reform. The 12th Assembly passed a Resolution on Theological Education that calls the LWF to create a strategy to ensure that everyone in our communion who feels called to lay or ordained ministry can access quality theological education.  The LWF seeks to build a participatory network where member churches, theological institutions, theologians and students can contribute gifts and address needs of theological education in their context. A Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) composed of eleven teaching theologians, students and representatives from member churches will meet in Geneva from 21-22 March to advise the strategy for building a Network for Theological Education and Formation.

12th Assembly Resolution on Theological Education

Let’s go! Lutheran Churches on the Move in Mission

The activity aims at enhancing mutual accompaniment between the MCs and the two regions, deepening theological understanding of their mission work. The activity adds value to cross-regional communion relationships where MC actively learn together and share experiences through the networks: Bishops and Presidents, Youth, Women.

Program points:

• The mission of the churches today – enhancing work by engaging in the mission movement.
• Work in networks to deepen reflection about the 2017 Assembly Resolution and set agenda for the following years.
• Decision to Network for Theological Formation where the MCs and Theological organizations are the main actors.

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Language: Spanish with translation into English

Though many are one body

Under the theme “Though many are one body” (I Cor. 12:12), the meeting aims to strengthen collaboration and relationships among member churches in the region and in the communion. This includes finding mechanisms to boost the Africa regional and sub-regional expressions.

Program points:

• discuss and follow-up issues from the 2017 LWF Assembly, especially those pertinent to the region and the communion
• deliberate on preparations for the 2019 regional leadership consultation
• discuss issues in preparation for the LWF 2018 Council meeting
• agree strategies to implement common activities, including Confronting Poverty and Economic Injustice in Africa, the program through which the region’s churches engage communities living in poverty in initiatives that seek grassroots solutions to overcome marginalization 

Host Church: The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana

Departments: Department for Mission and Development

Language: English with French interpretation

The Lutheran World Federation's Youth Pre-Council meeting takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 27 June 2018, the day before the LWF's Council meeting. The meeting prepares young Council members for their work in the Council, giving space to share experiences, learn about developments in related programmatic areas, and giving space for strategic planning so that generational concerns are featured in the Council deliberations and, consequently, in the overall work of the LWF.

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Program: Youth

LWF Youth

Council 2018

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Resources

Report of the LWF Youth Pre-Assembly 2017 22 January 2018 Report of the LWF Twelfth Youth Pre Assembly, Ondangwa, Namibia, 03–09 May 2017. Department for Mission and Development (until 2019) Youth Who Made the Lutheran Communion 29 November 2017 Testimonies and stories from 1947 to 2017 Department for Mission and Development (until 2019) LWF Supports Migrant Children Deported by U.S. to Central America 2 October 2014 Assistance to unaccompanied children and adolescents facing an uncertain future includes food, psychological support, social programs, water, personal hygiene and basic medicines kits Department for World Service “Here I am; for you called me.” 16 June 2014 Youth Participation and Leadership in the LWF Member Churches Department for Mission and Development (until 2019)

Historically, women of the LWF Council have gathered to build a platform to engage and share wisdom with the Communion work related to women’s network and gender justice.

This is a first meeting of the full new Council (2017-2023), therefore the aim is to share with the participants the achievements and challenges related to the participation of women in leadership and in the ordained ministry; efforts to overcome gender discrimination and gender-based violence and tools for women in leadership positions in the member churches

The Pre-council women will discuss relevant Resolutions made at the Twelfth Assembly, providing some guidance on ways to move forward. The council women are key actors in building bridges between the women in the networks and the decision making body, namely, the LWF Council. A panel open also to men in the Council, will close this program on June 27.

Departments: Department for Theology and Public Witness with the Office of the General Secretary

Program: Women in Church and Society

LWF Women in Church and Society

Twelfth Assembly: Public Statements and Resolution

Council 2018

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Resources

Women Advocacy Handbook 3 April 2019 A composition of articles that aims to strengthen the churches and FBOs capacity to advocate for women’s human rights from a faith perspective. The Participation of Women in the Ordained Ministry and Leadership in LWF Member Churches 29 March 2017 A baseline assessment among LWF member churches carried forward in 2016 on the proportion of women in decision-making positions and in the ordained ministry. Department for Theology and Public Witness (until 2019) LWF Gender Justice Policy 15 February 2017 An LWF framework for inclusive and sustainable communities, churches and programs throughout the global communion Department for Theology and Public Witness (until 2019) Women on the Move postcards 14 March 2016 Series of six postcards shining the spotlight on the female heros of the Reformation movement Department for Theology and Public Witness (until 2019)

Women Countering Gender-based Violence: A Practical Asian Approach

Women delegates reflect on how to find practical ways to overcome gender-based violence in their local churches and communities.

Registration deadline: 15 June

Invitation: By invitation only

Language: English

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Program: Communion Building

4th Asia Communicators’ Network Workshop

This workshop in Manila will be the 4th in the series, and it is aimed at consolidating the lessons learnt from the past seminars, and also to further enhance the network relationships.

These series of workshops organized by the LWF Asia Desk aim to strengthen the visibility of the churches participating in God’s mission

1. The first workshop for Asia was from 17 – 20 September 2013, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
   • Participants were given explanation about the function, objective and expectation of the Asia Lutheran News (ALN), published by LWF-Asia Regional Office and functions of the Asia Lutheran Communion website.
   • The new LWF website and its features were also introduced in this workshop.
   • Participants were given daily assignments to improve their skills on writing articles and taking digital photography.
   • News liaisons were encouraged to submit regular news to the ALN / LWF.
2. A second workshop was organised for news liaisons from 11 – 15 November 2014, in Medan, Indonesia.
   • They learned about the functions and objectives of personal communications, Internet: now and in the future and digital photography.
   • News liaisons were trained on how to write articles, blogs and photo essays for LWI/LWF in order to provide quality news articles, regular news updates on current challenges and opportunities of the member churches.
   • The LWF Asia Communication Network was set up in 2014 during this workshop.
3. The Asia Communication Network Workshop in Sabah, Malaysia was the third workshop facilitated by LWF/DMD/Asia Desk and LWF/OCS in 2017.
   • It served as a platform for existing news liaison/communicators and newly identified communicators to develop a strategy to publish regular articles (LWI), blogs and photo essays.
   • In-line with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, all participants were required to prepare a news article/blog/photo essay based on the theme “Liberated by God’s Grace”.

Invitation: By invitation only

Language: English

Departments:

• Department for Mission and Development
• Office for Communication Services

Program: Communion Building

CANCELLED

Representatives of Asian member churches strengthen their Lutheran identity through the exchange of experiences and the sharing of good practices.

Invitation: By invitation only

Language: English

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Program: Church growth

European LWF Council members discuss how to implement the newest decisions of the LWF Council in and across their regions.

Invitation: By invitation only

Language: English and German

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Program: Communion Building