December 2019

When women listen, a community grows
Jesus says in Luke 14:35b, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"

Myrna Wells-Ulland, president of the Women of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, shares what happened when her synodical women's organization heard and acted on an idea from their Latina sisters.

Why do mothers and children flee their homes searching for safety?
What happens to them in this perilous journey? How are people of faith responding?

You are invited to learn more on a joint Women of the ELCA/AAMPARO advocacy immersion trip, Feb. 1-5, 2020.

To register or for more information contact: Jennifer DeLeon . Registration deadline is January 1, 2020.
Let's talk about debt, baby
"We talk about debt in the same ways we talk about sex," writes Rozella Haydée White in Cafe's most recent faith reflection. "We either don’t talk about it at all, or we relegate it to hushed corners of shame. Debt and sex are two things that most people in this country have, yet the church rarely creates space to discuss them." Read "Let's talk about debt, baby."
"We are called!" Winter 2020 Bible study by Kathryn A. Kleinhans
Reformer Martin Luther used the word “vocation” or “calling” to refer to all aspects of human life. We are called to respond to God not just in our personal relationship with God but in our relationships with family and friends, in our work, and in our communities. Subscribe now to Gather magazine to get the Bible study.
Devotion: It's hard to imagine
In our monthly devotion, Audrey Novak Riley questions why God didn't choose to be born into humanity under more comfortable circumstances. "Why didn’t God choose to be born somewhere a little more comfortable and convenient for that scared young mother and her frantic husband?" Read the devotion.
December 15 is deadline for RUHWG seed grant
Application materials for the 2020–2021 Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls’ seed grants must be postmarked or emailed by December 15, 2019. All applications must
be submitted by active units of Women of the ELCA who are familiar with the Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls initiative and the criteria of this program. Learn more.
Academic scholarship application process opens December 15
Women of the ELCA's scholarship application process for the 2020-21 academic year opens Dec. 15. Scholarships are offered in two categories: Lutheran laywomen and ordained ministry.

Applications and supporting documents must be emailed or mailed (with postmark) to Women of the ELCA no later than Feb. 15, 2020. Visit welca.org/scholarships for criteria and descriptions of the scholarships available. Scholarships winners will be notified in late June.
Recognizing gender violence
The UN-sponsored International Day to End Violence Against Women was November 25. The Day kicked off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign that runs until December 10 (Human Rights Day), inviting individuals and groups to mobilize and call for the elimination of violence against women and girls. We can only make a difference by talking about this issue and doing our best to let women and girls know that we will not accept abuse. Read our Throwback Thursday blog on gender violence.
Interchange going all digital
In January 2020, Interchange is going digital. The cost of printing and mailing requires the change. As always, you can download Interchange and Intercambio (the Spanish issue) online. To sign up to receive a copy by email, complete the Stay in Touch form on the website. For more up-to-date news, you are in the right place as a subscriber to Bold Connections .
Sign up for Daily Grace
Daily Grace is an on-the-go companion for your journey, offering a faith reflection every day. Encounter God’s extravagant, boundless and often surprising grace by  signing up for a daily email message . You can also download the newly updated app for your  IOS  and  Android  devices.
Early bird registration for the Gathering 2020 closes Jan. 6
Early bird registration for the Gathering 2020 in Phoenix, Ariz., July 16-19, closes Jan. 6, 2020. You can register online or download a registration form and mail it.

Early-bird registration is $325. After Jan. 6, registration is $375. Day registration is $200.
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