Fall 97 MOSAIC

I. Building Bridges in Bridgeton
II. Mile High Outreach
III. A Class Act: ELCA Campus Ministry

I. Building Bridges in Bridgeton
Christ Lutheran, Bridgeton, New JerseySynopsis: With ELCA support, the New Jersey Synod participates in more than a half dozen Hispanic ministries, as well as creating outreach to African-American, Korean, and Portuguese communities. And, in recent years, the ELCA Division for Outreach, working with synods across the country, has begun new ministries among many ethic groups including African-American, Arab, Chinese, European-American, Hispanic, Hmong, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese. To see one of these multicultural ministries in action, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to a changing community, MOSAIC went to Christ Lutheran Church in Bridgeton, New Jersey.

II. Mile High Outreach
mother and childSynopsis: MOSAIC travels to the Rocky Mountain Synod where members of Lutheran Church of Hope have witnessed explosive growth in population and new homes. They decided to do something about it, taking an active part in the creation of a new congregation, Cross Lutheran Church of Broomfield, located a mile down the road. Retired Lutheran Church of Hope pastor Leonard Rudolph admits, "The first year was tough and the money went down. In the end, though, it didn't hurt. We are not competing. We are all in this together."

III. A Class Act: ELCA Campus Ministry
Lutheran Campus MinistrySynopsis: 600 years ago the Lutheran Church was born on a university campus. The tradition begun there is alive and well at Lutheran colleges and universities. But Lutheran Campus Ministry also exists on state and private campuses throughout the United States where more than 140 campus pastors and lay professionals minister on behalf of the ELCA. In addition, where there are no salaried ELCA staff, more than 600 partner congregations serve as support in college and university communities. Lutheran Campus Ministries meet and serve out of homes, urban apartments, community centers, even student unions. In this story we look at University Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, one of only five campus ministry sites organized as an ELCA constituted congregation. Begun in 1972 with the idea that students could be organized into a congregational model, University Lutheran has grown to be a congregation of 240 non-students, serving about 400 university students who affiliate with them during a semester.