2005 Assembly Approves Hunger Resolution

Voting members of the 2005 Nebraska Assembly overwhelmingly resolved to do the following:

Click Here to view the full resolution

Pastor Youngerman Addresses Assembly

Speaking with a great deal of passion, Pastor Ron Youngerman of Salem Lutheran in Ponca addressed the 2005 Nebraska Synod Assembly on Friday, June 3 on hunger issues. 

After reminding those attending the Assembly that approximately 400 people worldwide will die during the sermon time of an average worship service on a Sunday morning in Nebraska, Pastor Youngerman challenged all congregations in Nebraska to establish a Hunger Contact person, to sponsor at least two hunger awareness events and to raise to the Hunger Appeal by 30% or to at least $10 per member per year.  For more basic hunger facts go to: ELCA World Hunger Program and Appeal or Bread for the World.

Workshop Well Attended and Well Received

Approximately 50 people attended a workshop/training offered by the Nebraska Synod World Hunger Committee at the 2005 Nebraska Synod Assembly and Festival.  The training featured three Anti-Hunger Advocates:  Chuck Bentjen gave an introduction to the ELCA World Hunger program; Pastor Ron Youngerman offered suggestions for ways in which congregations can effectively raise awareness of hunger and increase giving to the Hunger Appeal; and Betsy Buschkemper taught attendees about how to plan and host an Alternative Gift fair. 

Workshop attendees actively engaged in the program with many questions and productively comments.  All walked away with enthusiasm for addressing hunger.

Assembly Booth Active

Thanks to the planning and creativity of Pastor Kim Cottingham and Betsy Buschkemper, the Nebraska Synod World Hunger Committee was able to hand out hundreds of brochures and other materials on the ELCA World Hunger program to those attending the 2005 Nebraska Synod Assembly and Festival. 

Nebraska Synod's World Hunger Committee

The Nebraska Synod's World Hunger Committee was formed as a standing committee of the Nebraska Synod, ELCA by the 2004 Synod Assembly.  Prior to that hunger issues were addressed by various task forces.  The most recently appointed task force, with the full support of Bishop deFreese and the Synod Council, introduced the idea of forming a committee.  Task force members:  Pastor Ron Youngerman, Betsy Buschkemper, Chuck Bentjen and Krista Hein believed that in order to raise hunger awareness and increase giving to the World Hunger Appeal, the Synod needed to have an ongoing standing committee with full synodical recognition and support.  Bishop deFreese wholeheartedly agreed and supported the resolution.

The first committee was formed and includes Youngerman, Buschkemper and Bentjen.  Krista Hein moved to Florida (we trust she's advocating against hunger there).  Other committee members include:  Craig Chris, a member of Salem Lutheran Church in Fremont; Chris Kendall, a member of Kuntze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha, and Pastor Kim Cottinham of Uhling, Nebraska.  Others helping to get the committee off the ground were Pastors Dave Larson and Bernie Ward-Crixell who are both now on leave from call.  

Our Relationship to the ELCAWorld Hunger Program

One of the objectives of the ELCA's World Hunger Program is "to advocate (for) policies and actions for social and economic justice relating to hunger--with governments, business institutions, and structures of this church and its related agencies."

Providing a major portion of our funding as well as the funding for other State Advocacy Offices is one of the means by which the World Hunger Program seeks to achieve that objective.  In response, we are working to reinvigorate hunger ministries in the Nebraska Synod by: