WOMEN OF THE ELCA     COMMITTED-POWERFUL-RELIGIOUS-DEDICATED RESPONSIBLE-TALENTED-BELIEVERS-COMPASSIONATE WELCA stands for "Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America." Our purpose is to build a ministry for women of all ages while continuing our outreach missions to those in our church, community and world. We seek, with God's help and guidance, to mentor, teach, support and create an atmosphere of fellowship in Jesus Christ. All women of Lutheran Church of the Cross are members of WELCA.    President    Secretary    Treasurer    Board Chairs:     Garage sale Joy Pothoff, Maxine Peterson     Quilting Doris Calhoon, Bonnie Tangen     School kits Joy Pothoff, Maxine Peterson     Sewing kits Carol Alverson     Layette kits Angie Wallin     Health kits Alice Kraemer, Jane Nemitz     Midwife kit Julie Strand     Soap kits Arline Rice     Education coupons Arline Rice Liasons:     Christian Children's Fund Jane Nemitz     Mary Martha Circle Maxine Peterson     Church council Laura Raedeke     Northeastern Synod Pres. Eileen Chapman     Heartland Conf. Coordinator Nancie Paulson     Advisor Peggy Seaman, Parish Nurse WELCA is a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We commit ourselves to grow in faith, to affirm our gifts, to support one another in our callings, to engage in ministry and action, and to promote healing and wholeness in the church, in society and in the world. Our WELCA group belongs to the Heartland Conference and the Northeastern Minnesota Synod. By offering materials and presentors, the Synod helps us to be involved in these specific ministries: ELCA World Hunger Program Outreach with the gospel Missionary support Witness and service Leadership development for women Lutheran World Relief Nationally, Women of the ELCA are also working through the Women and Children in Crisis program to promote justice and empowerment, a program which has awarded over two million dollars in grants since 1988. Those grants, in the following areas, not only assist women and children in poverty and crisis situations but also support preventation programs: Working for justice Supporting women around the world Empowering communities to solve their problems Supporting children at risk Encouraging income-generating projects for women Women of the ELCA has two award-winniing national publications, Lutheran Woman Today and Women of the ELCA Interchange. The former, which contains a popular Bible study, has a circulation of 200,000. It is available in three formats: digest-size, big print, and audiotape. For subscription information, call 800/426-0115 x639. There are many ways the women of Lutheran Church of the Cross carry out God's word and provide services within our own congregation. The following are only some of them: Advent Fair workers Banner creators Baptismal napkin and banner seamstresses         Bell Choir members Bible School providers Choir members Christmas Play helpers Church cleaners Church Council members Church floral decorators Church offering counters Church pew material organizer Church secretary Coffee servers Communion assistants Education Director Fireweed women Food donation participants Friends-in-Deed participants Funeral workers Greeters Health Fair participants Hot Dish Ministry providers Kitchen committee members Lay visitors Lenten Suppers organizers and helpers Letter writers to shut-ins Lutheran World Relief project deliverers Mary Martha Circle members Memorial committee members Mom's Time Out participants New Member committee members Newsletter assemblers Nominating committee members Nominating committee of WELCA Nursery caretakers Nursing home visitors Officers of WELCA Organists Parish nurse Personnel committee members Phone callers and visitors to shut-ins Phone committee members Piano players Prayer Chain participants Quilters Resource people Respite Care providers Rummage sale workers Scripture readers Shepherds Special events providers Sudden Opportunity for Service participants Sunday School teachers Transportation providers Ushers Youth chaperones Youth Program coordinator If you are interested in joining the women of our church in providing some of these services or if you are interested in obtaining a service, please call one of the chairpersons or sign up at the church.   Contact us: Lutheran Church of the Cross On Hiway 13 just east of Hiway 371 at Sportland Corner P.O. Box 29 Nisswa, MN 56468 Phone: 218/963-2564     Fax: 218/963-0294 Email: lcc@lccnisswa.org