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Illowa
Lutheran Coalition - Rock Island, Illinois
“Mission in Community”. This short phrase is the summation of our
ministry as the Illowa Lutheran Coalition. The Illowa Lutheran
Coalition is expressed in the partnership of the Southeastern Iowa
Synod and the Northern Illinois Synod which provides a vehicle for
cooperative ministry by the 35 ELCA congregations and ELCA related
agencies and institutions in the greater Iowa and Illinois Quad
Cities area.
This past year has been an extremely active one for our Coalition as
we have grown into the vision for ministry that we embraced three
years ago. This vision was adopted by the Coalition in 2002 and has
at its center, four ministry areas. These ministry areas include:
• Professional Leadership and Support. The Ilowa Lutheran Coalition
hosts a continuing education component that meets once a month at
Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. The professional leaders also
meet once a month for lunch, presentation, and fellowship. The
Illowa Lutheran Coalition also sponsors an Administrative Assistants
Luncheon. This is an opportunity to give thanks for the many gifts
and ministry of the administrative assistants in our congregations.
• Multicultural Ministry seeks to lift up and celebrate the gift of
diversity in our communities. The Illowa Lutheran Coalition sponsors
events such as anti-racism training, Spanish language classes, and
multicultural awareness events.
• Leadership Development. This is a cooperative effort to help lay
persons identify their gifts for ministry. This ministry area also
provides opportunities to equip lay persons for ministry in their
congregations.
• Family Faith Formation. This area of cooperative ministry explores
ways to be a supportive and resourcing component to congregation in
their ministry to families and youth.
This past year, the Coalition shared in the sponsorship of a Habitat
House that was constructed in Rock Island, Illinois. The Illowa
Lutheran Coalition has had a long history of partnership with
Habitat for Humanity. We give thanks to God for the generosity of
our congregations that make this partnership possible.
In January of 2006, the Illowa Lutheran Coalition was pleased to
host a Living Liturgy event which featured Marty Haugen, Mary Preus,
Pr. Dan Erlander, Tom Witt, and Pr. Susan Briehl as workshop
leaders. It was a tremendous event and included participants from
throughout the states of Iowa and Illinois.
The Illowa Lutheran Coalition would like to express its thanks for
the support and participation of the member congregations, agencies,
and institutions of the Coalition. We extend our thanks as well to
Bishop Philip Hougen of the Southeastern Iowa Synod and Bishop Gary
Wollersheim of the Northern Illinois Synod along with their staffs
for all their support of the Coalition’s “mission in community”.
The Illowa Lutheran Coalition looks forward to ministry in 2006 as
we joyfully proclaim God’s amazing grace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Serving Christ Together,
Pastor Kurt Nordby, Director
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