Three Waverly groups connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will come together on Sunday, Sept. 9, to celebrate the ELCA’s “God’s Work, Our Hands” event by serving the community, worshipping together and enjoying fellowship. Across the country, thousands of ELCA members will be engaging in service work to make a positive change in their communities, build relationships and share God’s love.

Wartburg College students, faculty and staff, plus members of Redeemer Lutheran Church and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School, will start the day at 8:30 a.m. with several service projects around the community, including meal packing, assembling medical kits, cleaning up parks, washing fire trucks and assisting residents at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community. Online registration for the event is at www.wartburg.edu/GWOH. All are welcome to participate.

At 11 a.m., all will worship together with Holy Communion at Wartburg Chapel, with Pastors Corey Smith (Redeemer), Arthur Bergren (St. Paul’s) and Brian Beckstrom (Wartburg) participating. Loose cash in the day’s offering will be donated to Wartburg’s campus ministry.

Following the service, the three groups will mingle for fellowship and food on the Wartburg campus.

“’God’s Work, Our Hands’ is a historic moment for these three Waverly Lutheran ministries to come together and share a common witness,” said Bergren. Smith echoed the sense of togetherness, looking forward to the service component of the event: “Christ makes a difference. This day is an important opportunity for Christ’s body—the Church—to make a difference in this community.”

The event also serves to introduce Wartburg students to members of Waverly’s ELCA congregations. In a review of the college’s campus ministry program last year, students expressed a desire to worship more with local congregations. Beckstrom, in his new role as Wartburg’s dean of spiritual life, will increase emphasis on spiritual outreach beyond campus. The Sept. 9 activities will further encourage students to build connections off-campus with local churches.