LFS CAROLINAS HISTORY

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1 LFS CAROLINAS HISTORY 1888 North and South Carolinas Lutherans join with three other synods to establish the Lutheran Orphanage of the South in Salem, VA. The effort follows the wave of faithbased efforts to reach out to widows and orphans of the U.S. Civil War. 1920s 1930s South Carolina Lutherans from the Committee on Inner Missions to study the needs of vulnerable people and the church s obligation to them. The committee evolved into Lutheran Social Services of Central South Carolina. The Salem orphanage expands its campus and assumes the name Lutheran Children s Home of the South. During the Great Depression, 144 children reside there The growth of services for families and children leads to the decline of the orphanage model. The SC Synod withdraws support from the Children s Home, but the Lutheran Social Ministry Agency of Greater Columbia, SC launches a children s ministry two years While continuing support of the Lutheran Children s Home, an NC Synod study commission recommends pursuing an affiliated children s services program in NC The board of Lutheran Children s Home invests $35,000 to establish an NC division. Bill D. Brittain is named director and sets up office in the basement of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Raleigh, NC The NC Synod recommends that NC operations be withdrawn from Lutheran Children s Home. Lutheran Family Services in North Carolina is chartered on September LFSNC is accredited by the Council on Accreditation. The agency s service array now includes family Updated Feb

2 counseling, children s residential and foster care and refugee and immigration services NC and SC Synods approve creation of Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas Bill Brittain retires and Suzanne Gibson Wise becomes the second president of Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas The agency s budget surpasses $27 million. LFS s service array for children, adults, families and communities reaches out to more than 14,000 vulnerable people annually. Updated Feb

3 Vision, Mission and Values Our Vision: Our Mission: Our Values: We envision a world of wholeness for all God s people. Embracing Christ s call to serve, Lutheran Family Services walks with the most vulnerable in our communities toward healing and wholeness. We are all children of God. We treat people with dignity, respect and compassion, receiving and valuing the gifts of all. We understand wholeness to encompass the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of human life. We are present for both short-term relief and long-term healing. Our care is sustained and comprehensive. We look for improvement and innovation in all we do. Our services are effective and outcome focused. We understand that we are God s people of abundance, not of scarcity. We practice good stewardship of all our gifts and resources. We nurture the professional and spiritual life of our employees and volunteers. We accomplish our work through collaborations and partnerships, particularly reaching out to our ecumenical brothers and sisters. When faced with injustice, we challenge the status quo and advocate for public policy and societal change. As a ministry of the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we embrace our Lutheran roots and are vigilant in finding ways to work with congregations and other Lutheran institutions. Adopted by the Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas Board of Trustees February 1, 2006 Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas

4 Helpful Information about Lutherans The Lutheran Church began when Martin Luther, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, broke away from the Catholic Church in 1517 at Wittenberg in Germany. This break grew into what is usually called the Protestant Reformation. In general, the basic beliefs of Lutherans are the same as the beliefs of other Protestant churches. Luther taught that the Word of God found in the Bible, and not the pope or church leaders, was the only authority for the Christian and the church. He also emphasized that we are saved by God's grace alone and not by doing good works. Lutherans arrived in America as early as 1625 from northern Europe. Lutherans arrived about one hundred years later in the Carolinas. Originally from Germany and Scandinavia, Lutherans now are becoming more inclusive, with growing numbers of Latino, African-American and Asian members. Today the Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant church in the world with more than 66 million members. In the US, Lutherans are the fourth largest Protestant group with more than 8 million members. LFS is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), with 5 million members. The North Carolina and South Carolina Synods (geographical groupings of churches) are the ELCA bodies in the Carolinas. The NC Synod has 241 member congregations and the SC Synod has 166 member congregations. The leaders of the two synods are called bishops and are elected by delegates to annual synodical assemblies. The synodical assemblies also adopt constitutions, bylaws, budgets, and elect members of boards, such as the board of LFS. In congregations, the ministers are usually called pastors, a biblical term originally meaning "shepherd." Ministers are called (rather than "hired") by congregations through an election by the voting members.

5 Lutheran worship can be varied in different locations. Traditionally, worship has its roots in Europe with classical music and hymns. Today many congregations also have contemporary worship with a wide variety of current music. The liturgy or form of the service is usually a set pattern which goes back to the beginnings of the Christian Church, including reading of scripture, prayers, a sermon, and the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper or the Eucharist, often celebrated in churches as the central act of worship, is understood as the "real presence" of Christ "in, with and under" the bread and wine. The Eucharist and Baptism (usually done in infancy) are the two sacraments of the Lutheran Church. Any baptized Christian is welcomed at the Lord's Supper in ELCA congregations. For more information about Lutherans and the ELCA, visit the following links: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America NC Synod of the ELCA SC Synod of the ELCA