Accompany: One dictionary says simply that to “accompany” is to “go or travel along with” someone or something and “companionship” is simply “the state of being with someone.” 

What great images these are for our companion synod relationships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (IELCH) and the Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) in Indonesia. The images suggest equality, mutuality, dialogue, respect, and going the distance along side one another.

They chase away less helpful, even unfaithful, suggestions of colonialism, paternalism, one-sidedness, or heavy-handedness. The good people of the IELCH and the HKBP are our companions on the journey of service to the reign of God.

Like the ancient companions walking the road to Emmaus, as we accompany one another we discover the risen Christ in our midst.

The IELCH consists of about 3,000 members in 12 congregations. The HKBP has more than three million members in hundreds of congregations. The Indiana-Kentucky Synod is somewhere in between…right where we belong as we travel together sharing the light of Christ.

Indiana-Kentucky Synod invites you to focus on Global Mission during the Epiphany Season this year.
Here are 25 ways for you to get involved!

1. Make a banner as a gift for a congregation in our companion synods

2. Do a Global Mission Worship Service. See resources.

3. Sing songs that come from our companion synods

4. Pinpoint on a map ELCA missionaries

5. Pray for mission work daily

6. Learn about another country in the world

7. Support an ELCA Missionary

8. Become an ELCA Missionary

9. Give to the ELCA Malaria Campaign

10. Give to World Hunger

11. Attend a Glocal event.

12. Pray for people around the world using Prayer Ventures

13. Invite a global speaker to your congregation for a global Sunday

14. Order a country packet on your favorite country

15. Create a Global Mission bulletin board

16. Highlight our synod missionaries and support them

17. Assemble school and health kits or make a quilt for Lutheran World Relief

18. Attend cross cultural events in your local area

19 .Read the “Hand in Hand” blog.

20. Have a global meal for the women of your congregation

21. Look for global information everyday on TV and in the news

22. Use Global Mission materials under the Education tab for Sunday School

23. Order free Global Mission resources

24. Show a Global Video

25. Check out ELCA Global Links on Facebook:elcaglobal