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Rachel's Day began in one congregation in the Chicago Metropolitan Synodical
Women's Organization when concerned women at Bethel Lutheran Church stood up
for children at risk for violence. In a neighborhood where violence and
insecurity were all too well known, these women chose to act boldly for
children and offer hope. The effort then spread to the synodical women's
organization and ultimately to the churchwide women's organization where the
first Sunday in May was established as Rachel's Day by delegates to the
Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention.
The day and preparation for the day mean
listening to children's fears and hopes. In one synod, Sunday school children
were asked to draw a two-part picture. On one-half of the picture they were to show what
children fear and on the other half what children hope for. Such pictures might be
displayed in your home congregation and then taken to your synodical women's organization
convention or synod assembly, if you coordinate plans with the planners of
these events. (Be sure to let parents or guardians know how the pictures will be used before
children contribute. Some may choose not to take part, depending on the use.)
Or
consider one or more of these possibilities for Rachel's Day and for efforts throughout the year:
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Invite a panel of professionals who deal with
children's issues to speak at a Sunday forum or other gathering. Consider a police
officer, detective, social worker, educator, nurse or doctor, pastor or youth worker,
parent, and mayor, council person or other city or town official. Provide them with three
or four questions on which to focus their comments. You may choose to focus on needs of
children, services currently available, or both.
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Ask your pastor to use Jeremiah 31:15–17 for the
sermon text on Rachel's Day. This is the text from which the day takes its name.
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Use the Rachel's Day
litany or
responsive reading in your worship.
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Gather a Thankoffering to be used for women and
children in crisis. Send your Thankoffering in full to Women of the ELCA, 8765 W. Higgins
Rd., Chicago, IL 60631–4101.
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Wear a blue ribbon of hope on Rachel's Day. Give one to each member of
the congregation. The colors of the church year helped Rachel's Day planners
choose the color of the ribbons they gave to each participant. Blue is the
color used in Advent. The color represents hope.
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Ask your town or city officials
to consider naming the first Sunday in May Rachel's Day. Provide them with background
material.
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Make a donation of tangible
items — such as sports equipment, books, bedding, clothing, and so forth
— to a local
library, shelter, youth center, hospital or other agency that supports children at risk.
Check with them first to see what is needed before promoting this idea. (See the article on page 5 of the
November 2005 issue of
Interchange, the Women of the ELCA newsletter, for help on setting up an
in-kind or tangible gifts collection.)
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Ask your women's group, social
ministries committee or evangelism committee to determine the greatest need of children in
your congregation's immediate neighborhood and try to meet it during the year.
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Offer a class on anger
management.
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Provide a parents' or
caretakers' day out service.
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Post the phone numbers of crisis
center hot lines or other phone services for children in your church classrooms
and restrooms.
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Consider linking with Big Brothers and Big Sisters
programs in your area.
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Pray. Pray. Pray for children — all children —
and the adults who care for them.
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Be positive with all children in your life.
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Contact Search Institute for resources on
building assets in youth or to be put on their mailing list. Write: Search Institute,
Suite 210, 700 S. Third St., Minneapolis, MN 55415; or call: 800/888-7828.
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Join the Children's
Defense Fund and plan to take part in Children's Sabbath.
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