“Dear Friend in Christ, a letter-exchange project, has proven so popular that it’s been extended to March 5, 2021,” said Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director. “Women throughout the ELCA have written letters, sharing their faith, offering advice on coping through the pandemic, even exchanging poems and recipes.”
“The project’s success coupled with the most challenging days ahead in the coronavirus pandemic suggested we should extend Dear Friend in Christ into the new year,” she explained. “Maintaining community through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and into the New Year–all at a time of physical distancing–is critically important.”
We encourage women who have participated in the project to exchange Christmas cards, she said. And you can continue to sustain community and lift spirits into 2021. Those who are new to the project are invited to do the same.
It’s easy to participate in the Dear Friend in Christ project. You write a letter, complete the release form, and mail it to the address provided on the form. Soon thereafter, you will receive a letter, and the author of that letter will receive your letter.
Don’t forget the release form
“We have encountered a dilemma with some letters,” Bushkofsky said. “Some women have not included a release form, and some have not included any information about themselves, no name, not even a return mailing address. If we at least had their mailing address, we could write to them, provide a release form, and ask them to complete the form.”
“That explains why some women have sent in letters but not received any in return.”
The project requires a signed release form. If a woman knows she did not include a release form, she can complete one and mail it to us so that an exchange can occur.