I’ve noticed since joining an ELCA church three years ago that the groups in the ELCA do not seem compelled like other Christian groups to come up with cool names for their organizations. You know, some might call their older groups something catchy like “Prime Time.” In the ELCA, it seems like we use only functional, descriptive names. Some are almost comical:
- Association of Lutheran Older Adults
- National Youth Gathering
- Synod Youth Gatherings
- Lutheran Youth Organization
- Women of the ELCA
- Young Women of the ELCA
- Young Adults in Global Mission
- And my favorite: ELCA Senior Pastors of Large Lutheran Churches Conference
This isn’t an indictment or anything, but an observation. All groups have their quirks. This might be one of ours.
What groups did I leave out?
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I’ve worked with the ELCA before…and to be honest, even though they’re not trendy names, i kind of like the fact that you get exactly what you’re looking for. I know in a previous church (not ELCA) that i volunteered with, it was 6 months of me missing the Prime Timers meetings (and trying to remember to go to them) before i realized that it was for the old, over 65, members…could you imagine, me a 25 year old showing up to the over 65 crowd…it’d be fun, but very embarassing.
Haha, that would have been awesome. Yeah, I know there are pros and cons to both sides, I just think it’s funny how descriptive and unimaginative some of the above group names are. The gospel can be proclaimed whether the group is called Prime Timers of the Association of Lutheran Older Adults.
I think it may be a lutheran thing… the lcms’ers do it too. Except then they make them into adjectives. It gets really confusing when everything is referred to by their adjectives and they are only one letter different:
Concordia Publishing House CPH or Concordia Health Plans CHP
I recently got an email titled: “BRTFSSG Information You Need To Know.”
It might have been spam, but it was actually an update on the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance.
Not everything should be acronymed.
Wow. BRTFSSG. Amazing.
You should do an LCMS abbreviation post.
Lutheran Student Movement
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries
I have to come over to Matt’s blog to find Bryan …. hope all is well with you Bryan.
It has been awhile since I chatted with you as well Matt, it seems. Love the posts that you have been doing.