Woodlake is dedicated to the mission of Jesus Christ! In this community of faith, we share life in its entirety, with all its joys and sorrows. We believe all people are created in the image of God and are offered God's love, grace, and forgiveness, regardless of religious tradition, age, gender identity and expression, race, education, economic status, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientation, or family structure. Woodlake stands on the ancestral land of the Dakota people. We honor indigenous histories and cultures and acknowledge the need to engage in reconciliation with our indigenous neighbors. We are committed to the work of social justice. We extend a special welcome to you and to all in Christ's love.
ELCA Global Mission
ELCA Global Missions
Through ELCA Global Mission Woodlake supports worldwide disaster relief.
Service and Justice Commission
Woodlake has a standing committee that explores issues such as race, gender, climate change & more through the lens of justice. As we learn and grow, we bring those conversations and actions into the community.
ELCA Truth and Healing Movement
In April 2023 the ELCA started the Truth and Healing Movement with their mission being “to provide opportunities to learn the true history and current realities of Indigenous people. It is these truths, truths that have been ignored by most for hundreds of years, that will bring healing for both Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people”. To support this movement the Service & Justice Commission is doing three activities.
First, within the new Woodlake welcome in the Sunday bulletins we have included a land acknowledgement statement: “Woodlake stands on the ancestral land of the Dakota people. We honor Indigenous histories and cultures and acknowledge the need to engage in reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbors”.
Second, we plan to have a Minute for Mission at the 9 am service on January 19 and three adult forums after the 9 am service in the Fireside Room to learn about the history and current realities of Indigenous people.
January 26: Native American History
February 23: Native American Land
March 23: Native American Powwows
Third, we plan to add an Indigenous nonprofit that we can contribute money and give service to. The organization will be announced at a later date.
We hope you will be able to support and participate in these activities for the ELCA Truth and Healing Movement.
-The Service & Justice Commission
Service and Justice Committee and Woodlake Ministry Projects
While Woodlake is not officially a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation at this time, our Service and Justice Team was formed out of a passion for justice and increased diversity, equity and inclusion at Woodlake, a variety of our other ministry groups strive to engage in continued education and study to promote curiosity and conversation amongst one another. Below are some of the initiatives you may be able to find when you come to Woodlake.
- S&J Term of the Week
- Queer Affirming Bible Study
- RAFT Young Adults LGBTQIA+ small group study
- Life Groups - topics such as Civic and Faith Life Study from the ELCA (Fall 2024), 'Service in the Church, World, & for the self; (2022 Fall), diverse pastoral perspectives on grace, Faith Like a Child (2022 Spring); learning about faith from kids, and reflecting on Emmanuel Acho's YouTube series "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" (2021)
- Adult Education with special topics
- JUSTmove! Justice centered Lock In for youth
- Matins Wednesday Morning ministry strives to bring in community speakers from local organizations, often geared toward senior citizens
S&J Reading
The Service and Justice Team has read a variety of books that highlight on various topics surrounding social and racial justice.
Here is a list of recommendations you can use to help guide yourself through some of these important topics.
Christian's Against Christian Nationalism
"As Christians, our faith teaches us everyone is created in God’s image and commands us to love one another. As Americans, we value our system of government and the good that can be accomplished in our constitutional democracy. Today, we are concerned about a persistent threat to both our religious communities and our democracy — Christian nationalism.
Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation.
As Christians, we are bound to Christ, not by citizenship, but by faith. We believe that:
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People of all faiths and none have the right and responsibility to engage constructively in the public square.
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Patriotism does not require us to minimize our religious convictions.
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One’s religious affiliation, or lack thereof, should be irrelevant to one’s standing in the civic community.
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Government should not prefer one religion over another or religion over nonreligion.
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Religious instruction is best left to our houses of worship, other religious institutions and families.
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America’s historic commitment to religious pluralism enables faith communities to live in civic harmony with one another without sacrificing our theological convictions.
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Conflating religious authority with political authority is idolatrous and often leads to oppression of minority and other marginalized groups as well as the spiritual impoverishment of religion.
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We must stand up to and speak out against Christian nationalism, especially when it inspires acts of violence and intimidation—including vandalism, bomb threats, arson, hate crimes, and attacks on houses of worship—against religious communities at home and abroad.
Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution. As Christians, we must speak in one voice condemning Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to American democracy."