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Women of the ELCA (WELCA)

Who We Are
Women of the ELCA (WELCA) includes Lutheran women who gather for service, study, advocacy, and fellowship. WELCA embraces all kinds of ministries that support our mission of mobilizing women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ.  There are approximately 75 active WELCA church units within the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. These church women’s groups are overseen by a Synodical Women’s Organization, an elected board of 10-12 women.

Recent News & Upcoming Events

Human Trafficking legislation

Mission Moment
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Upcoming Spring Conference Gatherings

Women of the ELCA South Central Wisconsin Synodical Women’s…
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Bold Women's Day

Bold Women’s Day, observed annually on the fourth Sunday of…
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Resources

The Trumpeter
The Trumpeter, newsletter of the Women of the South Central Synod of WI, is published 4 times per year January, April, July and October.

The Trumpeter is available FREE of charge by email.  Please send your request to welcatrumpeter@gmail.com.

Paper subscriptions can be ordered on the form on last page of the Trumpeter for $8.00 per year.

One free copy of the Trumpeter is sent to every church in the South Central Synod either by email or U.S. Post Office and should be available through your church office.  It may be forwarded and/or reproduced as needed.  When reproducing please include the Trumpeter’s name and issue date.  If your church did not receive a Trumpeter, please contact the Trumpeter at welcatrumpeter@gmail.com to confirm the church’s email and/or street address.

Trumpeter Archive

South-Central Synod of Wisconsin WELCA SWO Officers and Board

The women’s synodical board is composed of 10-12 dedicated women. There is a liaison from this board to each of the conferences.

Conferences/Churches within the synod

Baraboo Conference – 14 churches
Barneveld Conference – 18 churches
Beaver Dam Conference – 11 churches
Beloit Conference – 15 churches
East/West Conference – 33 churches
Elkhorn Conference – 11 churches
Monroe Conference – 12 churches
Southlake Conference – 13 churches
Southwest Conference – 11 churches

From Helen Sheahan:
It is my pleasure to serve as the President of the South Central Wisconsin Women’s Synodical Women’s Organization from 2015 to 2019. I am a long time member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Madison. I have been an active member of a Circle for many years and served in women’s leadership roles at Good Shepherd and the women’s Westlake Conference.

For information about the Women of the ELCA, please contact Helen Sheahan at  Sheahan1@sbcglobal.net or 608-692-7553.

Current WELCA SWO officers and board

Links

WELCA Documents

Glossary

  • Assembly……………………. used as the term for “convention” by the ELCA
  • Biennial……………………….convention that is held every 2 years, i.e. 2017, 2019, 2021 by South-Central Wisconsin Synodical Women’s Organization of the Women of the ELCA
  • Churchwide………………… designation of the national Women of the ELCA or national ELCA
  • Conference………………… designation for a geographical area. The South-Central Wisconsin Synodical Women’s Organization has 9 conferences.
  • Congregational unit……. local women’s group, women of your church group, “WELCA”
  • Convention…………………. a meeting where governing decisions are made for an organization by elected voting members (delegates)
  • CWO…………………………….Churchwide Women’s Organization, or the national Women of the ELCA organization
  • ELCA…………………………….Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  • Gathering…………………….a meeting for informational and fellowship purposes
  • Participant………………….. non-voting attendee at a convention, an observer
  • Region………………………….a geographical area comprised of a number of synods or Synodical Women’s Organizations. The South-Central Wisconsin Synodical Women’s Organization is part of Region 5.
  • SCW SWO…………………….South-Central Wisconsin Synodical Women’s Organization. The church’s women’s organization at the level of the synod
  • SWO…………………………….Synodical Women’s Organization
  • Synod…………………………..designation for a geographical area of the ECLA
  • Synodical……………………..designation for a geographical area of the Women of the ECLA
  • Triennial……………………….convention and gathering that is held every third year, i.e. 2017, 2020, 2023 by the churchwide Women of the ELCA
  • Voting member ………….. preferred term for “delegate” at a convention
  • WELCA………………………… Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Synod Ministries

Campus Ministry
Candidacy
Care for God’s Creation
Diakonia
ELCA Campaign
Endowment
Holy Land Advocacy
Latino Ministries
Lutheran Men in Mission
LUAD
Racial Equity
Reconciling in Christ (RIC)
Refugee Resettlement
Youth and Family Network
Veterans Support Ministries
Women of the ELCA

Mission Moments

Highlights of synod ministries

Synod Partners

ASSIST – Counseling for Wellness
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELCA Churchwide Assembly
ELCA Disaster Response
ELCA Malaria Campaign
ELCA Seminaries
ELCA World Hunger
LuMin, the Lutheran Camus Ministry Network of the ELCA
Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM)
Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW)
Lutheran Planned Giving of Wisconsin (LPGW)
Lutheran Social Services (LSS)
Lutherans United Assisting After Disasters (LUAD)
Lutheran World Relief (LWR)
Madison Area Lutheran Council (MALC) Jail Ministry
Outdoor Ministries
Wisconsin Council of Churches (WCC)
Women of the ELCA (WELCA)