Lake View Presbyterian Church

Social Justice Committee

“. . . to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”                  

- Micah  6:8

Who We Are:

Lake View Presbyterian Church (LVPC) formed a Social Justice Committee (SJC) to organize and oversee the many diverse interests that members are passionate about when it comes to social justice. Social Justice concerns have long been a hallmark of LVPC. 

LPVC's SJC exists to enable and empower church members as they work to act on their faith in the world. The Social Justice Committee gets involved when a church member chooses to champion a cause and wants to work to form a group to educate and activate our community. We welcome members of the church community to our meetings to talk to us about issues that are important to them.

For information, please feel free to contact:

SJC Chair:

Greg Else -- gregory_e_else@yahoo.com

Fair Trade

 Mission:  to create a world where every person gets paid a living wage for the work they do, the goods they produce and the services they provide.

 Goals/Objectives:  To educate people at LVPC and throughout the Chicago area about fair trade practices and make available merchandise for sale. 

The main activities of the Fair Trade Task Force include the weekly sale of Fair Trade coffee and chocolate after 11:00 services and the LVPC Fair Trade Bazaars which happen once a year.  

Chairs:

Jeff Glenn -- j7153@aol.com

Rene Grogg -- goofyrenee@sbcglobal.net 
                  (fair trade Bazaars)

Visit the following sites for more information about Fair Trade opportunities:

Co-op America

Chicago Fair Trade

Partners For Just Trade

A Greater Gift

The Enterprise Kitchen

Market Place India

Ten Thousand Villages

Fair Trade Federation

Equal Exchange

Divine Chocolate

Higher Ground Roasters

More Light

Mission:  We are a More Light Congregation, a designation in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for churches who are working for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith.

Who We Are:  A congregation who is faithful to God's call and believes that God continues to open new understandings of scripture and the Word in the life of Chirst.

Goals/Objectives:  

• -- Provide a ministry of care and inclusiveness
  -- Support the GLBT Community in matters of justice
  -- Bear witness to the individual God-given gifts of GLBTQ people in the Presbyterian Church
  -- Creating Pride Month and National Coming Out Day services
  -- Participating the GLBTQ Pride parade

Additionally we organize a congregational booth for Halsted Market Days.

Eco-Justice

Mission:  The LVPC Task force on Eco-Justice views creation as gift from a good and loving God, and sees each human being as responsible for honoring that gift through daily actions of stewardship that sustain and protect the integrity of life.

Goals/Objectives:  To raise our congregation's awareness of lifestyle choices and to encourage changes that:

• -- Seek harmony with Creation, Respect all life, 

• -- Value Diversity, 

• -- Support ecological sustainability 

Chair:

Megan Klenke -- mnklenke@gmail.com

Middle East

Mission:  To bring a greater awareness of the conflict in the Middle East (specifically Palestine/Israel and Iraq) through methods of personal witness –including non-violent methods of resistance - and present opportunities for support and action in accomplishing a just peace in the region. 

Goals/Objectives:  

• -- To bring an awareness and understanding in our own congregation and beyond, the economic, physical and psychological impact of occupation. 

• -- To highlight the human rights violations suffered by all peoples in this conflict.

• -- To provide emotional, financial and spiritual support for the dwindling Christian population of these areas in the Middle East.
  -- To financially support individuals of the Lake View congregation choosing to travel to these regions to bear witness to the conditions of Life.
  -- To state, and support with actions or contributions to the appropriate organizations, we as a congregation, oppose the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, as well as Iraq AND the use of violence in these regions as a means of accomplishing peace.

Chair:

Laurie Empen -- LaurieEmps@yahoo.com

Click here to visit the LVPC Middle East Task Force Web page.

Affordable Housing Task Force

Mission:  We seek to promote diversity in our community by serving as a resource, advancing education, and, most importantly, participating in actions related to preserving and increasing affordable housing in our Lake View neighborhood, our city, and our state. 

Goals/Objectives:  

• -- Educate and serve as a resource for the church congregation on the benefits and challenges of affordable housing. 

• -- Participate in and facilitate actions seeking to preserve and create affordable housing in Lake View, in Chicago, and in the state of Illinois.

• -- Establish and maintain collaborations with community, religious, and social justice organizations; other area religious institutions; and local political leaders.

DART (Disaster Assistance Relief Team)

Goals/Objectives: In partnership with Chicago Presbytery and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program, to witness, contribute financially and sponsor mission work groups to helf rebuild, restore, and spiritually support communities affected natural disaster.

Chair:

Sandy Roberts -- davidsandy77@comcast.net 

Other Issues We Mobilize Around

• -- Affordable Housing

• -- Homeless Youth

• -- Bread for the World

• -- Our Parish Nurse Program