What is Cafe?

Café is a new internet magazine whose goal is to be a resource for women to build community, participate in advocacy, strengthen faith, and strive toward enlightenment. It incorporates a Lutheran perspective for women of the Christian faith or simply for anyone who is interested in how faith can relate to the issues that face women today.

Five issues of Café are produced each year and are delivered to subscribers by email. Café is provided free to anyone who wishes to subscribe. Click the Subscribe button for details.

August 2003 marks the first issue of Café. Once delivered, back issues will be available for online viewing.

How did it get here?

Of course, Café didn’t just come together by itself. In summer 2003, Emilie Rommel and Sarah Dreier accepted internships with Women of the ELCA. The magazine staff for Lutheran Woman Today and many others within the Lutheran Center in Chicago, Illinois, provided guidance and support for Sarah and Emilie as they took the idea for Café and ran with it. (Our undying thanks to the staff in the ELCA Department of Communication who held our hands as we expanded our minds!) 

What had been a kernel of an idea for a grant proposal in January 2003 had developed into a funded project by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Women of the ELCA. Focus groups were held and input was given. Several groups of young women came together to share ideas, entertain dreams, and create a vision of what they would like to see offered from their church in a form that was meaningful for their lives. Thus was born Café—an e-zine for women age 20-35 who seek Community, Advocacy, Faith and Enlightenment in their lives.

So you think you have something to say?

Do you have ideas or thoughts about something that you would like to see as a topic in a future issue of Café? We know you do! Email us at cafe@elca.org and let us know what is on your mind. We are always looking for new ideas.

Would you like to intern with us?

It is possible and probable that summer internships will be offered for the planning and production of Café’s second year. When available, a link will be posted here for more information.