What makes someone trustworthy? ELCA’s Faith Lens explores Matthew 21:23–32, connecting Jesus’ parable of two sons with the trustworthiness God reveals in Christ. Reflection questions, group activities, and prayer help youth consider how their actions reflect their words. Smaller-church leaders will also find an invitation to share their experiences through a listening project survey. Explore this week’s Faith Lens.
Read MoreAs September 30’s National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools approaches, the ELCA invites congregations into year-round truth telling, learning, and repair that acknowledge Lutheran involvement. Discover worship and learning resources, the nationwide expansion of the Truth Seeking & Truth Telling Initiative, and how Phoenix’s Native American Urban Ministry supports Indigenous community and cultural restoration. Read the full article and explore ways to participate.
Read MoreWhat do charitable giving trends mean for your ministry? Join the ELCA Foundation’s November 11 webinar, 11 a.m.–noon Arizona/Utah time or 10–11 a.m. Nevada time, for insights from Giving USA 2026 and practical fundraising guidance. Pastors, stewardship teams, and ministry leaders are encouraged to register.
Read MoreThe ELCA has released “Conscience and Conversation,” a new study resource to support churchwide discernment during the reconsideration of Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. Congregations, small groups, and individuals are invited to participate and share feedback with the task force.
The accompanying survey is open through September 30, 2026, and responses will help shape a draft statement for churchwide review. Ministry leaders are encouraged to prayerfully engage the study and ensure their voices are part of the conversation.
Read MoreWondering whether God may be calling you toward ministry, theological education, or church leadership? Join representatives from all seven ELCA seminaries online Sunday, September 27, from 2–4 p.m. in Arizona, the Navajo Nation, and Utah—or 1–3 p.m. in Southern Nevada. Learn about programs, ask questions, and take a faithful next step in discernment.
Read MorePortico Social Purpose Funds offer ELCA Retirement Plan members a way to consider investments through the lens of Lutheran social teaching, screening for practices that conflict with church values while supporting positive social impact.
Explore your options, review the fund descriptions and consider whether your retirement selections match your mission.
Read MoreWomen of the ELCA offers a full September calendar of opportunities for worship, fellowship, study, retirement planning, and racial justice advocacy. Join the September 17 Boldcafe dinner, WELCA Reads beginning September 21, the September 24 Indian boarding schools presentation, and the Thankoffering Service livestream on October 15.
Explore the resources, register where needed, and share these opportunities with your congregation or women’s group.
Read MoreOn the 25th anniversary of 9/11, 75 people gathered at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Plainview, N.Y., to remember those lost, honor first responders, share stories, and worship the wounded Savior. The service named both enduring grief—including losses from 9/11-related illness—and the hope found when communities care for one another.
This Living Lutheran story reflects on remembrance as a call to healing, kindness, and renewed community. Read the original Living Lutheran story.
Read MoreOn the 25th anniversary of 9/11, retired Lutheran Disaster Response director Gilbert B. Furst remembers the church’s sustained response: counseling, care, advocacy, financial support, and accompaniment for communities in New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.
His reflection testifies that God was present amid devastation—in the hands of firefighters, chaplains, counselors, neighbors, and all who served in Christ’s name. Read the original Living Lutheran reflection.
Read MoreThe September issue of Administration Matters is available for ELCA congregational and synod leaders. Explore resources on ministry credit cards, the Season of Creation, 2027 Portico benefits, and safe trunk-or-treat planning. Portico benefit elections are October 1–14. Read the full issue.
Read MoreIn Matthew 20:1–16, Jesus’ vineyard parable invites us to wrestle with fairness, grace, and our need for one another. This week’s ELCA Faith Lens reflection considers how congregations and groups can welcome new people, navigate conflict, and work together for the good of the whole community.
Read “Laboring Together,” by Pastor Adrianne Meier, for discussion questions, a group activity, and prayer resources. Read the full Faith Lens reflection.
Read MoreThe recording of the ELCA Racial Justice Ministries webinar “Dismantle: Using the Devotional in Congregational Life” is now available. Explore practical, faith-rooted tools for engaging the Dismantle devotional and advancing justice, accountability, and beloved community.
Upcoming webinars are November 10, 2026, and January 12, 2027. Watch the recording and register for the remaining sessions.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod is launching a series highlighting the ELCA Church Property Resource Hub. Begin with a no-cost Zoom webinar, “Land Back as Property Stewardship Ethic,” on Thursday, September 24, at 6 p.m. Central Time. Indigenous leaders and ELCA partners will explore land return, the Doctrine of Discovery, and faithful property stewardship. Register today.
Read MoreLay and rostered leaders are invited to Faithful Listening, Bold Proclamation, three interactive Zoom workshops with ELCA pastor and Womanist theologian Rev. Sharei Green on Sept. 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. Arizona/Pacific Time. Explore Community, Gospel, and Kin-dom while strengthening practices of listening and proclamation. Attend one session or all three.
Read MoreELCA congregations and eligible ministries with existing feeding programs may apply for a $500 Daily Bread Grant beginning Oct. 1. Applications close Oct. 21 at midnight Central Time. These grants support local ministries responding faithfully and practically to hunger and poverty. Review eligibility and application details.
Read MoreOn the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, this Living Lutheran reflection revisits the witness of New York Lutherans who accompanied neighbors through unimaginable grief. Their stories remind us that God is present not apart from suffering, but in faithful listening, lament, mercy, and hope. Read the full reflection.
Read MoreELCA Worship shares new resources for musicians, worship planners, and congregational leaders, including fall webinars from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the Oct. 18–20 Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music, free sheet music from Lutheran Summer Music, and tools for community singing. Early registration for the Vi Messerli lectures ends Sept. 15. Explore the resources and events.
Read MoreIn this guest reflection for ELCA Racial Justice Ministries, Rev. Terrance A. Jacob recounts how faith-based organizing, grassroots leadership, and a meeting with then-Sen. Barack Obama helped advance support for a Lutheran AIDS ministry in Soweto. It is a personal story of persistence, partnership, and the power of mutual respect across borders. Read Rev. Jacob’s full reflection.
Read MoreReflecting on Romans 14 and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, this ELCA Faith Lens explores how Christians can hold firm convictions without judging or excluding others. Because Christ alone is Lord, we are called to meet religious and cultural differences with humility—loving, listening to, defending and welcoming our neighbors.
Read MoreTransitions can leave us between what was and what will be—a disorienting “liminal space” of waiting and uncertainty. Drawing on a difficult mountain hike, Joseph’s years of waiting and the Christian hope of God’s “already, but not yet” reign, the Rev. Becca Ehrlich reminds us that in-between time is not a time for inaction.
Even without a clear view of what lies ahead, we can listen for God, love our neighbors and become guiding lights for one another. Read the full reflection in Café.
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