Calling all hunger champions: join this network of the Grand Canyon Synod! Meet to hear updates on national and local Hunger and Food Insecurity efforts and initiatives, to learn from one another, and to share with the group what's happening in our congregations. Anyone interested in alleviating hunger is welcome. Prepare to be encouraged and supported! Click here to access the meeting, at 6pm on the last Tuesday of every month.

The Arizona Faith Network invites faith leaders and community members to a nonviolent prayer vigil on Sunday, January 25 at 4:00 PM outside the ICE Phoenix Field Office (2035 N. Central Ave, Phoenix). This vigil calls faith communities to public witness and prayer in response to harms connected to ICE enforcement, standing in solidarity with those under threat of detention and separation.

Clergy from many traditions will offer prayers and reflection. Participants should bring a candle, water, and wear clergy or justice-themed attire. Nearby church parking is available. Register and share with others here: bit.ly/azfaithfulwitness.

Diakonia graduates are invited to one of three regional fellowship gatherings this January in Henderson, Peoria, or Tucson. Hosted by the Growing In Faith/Diakonia Steering Committee, each Saturday event (10:00 AM–2:00 PM) includes fellowship, a mini-course led by Diakonia instructors, shared lunch, and closing worship.

All graduates and instructors are welcome, and guests are encouraged. RSVP by December 31 to tinag963@gmail.com, including your chosen location and any dietary needs.

On Saturday, January 24, 2026, leaders across the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to gather in person at the Synod Office in Phoenix for a hybrid Evangelism and Congregational Vitality Workshop, connected by Zoom with regional partners and PLTS. The gathering runs 9:00 AM–2:00 PM, includes lunch, and blends shared teaching with local conversation. RSVP requested for food planning—contact Pastor David Pavesic at David.Pavesic@elca.org.

Christians from across Arizona are invited to gather for the 2026 Statewide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Thursday, January 22, at 6:30 PM at Historic Tanner Chapel AME Church in Phoenix. Hosted by The Rev’d Dr. Benjamin N. Thomas, Sr. and the Tanner Chapel congregation, this ecumenical service is part of a global observance prayed by churches worldwide.

Using worship materials prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, the service offers a powerful opportunity to pray for Christian unity, deepen relationships across traditions, and witness together to Christ’s reconciling love. All are welcome.

The ELCA, in partnership with Augsburg Fortress Publishers, will observe the 2026 National Day of Racial Healingwith “Just Us Narratives: A Night of Centering Multiracial Voices Across the ELCA” on Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 5–7 p.m. MST (4–6 p.m. PST). This free event will be offered online and in person in Naperville, Ill., featuring sacred storytelling that invites deep listening, reflection, and renewed commitment to racial healing.

Online participation requires no registration, while in-person attendance is limited and requires advance registration. The event will be recorded and shared later via the ELCA’s YouTube channel.

The Colorado River Conference invites you to a festive MLK celebration featuring guest preacher Rev. Dr. James Thomas, author of A Rumor of Black Lutherans: The Formation of Black Leadership in Early American Lutheranism (purchase at Amazon or Fortress Press). Learn more about Dr. Thomas here. Worship is followed by a reception.

Join the Grand Canyon Synod for our MLK Celebration worship service led by a synodwide choir lifting songs of hope and justice. Choir members arrive by 2:00 p.m.; service begins at 3:00 p.m. Full details and latest updates at gcsynod.org/mlk.

The Grand Canyon Synod gives thanks for the life and ministry of Rev. Richard “Dick” Glover, retired pastor and member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Phoenix, who died on November 17, 2025. A Service of Life and Resurrection will be held Saturday, January 17, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, with visitation at 10:30 a.m. and service at 11:00 a.m., followed by fellowship.

We invite the synod to hold Alice, the Glover family, and the St. Andrew community in prayer, trusting in God’s promises of baptismal grace, resurrection, and eternal peace in Christ.

Diakonia graduates are invited to one of three regional fellowship gatherings this January in Henderson, Peoria, or Tucson. Hosted by the Growing In Faith/Diakonia Steering Committee, each Saturday event (10:00 AM–2:00 PM) includes fellowship, a mini-course led by Diakonia instructors, shared lunch, and closing worship.

All graduates and instructors are welcome, and guests are encouraged. RSVP by December 31 to tinag963@gmail.com, including your chosen location and any dietary needs.

The “Effective Reentry Ministry for Ordinary Congregations” workshop scheduled for January 17, 2026, at Grace Lutheran Church in Phoenix has been canceled.

Organizer Fred Nelson of the Inside Out Network is exploring the possibility of offering this training in an online webinar or alternate format in the future. Updates will be shared as plans develop.

Many congregations are facing rising costs, leadership shortages, and increasing pressures—but the gospel continues to call us forward together. Join the Grand Canyon Synod for “Possibilities in Partnership,” a synod-wide Zoom conversation on January 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm MST, 5:00 PM PST, exploring new ways congregations can collaborate and share ministry.

Led by Rev. David Pavesic, this gathering invites rostered ministers and lay leaders into reflection, conversation, and discernment around what it means to be church together in this season. Advance registration is required.

Join Spirit in the Desert’s Spirited Book Club on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 3:00–4:00 pm AZ (2:00 pm PST) for a conversation with author Peter Faur about his new novel, The Heretic Hunters: A Parable for Our Time. The book traces a denomination in crisis as authoritarianism, doctrinal purity campaigns, and personal courage collide—raising timely questions about faith, integrity, and the endurance of love.

The discussion will be facilitated by Sheri Brown, and registration is open. Learn more about the book, read early reviews, and sign up to join the conversation here: Read more & register →

Mount of Olives Lutheran Church kicks off the new year with Jazz Vespers on Sunday, January 11. at 5:30 p.m., featuring Beth Lederman with Todd Herzog and a reception to follow. After raising over $10,000 in 2025 and supplying more than 8,000 family units with food, the Music for Food ministry continues to unite worship, music, and service to neighbors in need.

Diakonia graduates are invited to one of three regional fellowship gatherings this January in Henderson, Peoria, or Tucson. Hosted by the Growing In Faith/Diakonia Steering Committee, each Saturday event (10:00 AM–2:00 PM) includes fellowship, a mini-course led by Diakonia instructors, shared lunch, and closing worship.

All graduates and instructors are welcome, and guests are encouraged. RSVP by December 31 to tinag963@gmail.com, including your chosen location and any dietary needs.

First rehearsal for the synodwide MLK Choir—pick up music, meet your section, and get our sound started. All voices welcome; no audition. Arrive 10 minutes early for check-in. For sign-up, rehearsal dates, and updates, visit gcsynod.org/mlk.

Start the new year with clarity—not guilt. Join the Center of Addiction & Faith for a free one-hour webinar, “Unwine Your Mind – A January Reset,” on Wednesday, December 31, from 11:00 AM–12:00 PM MST (10:00–11:00 AM PT). Featuring journalist and sober-curious leader Hilary Sheinbaum, this judgment-free session invites participants to explore a 30-day alcohol-free reset—or a meaningful reduction—with attention to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Designed especially for faith leaders and those navigating stress and exhaustion, this webinar offers practical insight, Lutheran-friendly reflection, and a compassionate approach to healthier living. Registration is free and open now.

Calling all hunger champions: join this network of the Grand Canyon Synod! Meet to hear updates on national and local Hunger and Food Insecurity efforts and initiatives, to learn from one another, and to share with the group what's happening in our congregations. Anyone interested in alleviating hunger is welcome. Prepare to be encouraged and supported! Click here to access the meeting, at 6pm on the last Tuesday of every month.

Join the Center of Addiction & Faith for a virtual Blue Christmas Service on Sunday, December 21, at 6 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. PT—a gentle, contemplative space for anyone carrying grief, stress, or sorrow during the holiday season. Grounded in the promise of John 1:5, this service honors the real struggles that accompany the darkest time of the year and invites participants to seek comfort and light together. Register online and come as you are.

Join the Women of the ELCA for the annual Blue Christmas Service on Sunday, December 21, 2025, the Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year. This virtual Zoom service at 6 PM (Arizona/Utah) / 5 PM (Nevada) offers a peaceful space with music, readings, and prayer for all who seek comfort and hope during the holiday season. Register to attend here.

Mount of Olives Lutheran Church hosts Cocoa and Carols on December 21, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., featuring Typhanie Monique and Raul Yanez. This free Music for Food sing-along includes a freewill offering supporting the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM)—an afternoon of music, generosity, and seasonal joy.

Begin your Advent Saturdays in prayer and quiet community with Earth and All Flesh: Advent Prayer Gathering, meeting on Zoom from 8:00–8:30 am MST on November 29, December 6, 13, and 20. Each 30-minute gathering includes a reading from Martin Luther’s Christmas Book, guided meditation, music or poetry, silent contemplation, and prayers of intercession, led by retreat facilitator Sheri Brown in partnership with Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center.

Join Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West on Friday, December 19 at 10:00 AM for a joyful Big Band Christmas Concert featuring festive music, vocalists, and a time of fellowship with holiday treats. All are welcome to gather in the Social Hall for a warm and spirited start to the Christmas season.

New Spirit Lutheran Church in Tucson once again hosts Arizona’s exclusive production of Bending Towards the Light: A Jazz Nativity on December 13 at 7 p.m. and December 14 at 5 p.m. This joyful retelling of the Nativity—written by Anne Phillips and inspired by “The Jazz Pastor” John Garcia Gensel—blends the Christmas story with the expressive beauty of jazz. Tickets and details at jazznativity.org/tucson.

Join Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee on Sunday, December 14, 2025, for a German-Language Christmas Service, beginning with caroling at 4:10 p.m. and worship at 4:30 p.m. Enjoy fellowship afterward with coffee, tea, and Christmas cookies (donations welcome). The service will also be livestreamed at bit.ly/weihnachtsgottesdienst2025inphoenix. Learn more at weihnachtsgottesdienstphoenix.com.