Observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 12 by honoring Indigenous cultures, resilience and sovereignty. Explore ELCA Indigenous ministries and Truth and Healing resources, learn about the peoples whose homelands include your community, and take a concrete step to support Indigenous voices.
Mark your calendar for next year’s Bishop’s Fall Gathering—a time of rest, renewal, and community for rostered ministers and lay leaders across the Grand Canyon Synod. This retreat will continue our 2026 theme, Rooted in God’s Story.
Times: Approximate and to be determined. First Call Accompaniment will be on October 14 and 15.
Additional details, registration information, and session themes can be found on our 2026 Bishop's Fall Gathering page.
Gather October 15, 2026, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie Street, Chandler, for a free, nonpartisan Community Voting Celebration. Enjoy food, ballot education, Peacekeeper training, and transportation to an official ballot drop-off for participants with completed ballots. All are welcome at this interfaith open house—come when you can. Register here.
Hear ELCA Presiding Bishop Emerita Elizabeth Eaton at Cal Lutheran’s Founders Day October 15, in Thousand Oaks or online: Convocation at 11:15 a.m. and “The Once and Future Church” at 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Register for the lecture, find livestream details, and join congregations in praying for Cal Lutheran on October 18.
Hear ELCA Presiding Bishop Emerita Elizabeth Eaton at Cal Lutheran’s Founders Day October 15, in Thousand Oaks or online: Convocation at 11:15 a.m. and “The Once and Future Church” at 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Register for the lecture, find livestream details, and join congregations in praying for Cal Lutheran on October 18.
Children, youth and young adult ministry leaders are invited to Camp Pinerock in Prescott, October 16–17, for 24 hours of connection, renewal and shared learning. The $50 retreat includes informal fellowship and participant-driven conversations about faith formation, intergenerational ministry and the joys and challenges of ministry with younger generations.
Reserve your spot by emailing Deacon Laura Book at lbook@gcsynod.org by October 1, 2026.
King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe will host a Senior Resource Fair October 17, 9 a.m.–noon, at 2085 E. Southern Ave. Older adults and caregivers can connect with resource organizations and attend 30-minute presentations on Medicare, aging in place, caregiver support, financial and legal considerations, and staying healthy and connected. View a PDF here.
Deacon Wendy Schulz will be installed at St. John's Lutheran Church (7205 N 51st Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301), on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 5 pm. Pastor Ryan Hersch will be preaching and presiding, with a light meal will follow. No RSVP's needed. The service will be live streamed and have video afterward.
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.
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary invites people discerning seminary, ordained ministry or another vocational path to Signs Along the Way, October 30-November 1 in Berkeley, California. Lodging and meals are covered, and travel assistance is available.
Come explore your call, experience PLTS and connect with students, faculty and others in discernment. Learn more and register.
What 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.
Make Your Mark! Students in grades 8–12 are invited to the CRC Fall Retreat November 13–15, 2026, at New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah. Explore faith through the stories of Esther, Moses, and David and Goliath, with games, service, worship, and friendship. Cost: $50 plus transportation. Register and pay by October 26.
Celebrate being beloved children of God at “We Are Worthy,” November 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., at Love of Christ Lutheran’s Compassion Center in Mesa. Enjoy Bible study, music, a keynote, painting, and worship with Communion. All women are welcome. Complimentary registration is available for synod rostered women, with scholarships for lay women of color. Register and bring a friend.
Registration is open for “A Different Way: Jesus and the Call Beyond Christian Nationalism,” a Nov. 14 symposium featuring Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee of the Northwest Washington Synod. Join the Grand Canyon Growing in Faith Program in Sun City or online for a biblical and theological exploration of faith, nation, power and our ultimate identity in Christ. Cost is $25.
Join SYAT Collective on Zoom this fall: November 19 at 10 a.m. for Navigating Political Conversations, and December 10 at 6:30 p.m. for Advent renewal for children’s, youth, and young adult leaders. Register separately through each event link, and explore SYAT and youth ministry resources.
Veterans are invited to a free Healing of Memories retreat November 20–22 at Spirit in the Desert in Carefree, from Friday at 6 p.m. through Sunday at 2 p.m. The weekend offers reflection, compassionate listening, and support. Space is limited: contact Mike Wold at 651-687-9767 or michael_w_wold@msn.com. Please share with veterans in your congregation and community.
Enjoy a Senegal-style dinner and drum circle with Pape Diouf and Dr. Sonja Branch at Holy Trinity in Chandler on November 21. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. with a freewill offering; drumming begins at 7 p.m. Beginners, experienced drummers, and children are welcome—$10 to play with an RSVP, free to listen. Learn more and RSVP.
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 SYAT Collective on Zoom, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. for Advent renewal for children’s, youth, and young adult leaders.
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.
Build practical ministry skills and make space for renewal at Executive Skills for Church Leaders, January 3–8, 2027, at Spirit in the Desert in Carefree. Open to pastors, deacons, and lay leaders, the retreat explores grace-centered leadership, finances, staff support, and the Enneagram. Residential and commuter options are available; programming begins January 4. Learn more and register.
The 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering will take place June 28–July 2, 2027, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Held every three years, the ELCA Youth Gathering is more than a large-scale event—it is a movement of faith formation, bringing together thousands of high school youth and their adult leaders for worship, learning, service, and community grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The theme for 2027, “Imagine More,” invites young people to expand their vision of what God is doing in the world and how they are called to participate—imagining more justice, more belonging, more courage, and more hope for the church and the world.