Church & Society

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona’s latest newsletter is filled with timely action opportunities, including registration for Lutheran Day at the Legislature on February 23, advocacy alerts on housing and immigration, and multiple trainings and events in the coming weeks. From confronting Christian nationalism to learning how to use Arizona’s Request to Speak system, LAMA continues to equip people of faith to act for justice.

Read the full newsletter for dates, links, and ways to engage—and share it with others to strengthen our collective Lutheran witness for the common good.

Faith leaders across the country are calling on Congress to act as immigration enforcement increasingly threatens places of worship and community safety. A new call to action urges lawmakers to pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Actand to hold ICE accountable by withholding funding, citing escalating enforcement actions on church grounds and growing fear among immigrant and refugee communities.

Rooted in the conviction that religious freedom must be lived and defended—not just named—this appeal invites people of faith to contact their elected officials and take action now. Read the full call and learn how to respond faithfully and urgently.

In a time marked by fear, violence, and division, Women of the ELCA calls the church to peace rooted in prayer, lament, and faithful engagement. Reflecting on recent deaths, detentions, and rising fear in communities, this message invites Lutherans to resist dehumanization and choose a deeper trust in God—through two upcoming online conversations focused on truth, prayer, and faithful response.

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and Minnesota ELCA synod bishops have released a joint pastoral video condemning aggressive immigration activity and addressing the fear and uncertainty experienced by many communities. Grounded in Christ’s promises, the bishops call the church to faithful lament, moral clarity, and continued witness rooted in human dignity.

Watch and share the video message as an act of prayerful solidarity and hope.

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.

In a joint statement released Jan. 16, 2026, national bishops from Lutheran churches in the United States, Canada, and Denmark voiced strong support for the Greenlandic people amid growing international pressure on Greenland’s future. The statement affirms Greenland’s right to self-determination, peace between nations, and respect for international law, echoing the words of Paneeraq Siegstad Munk: “We are people, not property. Greenland is not land to be bought.”

The bishops invite Lutherans to pray for Greenland and to contact elected leaders, urging them to respect the independence, dignity, and human rights of the Greenlandic people.

In response to U.S. military action in Venezuela, Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, solidarity, and faithful civic engagement rooted in baptismal identity. The statement lifts up concern for the Venezuelan people, the Venezuelan Lutheran church, and the more than 600,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. facing uncertainty over Temporary Protected Status.

Affirming Lutheran social teaching, the ELCA urges humanitarian pathways, congressional accountability over war powers, and resistance to economic or political exploitation. Read the full statement and prayer.

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry issued a statement mourning the Jan. 7, 2026, shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calling for a full investigation, accountability, and de-escalation of immigration enforcement. Rooted in Isaiah 1:17, the statement affirms the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s commitment to human dignity, just immigration policy, and prayerful solidarity with impacted communities.

The ELCA invites ongoing prayer, vigils, and advocacy, and lifts up resources from AMMPARO as the church continues its historic commitment to accompany migrants and refugees. Read the full statement.

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest is preparing for a challenging 2026, as state leaders warn of a tight Arizona budget and federal officials propose changes to the “public charge” test that could harm immigrant communities and caregivers. Strong advocacy will be essential to protect basic needs, human dignity, and access to vital supports.

As people of faith, we remain committed to standing with our neighbors, amplifying unheard voices, and raising our voices together in hope as we move into the new year.

Recent federal spending cuts to Medicaid, refugee resettlement, and disaster response are already impacting Lutheran ministries across the country. In this Living Lutheran Voices of Faith column, Debra Madaris Efird reflects on how these changes affect agencies like Lutheran Services Carolinas—and asks what it means for us, as Lutherans, to respond with compassion, advocacy, generosity, and prayer. This timely reflection invites congregations and individuals alike to discern faithful action rooted in our shared call to love our neighbors. Read the full article at Living Lutheran.

This week’s LAMA newsletter highlights urgent advocacy opportunities to protect creation, upcoming hunger and advocacy gatherings, and faith-based responses to pressing public issues. With key deadlines this week and important events ahead, now is the time to act. Read the full update and take part in advocacy grounded in Lutheran faith.

The ELCA’s Advocacy and Migration Policy team has released a new conversation guide, Created in the Image of God, equipping faith communities to recognize and respond to dehumanizing language—particularly language directed at immigrants and forcibly displaced people. Grounded in Scripture and ELCA social teaching, the guide calls Christians to affirm the imago Dei in every person and to resist rhetoric that erodes empathy, dignity, and justice.

This timely resource invites congregations and individuals to engage difficult conversations with curiosity, compassion, and faith, using personal stories and theological grounding to challenge harmful narratives. Read the full reflection and download the conversation guide.

Following a deadly shooting at Brown University that claimed two lives and injured many others, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, lament, and faithful public action. The statement names gun violence as a symptom of deeper brokenness in our common life and rejects its normalization in U.S. society.

Drawing on the ELCA’s social message on gun violence, Bishop Curry urges evidence-based, life-saving measures alongside sustained advocacy and accompaniment. In this Advent season, the statement affirms that God meets us in suffering and calls the church to work for justice, compassion, and peace. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry has issued a statement following a deadly terror attack on the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah menorah lighting at Bondi Beach in Australia. Writing on the Third Sunday of Advent, Bishop Curry condemns antisemitism, reaffirms the ELCA’s commitment to opposing anti-Jewish hatred, and calls the church to concrete acts of solidarity, love, and peace with our Jewish neighbors.

Grounded in God’s irrevocable covenant and the hope of Advent, the statement invites prayer and faithful action as an antidote to fear and violence. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.

This week’s LAMA newsletter features an urgent call for Christmas volunteers with LSS-SW, new advocacy events through mid-January, and the release of LAMA’s 2026 Policy Priorities. You’ll also find updates on H.R. 1’s potential impact in Arizona, resources for congregations, and opportunities to support Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Read the full newsletter to stay connected with the advocacy ministry of the Grand Canyon Synod.

A small but resolute group of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Lutheran leaders and community members gathered outside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center to pray for the release of Evi Sarlita Sihomping, a longtime ELCA member detained since June 7. Led by Pacifica Synod Bishop David Nagler and organized alongside the API Leaders Migration Justice Training, the vigil lifted up Evi’s humanity, rejected the “model minority” myth, and insisted that immigration policy must be shaped by empathy, not punishment.

The article from Living Lutheran highlights the broader advocacy of API ministries, AMMPARO, and ELCA leaders who refuse to stay silent as families are separated. It also shares practical ways to support Evi—including sending cards and contacting elected officials. Read the full story on Living Lutheran ›

LAMA’s latest newsletter highlights urgent #GivingTuesday news—after surpassing its $5,000 goal, LAMA is aiming for $10,000. It also includes key December advocacy events, volunteer opportunities, ELCA Action Alerts, and updates on issues impacting Arizona communities. Plus: Christmas service opportunities, a save-the-date for Lutheran Day at the Legislature 2026, and the launch of LAMA’s new T-shirt Design Contest. Read the full newsletter here.

Stay up to date with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona through this week’s newsletter, featuring an urgent Action Alert for World AIDS Day, upcoming December events, new blog posts, and preparations for Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Read the full newsletter to connect with statewide justice efforts, prayer opportunities, and ways your congregation can support LAMA’s ministry.

This week’s LAMA newsletter highlights an urgent ELCA Action Alert supporting FEMA reform, multiple advocacy and interfaith events, the AFN Annual Gathering, and new blog updates on immigration, climate justice, and Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Read the full newsletter at LAMAz.org.

When migrants and other neighbors are labeled “invasion,” “animals,” or “illegals,” our faith compels us to respond. This AMMPARO reflection names dehumanization as sin and calls Lutherans to “faithful resistance” in our words, actions, and hearts, grounded in Scripture’s witness that every person bears the image of God.

Read how this resistance takes shape in daily life—through language, advocacy, and humble service rooted in Micah 6:8—by reading the full article from AMMPARO.

The latest newsletter from Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) calls us to faithful advocacy on behalf of our neighbors and creation. This week’s Action Alert urges Lutherans to contact legislators and advocate for U.S. participation in global climate talks (COP30).

Upcoming events include the Power of Hello workshop on community safety (Nov. 17), the LAMA Liaison Roundtable (Nov. 17), Bread for the World regional meetings (Nov. 18–19), and the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network (Nov. 25).

The newsletter also features the LAMA T-Shirt Design Contest, ELCA World Hunger’s Daily Bread Grants, and a Save the Date for Lutheran Day at the Legislature 2026 (Feb. 23). Read more at lamaz.org and join the movement for justice and compassion in Arizona.

Explore highlights from BJC’s November Faith Freedom Dispatch, including the 2025 Shurden Lectures on sanctuary and migrant justice, new clergy organizing efforts to confront Christian nationalism, and Season 7 of the Respecting Religion podcast. Additional updates include a new BJC merch shop, national news coverage of religious liberty, and upcoming Supreme Court advocacy. Read the full newsletter here.

Join Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest for a Refugee Services Update Webinar on Friday, November 14, at 11 a.m. Hear directly from Connie Phillips, President & CEO, and key staff about the state of refugee resettlement in Arizona and what’s ahead in 2026. Learn how congregations and individuals across our synod continue to walk alongside refugee families with compassion and hope. Register here.

King of Glory Lutheran Church, Tempe, will host a community conversation on Christian Nationalism on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 (6:30–8:00 p.m.) with guest speakers Rev. Caleb Campbell and Rev. Ellie Hutchison. All are invited to explore what Christian Nationalism is, why it matters, and how people of faith can respond with humility, grace, and Gospel-centered love. Learn more at kogaz.org/events. View PDF flyer here.

Stay informed and engaged with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) in this week’s update, featuring an urgent SNAP Action Alert, events for faith-based advocates, and new blog stories on hunger, refugee policy, and Reformation courage.

Read the full LAMA Newsletter for November 4, 2025 to learn how you and your congregation can take part in advocacy for justice, hunger relief, and faithful civic engagement.

In a new episode of Here I Pod, Lutheran Disaster Response staff and partners share their recent conversations with legislators in Washington, D.C., urging stronger FEMA reform to support disaster-affected communities. Listeners also hear practical ways to take action and strengthen congregational preparedness. Listen and read more on Living Lutheran: Here I Pod: Lutheran disaster responders speak to FEMA legislation.

King of Glory Lutheran Church, Tempe, will host a community conversation on Christian Nationalism on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 (6:30–8:00 p.m.) with guest speakers Rev. Caleb Campbell and Rev. Ellie Hutchison. All are invited to explore what Christian Nationalism is, why it matters, and how people of faith can respond with humility, grace, and Gospel-centered love. Learn more at kogaz.org/events. View PDF flyer here.