Registration is now open for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly, June 11–13, 2026, at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa under the theme “Rooted in God’s Story.” Early bird voting member registration is $140 through April 13 ($160 through May 18). Visitors and exhibitors register for $80. Congregations may send one youth or young adult voting member free using code YOUTH2026. Visit gcsynod.org/assembly for full details and to register.
Ready for summer? Lutheran congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod are offering Vacation Bible Schools and children’s camps filled with faith, fun, and fellowship. Explore the growing list of programs, and help us share your church’s summer offerings by emailing Deacon Laura Book at lbook@gcsynod.org.
The Grand Canyon Synod Assembly will feature a Friday Night Variety Show on June 12, 2026, offering an evening of music, storytelling, humor, and creative performances from across the synod. Dinner will take place from 5:30–6:30 pm, followed by the show from 6:30–7:30 pm, hosted by Pastor Thaddeus Book of Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe.
The planning team is currently inviting 5–7 minute family-friendly acts from individuals, groups, congregations, and families. Interested performers are encouraged to submit a short description of their act using the online form, with selected performers contacted prior to Assembly. If you would like to be considered for the Friday Night Variety Show, please submit a brief description of your act using this form by Monday, April 27, 2026.
The Grand Canyon Synod is inviting congregations and individuals to contribute recipes for Rooted at the Table, a shared recipe project connected with the 2026 Synod Assembly. Recipes will be published online, with a curated selection included in a printed cookbook.
Submit a favorite dish from your congregation, family, or culture by May 1, 2026, and help celebrate the many traditions that shape life across our synod.
Carly Chamberlain will be ordained to Word and Service at Faith-La Fe Lutheran Church (801 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85014), Saturday, April 18 at 10:30 am. She will be installed at Mount of Olives Lutheran Church at a later date. Rostered ministers are invited to robe and process, color of the day is red. Pastor Jonathan Linman will preach, Bishop Hutterer will preside.
A reception will follow immediately in the parish hall. The service will be live streamed on the Faith Lutheran Facebook page.
Those wishing to submit a resolution for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly must do so by Monday, April 27, 2026, by sending an editable electronic file to Kathye Hamm (khamm@gcsynod.org). Resolutions must comply with the ELCA and Grand Canyon Synod governing documents, Robert’s Rules of Order, and the assembly’s rules and agenda. More info here.
The Reference and Counsel Committee will review submissions and publish a report—including recommendations—on the synod website by May 22, 2026. While all submitted resolutions will appear in the report, the assembly’s agenda and rules determine whether they are discussed or voted on during the gathering.
The 2026 Lenten Challenge invites individuals and congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod to join four other ELCA Region 2 synods in raising $100,000 for ELCA World Hunger during Lent. Participants commit to three of four spiritual practices—devotions, learning, action, and donation—using a Matthew 25–centered toolkit.
Everyone is welcome to participate, with a shared goal of engaging at least one person from 50 congregations per synod. Sign up, invite others, and live out Jesus’ call to serve “the least of these” this Lent.
The Grand Canyon Synod is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2026 Synod Assembly. Workshops are one-hour sessions designed to equip rostered ministers and lay leaders with practical tools, theological insights, and ministry resources aligned with this year’s theme, “Rooted in God’s Story.”
Proposals must be submitted by Monday, April 6, 2026, with presenters notified by mid-April. Submit your workshop title, description, audience, presenter information, and technology needs through the synod’s online proposal form.
The Grand Canyon Synod invites you to travel with Bishop Deborah Hutterer to Egypt, January 27–February 5, 2027, for a ten-day pilgrimage exploring the Pyramids, the Nile, and historic Coptic churches tied to the Holy Family. Hosted by Elias Tours, this active journey includes 5-star accommodations, a Nile cruise, daily meals, and expert guides. Cost is $3,890 (land only) with a $300 deposit required; registration is now open. Discern whether this faith-filled adventure is right for you and secure your space today.
On February 23, 2026, 185 advocates from 28 Arizona legislative districts gathered at the Arizona State Capitol for Lutheran Day at the Legislature, joining together as people of faith to advocate for their neighbors. The day included prayer and devotion led by Bishop Deborah Hutterer, remarks from lawmakers and community leaders, and meetings with legislators during the busy opening of Crossover Week. Participants built relationships, discussed key policy issues, and witnessed the impact of faithful public engagement.
The event also included opening prayers in both the House and Senate chambers, remarks from advocacy partners, and coordination by volunteers from across the state. Read more and view photos from the day.
The next step in the Grand Canyon Synod’s 2026 Congregational Security & Preparedness series begins with a simple action: start the conversation. Congregation councils can take an important first step by placing security and preparedness on a meeting agenda and discussing how their church cares for the safety of staff, volunteers, and worshipers.
This article offers guidance on how councils can begin that conversation and points congregations to the synod’s Congregational Security & Preparedness Resources page as a starting place for practical tools and next steps.
Faith Lutheran Church in Phoenix will host a free benefit concert on Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m. featuring three former organists returning to support the restoration of the congregation’s historic 57-rank pipe organ. Donations will fund critical repairs to the instrument’s windchests, preserving a vital voice for Lutheran worship and congregational song. A reception will follow. Learn more at faithalive.com/programs/music-ministry.
The Grand Canyon Synod’s Spring Gatherings have begun, and several opportunities remain across the synod. Join us March 8 in Chandler, March 14 in Flagstaff, March 28 in Tucson, or April 11 in Las Vegas. All rostered ministers, lay leaders, and members are welcome at any location. Come reconnect, reflect on our shared calling, and remain Rooted in God’s Story together.
Mission Support Statements of Intent for 2026–2027 are due March 1, 2026. Congregations are asked to submit their completed form to office@gcsynod.org to support faithful planning and shared ministry across the Grand Canyon Synod, the wider ELCA, and the world.
Rooted in the 2026 synod theme, Rooted in God’s Story, Mission Support is a theological practice grounded in abundance, partnership, and hope. Resources—including the Mission Support Letter, fillable form, and Bishop Hutterer’s Thank You Video—are available now.
Lent invites us into a story.
Not a story we invent. Not a story we control. But the story of God’s faithfulness: a story that holds us, shapes us, and sends us.
Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry will join the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network for their next monthly call on Tuesday, February 24, from 6:00–7:00 pm (AZ time). The virtual gathering will include a short devotion, an update from Bishop Curry, a local hunger ministry spotlight, and shared resources and grant updates from across the synod.
If you’ve been meaning to connect with others working to address hunger and food insecurity, this is a great time to jump in. No registration is required—just bring your curiosity and commitment. Read more on the LAMA web site, and click this link to join the Zoom call.
Spring Gatherings begin next week in the Phoenix area under the theme Rooted in God’s Story, with events on February 21 (Tempe) and February 24 (Sun City and Phoenix). All rostered ministers, lay leaders, and members are invited to attend any location. Additional gatherings follow in Chandler (March 8), Flagstaff (March 14), Tucson (March 28), and Las Vegas (April 11). Join us as we reconnect, reflect, and strengthen our shared ministry across the Grand Canyon Synod.
All are welcome to attend any gathering. Mark your calendar now as we launch this spring season together.
With a February 13 deadline looming for DHS funding, ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry joined eight other Christian leaders in urging Congress to enact just and humane immigration policies. The February 9 letter calls for due process, accountability for violence, protections for houses of worship, limits on excessive enforcement funding, and an end to the detention of children.
Grounded in Isaiah 58 and Leviticus 19, the letter affirms that immigrants are “beloved children of God” and encourages reforms that reflect human dignity and the common good. Read the full letter here. Read the original post at ELCA.org here.
The Grand Canyon Synod has awarded over $143,000 in grant funding to 27 congregations and ministry partners across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, and the Navajo Nation. Funded through bequests, congregational gifts, thrift shop proceeds, and unrestricted mission support, these grants fuel outreach, food ministries, youth formation, advocacy, worship improvements, and more. Thank you for making this circle of generosity possible.
The ELCA resource Protecting Employees – Security Procedures in the Workplace offers congregations a clear, church-specific starting point for thinking about safety and preparedness. Grounded in care rather than fear, it encourages proactive planning that reduces risk and supports staff, volunteers, and worshipers.
This article highlights the document’s key guidance for leadership, volunteers, and building safety as part of the Grand Canyon Synod’s year-long series on congregational security and preparedness.
Lent and Easter 2026 resources are now live on our site, featuring reflections, worship tools, and opportunities for faithful action across the Grand Canyon Synod. Highlights include the Region 2 Lenten Challenge supporting ELCA World Hunger, upcoming Lenten events, and new worship resources for the season.
Congregations and leaders are invited to explore, participate, and share their own stories and events at gcsynod.org/share as we journey together from ashes to resurrection hope.
The Grand Canyon Synod’s Spring Gatherings begin in the Phoenix area this February and continue across the synod in Flagstaff, Tucson, and Las Vegas. Under the theme Rooted in God’s Story, rostered ministers, lay leaders, and congregational members are invited to gather for connection, reflection, and shared learning.
All are welcome to attend any gathering. Mark your calendar now as we launch this spring season together.
Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry will join the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network for their next monthly call on Tuesday, February 24, from 6:00–7:00 pm (AZ time). The virtual gathering will include a short devotion, an update from Bishop Curry, a local hunger ministry spotlight, and shared resources and grant updates from across the synod.
If you’ve been meaning to connect with others working to address hunger and food insecurity, this is a great time to jump in. No registration is required—just bring your curiosity and commitment. Read more on the LAMA web site, and click this link to join the Zoom call.
Mission Support Statements of Intent for 2026–2027 are due March 1, 2026. Congregations are asked to submit their completed form to office@gcsynod.org to support faithful planning and shared ministry across the Grand Canyon Synod, the wider ELCA, and the world.
Rooted in the 2026 synod theme, Rooted in God’s Story, Mission Support is a theological practice grounded in abundance, partnership, and hope. Resources—including the Mission Support Letter, fillable form, and Bishop Hutterer’s Thank You Video—are available now.
Lent is soon upon us (Ash Wednesday February 18). Once again, we are invited into a holy season of prayer, repentance, and renewed love of neighbor. If you’ve participated in the Region 2 Lenten Challenge before, you already know how powerfully God can work through simple, daily steps: a Scripture-based reflection, a faithful action, a moment of courage, a practice of compassion. This year’s challenge is ready for you at lentenchallenge.org—and your place in it matters.
Pastor David Pavesic invites pastors and congregational leaders into a four-session online book study based on Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work. Building on the recent Possibilities in Partnership presentation, this study explores how mission can be strengthened through collaboration and shared ministry. Offered in both morning and evening Zoom sessions, the study creates space for honest conversation, faithful discernment, and hope-filled imagination—because while we may not be able to do this work alone, we are better together. Morning sessions start 2/17, evening sessions begin 2/19.
Lutherans from across Arizona will gather at the Arizona Capitol for Lutheran Day at the Legislature on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Wesley Bolin Plaza in downtown Phoenix. Rooted in our baptismal calling to strive for justice and peace, the day will include speakers, legislative meetings, prayer, training, and opportunities to engage directly with public leaders.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., with breakfast and lunch provided. All Lutherans and friends of Lutherans are invited to learn, witness, and raise a faithful voice in the public square. Registration is now open.
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.
Lent is soon upon us (Ash Wednesday February 18). Once again, we are invited into a holy season of prayer, repentance, and renewed love of neighbor. If you’ve participated in the Region 2 Lenten Challenge before, you already know how powerfully God can work through simple, daily steps: a Scripture-based reflection, a faithful action, a moment of courage, a practice of compassion. This year’s challenge is ready for you at lentenchallenge.org—and your place in it matters.
The Grand Canyon Synod’s Spring Gatherings have begun, and several opportunities remain across the synod. Join us March 28 in Tucson, or April 11 in Las Vegas. All rostered ministers, lay leaders, and members are welcome at any location. Come reconnect, reflect on our shared calling, and remain Rooted in God’s Story together.