Pastor and Indie-Pop Artist Jonathan Rundman to Lead Worship and Concert at Spirit of Grace
Pastor and Indie-Pop Artist Jonathan Rundman to Lead Worship and Concert at Spirit of Grace

ELCA pastor and indie-pop songwriter Jonathan Rundman will visit Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church in Surprise, AZ, March 21–22, 2026. Rundman will provide music during worship on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m., and will present a community concert at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, open to all with a freewill offering.

A Luther Seminary graduate and Pastor of Worship and Music at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Minnesota, Rundman blends thoughtful lyrics, indie-pop sounds, and Nordic folk influences. His visit offers a unique opportunity to experience music ministry that bridges worship, storytelling, and live performance.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardSpirit of Grace Surprise, Cactus ConferenceComment
Justa Center Seeks Program Director to Lead Work with Phoenix Seniors Experiencing Homelessness
Justa Center Seeks Program Director to Lead Work with Phoenix Seniors Experiencing Homelessness

Justa Center in Phoenix is seeking a Program Director to provide leadership for programs serving adults age 55 and older experiencing homelessness. The role oversees initiatives such as Path to Housing, Transitional Housing, and Veterans services while coordinating with healthcare, housing, and community partners to support older adults in moving toward stability and permanent housing.

Founded in 2006, Justa Center is the only day center in the Phoenix metro area dedicated exclusively to seniors experiencing homelessness. Qualified candidates with human services leadership experience and a passion for serving vulnerable populations are encouraged to apply by emailing a cover letter and resume to dean@justacenter.org.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardJusta Center, Homelessness, Help WantedComment
Lutheran World Federation newsletter
Lutheran World Federation newsletter
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News, Global Church, SpotlightBrian FlatgardLutheran World FederationComment
Campformation 2026 Returns to Prescott for a Week of Faith, Adventure, and Community
Campformation 2026 Returns to Prescott for a Week of Faith, Adventure, and Community

Campformation 2026 will take place June 29–July 3 at Camp Pinerock in Prescott, Arizona, welcoming youth entering grades 6–10 for a week of faith formation, outdoor adventure, and community. Congregations from across our synod gather each summer for this long-standing Lutheran outdoor ministry tradition.

With more than 60 years of history, Campformation combines worship, small-group faith exploration, and activities like zip lining, hiking, swimming, and ropes courses. Learn more and register at lutherancampformation.com.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardCampformation, Outdoor Ministry, Youth and Young Adult, Synod Youth Advisory Team (SYAT)Comment
Leadership Lab 2026: A Week of Faith, Vision, and Leadership Formation for Youth and Adults
Leadership Lab 2026: A Week of Faith, Vision, and Leadership Formation for Youth and Adults

Registration is now open for Leadership Lab 2026, a week-long youth and leadership formation experience taking place June 22–27 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Participants explore leadership for church and community through hands-on learning, worship, and shared faith experiences grounded in the promise of Joel 2:28: “your young shall see visions.”

The registration cost is $420 per person, with lodging, meals, and a T-shirt included. Discounts are available for returning participants, first-time congregations, and groups bringing multiple students. Registration increases by $50 after April 15, so congregations are encouraged to register early.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardCampformation, Outdoor Ministry, Youth and Young Adult, Synod Youth Advisory Team (SYAT)Comment
Valley Youth Invited to March 29 Community Gathering at Love of Christ Lutheran in Mesa
Valley Youth Invited to March 29 Community Gathering at Love of Christ Lutheran in Mesa

Youth in grades 7–12 from ELCA congregations across the Valley are invited to a Youth Community Event on Sunday, March 29 from 4–7 p.m. at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa. The evening will include games, food, and fellowship, bringing together youth from multiple congregations including Esperanza and Desert Cross.

Additional churches are welcome to join. Congregations interested in participating can contact Deacon Laura Book (lbook@gcsynod.org) for details.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardSynod Youth Advisory Team (SYAT), Youth and Young Adult, Love of Christ MesaComment
Share Your Gifts: Friday Night Variety Show Planned for Synod Assembly
Share Your Gifts: Friday Night Variety Show Planned for Synod Assembly

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Synod AssemblyComment
Rooted at the Table: Share a Recipe with the Grand Canyon Synod
Rooted at the Table: Share a Recipe with the Grand Canyon Synod

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Synod AssemblyComment
Ordination of Carly Chamberlain
Ordination of Carly Chamberlain

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.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardOrdinations and InstallationsComment
Submit Your Resolutions for the 2026 Synod Assembly by April 27
Submit Your Resolutions for the 2026 Synod Assembly by April 27

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Synod AssemblyComment
Matthew 25 in Action: Take the 2026 Lenten Challenge with ELCA World Hunger
Matthew 25 in Action: Take the 2026 Lenten Challenge with ELCA World Hunger

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Lenten Challenge, 2026 Lent and EasterComment
Take Action for Dreamers: Highlights from the Latest LAMA Advocacy Update
Take Action for Dreamers: Highlights from the Latest LAMA Advocacy Update

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona’s latest newsletter highlights an urgent ELCA Action Alert supporting a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, along with upcoming advocacy opportunities including the LAMA Liaison Roundtable (March 16) and Interfaith Day at the Capitol (March 25).

The update also includes legislative resources, hunger advocacy opportunities, and ELCA statements on peace and justice. Read the full LAMA newsletter to learn more and take action.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardLutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), Advocacy, Church and SocietyComment
AFN Invites You to Dialogue, Advocacy, and Sacred Encounters
AFN Invites You to Dialogue, Advocacy, and Sacred Encounters

Arizona Faith Network’s latest newsletter highlights upcoming opportunities for interfaith learning, dialogue, and advocacy across Arizona—including a four-week Interfaith Book Group beginning March 11, Interfaith Day at the Capitol on March 25, sacred site visits, and ongoing meditation gatherings.

These events invite people of faith to deepen relationships across traditions and engage in public witness for the common good. Read the full AFN newsletter for complete details and registration links.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardEcumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, Arizona Faith NetworkComment
Office of the Bishop Updates
Office of the Bishop Updates

The Office of the Bishop staff will gather for an in-person staff meeting while continuing key synod work, including participation in the High Country Conference Spring Gathering in Flagstaff, preaching and congregational visits, and meetings focused on congregational vitality and faith formation. Staff will also advance preparations for Synod Assembly, manage communications and upcoming events, and support the synod’s annual audit and financial close.

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News, Bishop Hutterer, Grand Canyon Synod, SpotlightBrian FlatgardOffice of the BishopComment
Now Accepting Workshop Proposals for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly
Now Accepting Workshop Proposals for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2026 Synod AssemblyComment
Faith Lens: Seeing God’s Light Beyond Appearances
Faith Lens: Seeing God’s Light Beyond Appearances

This week’s Faith Lens reflection for Lent explores how Scripture challenges our assumptions about what we think we see. Drawing on 1 Samuel 16 and John 9, the study reminds us that while people often judge by outward appearances, God looks at the heart. Through discussion questions, activities, and reflection, participants are invited to consider where spiritual blindness may shape our views of others and how Christ can reshape our vision.

The reflection also invites readers to think about how we remember public figures—such as the late Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.—and how easily complex lives are reduced to headlines or quick judgments. Faith Lens encourages individuals and groups to seek deeper understanding, seeing others and themselves through the grace and mercy of God.

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ELCA, Leader ResourcesBrian FlatgardFaith LensComment
Faith Lutheran’s Organ Restoration Effort Featured on Local News
Faith Lutheran’s Organ Restoration Effort Featured on Local News

A Phoenix congregation in the Grand Canyon Synod is gaining local attention as Faith Lutheran Church launches a campaign to restore its historic M. P. Möller pipe organ. The more-than-3,000-pipe instrument—built in 1962 and installed at the church in 2005—now requires $150,000 in restoration after years of wear and Arizona’s harsh climate.

The effort recently made local news on ABC15, which visited the church to share the story and highlight a kickoff concert featuring former music directors. Watch the news segment to see how this congregation is working to ensure its organ—and its voice in worship—can sing again.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardIn the News, Faith Phoenix, Capital ConferenceComment
Journey to Egypt with Bishop Hutterer: Faith, History, and the Nile – January 27–February 5, 2027
Journey to Egypt with Bishop Hutterer: Faith, History, and the Nile – January 27–February 5, 2027

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.

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Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardComment