All You Need to Know for Synod Assembly 2025
Greetings Synod Assembly Voting Members, Guests, Exhibitors, and Staff!
The big day is getting closer, registration has closed, and now we can focus on sharing information with our confirmed attendees. We are so excited that you will be with us for the 2025 Synod Assembly! To follow is a list of important items you will need to know to have the best possible experience at the Assembly. You will find ALL of this information, plus more, on our Assembly website. Please visit the site often for updates and news.
Location
We thank Community Lutheran Church for all of their help in hosting this year’s assembly and assemblies in years past.
3720 East Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, NV, 89121 (map)
702-458-2241
Important Points
It is very important that all participants be properly pre-registered. Monday, May 19 was the cut-off for registrations and there will be no registrations “at the door.” Please do not bring unregistered guests with you. Thank you for understanding!
Check-in (for pre-registered attendees only) will be held on Thursday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., and again at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 13. Please be checked in by the times listed so that you will be eligible for voting.
Check-in will be held in the Community Lutheran Church lobby (near the elevators, see CLC Exit Map below) and and our exhibits and snacks will be located in Room 9 on the lower level (see CLC Lower Level map below). The Assembly business will be conducted in the Sanctuary (see CLC Exit Map below).
Free childcare (thanks to a gift from PLTS/CLU) is provided on Thursday and Friday during the Assembly in the Nursery (see CLC Exit Map). Children should have been registered in advance, but if you have suddenly found yourself in need of childcare for the Assembly, please contact Kathye Hamm at khamm@gcsynod.org prior to June 1.
Electronic Voting
This year, we decided to make the move to electronic voting. The process is very simple and works on your cell phone, tablet, or laptop. Still, we understand that voters might be a little apprehensive, so we have a number of practices scheduled. Two will be after the mission plan presentations (hopefully you are all planning on attending at least one!) on Wednesday May 28 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 31 at 9:00 a.m. Plus, there’s practice voting at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 12 just before the worship service begins. In addition, one of our candidates for ordination, Kylee Bestenlehner, is going to be our onsite tech assistant and will be helping people log in at registration as well. If you do not have a smart device, you will be able to share with another voting member. Onsite tech support will show you how to make this happen. The cost of our electronic voting software is being underwritten by a sponsorship from Clergy Financial Resources.
Mission Plan Presentations
All members of the Grand Canyon Synod, and especially our voting members, are invited to participate in a Q-&-A Zoom presentation of the 2026-2027 Mission Plan, hosted by Erik Rehms, our Synod Treasurer, and Barbara Carl, our Synod Vice-President. Each session is the same, with two dates to choose from. Note: Each Mission Plan Presentation will also include a short tutorial on using electronic voting, so be sure to attend!
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (AZ & Pacific) Register here
Saturday, May 31, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (AZ & Pacific) Register here
What to Bring
Cell phone, tablet, or laptop AND CHARGER! (again, we will be doing electronic voting for the first time this year)
Refillable water bottle
Refillable coffee container
Umbrella (if you are sun-sensitive)
Comfortable clothing – and a light sweater if you tend to get cold!
Pen
The worship offering this year will be for Lutheran Social Services of Nevada (LSSN) and Lutheran Disaster Response, with funds from the latter directed specifically to support recovery efforts following wildfires in Southern California (see https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/giving. If you would like to donate, please bring cash or a check made out to “Grand Canyon Synod” with “2025 Assembly Offering” in the memo section. Visit www.gcsynod.org/give to make a digital donation through Tithely).
You are welcome to bring business cards or flyers about your ministry or special events, but please keep these with you (please do not distribute in Assembly pews or on dining tables without prior permission of the Planning Team).
How to Prepare
Review all the information on the Assembly website, especially the items where there will be a vote
Attend one of the Mission Plan Presentations (see above)
Review the Mission Plan (coming soon to the website at https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/mission-plan)
Review the list and bios of the nominees https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/nominees
Review the Rules of Procedure https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/rules
Plan to participate in the Thursday Service Project (Thursday, June 12 beginning at 10:00 a.m.) and see how you can help! https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/service
Plan to attend the Thursday evening fellowship (5:00 p.m.).We will have a mix of hot and cold appetizers, with variety for every palate and enough for you to have your fill before the main event of the evening… a spectacular concert! (7:00 p.m.) https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/concert
Agenda
https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly/agenda
Please note that our agenda may change - please refer to the link above for the most up-to-date agenda.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Morning
10 am: Check-in for registered participants opens (please visit Ministry Partner Tables and participate in Service Project)
11 am – 1 pm: Synod Council Meeting
Afternoon: Opening of Assembly
1:30 – 1:50 pm: Practice voting
2 pm: Opening Worship with communion, Bishop Hutterer Preaching
3:15 pm: Welcome & Opening of Assembly
Greetings & Introduction of Guests
Adoption of Rules & Agenda
Treasurer’s Report & Mission Plan Presentation
Nominations and voting
4 pm: David Scherer
Evening: Fellowship & Music
5 – 6:30pm: Heavy Appetizers & Connecting Time
7 pm: Concert
Friday, June 13, 2025
7:30 am: Check-in for registered participants opens
8:30 am: Call to Order & Prayer/Bible study with David Scherer
9 am: ELCA video and Pastor Ben Bergren
9:30 am: Plenary Session 2
10 am – Bishop and Synod Council Report
1 1am: Celebration of Ministry & Recognitions
11:30 am: Lunch & Fellowship Break
12:30 pm: David Scherer
1:30 pm: Plenary Session 3
2 pm: Closing Worship
3:15pm: Adjournment & Closing of Assembly
Ministry Partner Table Exhibitors – watch for a separate email with all the details!
We are so excited to have our Ministry Partner Tables again this year! This year, exhibits will be located in the Community Lutheran Church lower level. Attendees will proceed directly from check-in to Room 9. There will be coffee, water, and snacks available for visitors, and we hope to stream the Assembly in there as well. Pr. Mari Larson from St. Andrew's Lutheran Church will be on hand to direct and assist you if you have any questions. She will also be handing out your nametags – everyone at Assembly should have a nametag, so if the names of your table exhibitors have changed since registration, please let me know ASAP so that we can have a tag for them. You can come to set up beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 12 (check-in for voting members begins at 10:00 a.m.) and again beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13. a.m. (check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.). Please have your tables set up prior to check-in on those dates.
Other Important Information
For questions about the 2025 Synod Assembly, please see our website https://www.gcsynod.org/2025/assembly, or contact Kathye Hamm (khamm@gcsynod.org) or Theresa Thornburgh at office@gcsynod.org, or (602) 957-3223.
We can’t wait to see you at Synod Assembly!
