Bishop’s Fall Gathering Explores Life Together in a Fractured World
Life Together: A Fall Gathering Rooted in Hope and Resistance
September 29 – October 1, 2025 | Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale
This fall, Bishop Deborah Hutterer invites all rostered ministers and synodically authorized ministers (SAMs) of the Grand Canyon Synod to a time of learning, worship, and reconnection under the theme Life Together: Lament, Love and Christian Hope in a Time Such as This.
Held Monday through Wednesday, September 29–October 1, 2025, at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, the Bishop’s Fall Gathering will center on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, a profound reflection on Christian community. Together, we will explore how the grace of Jesus Christ calls us into relationships that resist division and reflect God’s radical inclusivity.
Special guests from Wartburg Theological Seminary—Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen (President) and Rev. Dr. S. Helen Chukka (Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible)—will guide our time. Through presentations and small group discussions, participants will connect Bonhoeffer’s vision with Old Testament stories and our own challenges as church leaders today. Sessions will reflect on the power of lament, the theology of community, and the Christian hope that rises from solidarity rather than separation.
Along with theological engagement, there will be time for rest, worship, good food, synod updates, and community building. All rostered leaders are welcome to attend, with priority given to active rostered ministers if space becomes limited. Scholarships are available—contact the Office of the Bishop to inquire.
Registration closes Friday, September 5. All registrations include meals, with options for single, double, or commuter rates. First Call ministers should use the designated links, as their program includes an additional day of learning and connection.
Franciscan Renewal Center, 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
Questions? Email office@gcsynod.org or call 602-957-3223
We strongly encourage on-site lodging for the full experience of community.