Volunteers are needed to help prepare and reset spaces for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly. Opportunities include a Decorating Team on Wednesday, June 10 (11:00 AM–1:00 PM) and a Tear Down Team on Saturday, June 13 (12:00–1:00 PM). To volunteer, contact Kathye Hamm at khamm@gcsynod.org.
Read MoreThe 2026 Synod Assembly Reference and Counsel Committee report is now available for review, including Resolution 26.01 related to a possible year of discernment regarding Reconciling in Christ (RIC). If adopted, the resolution would begin a year of listening and education—not an immediate decision—with congregational autonomy remaining intact. Learn more and participate at gcsynod.org/ric.
Read MorePlease note that the Office of the Bishop will be closed Monday, June 15, 2026, following Synod Assembly to allow staff time for rest after the gathering. The office will also be closed Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.
Read MoreFor the upcoming Assembly week, the Grand Canyon Synod homepage will transform into a comprehensive digital hub. Just visit gcsynod.org and you’re there! This enhanced homepage will feature quick access links and real-time updates to keep you informed throughout the event. Accessible on any device, our goal is to make your Assembly experience as seamless and engaging as possible. Stay connected with us and check back regularly for the latest news!
Read MoreFor our 2026 assembly, we are reposting a great symposium on Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order by David Swartling. View the PDF handout here, and the presentation is available for viewing here with passcode: TQgC5E!7
Special thanks to our amazing guest, David Swartling, for providing this valuable information.
Read MoreJoin the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly online! Tune in live on June 12, 2026, via the Love of Christ Lutheran Church’s Facebook Page. This livestreaming opportunity ensures all our members, from across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, Utah, and the Navajo Nation, can partake in our assembly’s key moments. Don’t miss out on this chance to stay connected and involved in our community’s important decisions and celebrations. Watch here.
Read MorePacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and California Lutheran University are sponsoring childcare for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly, helping make participation more accessible for families across the synod. Their support reflects a shared Lutheran commitment to hospitality, leadership development, and strengthening the church across generations.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod will present its Proposed 2027–2028 Mission Plan in two Zoom sessions on May 30 (9 AM) and June 2 (5 PM, Arizona/Nevada time). Participants will receive an early overview, ask questions, and help shape the future direction of synod ministry. View the Proposed Mission Plan for 2027–2028 here as a PDF. A recording will be provided for those unable to attend live.
Voting members will also have the opportunity to practice voting ahead of assembly. All are encouraged to participate and engage in this shared work of discernment.
Read MoreAs Synod Assembly approaches, Bishop Hutterer reflects on Pentecost, our shared calling, and the importance of gathering as church—rooted in God’s story and open to the Spirit’s leading.
Read MoreLodging is available for those planning to attend the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly, June 11–13 at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa. Several nearby hotel options offer a variety of styles and price points for voting members, visitors, and guests.
Read MoreAs Synod Assembly begins on Thursday, June 11, participants are invited to Thursday Afternoon Connections (2:00–5:00 PM)—an informal opportunity during registration to meet synod staff, ask questions, and connect around ministry, advocacy, communications, generosity, candidacy, and congregational vitality.
Members of the synod staff, including Rev. David Pavesic, Director for Evangelical Mission, will be available for conversation throughout the afternoon. Locations will be announced closer to Assembly.
Read MoreWorkshops for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly are now set. On Friday, June 12, participants can choose from two sessions featuring topics like AI in ministry, youth voices, congregational safety, conflict resolution, and more—led by presenters from across the synod.
Review the full workshop lineup, including presenters and room locations, and plan your afternoon of learning at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa.
Read MoreJoin the 2026 Synod Assembly service project on Thursday, June 11 (2:00–5:00 pm) as we pack 800 pounds of rice and 800 pounds of beans for the West Valley Community Food Pantry and First Place Community Center Food Bank. This hands-on project invites all participants to serve together, with the food blessed during closing worship.
You can also support the effort financially—$5 provides food for 5 families. Give online via Tithe.ly, by Zelle, or by check. Together, we share daily bread and live out our call to serve our neighbors.
Read MoreThe 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly offering will support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), a small but resilient Lutheran church serving congregations and schools in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and beyond. Congregations across the synod are invited to participate by collecting designated gifts before Assembly or contributing through the synod office.
The ELCJHL continues its witness of faith, education, and reconciliation in the region where Christianity began. Through this year’s Assembly offering, our synod will stand in solidarity with our global Lutheran partners, supporting ministries rooted in hope and steadfast faith in the Holy Land.
Read MoreThe timeline and full agenda for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly (June 11–13 at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa) are now available. Highlights include opening worship with Bishop Hutterer, keynote leadership from Rev. Tim Brown, workshops, assembly business, and a Friday evening variety show.
Participants are encouraged to review the full schedule in advance and plan for key moments including voting, workshops, and worship. View the complete agenda and begin preparing for our time together as a synod rooted in God’s story.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod’s 2026 Annual External Audit is now available online as part of the synod’s ongoing commitment to transparency and faithful stewardship. The audit highlights more than $1.75 million in congregational and designated giving, support for ministries across the synod and ELCA, and an independent auditor’s clean opinion on the Synod’s financial statements.
The synod gives thanks for the generosity and trust of congregations and donors whose gifts support ministry throughout Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, Utah, and the Navajo Nation. Monthly financial statements are also available upon request.
Read MoreThe Rules of Procedure for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly are now available online. Voting members and attendees are encouraged to review the document ahead of the June 11–13 assembly in Mesa, including important details about resolutions, debate limits, electronic voting, and assembly participation.
The rules outline how the assembly will conduct business while emphasizing respectful Christian community grounded in Galatians 5 and the shared work of discernment, governance, and ministry together.
Read MoreCongregations are now preparing voting members for the 2026 Synod Assembly (June 11–13 in Mesa). In addition to standard representation, each congregation may elect two additional members: one youth or young adult and one person of color or primary language other than English, helping reflect the diversity of God’s people.
Thanks to the Bishop’s Leadership Fund, congregations can also send one youth or young adult for free using code YOUTH2026. Now is the time to identify leaders, broaden participation, and ensure your congregation’s voice is part of the synod’s shared work.
Read MoreRegistration is open for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly (June 11–13 in Mesa, AZ), with a firm deadline of May 18—no late registrations will be accepted. Voting member registration is now $160. Congregations are encouraged to send full delegations, including youth, young adults, and diverse voices.
Through the Bishop’s Leadership Fund, one young voting member per congregation may attend free using code YOUTH2026. This year’s theme, “Rooted in God’s Story,” invites the whole church into shared discernment and leadership.
Read MoreThe May 8 deadline is here for discounted lodging at Westgate Painted Mountain Golf Resort for the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly in Mesa. Limited rooms remain available at special group rates, and several nearby hotel options are also listed for attendees planning their stay.
Assembly participants are encouraged to book early as availability may become limited closer to the June 11–13 gathering.
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