Advocacy is a grateful response to God’s grace and a way of living out our baptismal call. In the Southeastern Synod, congregations across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee engage, equip, and empower communities to stand with vulnerable neighbors. From disaster preparedness to immigrant support, advocacy reflects Christ’s love in action. Read more ›
Read MoreRepresentatives from the Grand Canyon Synod joined hunger leaders from across the church at the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Columbus, OH, September 18–21. The event featured worship, experiential learning, and equipping sessions focused on building partnerships, engaging future generations, and connecting hunger ministry with issues such as climate justice, housing, and equity. Synod participants included Kristine Bartanen, Adrienne Kaye, Rev. Greg Mannel, Melanie Hobden, Solveig Muus, and Vicar Wanda Frenchman. Read the full recap on the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) site.
Read MoreThe ELCA is urging Congress and the White House to return to bipartisan negotiations immediately as the U.S. faces a potential government shutdown on October 1, 2025. In a statement released Sept. 24, the ELCA stressed that government is a gift from God meant to serve the common good—especially the hungry, sick, and poor—and warned that both a shutdown and rising healthcare costs will harm the most vulnerable first and worst. Read the full statement from the ELCA’s Witness in Society team by clicking here.
Read MoreThis 4-part video course from ELCA World Hunger introduces the role of a “Hunger Leader”—a person who builds bridges between need and abundance in our communities. Open to everyone, this module offers inspiration and practical steps to step deeper into anti-poverty ministry rooted in Jesus’ call to love and serve. Click here to take the course.
Read MoreFaith leaders across Arizona are invited to sign a public letter denouncing political violence and affirming peaceful civic engagement. The Arizona Faith Network will publish signatures alongside the statement on the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21. All clergy and faith leaders are encouraged to sign. Click here to read and sign the statement.
Read MoreAutumn Byars, member of University Lutheran in Tempe and former LAMA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, reflects on joining Creation Justice Ministries’ Witness for Creation press conference and worship at the Desert Botanical Garden. Held during the Season of Creation, this interfaith gathering lifted up urgent issues such as water justice, sacred lands, and support for the unhoused amid intensifying Arizona heat. It was a powerful call to care for creation—and one another—as an act of faith. Click here to read more.
Read MoreThe U.S. Senate has passed bipartisan legislation providing $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—a $500 million increase to meet rising need and protect the cash value benefit for fresh produce. Now the U.S. House must act. Use the FRAC Action Network to contact your representatives and urge them to support this funding so every eligible family can participate. WIC offers healthy foods, nutrition education, and support from pregnancy through a child’s fifth birthday, reflecting Isaiah’s call to “feed the hungry, and help those in trouble.” Read more on the LAMA site.
Read MoreArizona, birthplace of the global food bank movement, now faces a crisis as federal cuts to SNAP could strip food assistance from tens of thousands. Leaders at St. Mary’s and United Food Bank warn the expected surge in demand will exceed their capacity—SNAP covers nearly a billion meals annually in Arizona, far beyond what food banks can supply. Without state action to cover hundreds of millions in new costs, fewer resources will serve more people, threatening a slow erosion of the safety net. This moment recalls the 1983 warning: food banks are one link in fighting hunger, but they cannot replace federal programs. Read more on the LAMA site.
Read MoreThe ELCA Churchwide Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All, a social statement on the relationship between church and state. This theologically grounded document guides Lutherans in civic engagement, aiming to help shape conscience and inform faithful action in public life. Developed over several years through churchwide participation, this statement encourages us to pursue justice, peace, and the common good. To explore the full statement and the process behind it, click here for more.
Read MoreApproximately 250 people gathered for the AMMPARO Candlelight Prayer Vigil on July 30 at Peace Park in Phoenix, across from the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Lutheran and interfaith leaders—including Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Bishop Deborah Hutterer—joined voices in prayer and witness for the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees, and asylees. The vigil was a moving call to live out our faith through accompaniment and solidarity. Click here to view the full pictorial and read more.
Read MorePeter Faur, a lifelong Lutheran and member of La Casa de Cristo in Phoenix, has joined the LAMA Policy Council for a three-year term. With a background in journalism, public relations, and advocacy, Peter brings deep experience and a passion for justice to this important role. Please join us in praying for and supporting his work with LAMA. Click here to read the full announcement.
Read MoreIn the latest Here I Pod episode from ELCA Advocacy, Regina Banks interviews Phoebe Morad, Executive Director of Lutherans Restoring Creation, on how faith communities can integrate climate justice into congregational life. The episode also features young adults on Capitol Hill raising awareness about climate issues with elected leaders. Learn how Lutheran faith inspires advocacy and intergenerational dialogue for caring for God’s creation—click here for more.
Read MoreIn response to a tragic act of political violence in Minnesota, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Minnesota (LA-MN) offers tools and hope to address the root causes of division. From the Graceful Conversations workshop to emerging resources on media literacy and Christian nationalism, this spotlight highlights how faithful advocacy, grounded in Lutheran theology, can help rebuild community and resist extremism. Click here to read the full article from ELCA Advocacy.
Read MoreThe ELCA urges action to ensure safe and neutral humanitarian aid access in Gaza. Current aid delivery mechanisms, backed by U.S. and Israeli authorities, force Palestinians to risk their lives for food and fail to provide access to medical and hygiene supplies. As people of faith, we are called to advocate for peace and human dignity. Learn how you can contact your lawmakers and make your voice heard. Click here for more.
Read MoreAugust is a key moment for advocacy, as members of Congress return to their districts during recess. Whether in-person or virtual, it’s a prime time to lift your voice as a person of faith. Learn how to schedule a meeting or attend a town hall, and get tips from an ELCA Advocacy intern on how to prepare, show up, and follow up. This is how we bring our Lutheran values into public life. Click here to read the full article with practical steps, theological grounding, and helpful tools.
Read MoreIn response to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton issues a call to faithful action. The sweeping legislation threatens healthcare access, food assistance, immigrant families, and climate protections—policies that stand in opposition to Lutheran commitments to care for the vulnerable and support the common good. Bishop Eaton invites us to pray, partner, and act together as church to stand with our neighbors in need. Click here to read the full statement and watch the accompanying video on YouTube.
Read MoreThanks to your advocacy, Arizona’s new budget includes $3.8 million for reduced-price school meals and $2 million for Double Up Food Bucks—key programs to fight food insecurity. These one-time wins came after strong bipartisan support and faithful engagement by hunger advocates like you. Learn more and celebrate the good news—click here.
Read MoreState budgets shape the everyday lives of our communities—from schools and libraries to food security and elder care. In a powerful reflection, Deacon Nick Bates of the Hunger Network in Ohio highlights how Lutherans and faith leaders across Ohio engaged the budget process as a matter of moral responsibility. Through advocacy meetings, prayer chains made from paper plates, and public witness, they worked to ensure that faith values shaped public policy. Click here to read more about this inspiring and strategic advocacy work.
Read MoreLAMA Director Solveig Muus joined faith leaders from Arizona in Washington, D.C. for Bread for the World’s 50th Anniversary Advocacy Summit, urging legislators to support SNAP, WIC, and global nutrition programs. The Arizona delegation met with representatives across the political spectrum, combining public witness with prayer, partnership, and policy engagement. Click here to read the full story and reflections from Solveig’s five days in D.C.
Read MoreIn a powerful op-ed published June 1 in The Chandler Arizonan, Rev. Christine Stoxen of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler challenges us to live out our faith through advocacy for affordable housing. Highlighting the growing crisis of housing insecurity in the East Valley, Pastor Chris reflects on Matthew 25 and the urgent call to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and shelter the unhoused. She lifts up efforts like the YIGBY bill and local organizations such as IHELP and Family Promise, urging continued advocacy even after legislative setbacks. To read Pastor Chris’s full reflection and testimony, click here.
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