Explore this week’s LAMA advocacy update, including an ELCA Action Alert urging Congress to protect international food aid in the upcoming Farm Bill. You’ll also find upcoming events—on hunger ministry, public lands, Christian nationalism, civic engagement—and new reflections from the LAMA blog. Read the full newsletter, event details, and action links here.
Read MoreELCA Advocacy has announced the 2025–2026 Hunger Advocacy Fellows, a new class of six emerging leaders committed to advancing faith-based public policy and hunger justice. Serving across the country—in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and New York—these Fellows bring expertise in law, communications, sociology, theology, and global governance. Over the coming year, they will engage in professional development, faith formation, and advocacy that reflects the ELCA’s call to serve neighbors and strive for a just world where all are fed.
Read more about the Fellows and their stories at ELCA.org.
Read MoreAdvocacy is more than policy—it’s a faithful response to God’s grace. The Southeastern Synod models a Lutheran approach grounded in Scripture and accompaniment: engaging congregations in justice work, equipping them with tools to act, and empowering leaders to advocate for the vulnerable. Their work embodies the call to love our neighbors through advocacy rooted in baptismal vocation. Read the full story at LAMA.
Read MoreA new proposal could restrict voter registration by requiring costly and hard-to-access documents like passports—potentially excluding 21 million eligible Americans. The Election Assistance Commission is taking public comments until October 20. Add your voice as a person of faith who believes every vote is sacred. Read the full post and submit your comment today.
Read MoreCritical programs that protect clean air, water, soil, and wildlife are facing deep federal budget cuts. As people of faith, we’re called to safeguard creation so that all life may flourish. Join ELCA Advocacy and Lutherans across the country in urging Congress to maintain funding for essential environmental programs like the EPA, Clean Water State Revolving Funds, and Superfund cleanups. Read the full Action Alert and contact your members of Congress.
Read MoreAs the 2024 Farm Bill expires, critical hunger and rural support programs face uncertainty. ELCA Advocacy urges lawmakers to pass a new bill that strengthens food security, supports farmers, and upholds faith-based commitments to caring for creation. From SNAP benefits to global food aid, the Farm Bill affects ministries that serve vulnerable communities daily. Learn how Lutheran voices are advocating for policies that ensure all are fed—in body and spirit.
Read the full article on ELCA Advocacy.
Read MoreAdvocacy 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.
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