Stand with Refugee Families: Watch the Webinar + Take Action Today

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest has shared a recording of its recent refugee services webinar, highlighting how federal policy changes are affecting families in Arizona and outlining ongoing work to support those already here. While new arrivals have paused, efforts continue in housing stability, employment support, ESL programs, and youth services.

Watch the webinar and take action by advocating, volunteering, or giving. In a time of uncertainty, this is an opportunity for our synod’s congregations and leaders to live out our call to accompany our neighbors with compassion and hope.

Clergy Called to Courage: Join April 14 Conversation on Immigration & Faith

Clergy and ministry leaders are invited to a timely online gathering on Tuesday, April 14 (11:00 AM–12:30 PM) hosted by BJC and Christians Against Christian Nationalism. This Clergy Quarterly Touchpoint will focus on urgent issues at the intersection of immigration and religious freedom, offering conversation, leadership insight, and a call to action.

Designed to equip pastors for faithful leadership in a critical moment, the gathering will explore responses to immigration enforcement, support for mixed-status families, and ways to lead with clarity and courage. Register now and share with fellow leaders.

Mother’s Day Across Borders: A Call to Share Hope with Detained Families

This Mother’s Day (beginning May 7, 2026), Lutherans across the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to join a cross-border effort delivering yellow flowers to detention centers and migrant shelters as a sign of compassion and solidarity. Participants can donate flowers or serve as Volunteer Site Leaders, helping coordinate local actions that lift up the dignity of those separated from their families.

Organized by partners including International Friendship Park and Border Church, this campaign reflects our Lutheran call to love our neighbor and seek justice. Learn how your congregation can take part in this meaningful witness of hope and shared humanity. View a PDF flyer here.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardApril 6, 2026Immigration and Refugees, Church and SocietyComment

From Awareness to Action: Refugee Support Webinar April 1

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest invites you to a live webinar, Supporting Refugees in a Time of Uncertainty, on Wednesday, April 1 from 11:30am–1:00pm (AZ Time) via Zoom. Learn about current resettlement realities, challenges refugees face, and practical ways to respond faithfully in your community.

Featuring guest speaker Valentina Restrepo-Montoya of ALWAYS, this conversation will equip individuals and congregations with timely insight and actionable next steps. Submit questions in advance when you register and join this important conversation.

ELCA AMMPARO: The Heart of Accompaniment: Casa Tochan

As part of the AMMPARO global migration strategy, the Iglesia Luterana Mexicana (ILM) provides a critical lifeline to those forced to flee their homes. This video highlights the ministry’s essential work in Mexico City's largest shelter, Casa Tochan, and showcases the amazing resilience of migrants seeking safety, dignity, and a better future. Download at bit.ly/4kWQ7RQ or view on YouTube.

ELCABrian FlatgardMarch 6, 2026AMMPARO, Immigration and Refugees, Mexican Lutheran ChurchComment

What is an AMMPARO Welcoming Congregation?

In this video, leaders from across the AMMPARO network share their experiences moving into ministry with migrants toward building deep, life-changing relationships with refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented neighbors. Through stories of uncertainty into transformation, we see how congregations are being re-energized by seeing the face of Christ in everyone they accompany. Download at bit.ly/4rwuCcV and view on YouTube.

ELCABrian FlatgardMarch 6, 2026AMMPARO, Immigration and RefugeesComment

Federal Court Blocks ICE Raids at Houses of Worship, Affirming Religious Freedom

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking ICE from conducting enforcement actions at or around houses of worship for five ELCA synods and their ecumenical partners. Region 2 synods — Sierra Pacific and Southwest California — were among the plaintiffs. The ruling restores long-standing protections for sensitive locations and affirms religious freedom under the Constitution. Read more about this significant step forward for sacred spaces and immigrant communities.

ELCA, Region 2Brian FlatgardFebruary 23, 2026Immigration and Refugees, Church and SocietyComment

A Call to Protect Sacred Space: Faith Leaders Urge Congress to Act on ICE Accountability

Faith leaders across the country are calling on Congress to act as immigration enforcement increasingly threatens places of worship and community safety. A new call to action urges lawmakers to pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Actand to hold ICE accountable by withholding funding, citing escalating enforcement actions on church grounds and growing fear among immigrant and refugee communities.

Rooted in the conviction that religious freedom must be lived and defended—not just named—this appeal invites people of faith to contact their elected officials and take action now. Read the full call and learn how to respond faithfully and urgently.

“We Will Not Grow Weary”: Lutheran Bishops Condemn Aggressive Immigration Actions

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and Minnesota ELCA synod bishops have released a joint pastoral video condemning aggressive immigration activity and addressing the fear and uncertainty experienced by many communities. Grounded in Christ’s promises, the bishops call the church to faithful lament, moral clarity, and continued witness rooted in human dignity.

Watch and share the video message as an act of prayerful solidarity and hope.

ELCA, Bishop CurryBrian FlatgardJanuary 28, 2026Immigration and Refugees, Bishop Curry Letters, Church and SocietyComment

Faith Leaders Gather for Prayerful Vigil at ICE Phoenix Office

The Arizona Faith Network invites faith leaders and community members to a nonviolent prayer vigil on Sunday, January 25 at 4:00 PM outside the ICE Phoenix Field Office (2035 N. Central Ave, Phoenix). This vigil calls faith communities to public witness and prayer in response to harms connected to ICE enforcement, standing in solidarity with those under threat of detention and separation.

Clergy from many traditions will offer prayers and reflection. Participants should bring a candle, water, and wear clergy or justice-themed attire. Nearby church parking is available. Register and share with others here: bit.ly/azfaithfulwitness.

Bishop Curry Calls for Justice After ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry issued a statement mourning the Jan. 7, 2026, shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calling for a full investigation, accountability, and de-escalation of immigration enforcement. Rooted in Isaiah 1:17, the statement affirms the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s commitment to human dignity, just immigration policy, and prayerful solidarity with impacted communities.

The ELCA invites ongoing prayer, vigils, and advocacy, and lifts up resources from AMMPARO as the church continues its historic commitment to accompany migrants and refugees. Read the full statement.

ELCABrian FlatgardJanuary 13, 2026Bishop Curry Letters, Church and Society, Immigration and RefugeesComment

Created in God’s Image: A Faithful Guide for Responding to Dehumanizing Language

The ELCA’s Advocacy and Migration Policy team has released a new conversation guide, Created in the Image of God, equipping faith communities to recognize and respond to dehumanizing language—particularly language directed at immigrants and forcibly displaced people. Grounded in Scripture and ELCA social teaching, the guide calls Christians to affirm the imago Dei in every person and to resist rhetoric that erodes empathy, dignity, and justice.

This timely resource invites congregations and individuals to engage difficult conversations with curiosity, compassion, and faith, using personal stories and theological grounding to challenge harmful narratives. Read the full reflection and download the conversation guide.

ELCABrian FlatgardDecember 17, 2025AMMPARO, Immigration and Refugees, Church and SocietyComment

Invite Global Refuge’s Pastor-in-Residence: Schedule Rev. Eric Shafer for Winter–Spring 2026

Global Refuge’s volunteer Pastor in Residence, Rev. Eric C. Shafer, is booking Sunday visits to ELCA congregations in our synod to preach and lead an adult forum on Christian welcome. Available dates: Dec. 28, 2025; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25; Feb. 1; and all Sundays in March 2026. Hosts provide travel expense support. To schedule, email ericcshafer@hotmail.com and learn more at globalrefuge.org.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardDecember 15, 2025Global Refuge, Immigration and RefugeesComment

Faith Over Fear: Lutherans Pray for Evi and All Detained Neighbors

A small but resolute group of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Lutheran leaders and community members gathered outside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center to pray for the release of Evi Sarlita Sihomping, a longtime ELCA member detained since June 7. Led by Pacifica Synod Bishop David Nagler and organized alongside the API Leaders Migration Justice Training, the vigil lifted up Evi’s humanity, rejected the “model minority” myth, and insisted that immigration policy must be shaped by empathy, not punishment.

The article from Living Lutheran highlights the broader advocacy of API ministries, AMMPARO, and ELCA leaders who refuse to stay silent as families are separated. It also shares practical ways to support Evi—including sending cards and contacting elected officials. Read the full story on Living Lutheran ›

ELCA, Region 2Brian FlatgardDecember 5, 2025Living Lutheran, Pacifica Synod, Immigration and Refugees, Church and SocietyComment

Image-Bearers of God: How Lutherans Resist Dehumanizing Language

When migrants and other neighbors are labeled “invasion,” “animals,” or “illegals,” our faith compels us to respond. This AMMPARO reflection names dehumanization as sin and calls Lutherans to “faithful resistance” in our words, actions, and hearts, grounded in Scripture’s witness that every person bears the image of God.

Read how this resistance takes shape in daily life—through language, advocacy, and humble service rooted in Micah 6:8—by reading the full article from AMMPARO.

ELCABrian FlatgardNovember 19, 2025AMMPARO, Immigration and Refugees, Church and Society, AdvocacyComment

Crossing Borders, Sharing Faith: Trinity Community Lutheran Welcomes All

In Point Roberts, Washington—a U.S. enclave accessible only through Canada—Trinity Community Lutheran Church embodies faith without borders. Founded in 1913 by Icelandic immigrants, the congregation now includes U.S. and Canadian members who gather for music, potlucks, and interfaith worship. Through Jazz Vespers, shared holidays, and rotating clergy, Trinity continues to live out the message that “all are welcome,” even amid changing politics and border challenges. Read more at Living Lutheran.

ELCABrian FlatgardNovember 12, 2025Living Lutheran, Immigration and RefugeesComment

Refugee Services Update: Join LSS-SW Webinar Nov. 14

Join Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest for a Refugee Services Update Webinar on Friday, November 14, at 11 a.m. Hear directly from Connie Phillips, President & CEO, and key staff about the state of refugee resettlement in Arizona and what’s ahead in 2026. Learn how congregations and individuals across our synod continue to walk alongside refugee families with compassion and hope. Register here.

Join LSS-SW for a Refugee Services Webinar — November 14 at 11 a.m.

Join Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest for a Refugee Services Update Webinar on Friday, November 14, at 11 a.m. Hear directly from Connie Phillips, President & CEO, and key staff about the state of refugee resettlement in Arizona and what’s ahead in 2026. Learn how congregations and individuals across our synod continue to walk alongside refugee families with compassion and hope. Register here.

Invite Global Refuge’s Pastor-in-Residence: Schedule Rev. Eric Shafer for Winter–Spring 2026

Global Refuge’s volunteer Pastor in Residence, Rev. Eric C. Shafer, is booking Sunday visits to ELCA congregations in our synod to preach and lead an adult forum on Christian welcome. Available dates: Dec. 28, 2025; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25; Feb. 1; and all Sundays in March 2026. Hosts provide travel expense support. To schedule, email ericcshafer@hotmail.com and learn more at globalrefuge.org.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardOctober 29, 2025Global Refuge, Immigration and RefugeesComment

LSS-SW Calls Us to Stand with Refugees: Speak Up for SNAP Access Today

Federal shutdown delays have stalled this year’s refugee admissions, and SNAP food assistance has been halted for both refugees and all current recipients statewide. Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest continues serving resettled families and invites you to advocate with legislators for restored SNAP funding and refugee protection. The ELCA has provided an easy tool to contact Congress—learn more and take action.

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