ELCA Adopts New Social Statement on Faith and Civic Life

The 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.

ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardAugust 6, 2025Social Statements, ELCA Advocacy, Advocacy, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA)Comment

A Light for Justice: AMMPARO Vigil Brings 250 Together in Prayer

Approximately 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.

Peter Faur Joins LAMA Policy Council to Advance Justice and Advocacy

Peter 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.

Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardAugust 6, 2025Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), AdvocacyComment

Speak Up for Gaza: Aid Must Reach the Vulnerable Safely

The 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.

Feeding Neighbors, Fighting Waste: C.A.M.P. Partners with Sun City Lutherans

Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Church in Sun City partners with Community Action Market & Produce (C.A.M.P.) to bring fresh, rescued produce to neighbors across the Northwest Phoenix Valley. This nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers, distributes nutritious food through its Saturday Shop & Select markets, prepacked produce boxes, and delivery programs for the elderly and disabled—all with no income qualifications required. To learn more about this inspiring ministry or how you can support it, click here.

August Is Advocacy Season: Meet Your Lawmakers and Make an Impact

August 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.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardJuly 10, 2025Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), AdvocacyComment

School Meals and Hunger Relief Funded—Thanks to Your Advocacy!

Thanks 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.

Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardJuly 3, 2025Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), Advocacy, HungerComment

Apply Now: Join the Grand Canyon Synod Delegation at the 2025 ELCA Hunger Gathering

Registration is now open for the 2025 ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering, taking place September 18–21 in Columbus, Ohio. Centered on Micah 6:8, the gathering will unite leaders to collaborate on ending hunger and its root causes. Thanks to a sponsorship from the Northeast Valley Consortium, the Grand Canyon Synod will fully sponsor three participants. If you’re interested in attending as a representative, do not register online—instead, contact Solveig at director@lamaz.org to be considered.

This is a key opportunity to reflect, connect, and act in our shared ministry for a world without hunger. Click here for full event details.

Arizona Advocates Head to Capitol Hill to Fight Hunger

LAMA 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.

Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardJune 19, 2025Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), Advocacy, HungerComment

YIGBY and the East Valley: Churches as Sanctuaries for Affordable Housing

In 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.

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) Annual Report: 2025

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) shares their annual report in this video as part of our 2025 Assembly.

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) Annual Report: 2025

In a year marked by division and uncertainty, members across the Grand Canyon Synod boldly lived out their faith through advocacy, hunger ministry, and public witness. From winning the 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge and increasing ELCA World Hunger giving by 35%, to convening 200 advocates for Lutheran Day at the Legislature, this report highlights a growing movement of engagement. Explore the many ways our synod has stepped up—locally and nationally—to proclaim justice, compassion, and hope in the public square.

Facing Hate with Courage: Arizona Faith Leaders Speak Out

Antisemitic and hate incidents are on the rise across Arizona and the nation. In an interview with KJZZ’s The Show, Rev. Katie Sexton of the Arizona Faith Network and Rabbi Andy Green of Congregation Or Tzion discuss how faith communities are responding. From defining hate and confronting conspiracy theories to organizing rapid response networks and naming hope in struggle, this candid conversation highlights both the danger of rising intolerance and the strength found in shared action. Click here to read the full article and listen to the interview.

Welcome Martha Garner: Faith-Rooted Advocate Joins LAMA Policy Council

Martha Garner has joined the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) Policy Council to represent northern Arizona. A longtime music educator, community leader, and active member of Living Christ Lutheran Church in Flagstaff, Martha brings deep experience in ministry and advocacy. Her faith journey—shaped by Rainbow Trail, Lutheran Campus Ministry, and CASA work—prepares her well for this new call to public witness. Please keep Martha in prayer as she begins her three-year term. Click here to read more.

Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardMarch 26, 2025Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), AdvocacyComment

A Watered Garden: How Our Lenten Challenge Aligns with World Water Day

Water is a sacred gift, essential for life, yet 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water. This World Water Day (March 22), we reflect on our Lenten Challenge theme, A Watered Garden (Isaiah 58:11), and how we can celebrate, protect, and advocate for water justice. Join us in honoring this precious resource by exploring activities from the Lenten Challenge and participating in the Northeast Valley Consortium’s Walk for Water Fundraiser. To learn more and access the 2025 World Water Day Toolkit, click here.

Could You Eat on $6 a Day? Take the SNAP Challenge and Raise Awareness

Millions of Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table, yet the average benefit of just $6 per day is often not enough to maintain a healthy diet. The SNAP Challenge, happening March 18–20, invites participants to experience firsthand the difficult choices faced by those living on limited food budgets. This challenge raises awareness about hunger, highlights the need for increased SNAP benefits, and encourages congressional action. Learn how you and your congregation can get involved—click here.

Engaged, Not Exhausted: A Lutheran Guide to Advocacy and Service

Feeling overwhelmed by the many needs in our communities? Our partners at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) share practical ways to stay engaged without exhaustion. Whether you have five minutes to make a call, ten minutes to write a letter, or a few hours to host an event, there are simple, effective ways to take action. By setting boundaries, leaning on trusted sources, and building community, we can respond with focus and faith. Click here to read more.

Lutherans Speak Out: The Urgent Need to Defend Medicaid

Proposed Medicaid cuts could leave millions without essential healthcare, impacting our congregations, ministries, and the most vulnerable in our communities. A recent ELCA Advocacy and Lutheran Services in America webinar explores the implications of these changes and how Lutherans can take action. Watch the webinar recording and find key resources to help advocate for protecting Medicaid. Click here to learn more.

From Arizona to New Jersey: Lutheran Advocacy at Work

How do Lutherans make a difference through advocacy? Solveig Muus, director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), explores how intentional intersectionality strengthens our collective impact, from bipartisan legislation to Lutheran Disaster Response and interfaith collaboration. Read about the 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge, new legislative efforts inspired by Lutheran advocacy in New Jersey, and how faith communities are working together to create change. Click here to read more: SPPO Spotlight: Inspired by Intersectionality.

Join the Region 2 Lenten Challenge: Strengthen Faith, Support Clean Water

Join the 2025 Lenten Challenge and support the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) in Rock Point, AZ, where many households lack access to clean water. This friendly competition among ELCA Region 2 synods challenges participants to commit to three Lenten practices while raising awareness and funds for Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and its water projects at NELM. The synod with the most sign-ups wins—so let’s make Grand Canyon Synod proud! Sign up today:lentenchallenge.org.

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