What You Need to Know for the 2026 Synod Assembly
Greetings, Synod Assembly Voting Members, Guests, Exhibitors, and Staff!
The 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly is almost here. We are excited to gather June 11–13, 2026, at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona, under the theme “Rooted in God’s Story.”
This page includes important information to help you prepare for assembly. Please check back often for updates, links, agenda changes, and additional details.
Location
We thank Love of Christ Lutheran Church for all of their help in hosting this year’s assembly and assemblies in years past.
1525 N. Power Road Mesa, AZ 85205 (map)
(480) 981-6199
Watch Online
Assembly worship and key sessions may be viewed live on Love of Christ Lutheran’s Facebook Page.
Stay Informed
For 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.
Important Points
All participants must be properly pre-registered. Registration is now closed, and there will be no registrations at the door. Please do not bring unregistered guests with you. Thank you for understanding.
Check-in for registered participants will be available:
Thursday, June 11: 2:00–5:00 pm
Friday, June 12: beginning at 7:00 am
Saturday, June 13: beginning at 7:30 am
Voting members should be checked in before voting begins.
Electronic Voting
Voting members should bring a smartphone, tablet, or laptop for electronic voting, along with a charger.
Practice voting will take place Friday, June 12, at 8:45 am. The 2027-2028 Mission Plan presentation and voting preparation information are available on the Assembly website.
Childcare
Families belong at Synod Assembly. Thanks to the generous support of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and California Lutheran University, childcare will be available during the 2026 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly.
What to Bring
Cell phone, tablet, or laptop for voting
Charger
Refillable water bottle
Refillable coffee container
Comfortable clothing
Light sweater if you tend to get cold
Pen
Any personal items you may need for a full day of assembly
You are welcome to bring business cards or flyers about your ministry or special events, but please keep these with you unless you have prior permission from the Planning Team to distribute them in assembly spaces.
How to Prepare
Before arriving, please review:
Voting members may also wish to review the Parliamentary Procedure 101 materials available on the Assembly website.
Assembly Schedule at a Glance
Thursday, June 11, 2026
11:00 am: Exhibitors and Display Area setup opens
1:00 pm: Synod Council meeting
2:00–5:00 pm: Check-in for registered participants
2:00–5:00 pm: Service project packing
2:00–5:00 pm: Thursday Afternoon Connections with the Congregational Vitality Team and Office of the Bishop staff
Friday, June 12, 2026
7:00 am: Check-in for registered participants opens
8:45 am: Practice voting
9:00–10:00 am: Opening worship with Bishop Hutterer preaching
10:00–10:30 am: Break
10:30–11:15 am: Welcome and Opening of Assembly
11:20 am–12:30 pm: Rev. Tim Brown
12:30–1:30 pm: Lunch break
1:30–2:30 pm: Plenary Session 2 / Resolutions
2:30–3:30 pm: Workshop Session 1
3:30–3:50 pm: Break
3:50–4:50 pm: Workshop Session 2
5:00–5:30 pm: ELCA Report and plenary work if needed
5:30–6:15 pm: Dinner
6:15–7:15 pm: Variety Show
Saturday, June 13, 2026
7:30 am: Check-in for registered participants opens
8:30 am: Reconvene Assembly
8:30–9:30 am: Prayer and Bible Study with Rev. Tim Brown
9:30–10:00 am: Bishop and Synod Council Report
10:00–10:15 am: Plenary 3 / Mission Plan vote
10:15–10:45 am: Celebration of Ministry and Recognitions
10:45–11:45 am: Closing worship with Rev. Tim Brown preaching
Please note that the agenda may change. Visit the Assembly Agenda page for the most up-to-date schedule.
Our churchwide representative is Rev. Tim Brown, Director for Congregational Stewardship.
Rev. Tim Brown serves in the Office of the Presiding Bishop as Director for Congregational Stewardship Support, where he creates and curates relationships and resources to help synods and congregations fuel their ministries. He has served parishes in Chicago, Illinois, and Raleigh, North Carolina, and lives in Raleigh with his wife and two sons.
Thursday Afternoon Connections
As you arrive and settle into Synod Assembly, Thursday afternoon offers a relaxed and flexible opportunity to connect with synod staff, ask questions, share ideas, and begin conversations before the Assembly formally begins.
During registration hours from 2:00–5:00 pm on Thursday, members of the synod staff will be available for informal Synod Office Hours. Come with something specific in mind, or simply come to connect.
Available during Office Hours:
Rev. Jacqueline Pagel, Bishop’s Associate for Candidacy and Faith Formation
Rev. Dan Potaznick, Director of Generosity and Strategic Development
Brian Flatgard, Director of Communications
Solveig Muus, Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona
Rev. David Pavesic, Director for Evangelical Mission
Rev. Pavesic will also be available for conversation around congregational vitality, mission, and the changing realities facing congregations and communities across our synod.
During the 2026 Synod Assembly, we will come together in hands-on service by packing rice and beans for two local partners: the West Valley Community Food Pantry and First Place Community Center Food Bank.
Together, we will pack 800 pounds of rice and 800 pounds of beans. These staple foods will be divided between both organizations to support families experiencing food insecurity across our communities.
Service project packing will take place Thursday, June 11, from 2:00–5:00 pm. Additional packing time may be available Friday if needed.
Assembly participants will open produce bags, fill them with rice or beans, and prepare them for distribution. This is simple, meaningful work that anyone can do.
At the close of the Assembly, the packed rice and beans will be blessed during worship, connecting our shared labor with our shared faith.
Financial gifts may also be made to support the service project. A gift of $5 provides a bag of rice and a bag of beans for five families.
The designated offering from worship and any additional gifts will support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, our Lutheran siblings who serve faithfully in the places where the Christian story first took root.
Congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to participate in this shared act of generosity by collecting a designated gift ahead of time and sending it with assembly participants or mailing it directly to the synod office.
Gifts may be made online through Tithe.ly, by Zelle, or by check payable to Grand Canyon Synod with “2026 Synod Assembly Offering” in the memo line.
The Grand Canyon Synod is sharing its Proposed Mission Plan for 2027–2028. The Mission Plan materials, presentation slides, and presentation recording are available on the Assembly website.
Voting members are encouraged to review these materials before arriving at assembly. The Mission Plan presentation includes an overview of the proposed plan, key priorities and direction, and practice voting information.
Nominations and Elections
This Assembly will elect a Secretary of the Grand Canyon Synod, synod council members, committee members, and ratify Synod Council Conference Representatives.
Voting members are encouraged to review the nominees and nomination information before assembly.
The assembly received one resolution before the April 27, 2026, deadline. The Reference and Counsel Committee worked with the sponsors to edit the resolution for clarity. The resolution will be presented to the assembly at the designated time without recommendation.
Voting members are encouraged to review the resolution before arriving.
Voting members, visitors, presenters, and guests are encouraged to review the Rules of Procedure ahead of the assembly to help ensure a smooth, fair, and meaningful gathering for all participants.
The Rules of Procedure outline how assembly business will be conducted, including voting procedures, debate guidelines, elections, resolutions, amendments, and expectations for decorum.
Participants are invited to take part in two workshop sessions on Friday, June 12.
Session 1: 2:30–3:30 pm
Break: 3:30–3:50 pm
Session 2: 3:50–4:50 pm
Each participant may attend one workshop per session. No pre-registration is required. Simply attend your chosen session. Workshop topics, presenters, descriptions, and room locations are available on the Assembly website.
After a full day of worship, learning, and assembly business, we are changing gears.
Join us Friday night for a lively, joy-filled hour of music, storytelling, laughter, and creativity from across the Grand Canyon Synod. Pastor Thaddeus Book of Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe will serve as emcee.
Dinner will be served from 5:30–6:15 pm, followed by the Variety Show from 6:15–7:15 pm.
Come ready to laugh, listen, and be surprised.
Please book early to ensure the best selection and pricing. Accommodation details are available on the Assembly website.
Volunteers are needed to help create a welcoming and well-prepared space for assembly.
Decorating Team, Wednesday, June 10 | 11:00 am–1:00 pm, 3–5 volunteers needed
Tear Down Team, Saturday, June 13 | 12:00–1:00 pm, 15 volunteers needed
To volunteer, contact Kathye Hamm at khamm@gcsynod.org.
Questions?
For questions about the 2026 Synod Assembly, please visit the Assembly website or contact Kathye Hamm at khamm@gcsynod.org or Theresa Thornburgh at office@gcsynod.org / (602) 957-3223.
We can’t wait to see you in Mesa as we gather, rooted in God’s story.
