After reflecting on the 10,000 Year Clock and speaking with a prominent Lutheran theologian, Elise Seyfriend anticipates the future with optimism.
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The Lutheran World Federation Council has elected Estonian theologian Anne Burghardt as the next general secretary of the global communion of Lutheran churches. We share her Living Lutheran profile in this post.
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Join the discussion on the next Connections Call sponsored by Lutherans Restoring Creation, which will advocate for the reduction of greenhouse gases for the health of all. Tuesday, 8/17/2021, 5 pm MST/PDT.
Join them as they discuss the development of a Sample Memorial to go to Churchwide Assembly 2022 asking our ELCA Advocacy office to specifically advocate that government leaders and public servants prioritize a reduction of greenhouse gases by 50% no later than 2030. More info here.
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Kelly Sherman-Conroy writes, “As the Team Leader of MYLE (Multicultural Youth Leadership Event) and group of amazing leaders of color who I am graciously working alongside, we want everyone to know what MYLE is so that this life changing opportunity for our youth of color can experience a Beloved Community like no other.”
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Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer will be installed as the fifth Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on Saturday, 9/11/2021 at 2 pm MST/PDT Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, CA.
Your prayers and presence are requested at the livestream on this special site: spsbishopinstallation.com. Read their profile at Living Lutheran.
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Many bishops have had interesting and varied career paths to their current calls. But most of those paths don’t travel through Hollywood. But before entering ministry, she spent 18 years working in production for Warner Bros. Television.
Brenda Bos of Glendale, Calif., was elected June 5 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod.
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Just as the Olympians are surrounded by family, friends, mentors, and entire countries, we too are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. This week, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton encourages us to "run like the wind."
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All Creation Sings includes several short songs that can be taught “paperlessly,” that is, singing together without printed or projected words or music for worship.
This kind of singing is often ideal for small retreats or outdoor settings in addition to weekly worship. This post guides you to several audio-video resources.
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On Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.
Bishop Eaton invites your congregation to join this annual day of service and celebrate who we are as the ELCA ― one church, freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor. Learn more and plan your day at ELCA.org/DayofService.
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People are lonely. A January 2020 survey from Cigna found that three in five US Americans are lonely, and we know loneliness only got exponentially worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, what does that mean for a church that believes in a relational God?
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Jesus taught us that when we welcome the stranger as a person made in God's image, we also welcome God. Our lives, ministries and congregations have been blessed by many immigrants and refugees over the years — from many of our ancestors to those we welcome among us today.
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As cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 increase, it may seem like we are in a never-ending wilderness. Bishop Eaton reminds us of the exodus of God’s people, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years searching for the land that God had promised them. God never left them, and God has not left us.
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In this letter, the American Indian Alaska Native Lutheran Association invites congregations to hang orange banners in solidarity with Indigenous people throughout North America and in remembrance and lament of Native children that never made it out of residential schools. View the letter in this post or as a PDF.
We also encourage you to learn more about Orange Shirt Day (September 30), a Canadian statutory holiday. Religion News Service also provides these articles on US churches reckoning with the traumatic legacy of Native schools and the new spiritual movement aiming to recognize the official US apology to Native American people.
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Every year, churches incur significant losses due to vandalism. Vandals often act impulsively. In other cases, vandals are seeking an easy target for their mischief, such as a building often empty at night. Read the article from Church Pension Group.
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Through advocacy, the ELCA community can create lasting, systemic change. If you want to get involved in faith-based advocacy, but aren’t sure where to begin, sign up for Advocacy Summer School.
The first session will take place on August 11, 2021. Sign up for one session or all five. Each virtual session will include a 30-minute virtual presentation followed by an optional question & answer session for 15 minutes.
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This week, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that peace is not the absence of struggle or strife, but the complete presence of a loving God.
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From time to time, restricted gift purposes cannot be fulfilled as expected. When this occurs, charitable organizations should take all proper steps to repurpose or amend restricted gifts. View this PDF from ELCA.
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Your worship center is an invaluable property, monetarily and spiritually, and its protection and upkeep are an important obligation. View this PDF from Church Mutual for more info.
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Lutheran World Relief invites congregations to be part of the largest global health effort in history and end COVID for everyone, everywhere.
Access to the COVID-19 vaccine is rapidly changing our lives, and now the kindness of your congregation can deliver this same hope to our neighbors. Please click here to watch a video about how your love can reach the world, and visit lwr.org/congregations to learn how your congregation can save lives.
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Would you like to learn more about reaching people through your website? Tithe.ly will host a webinar on the subject on July 27 at 11am MST/PDT. Register here.
Tithe.ly, an ELCA preferred vendor, offers a family of digital tools—including easy-to-use websites—to help increase giving, manage congregational membership data and engage members, with special pricing for ELCA congregations.
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