The application period for 2022 Cycle 2 of ELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grants will open on August 1st, 2022.
Hunger Education and Networking Grants are one of the ways ELCA World Hunger accompanies congregations, synods, organizations, partners and local teams throughout the US and the Caribbean. We know that learning about the root causes of hunger and effective responses is key to ending hunger locally and globally.
Read MoreWe share updates from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C., which includes partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: July/August 2022. This post includes Augusta Victoria Hospital Funding, Border Encounters, Supreme Court Abortion Ruling, Use Of Landmines, and Bipartisan Gun Legislation.
Read MoreBy design and adapted to present realities, August Recess is a congressional tradition that brings heightened opportunities to reach out to your federal lawmakers where you – and they – live. U.S. representatives traditionally return to their home districts in this month to engage with their constituents.
Start by locating your lawmaker’s Web presence (govtrack.us is one place to connect). And use this post from ELCA Advocacy for more resources, and guidance on specific topics like child tax credit, housing, gun violence, energy and environmental justice, gender based violence, asylum and immigration, and voting rights.
Read MoreWe share a video from Man Her Yip, part of the pre-events of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2022.
In preparation for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA members are encouraged to participate in a series of online Bible studies that will explore the assembly theme, "Embody the Word," from Luke 24. Register here for the live Bible study series held on Zoom.
Read MoreClick here to read the Good Green News, from Lutherans Restoring Creation. Get info on upcoming connections calls, Churchwide Assembly actions, and more.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, July 27, 2022, ELCA Coaching welcomes back Nathan Swenson-Reinhold, who will be facilitating conversation around harnessing the energy of groups to do the work of the Kingdom.
The login information can be found below and on the ELCA Coaching website. Join us WEEKLY on Wednesdays at 11am MST/PDT, noon MDT, to hear from a variety of leaders.
Read MoreWe share a video from Sally Azar, part of the pre-events of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2022.
In preparation for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA members are encouraged to participate in a series of online Bible studies that will explore the assembly theme, "Embody the Word," from Luke 24. Register here for the live Bible study series held on Zoom.
Read MoreIn this video, Bishop Eaton encourages us to celebrate the full participation of all in the body of Christ.
Read MoreFor those in London and all across Europe, experiencing record-high temperatures and facing the on-going threat of wildfires…
For jurors, students, and families in the midst of the Parkland shooting sentencing trial…
For the victims of the mall shooting in Indiana, for their families, and for all the bystanders who experienced the trauma of that event…
For all who continue to suffer the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with prayers and hope that the thirst for power can quelled and peace can again be established…
For countries in the midst of a transition of power, including Sri Lanka and Japan…
For people around the world who continue to delight in the images from the James Webb telescope…
For safety for all who travel in this season…
The July, 2022, bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders is here, featuring: ELCA Churchwide Assembly Pre-event: “Embody the Word” Bible study sessions; get a jump on your Portico Annual Enrollment; prepare for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday with new resources; new mileage rate July through December 2022; cyber liability insurance; and choose your payroll provider wisely.
Read MoreThe United States President Joe Biden visited the LWF-operated Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the morning of Friday July 15. Biden’s visit to the hospital is the first visit of a sitting US president to East Jerusalem. The US President announced a USD 100 million multi-year commitment toward the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), of which AVH is a member.
Read MoreDrop by an Advocacy Cafe to hear from ELCA advocacy community leaders about timely topics. The 30-minute presentations will be offered twice on the same day. The day session will wrap-up with 15-minutes for a Q&A session with panelists. The evening session will wrap-up differently, with 25 minutes to meet in a small group with others to exchange experiences and ideas.
Tue. July 26 – August Recess
Tue. Aug. 30 – Civic Engagement Actions
Tue. Sept. 27 – Barriers to Voting
Tue. Oct. 25 – Public Discourse
Where will we be on Independence Day 2065? With God’s grace, I hope to live to see it. I hope to see it and smile, as my ancestors are today watching over me as I walk these same streets. Mere footsteps on the long path to justice. Inches closer on the road to freedom.
Read MoreAs Lutherans in North America, we have a remarkable opportunity to live out our Christian vocation in a multi-religious world. No matter where we live, the realities of religious diversity are not “out there,” but in our daily lives with our families, in our congregations, communities, and at work. Our ministries – whether as pastors, deacons, or lay people – are shaped by the religious diversity in our midst. The brand new “ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World” provide a way for our ministries to also be shaped for our multi-religious context.
Read MoreMembers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will gather for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug. 8-12 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Meeting under the theme "Embody the Word," the assembly will participate in plenary discussions to make decisions about the work of this church. Live video of the plenary sessions will be accessible at elca.org/CWA-2022.
Read MoreOur prayers are with the family of Jayland Walker as they laid him to rest on Wednesday in Akron, Ohio, a place I know well and a community dear to my heart. We join all who gathered to mourn the brutal killing of their loved one.
Read MoreWe share a Living Lutheran post from Rev. Howie Wennes, written at the start of the pandemic.
Once a month I do a Bible study for inmates at the Ventura County Jail. I once asked them, “Do you know where the ‘Complaint Department’ is in the Bible?” Surprised to hear that, they asked, “Where?”
I told them that the best example is in the book of Psalms. There are 150 psalms and 50 of them fit into the lament category. Laments are cries of pain and pleas for God to notice and help.
Read MorePrayers of thanksgiving for the good and faithful work of our siblings in both the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) during their recent national gatherings…
For ELCA Churchwide staff, bishops, lay and clergy voting members, guests, and all preparing for Churchwide Assembly next month…
For the incomprehensible expanse of creation, glimpses of which have been made possible by the technology of the James Webb Space Telescope…
For those facing down a new, more contagious variant of the COVID virus…
For healthcare workers feeling overwhelmed and burnt out…
For nations facing political and civil unrest, uncertainty, and transition, including Sri Lanka, Japan, and the ongoing conflict in Russia/Ukraine…
For all those living the effects of climate change: those facing heat waves in China, Eastern Eurpoe, and Texas; those facing droughts in Italy and the southwestern United States; those battling wildfires in Portugal…
ELCA Global Mission shares their July 2022 Global links newsletters, which introduces the new YAGM volunteers, new mission personnel, and ways to get involved. View online or download a pdf version.
Read MoreWe share the video from Rev. Jay Alanis’ reflection titled, The Walk to Emaus, La Caminata a Emaús. It is the first pre-event of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2022.
In preparation for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA members are encouraged to participate in a series of online Bible studies that will explore the assembly theme, "Embody the Word," from Luke 24. Register here for the live Bible study series held on Zoom.
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