ELCA Disability Ministries begins accepting grant applications on 12/12/2022, and will officially close the application process on 2/15/2023, for funding to ministries that are committed to inclusion and accessibility. Read more about these grants in this letter from coordinator Rev. Lisa Heffernan.
Read MoreIn the 2022-23 cycle, three leaders are placed through funding of ELCA World Hunger in California, Ohio and Washington, D.C. where they’ve expressed eagerness to connect, learn and grow as they help work for a world where all are fed.
Read MoreOn December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), written to address the atrocities committed during World War II.
Every year, International Human Rights Day is observed on December 10. To celebrate, we are reflecting on a few of the articles in the UDHR in the context of disaster response and recovery.
Read MoreThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the ELCA Compelling Preaching: Transformed Listeners Initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to cultivate persuasive preaching by inviting ELCA ministry leaders to review research findings about current preaching settings; propose innovative ways to apply those learnings in their individual ministry contexts; participate in funded cohort learning initiatives; and produce successful preaching foundations for all lay leaders and rostered ministers seeking to transform lives through the gospel.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reads the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20. Merry Christmas and a blessed Advent! This is a season of preparation. As we prepare for family gatherings, homecooked meals, and Christ’s birth, let us take a moment to relax, breathe, and receive the Christmas story. Merry Christmas, dear church!
Read MoreFor rail workers and all struggling to make a just wage…
For those who are alone or grieving during this season…
For people, plants, and animals in the path of Mauna Loa and Mount Semeru’s eruptions…
For the celebration of the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe…
For political turmoil and transition, especially in Peru…
For those without homes who face harsh climates and harsh local governments…
For those who are overworked and for those who are underemployed…
For an end to human trafficking and modern slavery…
You may have heard of Lutheran World Relief’s Gifts of Love catalog and what awesome Christmas gifts you can find there. But did you know the gift of a goat can start the wheels of change in a BIG way? Not just for families in need but for entire communities. Transform the future, and give a goat!
Read MoreThe December, 2022 edition of Go and Do News, a newsletter from ELCA World Hunger, is available. This edition features Advent resources, a Lifelines article, updates from the Horn of Africa, resources, the Sea-Eye rescue ship, webinar info, advocacy focus, and many more featured resources.
Read MoreAs a parent now, I find that keeping the time filled with more holy days than holidays is a challenge. We attempt to do this by honoring the saint days that lead up to Christmas Day. Lutherans hold the saints as portals through which you see the faith embodied across the ages.
Read MoreShoppers across the country are buying toys for Christmas presents for the children in their lives. While many toy manufacturers have increased the racial diversity of their dolls and action figures, there is a segment of children who still don’t see themselves in the toys they find under the tree on Christmas day. Children with disabilities and medical conditions.
Read MoreHi everyone, my name is Everdith Landrau, also known as Evie, and I am delighted to join the ELCA World Hunger as Director of Networking and Engagement. I am a native of San Juan, Puerto Rio by way of Manhattan (Spanish Harlem), New York. I am an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament with the Presbyterian Church, (USA).
Read MoreThe Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in decades. Through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), ELCA World Hunger is working in the Kakuma region in Kenya alongside the local government to help build the capacity of families to respond to and withstand worsening droughts in the region. These stories reflect the impact of our work together to end hunger through ELCA World Hunger.
Read MoreThis season of Advent begins with apocalypse, revelation. Contrary to the popular and colloquial use of the term apocalypse, it does not mean “end of the world.” Quite literally, apocalypse means revelation, pulling [the curtain] away.
Read MoreThe Planning Team shares a letter of invitation to the Rostered Ministers Gathering in Phoenix next summer, July 17-20, 2023. You’re invited to join colleagues under the theme of "Rekindle the gift within you" (2 Timothy 1:6).
If you like to welcome people, help with registration, or have the gift of hospitality, please connect with Pastor Doug Dill: pastordoug@centrallutheranaz.org or 402-235-6969.
Read MoreFor rebuilding and recovery work following tornadoes in the southern United States…
For families grieving children killed in a school bombing in northern Afghanistan…
For an end to continued war in Ukraine…
For an end to gun violence in our nation…
For nations and governments in leadership transitions…
For all who are struggling with and recovering from RSV, Covid, and other illnesses…
For strength and stability in marriages and all partnered relationships…
Women of the ELCA’s Blue Christmas Service offers a safe place to bring your grief, fear, and loss. Brief readings. Quiet and reflective music. Prayers. All are welcome. Spanish translation provided. Register now to attend. The service takes place on Wednesday, 12/21/2022, 6pm MST, 5pm PST.
Read MoreRoxana Boroujerdi had spent decades as a social worker serving youth in Everett, Wash., when she opted for a change of pace in her career: She opened an ice cream business. That might seem like a major shift but, at its heart, Boroujerdi said, the work was similar. “There’s nothing that brings me more joy than seeing a happy kid,” she said.
With that, her transition to being the “Fun Times Ice Cream Lady” was complete.
Read MoreIn recent weeks, our country has been rocked once again by gun violence targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. On the eve of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a lone gunman walked into Club Q—an LGBTQ friendly nightclub in Colorado Springs, CO—and opened fire, killing 5 people and wounding 17 more.
Read MoreAdvent Pilgrimage in Palestine is a four-week virtual pilgrimage from the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls, Young Adult Ministry, Arab and Middle Eastern ministry, and ALAMEH featuring young adult voices from the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Read MoreMary J. Streufert wrote her new book Language for God: A Lutheran Perspective (Fortress Press, 2022) for those people and other readers who need assurance that language and images for God include all genders and ethnicities, who are unsure why language and images for God matter, and who want language for God to be faithful to the Scriptures and to the witness of Christian theological tradition.
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