ELCA Worship shares their news for January, 2023, featuring: Sundays and Seasons, Compelling Preaching Initiative, Call for Songs for the Global Achtliederbuch, All Creation Sings , Resources for multi-religious ministry, Music that Makes Community, Invitation to join the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, Finding our Rhythm, in Fullness of Time Valparaiso University April 17-19, Worship resources from Augsburg Fortress, and more.
Read MoreMy home congregation is the same church my parents grew up in and got married in. I was baptized and confirmed there. I went to Sunday school after services there for as long as I can remember, and I really got involved in the youth group program there in middle school. I also have been on multiple mission trips with my church to different locations out of state.
Read MoreThe January, 2023 edition of Seeds Monthly is available, featuring: Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church nominations; Living Lutheran’s top five Storie of 2022; Talks at the Desk; featured resources; bulletin blurbs, and more.
Read MoreThe final deadline to apply for Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) is Feb. 1, 2023.
Now even more communities are ready to welcome you. The YAGM team recently announced that the Mexico and Central Europe country programs will be reopening in 2023. Volunteers will have the opportunity to serve there and in four other country programs. Learn more at ELCA.org/YAGM.
Read MoreELCA is offering a webinar with practical stewardship tips on Wednesday, 2/1/2023, 5pm MST, 4pm PST. Click here to join via Zoom.
In this increasingly post-pandemic world, rostered and congregational leaders might well explore some of the nuances of giver motivation with the upcoming webinar “Practical Stewardship Tips,” which is free and open to all.
Read MoreI have always known myself to be a “self-doubter.” I am constantly doubting myself – my ability to lead, my ability to be a good friend, but especially my ability to lead God’s people. I have been a self-doubter when it has come to God’s plan for me. How was I supposed to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with my God if I didn’t even believe I could do so?
Read MoreAt the beginning of this month, the U.S. House of Representatives elected a new Speaker. Typically, electing a new Speaker occurs rather quickly, needing only one vote, but this time the situation was different. While Representative Kevin McCarthy (Republican from California) was the early favorite, it took fifteen votes for him to be elected Speaker. This is the first time in 100 years that the election for Speaker took more than one vote.
Read MoreMore than two decades after the ELCA and The Episcopal Church became full communion partners, congregations from both denominations are joining forces in arrangements that many see as the way of the future.
Read MoreELCA Advocacy shares updates from state public policy office in the ELCA Advocacy Network for January, 2023.
Read MoreThe 118th U.S. Congress convened on January 3, 2023. Following finalization of House speakership, the official swearing in took place January 7, 2023. In this post are some of the legislators with Lutheran affiliation who will serve the country in this new session.
Read More2022 was a full year for Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). The highest profile event is the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In addition to the war, LDR worked with partners to respond to a wide range of other disasters, including Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, tornadoes, flooding, wildfires and gun violence. Internationally, some examples of responses in 2022 include monsoon flooding in south Asia, migration in Central America and refugees in the Middle East.
Read MoreThe ELCA Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with the investment consulting firm Fund Evaluation Group LLC (FEG).
Previously, the Foundation worked with Graystone Consulting to provide reporting and oversight of three core portfolios — the Ministry Growth Fund, Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Trusts.
Read MoreThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Formation Lab Project.
The goal of the project is to help congregations move past prescriptive, outdated models of youth ministry that often separate youth from the vital faith practices they need if they are to embrace God as the center of their life in today's world.
Read MoreWe stand together as Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in the United States to condemn the recent rise in anti-Christian hate in the Holy Land, including the vandalism of a Protestant cemetery on Jan. 1, and graffiti threatening "Death to Christians" that appeared last week both in and near the Armenian quarter in Jerusalem.
These and other actions taken to erase the presence of Christians in the Holy Land, which would be devastating to us all. May the God of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar comfort our Christian siblings in the place we all believe is holy and give us courage as we speak with one voice against religious bigotry.
Read MoreOn Sunday the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) will for the first time ordain a woman into pastoral ministry, Sally Azar. I invite you to join in the celebration by watching this short documentary about what women’s ordination means for the ELCJHL, and the livestream of the ordination service, which will begin at 7 a.m. Central time.
Read MorePastor Katie Langston, pastor of mission and outreach at New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah, shares her adventures in delivering cookies to the church’s neighbors.
“Operation Cookie Conversations” was the product of the question, “What would happen if we tried to talk to the neighbors near us?”
Read MoreFor the safety of women and children kidnapped in Burkina Faso…
For those killed by gang violence in Goshen, California and all whose lives are affected by gangs…
For people of Asian descent who continue to face anti-Asian hate crimes…
For the families of those killed in a plane crash in Nepal …
For flooding in California, Western Australia, and all places with too much water …
For transgender people who fight for their right to live around the world and especially in Scotland …
For chicken farmers battling avian flu in their flocks …
From helping those in need to team-building to deepening people’s faith to improving a congregation’s self-esteem, Resurrection’s disaster-relief ministry is a robust and holistic one. For this Cincinnati congregation, disaster relief is a passion. The 400-member congregation has made 19 trips to help rebuild homes after disasters, including several visits to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Read MoreA specific song came to mind when I began reflecting on Micah 6:8. I often find that when I’m searching for the words to express my thoughts and feelings about something, music is my source of guidance.
These words from the opening of the song Spark by The City Harmonic join breath and justice: When I breathe in hope, And breathe in grace, And breathe in God, Then I’ll breathe out peace, Breathe out justice, Breathe out love, Oh, this little light’s gonna shine With just a spark light a fire…
Read MoreThe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins today, bridging the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul. This year, the resources jointly published by the Commission on Faith and Order of World Council of Churches and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, have been prepared by the Minnesota Council of Churches. Rev. Dr. Kelly Sherman Conroy, the ELCA’s first Indigenous (Lakota) woman PhD, and Rev. Antonio Machado, were involved in the process.
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