Is your congregation ready to take some steps (even small steps) toward renewal or revitalization?
You are invited to attend the 2023 Summer Session of the ELCA Vital Congregations Training, Part 1. This will be a four-session training. The training sessions will be held two times per day from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (eastern time) and from 7:30-9:00 p.m. (eastern time) on Thursdays June 15th, June 29th, July 13th, and July 27th. Register here.
Read MoreFor victims of recent gun violence, especially in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Arizona, Washington, New Mexico, California, Georgia, and Washington D.C….
For victims of the apartment building collapse in Davenport, Iowa…
For renewed humility and cooperation among government leaders and across political parties…
For protection for all people facing threats of violence, abuse, and harassment, especially marginalized communities…
For peace among nations, especially between Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Palestine, and Serbia/Kosovo, Syria, Israel, Palestine…
For nations in leadership transition and nations finishing elections, including Turkey, Nigeria, Spain, and Alberta, Canada…
For the ELCA and all leaders, congregations, and members who gather for Synod Assemblies this season…
For safety and joy at upcoming Pride celebrations across the nation…
ELCA World Hunger provides an update on countries in southeastern Africa which were hit by one of the most powerful cyclones in memory. Read the update at ELCA.org, or visit their Malawi Virtual Tour.
Read MoreFor our 2023 synod assembly, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton invites us to join the church on a future-focused journey to widen our welcome and break down the barriers that keep people from engaging with the church. Together, we can help people experience the difference God’s grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation. View in this post, or read as a PDF in English or Spanish.
Read MoreIn New Orleans, there is a Lutheran congregation shining this resurrection hope of Jesus in their community. Founded in 1888, Bethlehem is a remarkable church with a rich history of service that goes deep into the community. Bethlehem is a beacon of light on a hill in a weary world.
Read MoreCreation Care Ambassadors (Ambassadors), trained through a certification program of Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC) with ELCA collaborator Blessed Tomorrow, empower themselves to make a difference with tools, resources and networking to act and advocate for climate solutions. Reach out to an Ambassador to help support local congregational and synod creation care activities using the 🗺️ LRC locator map, and consider taking the free training.
Read MoreEach year the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asks congregations to provide information about their people and activities. The process to do so closes on May 31, 2023.
Find all the resources you need at the ELCA’s Annual Congregation Report page, including FAQs, online Form A & C Parochial Reports as well as ways to update your ELCA Congregational Leadership Directory.
Read MoreIn thanksgiving for all those who have given their lives in service to our country…
For all who are currently serving in the armed forces and for veterans seeking care for mental and physical injuries received during active duty…
For missing and murdered indigenous women and girls…
For nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders would listen to the voices of those who survived the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki…
For the voices of climate scientists (such as the World Meteorological Organization) to be heard and respected…
For the families and friends of those who died in soccer stadium stampede in San Salvador…
For peace in Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, and Israel…
For congressional leaders to reach agreement on the debt ceiling…
For an expansion of mental health care and improved access…
For healing and hope for those who are suffering from mental illness, especially those with treatment resistant conditions…
ELCA Advocacy shares submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Read @ ELCA.org.
Read MoreTaylor Swift and The National have both been very influential musical artists. But they have typically appealed to very different audiences. Swift is the epitome of a pop star, mining her personal struggles for inspiration and pairing them with catchy tunes which have stadiums of adoring fans singing along.
In contrast, The National has been the poster child for an indie-rock band, more at home in a grungy after hours club than an arena. If Swift’s lyrics often sound like a teen’s diary, The National’s are brooding and obscure to the the point of incomprehensible.
Read MoreIn the words of Ecclesiastes 3, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven….”. It is with mixed feelings that I write this note to notify our synod that I am ending my season as the Director for Evangelical Mission of the Grand Canyon Synod.
Starting on June 22, 2023, I will begin a new season in ministry as the Senior Director for New Ministry Development and Evangelism at the Churchwide Office of the ELCA. I will be responsible for setting the vision and leading the team that works on all new ministries and evangelism efforts in the ELCA.
Read MoreThe Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary are moving into available space on the campus of Catholic Theological Union, creating a theological megacampus on the South Side of Chicago.
Each of the three schools will remain independent with its own identity, mission and governance. Read more at Religion News Service.
Read MoreThe ELCA Young Adult Vocational Fellowship is an exciting program that offers young adults an amazing opportunity to discover their calling while gaining valuable professional experience.
In partnership with new and existing year-long opportunities at ELCA affiliated ministries, participants are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to explore their faith and vocational aspirations, all while receiving support from a network of peers and experienced ELCA coaches.
Read MoreOn April 15, 2023. violence broke out between opposing military groups in Sudan. Most of the fighting has been in the capital city of Khartoum, but some has now spread outside the city. Nearly 1 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the violence.
Read MoreWe share updates from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director. Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: May 2023.
Read MoreEach month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. Read more here.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Eaton reminds us that in the ELCA’s social message “The Body of Christ and Mental Health” we are called to companionship. “For those who are living with mental illness, we see you. We stand with you, ready to listen and support you in your struggles, through good days and bad.”
Read MoreThe Rev. Dr. Donald P. Kreiss, Detroit, was reelected May 19 to serve a third six-year term as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the ELCA. The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron, Mich.
Read MoreThe Rev. Katherine A. Finegan, Marquette, Mich., was reelected May 19 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the ELCA. The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
Read MoreThe Rev. Rebecca Middeke-Conlin, Tulsa, Okla., was elected May 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod of the ELCA. The election took place during the synod assembly, May 5-7, at the Hyatt Place Tulsa–South in Tulsa.
Read More
