In recognition of the enactment of the ADA, July is designated Disability Pride month. The continued work of advocacy by and for the disabled continues to make life for many safer and better.
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Showing up and speaking out in support of transgender siblings include several ELCA bishops, ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices, and lay and rostered congregational leaders from many parts of the United States.
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Watch this documentary, produced in 2008 and remastered in HD in May 2023, from the National Council of Churches and the IBC.
“It was a turbulent time. Amid social unrest, American Indian activists and organizers struggled for sovereignty, justice, and civil rights. Standing together, Native nations and the National Indian Lutheran Board emerged to speak out with a unified voice.”
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The Rev. Greg Busboom, Springfield, Ill., was elected June 3 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the ELCA.
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We are pleased to announce that Sarah Morris, of Our Saviour's Lutheran in Phoenix, was appointed to serve on the ELCA's Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. Read more about the process here.
Please join us in congratulating Sarah and extending our heartfelt thanks to her for stepping up to represent our Synod in this pivotal role. Learn more as Sarah shares her thoughts on undertaking this role in this blog post.
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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.
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For 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.
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For 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.
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In 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.
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Creation 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.
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Each 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.
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In 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.
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Taylor 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.
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In 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.
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The 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.
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The 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.
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On 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.
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We 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.
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