Food insecurity affects nearly one in four college students nationwide. In response, campus ministries across the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU) operate pantries offering food, essentials, and compassionate support. These ministries reflect Christ’s call to feed the hungry and ensure all can flourish. Read the full article on Living Lutheran: That all may flourish — NECU pantries address food insecurity.
Read MoreReformation is more than an annual celebration—it is a living tradition calling us to embody grace, justice, and courageous discipleship in daily life. In this reflection, Pastor Ralen M. Robinson invites us to remember that the Spirit continues to stir reform in our communities as we advocate for change, love our neighbors, and allow faith alone, Scripture alone, and grace alone to guide us year-round. Read the full reflection on Living Lutheran: My take: A living tradition — The Reformation was meant to be continued.
Read MoreAugsburg Fortress and ELCA Worship highlight new tools for worship leaders this month, including Sanctuary Scribes interactive children’s booklets, the 5th anniversary of All Creation Sings, mobile-responsive upgrades to Sundays and Seasons, and Advent candle resources. Explore more at elca.org.
Read MoreFor an end to war and conflict, and for places of political unrest or contention, especially Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Pakistan/Afghanistan, and Tanzania…
For all in the path of Tropical Storm Melissa…
For victims of police raids in Brazil…
For cease-fire in Gaza, and for opportunities for relief agencies to accomplish their work…
For all who face hunger and food insecurity, especially those those who rely on SNAP benefits…
For food pantries, community meals, and all feeding ministries and programs…
For federal employees…
For safety for immigrants, refugees, and all migrants…
For the communion of saints and for witnesses to faith in this and all generations…
For gifts of time, daylight, nighttime, and the cycle of the seasons…
A simple act of kindness can change a life. When Jesus called Zacchaeus down from the tree, it wasn’t with judgment but with compassion—and that moment transformed Zacchaeus’s heart, leading him to generosity and repentance. This week’s Faith Lens reflection invites us to see how love and inclusion, rather than shame or exclusion, open the way for true change. In the words of Isaiah, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed.”
Read MoreDiscover how St. John’s, Rock Island (Northern Illinois Synod) is pairing homemade community meals with contemplative worship through Table of Grace and “Welcome Wednesday,” supported by creative lay leadership, grants, and creation-care partnerships. The memo also introduces the updated What Does My Offering Do? poster (with a companion video) and celebrates churchwide leadership updates as the ELCA welcomes Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curryand prepares for Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills to begin as secretary. Read the October Mission Support Memo for the full story and resources.
Read MoreThis Deeper Understandings reflection revisits the ELCA’s 2003 social statement Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor, which calls Christians to affirm health care as part of our baptismal vocation to love our neighbor. The statement highlights the need for equitable access to care, support for providers, faithful decision-making, and compassionate community engagement.
Read MoreIn Wisconsin, Share Our Best Furniture Ministry partners with Breaking the Chains Church to furnish homes for people reentering society after incarceration. By providing essential items—beds, tables, and home goods—local Lutherans help families rebuild stability and dignity during a vulnerable transition. Learn how congregations collaborate to embody Christ’s love in tangible and practical ways in Living Lutheran.
Read MoreTwo Texas Lutherans—Pastor Brad Otto of Acts of Wisdom and Dick Moeller of Water to Thrive—answered God’s call to support safe water access and education in Africa. Their ministries now provide vital resources in Ethiopia, Liberia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, impacting more than a million people through well-building and school support.
Learn how mustard-seed faith grew into transformative ministries serving thousands in this Living Lutheran article.
Read MorePastor Joy McDonald Coltvet invites readers to use their voices for justice, guided by faith and the Holy Spirit’s advocacy. Drawing inspiration from Scripture and even from A Bug’s Life, she challenges us to speak truth in love, seek community across differences, and remember that our freedom is meant to set others free. Explore this reflection on using our faith-filled voices at Boldcafé.
Read MoreBishop Emily K. Hartner of the North Carolina Synod reflects on what it means to live out faith through conviction and courage. Drawing on the examples of Jesus, Martin Luther, and countless faithful ancestors, she reminds us that our baptismal promises call us to serve, proclaim, and strive for justice—even when it’s risky. Read the full reflection on how faith becomes action and conviction becomes love at Boldcafé.
Read MoreRev. Dr. Kevin Vandiver’s sermon from the October 4 installation of ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis is now available to watch online. In his message, Dr. Vandiver offers a Spirit-filled call for courage and hope as the ELCA embraces this new chapter of leadership.
Read MoreIn this week’s Faith Lens reflection on Luke 18:9–14, Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector challenges our assumptions about worthiness before God. While the Pharisee boasts of righteousness, the tax collector prays simply for mercy—and is the one made right with God. We are reminded that true prayer begins with humility and gratitude, not self-assurance. God exalts those who come honestly, knowing that all we have and are comes from divine grace alone.
Read MoreFor an end to war and conflict, and for places of political unrest or contention, especially Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Pakistan/Afghanistan…
For cease-fire to hold in Gaza, and for the work of relief agencies…
For all in the path of Tropical Storm Melissa…
For areas of the world affected by changes to the global environment…
For political transition in Japan…
For immigrants and those who work and advocate on their behalf…
For government employees and those who rely on federal programs…
For the work of the Holy Spirit in renewing the church in every age…
ELCA Advocacy has announced the 2025–2026 Hunger Advocacy Fellows, a new class of six emerging leaders committed to advancing faith-based public policy and hunger justice. Serving across the country—in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and New York—these Fellows bring expertise in law, communications, sociology, theology, and global governance. Over the coming year, they will engage in professional development, faith formation, and advocacy that reflects the ELCA’s call to serve neighbors and strive for a just world where all are fed.
Read more about the Fellows and their stories at ELCA.org.
Read MoreThe ELCA celebrated the installation of the Rev. Yehiel Curry as Presiding Bishop on October 4, 2025, at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Watch the 4-minute highlight video capturing this historic and joy-filled moment of worship, music, and prayer: Watch on YouTube.
Read MoreCelebrate community, creation, and the “Superpower of Love” with October’s Good Green News from Lutherans Restoring Creation. This month’s update features a virtual Blessing of the Animals (Oct. 21), early registration for the Multiply! gathering at Lutheridge (Jan. 23–25, 2026), and upcoming opportunities like Coffee with Christine and the Connections Call. Read the full Good Green News here.
Read MoreThe ELCA Conference of Bishops gathered in Minneapolis Oct. 5–7, following the installation of Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry. Bishop Curry announced that his first-year focus will be on building “a connected church,” drawing from the image of Christ as the vine and the church as the branches. During the meeting, Bishop Hutterer began her term as chair of the conference. Bishops discussed communication and unity amid political polarization, received updates on task forces and global partnerships, and reflected on how to live faithfully as a connected, sustainable church.
Read the full ELCA news release here: ELCA Conference of Bishops Gathers in Minneapolis ›
Read MoreFor an end to war and conflict, and for places of political unrest or contention, especially Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Pakistan/Afghanistan, and Madagascar…
For transformations of heart toward lasting peace and freedom…
For safety and protection for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers…
For those grieving victims of a factory explosion in McEwen, Tennessee and a factory fire in Bangladesh…
For all affected by the government shutdown, both federal workers and those who rely on federal offices and systems…
For journalists, educators, librarians, publishers, and all who contribute to the flow of information…
For victims of storms and flooding in Alaska and Mexico, and for flood threats in Colorado…
For healthcare workers…
For the flourishing of indigenous nations and communities and for the work of ELCA Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations…
Nearly every ELCA bishop—including Bishop Deborah Hutterer—has signed a letter calling Lutherans to be a public witness of love and justice in a time of fear and division. The letter affirms that Christian Nationalism distorts the gospel and urges faithful action grounded in God’s inclusive love.
Read the bishops’ full letter on the LAMA site.
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