The Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting is this weekend, and our rostered staff continues to visit churches. Highlighted meetings are Bishop Hutterer’s visit with retiring pastor Al Cassel, Pastor Jacqui’s meeting with first call pastors, and Pastor Miguel’s meeting with other Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) deans.
View all the details for each team member in this post.
Read MoreNationwide, the Delta variant continues to drive case and death numbers up across the country. Daily caseloads have increased tenfold since late June. Death reports, which can lag well behind case data, have doubled. More coronavirus patients are hospitalized than at any point since February.
Risk levels for unvaccinated people in the synod are either very high or extremely high.
Extremely high risk counties for unvaccinated people in our synod include Clark, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma and Washington counties.
Very high risk counties include Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Pima, and Santa Cruz.
Sunday, August 8, 2021 launched an exciting new era at the Navajo Lutheran Mission, as local Navajo leadership is being developed at the Mission’s House of Prayer.
The new Hodza Yaa Ahalyani (Wisdom Keepers) are Rock Point residents Patty Charley, Patterson Yazzie, and Benedict Bedoni, who were affirmed in ceremonies by Bishop Hutterer, Reverend Jacqueline Pagel, and Mission Pastor Kate Adelman.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Steven Kruse and the people of New Covenant Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, part of the Northeast Valley Conference. Visit their site at newcovenantaz.church, and their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Read MoreThe next meeting of the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network is Tuesday, 8/24/2021, 6:00pm MST/PDT.
If you have any questions please contact Melanie Hobden, Pastor Karn Carroll or Pastor Jacqui Pagel.
Read MoreRally in the Valley was an annual event that engaged seniors through speakers, discussion groups, fellowship, and worship. Their treasurer, Dennis Haugan, recently presented the Bishop a $6,842.42 check towards our Growing Generosity Appeal.
This amount represents the entire balance of the funds in their treasury, as their organization will no longer be active. Their planning team voted unanimously to give the funds to the Synod for the appeal designated toward LAMA with the focus of advocating on behalf of seniors.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Sarah Stadler and the people of Grace Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Capital Conference. Visit their site at graceinthecity.com, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read MoreThe Spirited Book Club discusses Kurt Struckmeyer's radical 'way' of Jesus in A Conspiracy of Love: Following Jesus in a Postmodern World. Thursday, 8/19/2021, 2 pm. Register at the bottom of our calendar listing.
Read MoreJeff Musfeldt recently became the Lutheran representative on the BeConnected Faith Network Advisory Committee. Encouraging faith communities to support service members, veterans and their families is a major focus of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families (see www.arizonacoalition.org.) We thank Jeff for all of his service, both to country and our church.
Read MoreAs the world faced the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Pastor Ken Nyhusmoen took to his keyboard, writing inspiring devotionals to share with the people of Desert Hills Lutheran Church of Green Valley, Arizona.
Pastor Nyhusmoen now makes these devotionals available to everyone in Each New Day: Meditations During Challenging Times. Available in a variety of formats on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Google Play.
Read MoreFor the past few years, each newsletter shows what our team is doing in that week, with three bullet points for each person. We’re expanding this section, continuing with summaries for each person, but providing opportunities for expansion on their week if they desire. We hope this provides you with more insight into your synod.
We have an upcoming Grand Canyon Synod Council meeting, and Bishop Hutterer and Pastor Jacqui are traveling to House of Prayer and NELM in Rock Point. Pastor Miguel meets with First Evangelical Lutheran council in Mesa. View all the details for each team member in this post.
Read MoreMountain View Lutheran in Phoenix seeks part-time Children's Music Director to lead their Joyful Noiz Children’s Choir (youth choir 2nd grade and up) and contribute to the spiritual development of children through high quality and energetic music. View job description as PDF and download a job application form at mvlutheran.org/jobs by September 4, 2021.
Read MoreIt’s been a few months since I wrote about Covid. I had hoped, like all of you, that we were past this virus.
We want to be done with Covid, but Covid isn’t done with us. It’s a phrase we hear a lot lately, as the Delta variant spikes the number of reported cases in the United States to 100,000 per day, eerily repeating last winter’s trajectory.
Read MoreCarol Jacobson of Oakland, CA passed away on July 17, 2021, aged 64, at home with family from. A professor at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary since 1999, Carol retired as Associate Professor of Practical Theology on June 1, 2021.
Read MoreRisk levels for unvaccinated people in many counties of the synod have increased again this week.
Extremely high risk counties for unvaccinated people in our synod include Clark, Mohave, and Washington counties.
Very high risk counties: Apache, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yavapai.
Wendy Sontag, with Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church in Mesa, writes to share the good news of their Seniors Rock ministry, which meets every Thursday for a variety of activities.
Read more in this post, and be sure to share your ministry story with us.
Read MoreWe pray for Deacon Katie Adelman and the people of House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Rock Point, part of the High Country Conference. Visit their site at nelm.org/church.
Read MoreOn July 7th, 2021, students from around the synod met for the synod-wide Campformation Day of Service. View photos from the day and learn more in this post.
Read MoreThe Islamic Speakers Bureau presents What do we fear and how does our faith help us?
Tuesday, 8/10/2021, 6pm MST/PDT. Register for this free Zoom discussion at isb-az.org/trifaith. Featuring Rabbi Elana Kanter, Imam Didmar Faja, and Rev. David Felten.
Read MoreAt our assembly in June, Pastors Karn Carroll and Jacqui Pagel led the assembly in break-out sessions. In this post, we’ve compiled attendee’s answers to three questions posed:
Think for a moment about someone who might be new, young, or diverse to your congregation, then share with your breakout group, one new idea you could do to welcome them.
Discuss with your group about one new relevant issue your congregation should address and how?
Name one thing that we might connect with: school, business, community.
