Continued struggles with the Delta variant and the emergence of the highly infectious Omicron variant have pushed the country’s daily case totals to their highest levels since late summer.
Extremely high risk counties for unvaccinated people in our synod include Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Washington, Yavapai, and Yuma counties.
Bishop Hutterer wrapped up the year with the installation of Rev. Dr. Mari Larson at St. Andrew's Lutheran in Las Vegas this last Sunday. As we begin our church year anew, we thank you for walking with us through another year full of strange gifts and surprises. May we heed the winds of the Holy Spirit as we step forward yet again.
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This network of the Grand Canyon Synod gathers once a month online to learn and to share with the group about hunger-related topics in our congregations. All are welcome. Tuesday, 12/28/2021, 6-7pm. View more info and find Zoom links here.
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The ordination of Lourdes Olson will be Saturday, 1/15/2022, 11am PST, 12pm MST, at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Las Vegas. The Rev. Matthew Metevelis will preach and Bishop Hutterer will preside.
Lourdes has been called to serve New Song Lutheran in Henderson.
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Deacon Janice Zimbelman will begin her call as Director of Congregation Transition beginning January 15, 2022. She serves in this role in partnership with the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain Synods.
We give thanks to Pastor Sarah Moening, who is currently serving as Director of Congregation Transition, and will conclude this ministry on February 1, 2022.
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We pray for the family of Jayne Hamlin, widow of Pr. Dick Hamlin, who died Monday morning, 12/13/2021, at Mayo Hospital in Scottsdale. There will be a memorial service on Thursday, 1/6/2022 at 3pm MST at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 4950 E. Greenway Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.
Pastor Hamlin was a long-time Grand Canyon Synod clergy member and former pastor of Shepherd of the Valley in Phoenix. With several other retired pastors , the Hamlins were largely responsible for starting our synod’s Retirees’ Retreat.
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Amending the Christian Story: The Natural Sciences as a Window into Grounded Faith and Sustainable Living, by Ron Rude is now available at wipfandstock.com, bookshop.org, or Amazon. A press kit is newly available here.
After several years of research and writing and teaching, with worldview-altering insights into Nature's natural sciences and life's experience, "Amending the Christian Story" reframes and recasts God's story of life and God's story of Jesus.
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The Office of the Bishop will be closed Friday through Monday, 12/24/2021–12/27/2021, and Friday through Monday, 12/31/2021–1/3/2022. We pray for a peaceful and safe Christmas and New Year’s for our synod.
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We pray for Rev. Jill Doherty, Rev. Joseph Doherty and the people of New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, part of the Colorado River Conference. Visit their site at newpromiseelca.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
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We invite you to a presentation on the Anchor Church model on Tuesday 1/11/2022, 7pm MST, 6pm PST, with Pastor Charles Newman of Crossroads in San Tan Valley. Anchor Church is a grassroots movement within the ELCA where leaders accompany leaders toward cultural transformation within congregations. Register for the Zoom meeting here.
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The Advent season is also one of installations. We celebrated Pastor Doug Dill’s installation at Central Lutheran in Arizona City this past Sunday. And Bishop Hutterer heads to Las Vegas to preach and preside at St. Andrew for Pastor Mari Larson installation this Sunday. Find out what the staff is doing in our weekly update.
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The Arizona Department of Health Services reports 94 percent of beds in the state are full, with Covid-19 patients making up about a third of those hospitalized.
All but two counties in our synod continue to have extremely high levels of risk for unvaccinated people.
Extremely high risk counties for unvaccinated people in our synod include Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Washington, Yavapai, and Yuma counties.
The Faith Lutheran Church Office Administrator is a part-time role of approximately 20-25 hours per week. This is an in-office role on our campus located at 801 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ.
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Stirred by the need to help resettle Afghan refugees, a team of pastoral and lay leaders from four Northeast Valley Conference churches—Living Water (Scottsdale), New Journey (Fountain Hills), New Covenant (Scottsdale), and Christ the Lord (Carefree), known collectively as the NE Valley Consortium—gathered enough goods to completely furnish two two-bedroom homes and raised $30,000 for an emergency fund.
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Our Saviour’s Lutheran in Tucson has sanctuary furniture looking for a new home. All pieces are solid wood and in good condition, and include a communion table, pulpit and lectern, and oil lamp candles. Contact Pastor Amalia at Our Saviour's Lutheran for more information: pastoramalia@lutherantucson.org.
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Pastor Dan Valasakos, synod council member and pastor at Mount Zion Lutheran in Tucson, shares a book of Advent daily devotions. Each devotions is accompanied with watercolor illustrations by Valaskos. The book is available on the Mount Zion website through these links: Advent Devotional - Daily Advent Meditations, Advent Devotional Printable Booklet (print two sided -flip at short side).
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The Rev. Dr. Mari Larson will be installed as Associate Pastor on Sunday, December 19, 2021, at St. Andrew's Lutheran in Las Vegas at the 8:30 and 10:00 AM worship services. The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer, Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, will preside over the installation and preach.
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We lift up in prayers the family of Pastor Jeff Gallen and Renae as they grieve the loss of Renae’s mother, Aurel Peterson.
Eternal God, your love is stronger than death, and your passion more fierce than the grave. We rejoice in the lives of those whom you have drawn into your eternal embrace. Keep us in joyful communion with them until we join the saints of every people and nation gathered before your throne in your ceaseless praise, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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