A contingent of the Office of the Bishop heads to Nevada for the Ordination of Lourdes Olson and to visit many congregations in the Colorado River Conference. We also share photos from the Installation of Rev. Ruby Myers.
Read MoreLutherans from across the state will gather at the Arizona Capitol Rose Garden for a day of advocacy on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 8:30–10:30 am MST to learn, to witness, and voice our common needs in the public square, activating our faith in love.
Speakers include Bishop Hutterer, Speaker of the House Russell “Rusty” Bowers, Rep. Jennifer Longdon, LSS-SW President Connie Phillips, and Hunger Advocacy Coalition Partners, including Arizona Food Bank Network, Bread for the World, WHEAT, Pinnacle Prevention, and more!
Read MoreLove of Christ in Mesa seeks a Coordinator of Faith Formation among Families with Young Children. Part-time, five hours per week. Contact the church to apply. View the job description in this post or this PDF.
Read MoreWe pray for the family of Rev. Paul Benson, who died on January 1, 2022. He was 88 years old.
A service will be held at American Lutheran Church in Sun City, AZ, Saturday 1/29/2022, 11am MST. A light lunch will be served following the service.
Read MoreWe pray for the friends, family, and former congregations of Rev. Harold D. Stromer, who died January 7, 2022. We especially lift up his wife Kathryn in prayer.
After retirement, Harold and Kathy moved to Sun City West, AZ where he continued his work by serving as interim pastor for Desert Cross Lutheran Church, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Celebration Lutheran Church and Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church.
Read MoreWe continue to celebrate upcoming ordination celebrations.
Rev. Annemarie Burke celebrates 16 years of ordination on January 15. She serves Esperanza Lutheran in Phoenix, part of the Fiesta Conference.
Soon-to-be Rev. Lourdes Olson will be ordained this Saturday, 1/15/2021, 11am PST, 12pm MST, at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Las Vegas. Lourdes has been called to serve New Song Lutheran in Henderson.
Read MoreThe Omicron wave is fully in the Southwest. Cases and hospitalizations are at an all-time high throughout our synod. All counties are at extremely high levels of risk for unvaccinated people.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Brent Maxwell and the people of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Northeast Valley Conference. Visit their site at gloriadeiaz.org, and their social media pages on Facebook.
We pray the Holy Spirit is at work as they conduct online worship with Palo Cristi Presbyterian Church, part of the process of merging those faith communities. As a federated church with standing in both the ELCA and the Presbytery, they will take on a new name and re-establish as a newly formed faith community that is open and inclusive to all.
Read MoreThe Southwest California Synod and the African Descent Lutheran Association, LA, present a Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Commemoration Worship Service, January 16, 2022, 4pm MST, 3pm MST, at adla-la.org. Guest preacher: The Rev. Patricia Ann Curtis Davenport, Bishop, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
Read MoreWith gratitude to God and in the spirit of continuing education and adventure, a “Scholarship for International Travel” program has been established for Grand Canyon Synod pastors who have been ordained for 10 years or less. Six scholarships of $6,000 over three years is available.
This scholarship program is being made available by a synod pastor and spouse because they are grateful for such experiences in their own lives and ministries, and want to make similar opportunities available to others. The fund will be administered by the Grand Canyon Synod.
Read MoreLutheran Campus Ministry, Arizona State University, is hiring a part-time Campus Ministry Associate to work with the Campus Pastor to oversee, implement, and lead the campus ministry program at the ASU Tempe (main) campus.
Position begins August 15, 2022. Interested? Contact Pastor Gary McCluskey, asulcm@gmail.com, 480.967.3543, www.ulctempe.org to apply. View job description as PDF. 75% discount on graduate school tuition can be arranged with this position along with a salary.
Read MoreGrace Lutheran Church in Phoenix is seeking an administrative assistant, who provides office and clerical support to the pastor by ensuring efficient operation of the church office. View the job description here.
Send your cover letter, resume, and at least two references to Pastor Sarah Stadler at pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com. For questions, contact Pastor Sarah at the Grace office at 602-258-3787.
Read MoreGrace Lutheran Church in Phoenix is filling an organist and choir director position. The organist and choir director leads music within traditional worship services, including leadership of the Chancel Choir and Bells of Grace. The organ is a 3-manual, 19-rank pipe organ rebuilt and enlarged by Pipe Organ Artisans of Tucson in 2003. View the job description here.
Send your cover letter, resume, and at least two references to Pastor Sarah Stadler at pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com. For questions, contact Pastor Sarah at the Grace office at 602-258-3787.
Read MoreThe wave of Omicron infections that is overwhelming health care systems across America is now rapidly rising in our synod. All of us know more and more people affected by Covid-19.
No one is more affected by this most recent tide of cases those folk toiling in the health care fields. These people and systems—strained to their limit over the last two years—are at their breaking point.
Read MoreLutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), Arizona Faith Network, All Voting Is Local and others host a webinar entitled “Where Do We Go from Here: Voting Rights in Arizona,” Tuesday, 1/11/2022, 6:30–8:00pm MST.
The webinar will walk people of faith through voting rights legislation that occurred in 2021 and what we can expect in the 2022 session. Register for 'Where Do We Go From Here' Webinar.
Read MoreWe introduce a new feature of our news system this year. Each week we’ll celebrate upcoming ordination celebrations, on a Friday-to-Friday basis. We hope you will enjoy getting to know the ordained leaders of the Grand Canyon Synod. And while our records should be up to date, please let us know if we’ve missed you or anyone else. We also want to feature photos, so please update us with your most recent portrait or selfie.
Up first is Rev. Stephen Springer, with Dove of Peace Lutheran in Tucson, who celebrates 25 years on January 12, 2022. Congratulations! And we appreciate all he does in helping us with our synod assemblies!
Read MoreAll are welcome to this free event at Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 901 W Erie St., Chandler, AZ 85225. Sunday, 1/16/2022, 5pm MST.
Come for a faith-filled evening of song with pianist Raymond Forte, soloist Diana McCowan, and readings from Letter from Birmingham Jail. Optional children’s focused lesson available. View livestream at Youtube here.
Read MoreThe number of reported daily cases has never been higher since the start of the pandemic for Nevada and Utah. Arizona is rapidly approaching record-breaking numbers of daily cases.
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, Clark, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Washington, Yavapai, and Yuma counties.
2022 gains momentum as we celebrate ordinations and installations, welcome those new to the synod, and continue planning for the year, especially the 2022 assembly.
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