From the latest Zoom meeting on April 9, 2022, the Grand Canyon Synod Council brings you Easter greetings.
Read More“He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!”
In my life, the amount of hope I find Easter morning has always been related to the depth of the Lenten journey before. The glorious Sunday morn is not possible without the nights of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Two Easters ago, the reality of the pandemic truly hit the church. And if you look at Lent through the lens of giving something up, it can feel as if we’ve had two years of Lenten fasting from normalcy.
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Earth Day is Friday, April 22, 2022! We encourage you to review ELCA’s social statement on Caring for Creation (in English or Spanish), and visit the Environment Advocacy page and resource pages at ELCA.org. And Lutherans Restoring Creation is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the ELCA.
Our friends at the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona have also compiled a great set of Earth Day events that you may interest you.
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Phoenix Fusion presents a Zoom event entitled “Learn & Act: Voting Integrity,” on Thursday, 4/28/2022, 6:30pm MST/PDT, 7:30 MDT. Click here to join Zoom meeting. View info PDF or read more in this post.
As Lutherans, many of us feel that voting is a sacred right and that we have a calling to be civically engaged in supporting the common good, but with so much happening on this front, it can be hard to keep up or know how to make your voice heard.
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California Lutheran University hosts an ELCA 5-part study series for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent. Thursdays, 4/28-6/2/2022, 9-11am MST/PDT, 10am-noon MDT. Register here.
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“You just gotta go!” That is usually the response one gets when a student is asked, "how would you describe Leadership Lab?"
Leadership Lab is June 20-25, 2022, in Rock Island, Illinois. For more info, read below, visit www.leadershiplab.net, or contact Marissa Metevelis at Leadershiplabdirectors@gmail.com. Register by May 1, 2022.
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From April 11-22, 2022, Congress will be in recess and legislators will most likely be returning to their home states. Your call has a greater chance of being effective and receiving attention. Read more on the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) website.
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We pray for Rev. Beth Gallen and the people of New Journey Lutheran Church in Fountain Hills, part of the Northeast Valley Conference. Visit their site at njlc-fh.org and their Facebook page.
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Pastor David Brandfass, with Christ Lutheran Church in Sedona, writes that Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmalenberger is now under the care of hospice at Sedona Winds Assisted Living, a memory care facility. Brandfass writes, “Since he was the President of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in the 1990’s, many of our synod pastors might know him.“
Anyone wanting to send a card can contact the synod office for the address.
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We pray for Rev. Jeremy Nausin and the people of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, part of the Colorado River Conference. Visit their site at holyspiritlasvegas.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
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The Office of the Bishop will be closed Good Friday, 4/15/2022.
Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth. Day by day you shower us with blessings. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us glad and generous hearts, ready to praise you and to respond to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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Writer Tracy Williams is seeking a unique food pantry ministry, health and wellness ministry, or disability ministry to profile for Living Lutheran.
With a degree in nutrition and dietetics, Williams is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, especially for those living with disabilities. Tracy is also available for consultation in disability advocacy or nutrition education. Connect with Tracy at tracysplate.com.
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The Installation service for Pastor John Maroni will be on Saturday, 5/14/2022 at 10am MST at Shepherd of the Desert in Sun City. Clergy are invited to vest, and the color of the day is white. Rev. Pat Reed will be preaching.
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This week we celebrate the ordination anniversary of Rev. Lowell Nelson, who was ordained ten years ago on April 10.
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Along with updates from the team, in this update we share photos from Bishop Hutterer’s visit to preach at Emmanuel Sudanese in Glendale, where she recognized Solomon Kuch as the congregation leader.
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PhLY (Phoenix Lutheran Youth High School Ministry) invites all Grand Canyon Synod High School Youth (current 8th - 12th graders) to join us July 16-22, 2022, as we participate in Group Week of Hope mission trip to San Diego, CA.
Group has a week of intentional mission work in local communities planned as time at the beaches. For more info on the trip or joining the PhLY community, email phlyministry@gmail.com.
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A new cohort of Stewardship for All Seasons begins May 21, 2022. This year’s program is subsidized significantly by the last year of our Lilly 3E grant and other donors. For more info, view our web page or PDF.
We highly recommend that congregations that participated in Beginning a Culture of Generosity consider signing up for this last cohort of SAS. Scholarships are also be available for second year SAS congregations. If you have questions or want to sign up, please contact Pr. Miguel Gomez-Acosta.
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As I approach the end of my Lenten journey, I see the Grand Canyon Synod has many places of holy ground. I have experienced holy ground when in conversation with candidates hoping to enter seminary and with candidates near graduation, waiting to interview with a congregation.
I am on holy ground when I visit our various congregations to preach, preside, meet church leaders, and participate in conversations in special congregation meetings.
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We pray for Pastor Thaddeus Book (Desert Cross, Tempe) who was recently admitted to the hospital needing antiobiotics to treat an elbow infection.
“O Lord, your compassions never fail and your mercies are new every morning. We give you thanks for giving Pastor Thadd both relief from pain and hope of health renewed. Continue in him the good work you have begun; that he, daily increasing in bodily strength and rejoicing in your goodness, may so order his life and conduct that he may always think and do those things that please you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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