The Richard R. Hammar Clergy Tax Guide and the Federal Reporting Guide for Churches are both available on myPortico at no cost to you.
Read More
A new cohort of Excellence in Leadership will begin Sunday, March 12, 2023. Classes will run approximately every two weeks and end on April 28, 2024 with a Commissioning Ceremony. Starting in the Spring and finishing in 13 months is an opportunity for councils and ministries as they begin to reorganize early in the year. Learn more on the Rocky Mountain Synod website.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 2/24/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1677246079490-8OD403ZQ3ZCW3BHPK2IA/unsplash-image-V9BBZLMR3PU.jpg)
“In these post-COVID years, I find myself wondering if church is experiencing just such a wilderness. Everything has changed, and our communities are doing their best to pick up the pieces and carry on, only the pieces we have don’t seem to fit our world anymore.”
Read More
This week, a good number of the Office of the Bishop attends the Spring Gathering for Cactus, Capital, Fiesta, Northeast Valley & Rio Salado Conferences, Feb 26, 2023, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM and travels the synod and US.
We also share photos of Bishop Hutterer in Carson City with Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), as well as from our first Spring Gathering for Cactus, Capital, Fiesta, Northeast Valley & Rio Salado Conferences.
Read More
This week we celebrate the following ordination anniversaries:
Rev. Paul Block, New Song, Henderson, who celebrates 22 years on February 24.
Rev. Christopher Heller, Mountain View, Phoenix, who celebrates 13 years on February 28.
Deaths remain persistently high. On average, around 3,000 people are dying of Covid in the U.S. each week.
Note: our updates can be a week behind due to our news cycle overlapping with Thursday updates. View the latest CDC and NYTimes updates here.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 2/23/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1677162047900-IKNF9Q4K6MFVMCZJCD9X/unsplash-image-SvMPccIOyxg.jpg)
“Ok, time to get honest. Does the church ever start to feel like a burden? Or do you sometimes feel like being part of a congregation isn’t so different from being part of another organization that has finger-pointing or bad-mouthing?”
Read More
Increase your confidence and peace of mind by learning more about developing a withdrawal strategy, utilize Social Security, plan for health care costs, and more. Watch the recordings of the Retirement Readiness workshops whenever it works for you. Learn more, or sign up to participate, on myPortico.
Read More
Rostered ministers are heading to Phoenix in July, 2023! If you like to welcome people, help with registration, or have the gift of hospitality, please connect with Pastor Doug Dill: pastordoug@centrallutheranaz.org or 402-235-6969. Click here to register as a volunteer at elca.org.
Learn more about the gathering at elca.org/rmg.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 2/22/2023, Ash Wednesday](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1677162424059-7B1OIKCJ5OM1DK88E8MA/unsplash-image-LGqGCpm3epw.jpg)
“Even when ashes are imposed while standing on street corners or reaching through car windows the words resonate, a vibration pulsing with the reality we all do our best to avoid: everything and everyone dies.”
Read More
We pray for Rev. Mateo Chavez and the people of San Juan Bautista Lutheran Church in Tucson, part of the Kino Conference. Visit their site at sjblc.org, and their Facebook page.
Read More
Lutherans Restoring Creation shares their February 2023 Good Green News, featuring lead-free superheroes, Earth Day virtual service, and more.
Read More
The Fuller Church Leadership Institute shares their Crucible newsletter for February, 2023.
“This month's newsletter offers you a link to an article that for Fuller Magazine #24, Renewing the Church. Admittedly, it starts with a troubling question, but it takes us to a familiar and faithful place. How do you lead when you cannot understand the present moment, let alone predict the future? Read the whole article and all of the rest in this issue of Fuller Magazine.
Read More
We pray for Rev. Tina Mills and the people of Our Savior’s of East Mesa Lutheran Church in Mesa, part of the Rio Salado Conference. Visit their site at oslcaz.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read More
Lilly Endowment is pleased to announce its Compelling Preaching Initiative. The primary aim of this initiative is to cultivate practices among aspiring and active preachers that can help them to proclaim the gospel to a variety of audiences in more engaging and effective ways.
In this open and competitive national initiative, eligible charitable organizations may submit proposals for grants of up to $1.25 million that may be used for up to a five-year period to develop new and/or enhance existing programs that present promising strategies to further the aim of the initiative. Learn more in this PDF from the Lilly Endowment.
Read More
Join the Spirited Book Club during Lent for a discussion of Rooted & Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis, edited by Leah Schade and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas. Discussion of the March book selection is facilitated by Sheri Brown. Register to receive Zoom link.
The book is discussed over two meetings on Thursdays, March 2 and March 16, 2023 at 2pm MST, 1pm PST.
Read More
Join learner/facilitator Sheri Brown on each Thursday of 2023 Lent at 4:00 pm MST (AZ) for six half-hour virtual workshops, beginning Thursday, February 23, as we live into 40 days of caring for creation. Register to receive Zoom link and join the Spirit in the Desert community
February 23: Coming full circle, a fuller and creation-integrated faith.
March 2: Present bias and why it is working against future generations.
March 9: Your carbon footprint and what it says about walking the talk of faith.
March 16: Food choices and what they say about putting your money where your mouth is.
March 23: Human migration patterns and global demographic decline.
March 30: Purchasing choices and what they say about faith-based earth advocacy.
Grand Canyon Synod pastors who have been ordained for 10 years or less are encouraged to apply for a Scholarship for International Travel Grant by March 1, 2023. Six scholarships of $6,000 over three years are available.
Destination options include: Palestine/Israel; Senegal (GCS companion church- Église Luthérienne du Senegal); Eastern Germany (Luther/Holocaust history): Mexico (GCS companion church- Iglesia Lutherana Mexicana).
Read More
All active Grand Canyon Synod rostered ministers are required to participate in professional boundary training every three years. Retired rostered ministers are not required. The Office of the Bishop has partnered with CongregationU to provide Boundary Awareness Training for $29.00.
Click here to take this course by 2/15/2023, and email your certificate of completion to office@gcsynod.org by 2/28/2023. Learn more in a letter from Bishop Hutterer in this post.
Read More