ELCA Worship highlights new offerings from Augsburg Fortress, including Love Outpoured: Devotions for Lent 2026, a free webinar series on hymn improvisation with David Cherwien, Martin Luther’s Easter Book, and Bible People: Monologues for Lent.
These resources support worship planners, musicians, and congregations seeking fresh, faithful approaches to the church year. See what’s new for 2026.
Read MoreThe Consultation on Common Texts has approved a provisional update to the Revised Common Lectionary addressing passages historically misused to justify anti-Judaism. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America encourages congregations to test these texts during a three-year trial beginning Advent 2025.
New preaching guidance, hymn suggestions, and worship resources are available, and congregations are invited to offer feedback during the trial period. Explore the resources and learn how to respond.
Read MoreMarking 25 years of full communion, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church have updated clergy exchange guidelines to include deacons. The revised document affirms mutual recognition of the diaconate and opens new possibilities for shared ministry and mission.
The guidelines clarify that exchange applies to nontransitional Episcopal deacons and celebrates growing collaboration for evangelism, service, and witness. Read more about the updated guidelines.
Read MoreFaith+Lead’s Coaching for Spirit-Led Leadership course begins January 26, 2026, guiding pastors, deacons, and lay leaders to lead with trust, curiosity, and collaboration. This nine-week online cohort, taught by the Rev. Dr. Dawn Alitz, helps participants listen deeply, ask powerful questions, and empower others to discern their callings. Cost is $375 with scholarships available. Enroll now →
Read MoreJanuary is Financial Wellness Month. Explore Fidelity’s practical financial tips and schedule a free appointment with a credentialed Portico Financial Planner who understands ELCA benefits. Appointments are available online or by phone at no cost to you.
Read MoreStarting January 1, 2026, ELCA-Primary members will have access to expanded EAP services through Spring Health. Therapy and coaching are available for members and dependents, with flexible options including in-person, phone, video, and text-based care. Learn more through myPortico or the 98point6 app.
Read MoreELCA-Primary Health members should have received a new 2026 Portico health ID card, now including a Group ID number. If you received two sets, use the second and destroy the first. Questions? Quantum Health Care Coordinators are available by phone or online, and the Quantum Health app allows digital access to your card.
Read MorePacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) is offering a new Racial Justice and Faith Certificate Program in 2026, featuring 6-week, online, asynchronous courses open to clergy and lay leaders alike. The first course, Womanism and Social Justice, begins February 9, with enrollment requested by January 25.
Courses cost $250, with discounts for PLTS alumni and congregational groups, and four completed courses lead to a certificate. Designed to connect faith with action, this program supports participants in confronting racial injustice and dismantling white supremacy through liberative theological reflection and practice.
Read MoreELCA Coaching is offering a full month of free January opportunities for ministry leaders, including gatherings, workshops, formation offerings, and racial justice and wellness training opportunities—most requiring advance registration. Additional subsidized leadership trainings begin in April. These resources support leaders across the ELCA, helping strengthen ministry, deepen resilience, and remind us that nobody journeys alone. Learn more at elcacoaching.org/events.
Read MoreAs the new year approaches, Prayer Ventures offers a simple way to ground your daily life and ministry in prayer. These short, daily petitions—shared each day on Living Lutheran and available as monthly PDFs on the ELCA resource site—connect us to the global mission of the church and the needs of our neighbors.
Whether used personally or in congregational settings, Prayer Ventures is a timely and accessible resource for anyone looking to incorporate intentional prayer into 2026.
Read MoreExplore a full month of free December ELCA Coaching events, including the Creating Beloved Community series, writing workshops, and decolonizing worship sessions—all fully subsidized by the ELCA. Registration links, dates, and upcoming 2026 training opportunities are available, with reduced-cost training options for leaders beginning in January and April. Visit elcacoaching.org/events for details.
Read MoreIn the latest Pivot podcast, Rev. Dr. Steve Thomason offers church leaders something they rarely receive: a heartfelt thank you, permission to breathe, and a blessing that releases the burden of making everything perfect.
Read MoreThe ELCA invites lay leaders and rostered ministers to a 3-day Evangelism and Congregational Vitality Workshop, January 22–24, 2026, at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. Sponsored by PLTS and the ELCA New Ministry Development and Evangelism Team, this gathering equips leaders for evangelizing and congregational renewal. Registration is required by January 6. A related Saturday hybrid workshop is also available locally through participating synods.
Read MoreCelebrate the season of Advent and Christmastide with the Grand Canyon Synod! Visit our 2025 Advent and Christmas page to explore stories, worship opportunities, and events from across our congregations. We invite you to share your own seasonal news or event as together we prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming and rejoice in the light that has entered the world.
Read MorePortico Benefit Services is mailing new 2026 Health ID cards and HealthEquity debit cards to ELCA-Primary health benefit members. Most cards arrive in December, though some may be delayed until mid-January. Members can print a temporary card or contact Quantum Health if theirs has not arrived by Jan. 1. HSA/FSA accounts will transition from Further to HealthEquity on Jan. 1, with specific cutoff dates for using current debit cards. New HealthEquity cards should be used starting Jan. 1.
This update outlines key dates, contact information, and steps to ensure uninterrupted access to health benefits in the new year.
Read MoreJoin pastors, deacons, bishops, and faith leaders for Executive Skills for Church Leaders, a weeklong continuing education retreat at Spirit in the Desert, Carefree, AZ, January 5–9, 2026. Daily sessions cover hybrid ministry, AI tools, congregational vitality, and communication strategies, led by expert facilitators. Registration includes lodging, meals, and programming. Register now »
Read MoreIn the latest Pivot podcast, Dr. Paul Hoffman, author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep, joins hosts Terri Elton and Dwight Zscheile to offer a framework for discernment: How might artificial intelligence help or hinder human flourishing?
Read MorePortico Benefit Services is mailing new 2026 Health ID cards and HealthEquity debit cards to ELCA-Primary health benefit members. Most cards arrive in December, though some may be delayed until mid-January. Members can print a temporary card or contact Quantum Health if theirs has not arrived by Jan. 1. HSA/FSA accounts will transition from Further to HealthEquity on Jan. 1, with specific cutoff dates for using current debit cards. New HealthEquity cards should be used starting Jan. 1.
This update outlines key dates, contact information, and steps to ensure uninterrupted access to health benefits in the new year.
Read MoreFaith+Lead’s December Monthly Roundup features new courses—including Family Systems: Tools for Ministry and a new Spanish-language theology course—along with boundary-training for Christian leaders, an updated certificate catalog, and details on the School for Lay Ministry launching in January. Free resources include a new ebook on Spirit-led discernment, a “Bible in a Year” podcast preview, and Working Preacher newsletter subscriptions. Read the full update and explore training opportunities for you and your congregation.
Read MoreThe new LivingLutheran.org has launched, offering a free digital membership for readers across the Grand Canyon Synod. To create your free account, visit the direct sign-up link at https://www.livinglutheran.org/create-account the page is currently hard to find from the main subscribe screen.
A free account provides a personalized dashboard, members-only content, article-saving features, and customizable e-news options. Learn more about digital access and print subscriptions at livinglutheran.org/subscribe and stay connected to stories that strengthen us as one ELCA church.
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