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).
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreAfter a two-year pause, the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program is preparing to send volunteers out into the world again! Applications are now open, and you can invite young adults on this journey abroad for the 2022-2023 program year.
Encourage them to apply for YAGM by the deadline of Feb.1, 2022. (Priority deadline is Jan. 15, 2022.) Learn more at ELCA.org/YAGM.
Read MoreSince the beginning of November, refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have been stuck at the Belarus-Poland border. They are experiencing a lack of food, medical supplies and shelter and are facing winter weather with no place to go.
Read MoreWomen of the ELCA is offering scholarshipsfor Lutheran laywomen and ordained ministry. Scholarship applications are due before 4/5/2022. Learn more about Women of the ELCA Scholarships.
Read MoreWe are very excited to see you next July for the 2022 Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and happy that we get to lead the brand new MYLE team called Cultural Awareness.
We have heard stories about microaggressions and other harms that have happened at past MYLEs. These stories break our hearts, and we are working hard to help people do better and for everyone to have a better experience at MYLE, in their faith communities and in the world.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response is collaborating with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and other partners in the area to assess the damage and develop an immediate and a long-term response plan. Your gifts to support these response efforts will empower our partners to meet survivors’ immediate and long-term needs.
Read MoreLeaders of Region 2—Rocky Mountain Synod led by Bishop Jim Gonia, Pacifica Synod led by Bishop Andrew Taylor, Southwest California Synod led by Bishop Brenda Bos, Sierra Pacific Synod led by Bishop Megan Rohrer, and our own Grand Canyon Synod led by Bishop Hutterer—held their annual consultation meeting via Zoom this week. It’s a great opportunity for the synod staff to meet, share ideas, and continue collaborations.
Read More133 golfers descended on Arrowhead Country Club this past November 15, both to enjoy a round of golf and to celebrate the Fund for Leaders.
$40,000 was raised for the 25+ candidates for ministry within the Grand Canyon Synod, after an inspired supporter of this Fund for Leaders program matched $20,000.
Read MoreThe 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.
Pastor Doug Dill will be installed at Central Lutheran in Arizona City during 9 am worship, Sunday, 12/12/2021. Bishop Hutterer will preach and preside.
Their two normally scheduled worship services will be combined to meet for one special service at the Arizona City Church at 9:00 am. Click for YouTube Channel link.
Read MoreAfter a two-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program is getting ready to send volunteers out into the world again!
Young adults aged 21 to 29 can apply now for an international service year that will shape their faith, career, identity and understanding of how they fit into God’s work in the world. Watch the video in this post and then more and apply at ELCA.org/YAGM.
Read MoreYou’re invited to be part of our summer camp experience in 2022, the week of July 3-8, 2022, for Jr. High and High School youth, at Camp Pinerock in Prescott, AZ.
A consortium gathering meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, via zoom, 10am MST, 9am PST, to talk about and get enthused for the summer of 2022. If interested or have questions, contact Rev. Craig M. Corbin, Dean, at revcmcorbin@gmail.com.
Read MoreYou are invited to join ELCA Coaching at 1pm Central on Wednesday, December 15, as we host faith leaders (both rostered and lay) across the nation for a unique experience exploring Courageous Leadership with two faith leaders with over 60 years between them! We are honored to have Rev. Arne Jessen and Baird Linke as ELCA Coaches as well. Log-in info here.
Read MoreThe final sessions of the Beginning a Culture of Generosity fall stewardship program are available for review: Sharing Results and an Effective Follow-Up, and the December 4, 2021 session.
Read MoreAs we approach the end of the year and wrap up our financials, remember Thrivent Choice, where you can contribute to over 40,000 organizations and causes you care about.
Considering the Grand Canyon Synod for your Thrivent Choice Dollars? Visit the GCS page to give through Thrivent Choice.
Read More"Hunger and Poverty by the Numbers: Where Are We at Now?" is a webinar with Ryan Cumming (ELCA World Hunger) on December 9, 2021, at 5pm MST, 4 pm PST. Registration for this webinar is at forms.office.com/r/iN8KcajcJ4.
The webinars are open to anyone passionate about ending hunger and eager to learn more. In each session, we will dive deeply into the topic, with presentations from ELCA World Hunger staff and partners and time for questions and conversation.
Read MoreThe Altar Guild version of Lutheran Book of Worship is taken and no longer available from Lord of Grace Lutheran in Tucson.
Read MoreAll but two counties in our synod continue to have extremely high levels of risk for unvaccinated people. 45% of our synod remains unvaccinated.
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.
In this advent season of waiting, we prepare for the coming of Jesus. At the Office of the Bishop, we also ready ourselves for the new year.
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