Rev. Christopher Heller, Mountain View Lutheran in Phoenix, celebrates 12 years on February 28.
Rev. Jeremy Nausin, Holy Spirit Lutheran in, Las Vegas, celebrates 7 years on March 1.
Rev. Elaine Watskey, retired, celebrates 19 years on March 1.
Rev. Timothy Wright, Community of Grace Lutheran in Peoria, celebrates 38 years on March 4.
New coronavirus cases have declined more than 80 percent from their peak in mid-January. Still, daily case reports remain well above 100,000 per day in the US.
Fully vaccinated rates remain at roughly 60% of our synod’s population. All counties are at extremely high levels of risk for unvaccinated people.
Read MoreBishop Hutterer travels out of state for events, with others in the Office of the Bishop preaching and attending leadership meetings. Photos from Bishop Hutterer’s visit to Our Saviour's Lutheran in Buckeye are also in this post.
Read MoreFormer Bishop Lowell Almen brings our attention to Madagascar, where for the fifth time in six weeks, heavy rain and destructive wind are blowing in from the Indian Ocean: “Sitting off the coast of southeastern African, the island seems to escape the attention of much of the world.”
In this post, we pray for the people of the Malagasy Lutheran Church (part of the Lutheran World Federation) and the whole population of the island of Madagascar.
Read MoreGrace Lutheran Church, Phoenix, seeks a caretaker to clean, oversee property maintenance and repair, set up for events, and provide hospitality to outside groups. Read the job description in this post, or as a Word doc or PDF.
Read MoreLord of Grace Lutheran Church in Tucson is giving away 65 regular print NIV bibles and 35 large print NIV bibles, as well as a conference table (heavy table with a wobbly leg, will need reinforcement, 94” x144”).
Need to pick up in Tucson at Lord of Grace Lutheran Church. Office hours Monday-Friday, 9am to 1pm. Call Niki to work out the details. (520) 744-7400.
Read MoreOpenings are still available for the Grand Canyon Synod Holy Land Trip, led by Bishop Deborah K. Hutterer and Rev. Mark Holman.: January 2-11, 2023. View information on the trip here and view a PDF here.
Read MoreCommunity of Grace Lutheran in Peoria is looking for a part-time Staff Accountant. This flexible position would be 20-30 hours per month (weekly duties vary, but approximately 2-8 hours per week), and can be done mostly remotely.
It would require some office time to file paperwork, and especially to retrieve files during the compilation process with our independent CPA. View the job description here and apply here. For more information, email michelle@boldrecklessgrace.org.
Read MoreLutheran Social Services of the Southwest has compiled a calendar (PDF) and resources to support LSS-SW clients and your broader community throughout the season of Lent. Each day, you'll find a way to participate and be involved in making a difference. Learn more at lss-sw.org/lent-with-lss.
Read MoreGrand 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, 2022. Six scholarships of $6,000 over three years are available.
Read MoreThe installation of Rev. Michael Sager as senior pastor of Desert Hills Lutheran Church in Green Valley is Sunday, 3/27/2022 at 3pm MST/PST.
Bishop Hutterer will preside. Clergy are invited to vest and process.
Read MoreThe installation of Lourdes Olson will be Saturday, 2/26/2022, 5pm PST, 6pm MST, at New Song Lutheran in Henderson. There will be a reception after worship and a concert featuring Opera On Tap at 7:00pm.
Read MoreAfrican Descent Ministries of the ELCA celebrates Black History Month with “Talks at the Desk,” a four-part video series that will explore diverse expressions of the church. This week we share episode 3, Our Black Church.
A discussion guide full of great resources is available at ELCA.org/ADM.
Read MoreELCA Advocacy shares submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month, including U.N., Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We also share Advocacy Connections from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C.
In our post, we highlight the update from Solveig Muus, Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA).
Read MoreBy building relationships with policymakers, taking joint action with values-sharing issue partners, writing comments and much more, we advocate to end world hunger and stand up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, stimulate peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation, promote racial and gender justice, and promote good order in public life.
Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, the following are policy priorities on the federal horizon for advocacy action in 2022. Also available as a downloadable pdf from ELCA advocacy resources page.
Read MoreSpirited Book Club discusses Bewilderment, a heartrending novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author, Richard Powers. The online club is FREE, register here. Thursday, March 10, 2022, 2-3pm MST, 1-2pm PST.
Read MoreJoin Rev. Rodger Patience in this webinar as we explore how the journey of addiction and recovery helps us better understand Lent. And, how the spiritual practices of Lent can be a part of our journeys of recovery.
Thursday, 2/24/2022, 10-11am MST, 9-10am PST, with follow-up 30-minute Zoom discussion. Register here.
Read MoreWe thank the 78 active and retired rostered ministers who checked in with Bishop Hutterer via our annual rostered minister reports. Your feedback is crucial in weaving the fabric of our synod. And your answers to financial questions help us promote the financial health of our leaders.
Send in your report today! It takes just a few minutes.
Read MoreLutheran Schools Week is March 6-12, 2022, and the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) shares information and resources on their website. In this post we also share a letter from Cory Newman, Executive Director of the ELEA.
Read MoreAll are welcome to join Thriving Leadership Formation staff, church leaders, and lay people for a time of spiritual renewal and contemplative practice via Zoom. Sign up to attend at: www.tinyurl.com/TLFcommunity.
Times of spiritual renewal and contemplative practice via Zoom are available February 22, and March 27, 2022. The March session has Spanish-language interpretation.
Read More