“I am appointing a listening panel of three people to review the interactions of Bishop Megan Rohrer with Misión Latina Luterana, particularly on December 12, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and to make recommendations to me.” Read more in English and Spanish in this post.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop is steadily working to build a relationship with the Iglesia Luterana Mexicana (ILM, Mexican Lutheran Church).
In this post we share photos of the pastoral home of the Santisima Trinidad congregation. The Grand Canyon Synod is working with others to rebuild the home after extensive earthquake damage.
Read MoreWELCA celebrates Women’s History Month by telling the story of bold women of faith. A three-part series starts on Thursday, March 10, by exploring the life of Emmy Carlsson Evald (1857-1946). Advance registration is required for this free webinar.
Emmy's best known as the founder of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Augustana Synod. But did you know she was a suffragette? And a social activist?
Read MoreFirst and second grade students at Navajo Lutheran Mission Preparatory School are enjoying their hybrid classrooms where they receive a balance of direct and asynchronous instruction. Chromebook laptop computers for each child have made it possible to have our students in school full-time, learning and exploring the world.
Read MoreRetirement may feel like (or even be) a long way off. Having a plan for retirement can increase confidence and peace of mind about the future. For those that missed the live Retirement Readiness Series workshops hosted by Fidelity, access to condensed video presentations is available here on myPortico.
Read MoreWe share a letter from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, who let us know “ELCA camps and outdoor ministry sites are in deep need right now and are asking for our help.”
The letter provides many great ways you and your ministry can support this vital ministry.
Read MoreRev. Stephen Talmage, Love of Christ in Mesa, celebrates 37 years of ordination on March 10.
Rev. Talmage was Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod from 2006 through 2017.
Read MoreWe introduce the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels, a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.
High level counties in our synod include: Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Navajo, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yuma. Medium level counties are Clark, Coconino, Maricopa, Santa Cruz, Washington, Yavapai, and Yuma counties.
Read MoreBishop Hutterer attends the Conference of Bishops, with others in the Office of the Bishop attending leadership meetings and preparing for synod assembly. Photos from the Inauguration of Cal Lutheran president Lori E. Varlotta, as well as the Conference of Bishops, are also in this post.
Read MoreWe share a letter from Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief, encouraging emergency gifts to deliver urgent support and care.
We also share a message from Rev. Lisa Kipp, with Lutheran World Relief’s Congregational Engagement, announcing that Nelsonville Lutheran Church in Wisconsin will double all gifts from congregations – up to $100,000 – for our neighbors suffering in the Ukraine crisis. You can give online at www.lwr.org/match.
Read MoreOn Feb. 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, launching land, sea and air attacks. Millions of civilians fleeing the violence are heading toward Ukraine’s western districts and neighboring countries.
In this post we share a letter from The Rev. Daniel Rift, Director, ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response Fund. You can support Urkainians and others by giving here.
Read MoreKrish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), writes: “The humanitarian implications of a full Russian invasion must be a central consideration in the U.S. and international response. Thousands could lose their lives, and millions more could lose the only home they have ever known. The U.S. and its allies must prepare to respond to the very real possibility of a mass exodus of Ukrainian refugees. Protecting the displaced cannot merely be an afterthought.”
Read the full statement in this post or on LIRS.org.
Read MoreAs we prepare for our 2022 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly on June 10-11, 2022, we again ask your help in sharing your story. Mission and ministry partners to the Grand Canyon Synod are asked to provide your ministry’s story in a way that works best for you.
We’ll again feature our stories as stand-alone news items in the lead-up to our 2022 assembly. Each story will appear in our blog, Facebook page, and weekly newsletter. We’ll also have an assembly page compiling all our stories. Bonus points if you work in our assembly theme: Stirred Up in the Spirit!
Read MoreReleased February 9, 2022, this report is the most complete accounting to date of how Christian nationalism contributed to the events leading up to January 6 and the day of the attack itself, and it looks at responses to January 6. A recording of the webinar presenting the report is also available online.
Featuring contributions from scholars, historians, advocates, and researchers, this report was a joint project of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Christians Against Christian Nationalism.
Read MoreThough we have been anxious about the recent growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and between Russia and the NATO countries in recent weeks, we remain deeply concerned, as we have been since 2014, for the impact of this ongoing conflict on innocent civilians throughout Ukraine.
All our religious traditions call us to pray and work for peace. We join our voices and hands together. We must open our eyes to those who are suffering, and we cannot remain indifferent to the injustice this conflict has brought on the people of Ukraine and may bring on people of neighboring countries.
Read MoreIn the fourth and final episode of the “Talks at the Desk” video series, members of the African descent community share the many ways they work towards justice. They explore the deep connection between current events, politics and their faith.
Read MoreAscension Lutheran Church in Paradise Valley is hosting a panel discussion on refugee resettlement, Thursday, 3/10/2021, 1 – 2:30 pm. View flyer here.
The panel will consist Connie Phillips and Charlotte Shurtz of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, and Solveig Muus with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona. RSVP at alcpv.org under special events or call the office at (480) 948-6050.
Read MoreBold Women’s Day—observed annually on the fourth Sunday of February—celebrates all Lutheran women who have acted or are acting boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ.
How will you to plan to celebrate Bold Women's Day with others in 2022? Access Bold Women's Day resources here.
Read MoreOver the past two years of the pandemic, an increasing number of our congregants have come to the church for help with personal issues like depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence.
Our leaders minister to them and often need to refer them to others. View a list of resources in this PDF or in this post. Barbara Keller will host a one hour zoom workshop on this topic on Thursday, Mar 3, 2022 9am MST, 8 am PST. Register here.
Read MoreWe are pleased to announce that our visiting Churchwide representative for the 2022 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly is Rev. Louise Johnson, whose role with the ELCA is Executive for Administration.
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