Explore a full month of free leadership support from ELCA Coaching this July. Offerings include Wednesday gatherings focused on healing, diversity, and faith, as well as in-depth training modules on right relations and decolonizing worship (registration required for select sessions). These events are free to all, thanks to ELCA sponsorship. An additional “Coaching for Everyday Life” training begins August 4. Click here for full details and registration: elcacoaching.org/events
Read MoreThe annual Back-to-School Drive from Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest is underway! Help students across Arizona and southern Nevada—especially refugee youth, foster youth, children with disabilities, and families in need—start the school year with the supplies they need. Donate items, host a drive, or make a financial gift by July 21. Supplies can be dropped off in Phoenix or Tucson, or ordered via the Amazon Wishlist.
Click here to learn more and view the full list of urgently needed supplies: lss-sw.org/backtoschool
Read MoreJoin the Spirited Book Club this July to explore Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu, a memoir that weaves together faith, identity, food, and the lessons of the land. In two thoughtful sessions—July 10 and 24 from 12:00–1:00 pm (AZ/PDT)—participants will reflect on Chu’s journey from Manhattan magazine editor to seminary farmhand, where spiritual formation meets ecological practice.
Facilitated by Sheri Brown, this virtual gathering invites readers into a moving story of transformation, rooted in theology, community, and grace. Good Soil is a compelling read for anyone yearning for meaning, connection, and hope in today’s world. Click here to learn more and join the discussion.
Read MoreToday we celebrate the ordination anniversary of Rev. Arthur Goetz, who celebrates 63 years on July 14.
Read MoreToday we celebrate the ordination anniversary of Rev. Susan Sauerberg, who celebrates 28 years on July 13.
Read MoreToday we celebrate the ordination anniversaries of:
Rev. Abigail Byrd, who celebrates 33 years on July 12.
Rev. Richard Sherrill, Prince of Peace, Phoenix, who celebrates 27 years on July 12.
Rev. Steven Holm, who celebrates 55 years on July 12.
Rev. Keith Ingle, who celebrates 55 years on July 12.
The Grand Canyon Synod is already represented on the national Lutherans Restoring Creation map—and your ministry can be too. Whether through gardens, green teams, outdoor worship, or advocacy, congregations across our synod are invited to share their creation care efforts and connect with others doing this vital work across the ELCA. The Stewardship team invites you to add your ministry at www.LutheransRestoringCreation.org and help highlight how we care for creation in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Read MoreAscension Lutheran, Scottsdale (top photos) and New Journey, Fountain Hills (lower photos) launched the second year of NEVC provision of lunches, water pallets, and electrolyte powder to Arizona Faith Network (AFN) cooling centers. Christ the Lord in Carefree, plus Living Water and New Covenant Lutheran Churches in Scottsdale join in the summer calendar of lunch packs.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop prepares for the 2025 Bishop’s Fall Gathering. We also share photos from the Diakonia Graduation and Campformation.
Read MoreThe annual Back-to-School Drive from Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest is underway! Help students across Arizona and southern Nevada—especially refugee youth, foster youth, children with disabilities, and families in need—start the school year with the supplies they need. Donate items, host a drive, or make a financial gift by July 21. Supplies can be dropped off in Phoenix or Tucson, or ordered via the Amazon Wishlist.
Click here to learn more and view the full list of urgently needed supplies: lss-sw.org/backtoschool
Read MoreToday we celebrate the ordination anniversary of Rev. Richard Staats, who celebrates 59 years on July 10.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod is making a final push to fill open volunteer roles for the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix, July 28–August 2. We need nearly 100 volunteers to assist with tech, hospitality, support, and more. Learn how you can help welcome the wider church and be part of this historic event. Sign up today and join the team that makes it all happen.
Read MoreLutheran Social Services of Nevada has launched She Cares, a new initiative providing purses filled with essential hygiene items to women in need, along with ongoing monthly refills through a dignity-centered care model. Supported by local congregations and generous business partners, She Cares offers more than supplies — it offers restored confidence, peer support, and compassion. Learn how congregations like Holy Spirit, New Song, and Good Samaritan are involved, and join us in celebrating this meaningful ministry in our synod.
Read MoreFrom heat relief efforts to interfaith meditation, Arizona Faith Network is calling on communities to serve and grow together this July. Pack Bags of Hope, join clergy gatherings, learn about the Bahá’í faith, or participate in a prophetic book study. Learn more and find ways to get involved at arizonafaithnetwork.org/newsletter.
Read MoreFaith communities across the U.S.—including 47 supported by Blessed Tomorrow—are launching new climate initiatives through small grants aimed at youth education, community gardens, Indigenous land restoration, and advocacy. These projects build relationships across congregations and expand on the momentum of 2024’s efforts. Save the date: the next National Faith + Climate Forum is April 26, 2026. Click here to read more about these inspiring projects and how your congregation can get involved.
Read MoreToday we celebrate the ordination anniversaries of:
Rev. Joshua Auchenbach, Tanque Verde, Tucson, who celebrates 19 years on July 9.
Rev. Timothy Nybroten, Resurrection, Oro Valley, who celebrates 25 years on July 9.
Rev. Daniel Hodgson, who celebrates 58 years on July 9.
The North Carolina Synod has elected its first woman bishop, the Rev. Emily Hartner, who brings a bold vision of abundance and creative collaboration to her new role. With experience across a variety of ministry contexts and a deep love for her home synod, Hartner encourages congregations and leaders to share their gifts freely to meet one another’s needs.
She begins her term August 1 and will be installed on November 15. To learn more about her leadership perspective and hope-filled vision for the future of the church, click here to read the full interview from Living Lutheran.
Read MorePhilip Hirsch, newly elected bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, shares a bold and hopeful vision for the future of the ELCA—one that both honors our Lutheran roots and embraces Spirit-led innovation. Drawing from a lifetime of leadership across the church and a passion for justice and inclusion, Hirsch lifts up the urgent need to reach new generations, name systemic barriers, and return to the heart of the gospel. His leadership begins this fall, and his insights reflect key themes identified by over 11,000 ELCA members nationwide. Click here to read the full Living Lutheran interview.
Read MoreYour generosity during the 2025 Synod Assembly raised $3,365.80, now supporting wildfire recovery in Southern California and essential services in Las Vegas through Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada. It’s not too late to give—join us in building up the body of Christ and making a lasting impact in our region and beyond.
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