A 4’ by 6’ painting of the Lord’s Supper is available to a congregation, donated by a member of Love of Christ Lutheran Church. Anyone interested should contact Dave Spice at dspice@dasproducts.com.
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On this 10-day exploration, you will walk in the footsteps of Jesus from the northern parts of the Galilee – Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi – to the area around the Sea of Galilee to Bethlehem, Jericho, and Jerusalem. Pastor Christine Stoxen, Holy Trinity Chandler, will be leading this tour next year. For more information and a detailed itinerary contact Cheryl Jones, Departures, 480-830-8822.
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Mitch was at the lowest point of his life. From the age of 15, he had struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol. He was involved in crime, unable to hold a job, and had reached the point that even his loyal wife had given up hope. His cycle of recovery and relapse had continued year after year to the point that he was alone.
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At St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church’s Lunchtime Ministry in Hoboken, N.J., about 65 people each day come through the doors for a warm meal, extra clothing, a listening ear and a brief respite from the streets many live on each day. On Mondays, volunteers provide free haircuts. On Wednesdays, Chef Bill makes special “bill-ritos” from scratch. Every day, visitors are welcomed like honored guests, treated with the respect and hospitality that can be hard to find when you are experiencing homelessness.
Hoboken is a long way from Calvary. But for people who face the threats of homelessness, hunger and poverty, the shadow of the cross looms large. The jeers of the crowd that greeted Christ on that lonely hill are echoed in the derision and dismissal so many of us and our neighbors face when living in shelters, in cars or out on the street. The threat of a legal and political system tilted against Christ is felt still today, as laws that criminalize poverty and homelessness make the challenges our neighbors face seem almost insurmountable.
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Thank you to all the leaders and congregations for your timely responses in this season of submitting reports and covenants. Help us get to 100%.
If you haven’t had a chance to submit your reports, please complete by March 31st.
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People of the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to the ordination of John Barton into Word and Sacrament ministry of the ELCA on Saturday, April 13, 2019, 3 pm, at University Lutheran Church, Tempe. Deacons and Pastors are invited to process. The color of the day is red.
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To access the most current ELCA directory, visit directory.elca.org. If you are a rostered minister or represent a synod, congregation or other organization with a listing in the ELCA directory, now is a great time for you to review your listing to ensure that we have the most up-to-date contact information. Please notify us of any changes by emailing Conginfo@elca.org.
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Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. Read their situation reports on Midwest Storms and Flooding and Cyclone Idai for the ELCA’s responses to this ongoing flooding. When the water recedes and the headlines change, we stay to provide ongoing assistance to those in need.
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Join us for 24 hours of giving to benefit our local nonprofits and strengthen our community on April 2.
Arizona Gives Day helps raise awareness about Arizona nonprofits and the critical role they play in our communities and state. On April 2, the event will inspire people to give generously to nonprofits making our state stronger and creating a thriving community for all.
By giving on #AZGivesDay to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, you will be supporting refugee resettlement work, like pre-arrival housing, employment support, case management, education services, K-12 education services, women's empowerment and immigration services.
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Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is participating in its first ever Big Give as part of California Lutheran University’s Giving Day on Wednesday April 3rd. Our goal is to raise $20,000 in 24 hours. You can participate in these ways:
Give online on April 3rd: https://www.callutheran.edu/giving-day/
Collect an offering on Sunday March 31 or Wednesday April 3.
The Luther College Concert Band, one of the Midwest's touring collegiate wind ensembles, will present a concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at Ascension Lutheran Church, 7100 Mockingbird Lane, Paradise Valley, Arizona. The performance is part of the Concert Band's 2019 Southwest Tour.
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In the remote and mountainous community of Llano de las Piedras, Cochoapa el Grande in Guerrero, Mexico, poverty and lack of opportunity can make healthy food hard to come by. As a result, children can suffer from malnutrition and slowed growth and development. Marcelina and her daughters, Imelda, 12, and Esmeralda, 10, were among the families who had a tough time affording enough healthy food.
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Prayers for Pastor Sarah Birdsall Isakson and the family as they grieve her brother John’s death.
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“And the book says, ‘We might be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.’”
So says the character Jimmy Gator in the 1999 film Magnolia. At its best, the past can evoke nostalgic memories of years gone by. At its worst, the past can seem like a burden, weighing down our prospects for the future. By faith, we look forward to God's promise of “a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). The sin that separates us from trust in the promise of God, though, needles the soul with the stark reminder: “the past ain’t through with us.”
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ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has released a pastoral message addressing the mass shootings that occurred Friday at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“Together with our ecumenical and inter-religious partners, we stand shoulder to shoulder in condemning hatred, bigotry, racism and violence whenever and wherever it occurs. We do so because all people are made in the image of God,” the statement read in part. Read the full message here.
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In memory of Rev. Gerald J. Mertz
April 3, 1929 – February 21, 2019
Eternal rest grant unto him , O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him .
May the soul of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Our prayers are with the family of the Rev. Mertz, who lived in Sun City and worshipped at American Lutheran for a number of years.
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Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church announces a lecture series with Chad Bird, Theologian in Residence.
Topic: Extraordinary Grace for Ordinary People
Friday March 29, and Saturday March 30 @ 6:30PM
Located at 918 S. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ 85338
Bishop Hutterer attended the ordination and consecration of The Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall, the sixth Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Arizona. More than 1,400 people attended the historic service, as Reddall became the first woman bishop in the diocese’s 58 year history.
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In the village of Chole, Shadrack Tsatautenda has been cultivating trees for two years, and the oldest are nearly ready to sell and transplant. His nursery was made possible by a small business loan from the village savings and loan group established by Evangelical Lutheran Development Services in Malawi (ELDS), supported by your gifts to ELCA World Hunger.
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“There is a safety and refuge in that is in this place that is so, so very holy,” proclaims Rev. Kirsten Fryer in this video. Fryer is an ELCA missionary serving as the pastor of an English-speaking congregation, St. Andrew’s United Church of Cairo. St. Andrew’s houses several ministries including St. Andrew’s Refugee Services, which serves 25,000 refugees annually. You can support Kirsten and the over 240 ELCA missionaries serving around the world by visiting ELCA.org/missionaries.
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