We pray for the people of American Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ, including Pastor Kim R. Taylor, Parish Administrator Debbie Keen, and Custodians Tiffany Keen and Melissa Carpenter.
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O God, our beginning and our end, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their pilgrimage, you led the children of Israel through the midst of the sea, and by a start you led the magi to the infant Jesus. Protect and guide us now as we set out to travel. Make the ways safe and the homecomings joyful for those traveling to the Churchwide Assembly and bring us all at last to our heavenly home, where you dwell in glory with our Lord Jesus Christ and the life-giving Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Give thanks for the 12 young-adult summer interns serving in the ELCA churchwide office, who are helping our church carry out its mission through sharing generously of their gifts, skills and faith.
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Each year the Grand Canyon Synod offers grant funds for new and renewing ministries, and other ministry outreach projects. The grant application period for 2020 grants will open September 2, 2019. Full information is available at gcsynod.org/grants.
Funding for these grants is limited and comes from the gifts this synod has received from the bequests of individuals (Warner Trust Fund), congregations sharing a tithe of a bequest they have received, the sale of closed congregations, grant funds from the West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop, and allocation of unrestricted gifts to the synod.
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Please remember in prayer the voting members of the Grand Canyon Synod as they gather in Milwaukee: Veronica Alvarez, Roger Bailey, Pastor David Brandfass, Paul Gryniewicz, Bishop Deborah Hutterer, Norman Johnson, Erin LaHaye, Pastor Chon Pugh, Maria Valenzuela, Renee Waterstradt, and Deacon Janice Zimbelman.
Pray for save travel, and may the Holy Spirit work through them as the assembled discern the future of our church.
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United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Human trafficking for forced labor and sexual exploitation is a global issue affecting every nation. Women and girls account for almost three-quarters of all trafficking victims. Pray that the ELCA, our congregations and communities continue to work to end human trafficking, care for survivors and address root causes of trafficking, such as poverty, hunger and sexism.
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In July of 2018, I began the ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowship. This fellowship comes from a partnership between ELCA World Hunger, ELCA Advocacy, and statewide public policy offices across the United States. It’s a 12-month program that combines leadership development with impactful advocacy – working together to end hunger and poverty by engaging directly with local, state and national governments, and equipping people of faith to seek justice and equity.
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Give thanks for the fullness of life we have in Christ through faith, and that the light and truth of the gospel and God’s grace dwelling within us will transform us so we can convey hope to the world and love and serve our neighbor.
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On May 26, 2019, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck northern Peru. Within days of the disaster, our local faith-based partner reached out to rural Lutheran churches and conducted community needs assessments to determine damage from the earthquake. Continue to pray for all those impacted by this earthquake.
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Pray that we will be moved by God’s love and impartiality to extend hospitality and acceptance to our neighbor, especially those who are in need, are strangers to us or are disregarded by society.
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501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from certain kinds of political activity, so your congregation must understand what is permissible and what is strictly prohibited in order to maintain its tax-exempt status.
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Most years, Congress recesses for the month of August. Legislators return to their home states and congressional districts and connect with constituents.
This is a great opportunity for local advocates to engage with elected officials, ask questions and share concerns. Our August Recess Guide contains tips for communicating with your elected officials and candidates this month.
Here are some timely questions and talking points based upon ELCA Advocacy priorities.
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Give thanks that God is attentive and responsive to us. Pray that we will never be timid about bringing to God our every matter, need, hope, question, sorrow and joy.
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My name is Joan Daye and I am a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Evanston, IL. I am sixteen years old, and I was one of sixteen high school students to go on the Interfaith Youth Justice Trip over spring break, youth from Grace, Beth Emet Synagogue and Second Baptist Church, all located in Evanston, IL.
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Pray for those involved in planning and preparing the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Milwaukee, and for congregations, synods, voting members and leaders who will share their faith, wisdom, concerns and recommendations for strengthening and furthering our participation in God’s reconciling work in the world.
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Pastor Tom Dunham of writes: “On Monday, July 22, two semi loads of clothing arrived from Pennsylvania at Streams in the Desert Lutheran Church in Tucson. The 44,000 pounds of clothing was unloaded by hand and stacked in the church’s storage shed in less than 3 hours. Members of Streams and many other area churches, totaling 50 volunteers, worked hard in the summer heat in this labor of love. Over the next three weeks trucks from McAllen, Texas to San Ysidro, California will be arriving to take loads of clothing back to the refugee and asylum centers along the Mexican border. We are truly the church together!”
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Remember in prayer the 10 young people working alongside our companions in Mexico as part of the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program. Remember also the Rev. Meghan Brown Saavedra, YAGM country coordinator, and the Rev. David and Alicia Brondos, ELCA missionaries teaching at the Seminario Luterano Augsburgo in Mexico City.
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Voting members will convene Aug. 5-10 for the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. This will be the 15th gathering of the assembly, the primary decision-making body of the ELCA.
To follow along with the assembly from home, livestream the proceedings at elca.org/cwa.
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These petitions are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church. Download a Word doc, or PDF for letter size printout or legal size printout, or view the ELCA resource page.
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Pastors, deacons and council of the Grand Canyon Synod are cordially invited to the Bishop’s Fall Gathering, October 21-22, 2019 in Chandler, Arizona.
We are very excited to bring in Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory, who will lead us in creating new possibilities of communicating Jesus and connecting people. Register by 8/30/19 to save $25.
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