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.
Read MoreAs this time of stress and uncertainty continues, pray that we will be persistent in our generous support for the mission of the church: comforting and caring for our neighbors, responding to the global impact of the pandemic, providing food and basic necessities for people in need, reaching out to the isolated and lonely, and aiding organizations that work for the health, well-being and restoration of our communities.
Read MoreWorship in the Home, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 14
You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Read MoreThere may be times when we feel God has forgotten us or is ignoring us. Pray that God will forgive us when we are weak or doubtful, and ask the Spirit to restore our trust in God’s steadfast love and concern.
Read MoreBishop Eaton writes: “Words matter. Words matter in our Scripture, in our hymns, in our governing documents, and beyond. Fifty years ago, on June 29, 1970, the Lutheran Church in America voted to change the word “man” to “person” in its bylaws and opened the door for the ordination of women. The American Lutheran Church achieved the same thing by resolution a few months later. The church was led by the Spirit to change. At the time it was scary for some. Fifty years later, it is now part of our heritage.”
Read MoreGive thanks for doctors, researchers and scientists throughout the world who have committed their lives to treating, preventing and eliminating diseases and to sharing their discoveries with the world for the health and well-being of all people.
Read MorePray that every person we encounter in daily life will glimpse the Spirit dwelling within us ― an infectious spirit of kindness, justice, humility and love.
Read MoreAsk for the Spirit to guide the deliberation, dialogue and work of ELCA members, leaders and churchwide staff as they draft a social message on government and civic engagement, to be presented to the ELCA Church Council this year.
Read MoreWhen I announced my intention to go to law school my mother’s family became suspiciously excited. My grandfather was the first Black Genesee County (MI) deputy in the 1950’s. He studied law then finished his career as a magistrate. His only daughter (my mother) was a probation officer briefly. 3 of his 4 sons are, to this day, sworn law enforcement officers. One of them even married a state trooper! Adding a prosecutor to the family would complete the set.
Read MoreWe are committed to this work as we celebrate, during Pride Month and all year round, the gifts of our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 10 am, join Charles Zoll, Music Director for Holy Trinity in Chandler, for a quick conversation on his use of technology and adaptation during this time of change, including livestreaming with multi-camera setups (preview instruction PDF).
Use the link bit.ly/gcstechlab to access the Zoom meeting every Wednesday at 10 am, or email bflatgard@gcsynod.org to get an email invite. Visit gcsynod.org/tech-lab where we’ll archive resources from each week.
Read MoreAsk God to help us walk in the newness of life and freedom from sin we have through our baptism into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read MoreFor quick comparison, we are using New York Times 7-day average graphs for each state in our synod: Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Arizona: This week, 63,064 cases, 1,494 deaths. Last week, 43,494 cases and 1,284 deaths.
Nevada: This week, 14,893 cases, 495 deaths. Last week, 12,160 cases and 475 deaths.
Utah: This week, 19,544 cases and 164 deaths. Last week, 16,015 cases and 152 deaths.
Navajo Nation: This week, 7,157 cases and 347 deaths. Last week, 6,747 cases and 322 deaths.
Hopi Nation: This week, 256 cases. Last week, 204 cases.
The Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship Team invites you to a web event, Planning for 2020 Stewardship Appeal, which will help you respond to God's call for support of your church's mission in this season of COVID-19.
Join us via Zoom on Monday, July 13, 2020, at 7 pm. Click here to register in advance for this meeting.
Read MoreLately I’ve been wrestling with why the ELCA is the second-most white denomination in the United States, followed only by the National Baptist Convention. The ELCA is 95% white, in a country that is 72% white. It just doesn’t make sense to me that our churches do not reflect our country, neighborhoods, or workplaces.
Read MoreGive thanks for the creeds and confessions of our church that have helped us proclaim, teach and affirm our Christian faith throughout the ages. Pray that when we recite the creeds during worship, we will reflect on our membership in the body of Christ and on the truths central to our faith.
Read MoreFourth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 13, June 28, 2020: While you cannot be together in person, we can hear the word of God and hold each other in prayer. We offer this brief resource as an aid for prayer in the home.
Read MoreJohn the Baptist Sometimes we think of John the Baptist as a little wild and fanatical in sharing the good news of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Give thanks for whoever introduced you to Jesus, and pray for confidence and enthusiasm in sharing your faith and talking about Jesus in your own words.
Read MoreOur first Grand Canyon Synod Tech Lab contributor is Pastor David Drach-Meinel, with Christ the Servant in Henderson. For many years Pastors David and Diane have embraced new technologies, and since March transitioned to full online worship using a recording studio set up in their home. “This is not something we do while we wait to go back,” Pastor Drach-Meinel says. “This is what we’re doing because this is ministry now.”
In this blog post, we share a portion of the video, tips and tricks, and a full resource list.
Read MorePray for patience, comfort and courage: “O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up.”
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