Because of the pandemic, the Congregational Vitality Training Conference is online and free, and runs August 2020–January 2021 (view PDF brochure). With the registration deadline coming up, contact Miguel Gomez-Acosta to get the registration link as soon as possible.
Read MorePray that we will listen carefully to God and be receptive to the ways God speaks to us each day, especially when we least expect it or are slow to recognize God’s voice amid the noise and competing voices in the world.
Read MoreRev. Paul Gehrs writes: “I write to you from Treaty 1 Territory: the land of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation. I acknowledge that from time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have lived as stewards and defenders of this land; this work is ongoing.”
Read MoreThis year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's treatise The Freedom of a Christian. Bishop Eaton invites the church to read, study and reflect on this Lutheran witness of the Christian faith.
To commemorate the anniversary, the ELCA has developed a study guide as a companion to the treatise, available as a PDF at elca500.org.
Read MoreIn her August column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton says, “Darkness and blackness and night are too often contrasted with lightness and whiteness and day, and found deficient.” She wants us to “consider the beautiful dark works of God.” Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3gF21O4 and in Spanish https://bit.ly/2PnQ9Ef.
Read MoreGive thanks to God for leaders — paid and volunteer — who serve in youth, young adult and family ministries in our congregations and synods. Pray for the ELCA Youth, Young Adult and Youth Gathering ministries and the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, that their collective work of supporting, equipping and nurturing faith and of connecting leaders and young people will yield abundant fruit.
Read MoreWhen we gather for worship, we gather to be sent. One need that surfaced as part of the development process of All Creation Sings was a desire for more hymns and songs connected to the Sending.
Learn more by reading the full article here; viewing a list of the contents of All Creation Sings as well as a digital preview, or listening to a sample song, Let Us Enter In, recording by Bread for the Journey.
Read MoreThe Rev. Virginia S. Aebischer, Columbia, S.C., was elected during an online assembly to serve as bishop of the South Carolina Synod. The Rev. Herman Yoos has served as bishop of the South Carolina Synod since 2008 and will retire Aug. 31.
Read MoreIn their Camp Without Campers, Rocky Mountain Synod’s Sky Ranch shares life in quarantine for their staff, which is using the opportunity to work on the physical property and dig deep into their own worship.
If you would like to access any of their other virtual resources, you can find them here: https://skyranchcolorado.virtual-camp.org/
Read MoreMany rostered ministers have said that financial stress can stand in the way of satisfaction and effectiveness in ministry. Resourceful Servants has developed programs and gathered resources which specifically address the financial needs of rostered ministers.
Program begins 8/18/2020. View this PDF and the Resourceful Servants website for more info.
Read MoreThe Rev. Amy Current, Dubuque, Iowa, was elected Aug. 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during an online synod assembly.
Read MoreJust as Jesus calmed and reassured his disciples in a boat crossing a stormy sea, we pray for protection, comfort and renewal of faith in these difficult, uncertain times and in future ordeals.
Read MoreWe continue out 50·40·10 celebration with a video from Pastor Connie Mentzer, Advent Lutheran, York, Pennsylvania. She shares her story of Bishop Eaton’s influence on her ministry.
Read MoreAugust 8th marked one year since the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted “A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment: A Policy Statement of the ELCA.” Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the church’s first declaration: “A Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment: A Policy Statement of the ELCA” (1991).
Read MoreAs an intern with the Lutheran Office for World Community, I have the incredible opportunity to “sit-in” on virtual meetings to observe the UN and civil society members actively wrestle with the world’s greatest challenges.
An intersectional lens is largely maintained in conversations, making it clear that existing inequalities like racism and xenophobia create differentiated experiences within a crisis.
Read MorePray for the Spirit to stir within us humility, wisdom, empathy and a commitment to dismantle the barriers between people who live in wealth and people who live in poverty. Pray that all will have sufficient resources for daily life and self-sufficiency but also will develop a deeper commitment to mutual care and will value one another and our interdependence.
Read MoreSmart planning can help you keep your organization running if disaster strikes. The chances of your congregation requiring an emergency plan may be greater than you think. This one page resource from the ELCA is a great start.
Read MoreIn this video from Lynden, Wash., we see Hope Lutheran Church’s Backpack Buddies ministry increase its work to ensure children and families had enough to eat during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. An ELCA World Hunger Daily Bread Matching Grant supported this work.
Read MoreOn March 2-3, 2020, Tennessee was battered by a series of tornadoes. Inspiritus, an affiliate social ministry organization of Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), was one of the first response groups to arrive on the scene in Cookeville, TN, which was devastated by an EF2 tornado.
Read MorePray for the leaders, voting members and others gathered for the Southeastern Iowa Synod Assembly and
participating in online sessions, that the Spirit will strengthen, guide and encourage them in choosing leaders, proclaiming the gospel, growing the church, serving our neighbor and doing God’s work in an ever-changing world.
