The Office of the Bishop team ranges from Las Vegas to Spain this week. View all the details for each team member in this post.
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Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton encourages us to celebrate and pray for the new bishops being installed in our region and throughout America.
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The Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA has many free Bible study resources available, both online and in physical books and videos. Simply pay the postage and they’re yours! View their resources page for more info and contact info. A list is in this post as well.
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Visit gcsynod.org/grants to get more info and apply for over $200,000 available in Project Support Grants, and Adapting, Connecting, Transforming, and Sustaining (ACTS) Grants. Submit applications by 10/15/2021.
You can also view our Q&A webinar and resources in this blog post.
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ELCA’s Region 2 celebrates the installation of Bishop Brenda Bos in the Southwest California Synod, and Bishop Megan Rohrer in the Sierra Pacific Synod. Check out information and highlights at the Southwest California Synod’s website and Facebook page, and at Sierra Pacific’s Synod website, Facebook, and this wrap-up newsletter.
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“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service president and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said. “The outpouring of support we’ve seen … feels unprecedented and awe-inspiring. It feels like a unique moment.”
In a typical week, LIRS would see maybe a dozen people sign up to volunteer. In the past three weeks, 45,000 people signed up. And LIRS has partnerships lined up with Airbnb for housing, Uber for transportation and Walmart for gift cards.
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We pray for Rev. Christopher Heller, Rev. Glenn Zorb and the people of Mountain View Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Fiesta Conference. Visit their site at mvlutheran.org, and their social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Students from ASU and U of A Lutheran Campus Ministries gathered for the 41st time in San Diego for a Labor Day Weekend retreat. Each ministry did their own community building activities and discussions, with shared times are on the beach, worship on La Jolla cliffs, breakfast at Mission Bay, and meditation exercises.
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National Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week is now through Saturday, September 18. Once trained to be caregivers only for those who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), their responsibilities have grown to be so much more. Read more from Mosaic.
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Everyone hoped that the conflict over whether to mask or not mask amid the COVID pandemic would be over by now. It isn’t. The number of cases continues to climb and mask mandates–and opposition to them–are also rising. A recent article points out that the issue can be framed as whether the vulnerable have a right to feel safe at school.
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Working the overnight shift at the chapel at Ramstein Air Base in Germany is a challenge, but Chaplain Katie Osweiler is thankful to be helping refugees from Afghanistan on their way to new lives free of the Taliban.
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The 2021-2022 Stories of Faith in Action resources are available at ELCA.org/SOFIA. Dive into the latest issue, which is now available in its digital edition or print edition, and includes:
A special message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
Nine inspiring stories from around the country and the world.
Your 2020 financial report on Mission Support — the portion of your offering your congregation shares with your synod, and your synod shares with the churchwide organization.
A story-based devotional for use at Bible studies or committee meetings.
'You cannot be a truly godly person unless you have respect for every path to God,' said Monsignor Jim Lisante, who lost 30 parishioners on 9/11. Read the article from Religion News Service here.
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We pray for Rev. Kurt Fangmeier and the people of Living Christ Lutheran Church in Flagstaff, part of the High Country Conference. Visit their site at lclcflag.org, and their social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
We also give thanks for Pastor Kurt’s recent five year anniversary at Living Christ, along with the 20th anniversary of his ordination. Watch a celebratory video here or in this post.
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Lutheran Disaster Response is contributing to an appeal from Church World Service (CWS). In the commune of Pestel in Grand-Anse, CWS is focusing on health, water and sanitation, shelter and psychosocial care. There is a special emphasis on supporting students as the school year begins in Haiti.
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As the country marks the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, this month, the legacy of Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDRNY) lives on in New York City.
Spontaneously created in a matter of weeks following the 9/11 terror attacks, LDRNY was a partnership of the Metropolitan New York Synod and the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
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It’s becoming increasingly apparent to civic leaders across America that many churches are shrinking and that their buildings are suffering from deferred maintenance. A new resource has been published that presents community-minded options and alternatives that can help you retain the civic value of sacred places even if they change use or ownership.
Transitioning Older and Historic Sacred Places is available in digital and print versions at sacredplaces.org/transitionguide.
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Stephen Bouman was bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod at the time of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He shares his faith journey in this article in Living Lutheran.
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The Dr. George and Emma J. Torrison Scholarship Fund makes scholarships available to students who intend to pursue careers in medicine.
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Our “How Your Charitable Heart Can Leave a Legacy” Zoom presentation is next week (September 21, 2021 at 6pm MST/PDT). This one-hour presentation will equip YOU as a congregational leader to educate your faithful members about best practices in navigating a pathway of charitable intent.
As a warmup we share some FAQs on planned giving in this post.
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