Office of the Bishop Updates: 3/25/2022

As part of Synod on the Move, Bishop Hutterer, Rev. Jacqui Pagel, and Rev. Pat Reed journey to southern Arizona this weekend for a variety of events, including the Installation of Rev. Michael Sager at Desert Hills Lutheran in Green Valley, gathering with active pastors and deacons and Hotel Congress, conversations with retired rostered ministers at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, as well as preaching at Santa Cruz, Abounding Grace, Mt. Zion, and attending other meetings.

We also share photos from Bishop Hutterer’s visits last week to Mount of Olives in Phoenix and Casa De La Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones (House of Mercy and of All Nations) in Nogales, a service of Cruzando Fronteras.

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In Memoriam: Rev. Dale W. Hallberg

We give thanks for the life of Pastor Dale W. Hallberg, who died February 7, 2022, of natural causes. We pray for his family, friends, and congregations he served.

Services will be held Saturday, April 2, 2022, 1pm MST, at Sun Lakes Chapel for All Faith, 9240 E Sun Lakes Blvd N, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. Rev. Thaddeus Book is officiating.

Pastor Hallberg worked to advance civil rights as a community leader, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma in 1965 and being part of a Lutheran delegation sent to investigate conditions in apartheid South Africa in the early 1980s.

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Lutheran World Federation newsletter: March 18, 2022
Southern Arizona area retired rostered ministers coffee

Southern Arizona area retired pastors and deacons are cordially invited for coffee, donuts, and conversation with Bishop Deborah Hutterer on Saturday, March 26, 2022 from 10:30am to noon MDT at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 1200 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719.

Please RSVP to Theresa Thornburgh (office@gcsynod.org) if you plan to attend. The Bishop is very much looking forward to meeting with you!

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Refugee Benefit Concert: ELCA Disaster Response

Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in central Tucson will host a free will donation benefit concert for refugees affected by the war in Ukraine on Friday, 4/1/2022 at 7pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Online and in-person.

All proceeds will go to ELCA Disaster Response: Eastern European Crisis Response. The concert is being freely offered by Ivory Winds Trio (Deena Reedy, flute; Ji Sun Lee, piano; and Michael Lich, classical guitar.

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Community Baby Shower

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest is hosting a donation drive for families expecting a baby, who recently gave birth, or who are adopting a baby. Please deliver donations prior to April 27, 2022.

Many of the families we serve do not have available resources or relatives nearby, and they need your support. Learn more at lss-sw.org/baby-shower-drive.

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Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe Crisis Response

As of Mar. 23, over 3.5 million people are estimated to have left Ukraine, most of which are women and children. The refugees are primarily fleeing to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. According to UNHCR, another 2 million people are displaced within Ukraine.

Lutheran Disaster Response has committed over $2 million to companion churches and ecumenical partners that are accompanying refugees and other impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

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Tim Wright: It does real damage when Sen. Wendy Rogers spews hate and claims to love Jesus

Rev. Tim Wright, pastor of Community of Grace Lutheran Church in Peoria, recently wrote an opinion piece in the Arizona Republic/AZ Central, saying we must stand up to those who speak hate.

“The war against Christianity is not being waged by anti-Christian elites or the politically correct or the Woke crowd. It’s being waged by people vomiting hate-filled rhetoric in the name of Jesus and/or by people who wrap that hate-filled speech in Christian clothes and/or by far too many Christians who fail to stand up and say that this is not who Jesus is.”

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