We share a video from Sally Azar, part of the pre-events of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2022.
In preparation for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA members are encouraged to participate in a series of online Bible studies that will explore the assembly theme, "Embody the Word," from Luke 24. Register here for the live Bible study series held on Zoom.
Read MoreIn this video, Bishop Eaton encourages us to celebrate the full participation of all in the body of Christ.
Read MoreWe share a video recap of our synod’s 2022 Campformation, which was held in Prescott, Arizona. Thanks to Christ the Servant Church, in Henderson/Las Vegas, for providing the video.
Read MoreFor those in London and all across Europe, experiencing record-high temperatures and facing the on-going threat of wildfires…
For jurors, students, and families in the midst of the Parkland shooting sentencing trial…
For the victims of the mall shooting in Indiana, for their families, and for all the bystanders who experienced the trauma of that event…
For all who continue to suffer the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with prayers and hope that the thirst for power can quelled and peace can again be established…
For countries in the midst of a transition of power, including Sri Lanka and Japan…
For people around the world who continue to delight in the images from the James Webb telescope…
For safety for all who travel in this season…
The July, 2022, bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders is here, featuring: ELCA Churchwide Assembly Pre-event: “Embody the Word” Bible study sessions; get a jump on your Portico Annual Enrollment; prepare for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday with new resources; new mileage rate July through December 2022; cyber liability insurance; and choose your payroll provider wisely.
Read MoreThe United States President Joe Biden visited the LWF-operated Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the morning of Friday July 15. Biden’s visit to the hospital is the first visit of a sitting US president to East Jerusalem. The US President announced a USD 100 million multi-year commitment toward the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), of which AVH is a member.
Read MoreDrop by an Advocacy Cafe to hear from ELCA advocacy community leaders about timely topics. The 30-minute presentations will be offered twice on the same day. The day session will wrap-up with 15-minutes for a Q&A session with panelists. The evening session will wrap-up differently, with 25 minutes to meet in a small group with others to exchange experiences and ideas.
Tue. July 26 – August Recess
Tue. Aug. 30 – Civic Engagement Actions
Tue. Sept. 27 – Barriers to Voting
Tue. Oct. 25 – Public Discourse
Where will we be on Independence Day 2065? With God’s grace, I hope to live to see it. I hope to see it and smile, as my ancestors are today watching over me as I walk these same streets. Mere footsteps on the long path to justice. Inches closer on the road to freedom.
Read MoreAs Lutherans in North America, we have a remarkable opportunity to live out our Christian vocation in a multi-religious world. No matter where we live, the realities of religious diversity are not “out there,” but in our daily lives with our families, in our congregations, communities, and at work. Our ministries – whether as pastors, deacons, or lay people – are shaped by the religious diversity in our midst. The brand new “ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World” provide a way for our ministries to also be shaped for our multi-religious context.
Read MoreMembers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will gather for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug. 8-12 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Meeting under the theme "Embody the Word," the assembly will participate in plenary discussions to make decisions about the work of this church. Live video of the plenary sessions will be accessible at elca.org/CWA-2022.
Read MoreOur prayers are with the family of Jayland Walker as they laid him to rest on Wednesday in Akron, Ohio, a place I know well and a community dear to my heart. We join all who gathered to mourn the brutal killing of their loved one.
Read MoreHaving already raised over $500,000 to fund our Growing Generosity Appeal, let’s create possibilities together. With your help, we can top our next goal to raise another $250,00 by the end of 2023 through gifts from congregations, foundations, endowments, and individuals!
The plans for these additional funds will benefit Lutheran Campus Ministries, new & emerging ministries, and our advocacy efforts. In this post we explore Growing Financial Viability: Planting seeds of financial support for pastors and congregations through 3E Lilly Grants and programs.
Read MoreRevitalize your congregation's preaching ministry by making the practice of preaching more collaborative and participatory. These six Zoom sessions will be held October 2, 2022, through January 8, 2023, and led by Rev. Dr. Shaunna Hannan, Professor of Homiletics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (of California Lutheran University). Interested? Fill out this form, bit.ly/LayPreachingCLU, and view more info in this post and this PDF flyer.
Read MoreThanks to a gift from Ascension Lutheran Church in Paradise Valley honoring the legacy of member Orpha Hoganson, Manna Grants are available for new and continuing projects that work to alleviate hunger and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion in leadership and decision-making.
All organized congregations, New Starts, Synodically Authorized Worshipping Communities (SAWCs), and Special Ministries of the Grand Canyon Synod are eligible to apply by the 7/31/2022 deadline. More info at gcsynod.org/manna-grant.
Read MoreWe’ve received reports of emails from a fake Gmail account purporting to be Bishop Hutterer, which you can ignore. Better yet, use your report spam button to flag it and get it shut down.
You will likely be asked for a contribution of gift cards or something else of that nature. You will notice that it is not coming from her official email address. The Bishop will never send such a message or solicit funds in this way.
Read MoreWe share a Living Lutheran post from Rev. Howie Wennes, written at the start of the pandemic.
Once a month I do a Bible study for inmates at the Ventura County Jail. I once asked them, “Do you know where the ‘Complaint Department’ is in the Bible?” Surprised to hear that, they asked, “Where?”
I told them that the best example is in the book of Psalms. There are 150 psalms and 50 of them fit into the lament category. Laments are cries of pain and pleas for God to notice and help.
Read MoreAt the Office of the Bishop, we prepare for upcoming fall events and the Installation of Rev. Jose Valenzuela at Community of Grace in Peoria and other upcoming installations.
Read MoreRev. Stephen Hilding, Tanque Verde, Tucson, who celebrates 5 years on July 15.
Rev. Sherwood Glover, who celebrates 49 years on July 15.
Rev. James Price, who celebrates 25 years on July 15.
Rev. Erin Morris, Resurrection, Oro Valley, who celebrates 3 years on July 15.
Rev. Rick Alpers, who celebrates 36 years on July 16.
Rev. Mark Huggenvik, who celebrates 50 years on July 16.
Rev. Alan Field, who celebrates 37 years on July 18.
Rev. Karn Carroll, Our Saviour’s, Phoenix, who celebrates 23 years on July 18.
Deacon Lana Neighbors, Honor Health, Scottsdale, who celebrates 25 years on July 20.
Rev. Robert Jones, Santa Cruz, Tucson, who celebrates 39 years on July 21.
Rev. Dennis Nelson, who celebrates 48 years on July 21.
Rev. Harold Kriesel, who celebrates 54 years on July 21.
Rev. Richard Miller, who celebrates 54 years on July 21.
Prayers of thanksgiving for the good and faithful work of our siblings in both the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) during their recent national gatherings…
For ELCA Churchwide staff, bishops, lay and clergy voting members, guests, and all preparing for Churchwide Assembly next month…
For the incomprehensible expanse of creation, glimpses of which have been made possible by the technology of the James Webb Space Telescope…
For those facing down a new, more contagious variant of the COVID virus…
For healthcare workers feeling overwhelmed and burnt out…
For nations facing political and civil unrest, uncertainty, and transition, including Sri Lanka, Japan, and the ongoing conflict in Russia/Ukraine…
For all those living the effects of climate change: those facing heat waves in China, Eastern Eurpoe, and Texas; those facing droughts in Italy and the southwestern United States; those battling wildfires in Portugal…
