Creating Communications Connections webinar

The Office of the Bishop presents a free Creating Communications Connections webinar on Tuesday, 10/11/2022, at 5pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Click here to register.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, join Brian Flatgard, Director of Communications, for an overview of communications basics and strategy, followed by a question-and-answer discussion. Tailored to the ministries, congregations and organizations of the Grand Canyon Synod, we’ll use real-life examples for clarity and inspiration.

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Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: September 25, 2022
  • For communities In Puerto Rico and the Caribbean dealing with the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona…

  • For communities in Alaska in the wake of Typhoon Merbok…

  • For communities In Japan in the wake of Typhoon Nanmadol…

  • For communities in Papua New Guinea impacted by the September 11 earthquake…

  • For communities In Pakistan dealing with the effects of summer monsoon flooding…

  • In thanksgiving for siblings of Hispanic & Latinx heritage…

  • For Synod Council Members across the church…

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“Hunger at the Crossroads” webinars for November and December, 2022

ELCA World Hunger announces two more “Hunger at the Crossroads” webinars on conflict and hunger and health and hunger. You are invited to join ELCA World Hunger staff and experts to learn about the intersections of these important topics. Learn more and register here or in this post. Watch the recordings of previous “Hunger at the Crossroads” webinars here.

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First-ever Northeast Valley Consortium collaboration for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday

Our Northeast Valley Consortium chose foster children as the focus of service projects for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, 9/11/2022. In this post, the consortium shares photos and the story of their work for the non-profit Arizona Helping Hands.

“Together we packed 440 personal hygiene kits for Arizona Helping Hands. All five churches — New Journey Lutheran (Fountain Hills), Christ the Lord Lutheran (Carefree), Living Water Lutheran (Scottsdale), New Covenant Lutheran (Scottsdale), and Ascension Lutheran (Paradise Valley) — collaborated to support Arizona’s leading provider of necessities to young children, teens, and infants who are making transitions to foster care or among foster care placements.”

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Bishop Hutterer: Not giving up meeting together 

Again, we are gathering.

For those of us who are blessed with the health to gather in-person, we are increasingly finding ourselves grouped up again: in meeting rooms, around altars, in schools and universities, and around dinner tables. We look ahead to busy seasons of Thanksgiving and Advent with familiar feelings of hope and sometimes dread, along with some new emotions.

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Organ Concert featuring Dan Miller at Our Saviour's Lutheran, Phoenix

Our Saviour's Lutheran (1212 E Glendale, Phoenix), celebrates their new organ with a concert featuring Dan Miller on Friday, 10/20/2022 at 7pm. There is no charge for this joyous event.

Come and experience a newly installed Rodgers hybrid organ incorporating the pipework from a previous 1969 13 rank Tellers organ.

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Legacies to celebrate: ELCA member’s book honors Baseball Hall of Famer father

Across 18 years in the Negro Leagues, Norman Thomas “Turkey” Stearnes parlayed power and speed into enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But his daughter Rosilyn Stearnes-Brown, the choir director and organist of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Warren, Mich., is just as impressed by what her father achieved through force of will as an older-than-average schoolboy.

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Installation of Rev. Jonathan Linman at Faith Lutheran, Phoenix

Pastor Jonathan Linman will be installed at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church (801 East Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014) on Wednesday, 10/5/2022 at 6 pm with a reception following. Bishop Deborah Hutterer will preach.

Rostered ministers are invited to vest and be part of a procession. The color will be white for saints as we also commemorate Francis of Assisi on this day. Rostered ministers can send RSVPs to worship@faithalive.com for further instruction around arrival time and where to meet.

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Faith Lens: Too Much Forgiveness?

Right before today’s assigned Gospel reading, Jesus clearly says “you cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13, NRSV). And in the following verse, the Gospel of Luke tells us that the Pharisees, “who were lovers of money” were upset and “they ridiculed him” (Luke 16:14, NRSV).

And then in this morning’s pericope, Jesus offers this parable about a chasm—the chasm between the rich man and Lazarus. This is the chasm between those who have a hard time seeing past themselves and those who go unseen, the chasm between the lovers of money and those who lose their lives as a result.

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The Holy and the Hybrid, by Ryan Panzer

After nearly two years of research and writing, Ryan Panzer is excited to share that "The Holy and the Hybrid" is available now to readers. Download the first chapters of The Holy and the Hybrid from Luther Seminary, or buy now wherever books are sold!

You can also listen to a podcast with Ryan Dunn, host of Pastoring in the Digital Parish. In this conversation, they talk about the cultural changes affecting ministry in a digital age.

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