In 2021, Musa Filibus, archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), asked Ann Svennungsen, bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod (the LCCN’s companion synod), to consider raising $500,000 for the establishment of the LCCN-run Lutheran University Nigeria. The synod raised $535,000 and secured a $150,000 ELCA World Hunger grant in just three months.
Read MoreOur advocacy takes many forms with long-term and immediate aims, and ELCA Witness in Society staff are active equipping members, building influential relationships with policy makers, networking strategically with other concerned partners, researching policy pieces and their impacts and inviting our ELCA Advocacy Network to action at impactful moments.
One timely way we can act as ELCA is to sign on with others to offer pointed comments to decision makers when developments demand.
Read MoreThe Liaison Roundtable for Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) will meet the third Monday of the month at 6:30pm (Arizona) via Zoom, with the first meeting on Monday, 10/17/2022, 6:30pm MST/PDT, 7:30pm MDT.
These discussions offer an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics about congregational engagement in advocacy.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreNew resources are now available from ELCA World Hunger to enrich the life of your congregation in Advent 2022 and Lent 2023! The theme for the new seasonal materials is "A Journey Through the Psalms With ELCA World Hunger." Download free versions at ELCA.org/hunger/resources.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop attends the Synod Council and Dean Retreat this weekend, in addition to ongoing meetings and day-to-day operations.
Read MoreWe celebrate the following ordination anniversaries this week:
Rev. Gary Ulrich, who celebrates 43 years on September 24.
Rev. Ryan Hersch, Peace, Peoria, who celebrates 19 years on September 27.
Rev. Carl Braaten, who celebrates 64 years on September 28.
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…
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.
Read MoreAs a thank you to the Grand Canyon Synod for their support of Lutheran Campus Ministries, the students of Arizona State University and the University of Arizona share a beachside video update from the 43rd Annual Labor Day Weekend Retreat in San Diego.
Read MoreOur 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.”
Read MoreAgain, 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.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreAcross 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.
Read MoreWe pray for the people of Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Capital Conference. Visit their site at mountofolivesaz.org and their Facebook page.
Read MorePastor 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.
Read MoreIn her September, 2022 column for Living Lutheran, Bishop Eaton writes: “In Christ we are individually members one of another. Sometimes we might feel like we are stuck with each other. This is the great mystery and beauty of the wounded body of Christ—we are woven together.” Read in English at https://bit.ly/3RUS2a5 and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3f1BfDT.
Read MoreRight 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.
Read MoreI moved to Minnesota in July 1998 after graduating from Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa (then the ELCA’s Waldorf College). I’d heard there was a congregation in Minneapolis that had a Swahili service in the afternoon. The day I visited, I knew right away that I’d found my church.
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