Three more videos from the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly are now available, including tributes to Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Sue Rothmeyer, and a joyful message from Bishop Susan Johnson. Watch now on the ELCA YouTube channel.
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Each month, ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress to support pastors, musicians, and worship planners. This month’s recommendations include Revised Common Lectionary Expanded Daily Readings, Lectionary Mosaics, the 2026 Calendar of Word and Season, and ReEngaging ELCA Social Teaching on Health and Health Care. These resources connect scripture, community, and liturgical life in meaningful ways. Click here to explore all the featured tools and publications.
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Registration for the Bishop’s Fall Gathering 2025 closes Friday, September 5. Join Bishop Hutterer, Wartburg Seminary President Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen, and Rev. Dr. S. Helen Chukka, September 29–October 1 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. This year’s theme, Life Together: Lament, Love, and Christian Hope in a Time Such as This, will explore faithful community in divided times.
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A seven-week Zoom course—Renewal and Resilience: A Depth Psychology Approach for Clergy—offers active clergy a space to explore burnout, internalized pressure, and hidden congregational dynamics. Led by Rev. Richard Mallory, the program runs Tuesdays from Sept. 9–Oct. 28. Limited to 8 participants.
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Rostered and synodically authorized ministers are invited to “Bearing Worthy Fruit,” a fall retreat led by Rev. Karoline Lewis, October 13–15 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. Together, participants will explore gender justice, embodied leadership, and preaching rooted in God’s transformation. Registration is open and act fast, as space is limited to 25 participants.
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Experience the American premiere of Michael Torke’s Psalms and Canticles in the interfaith concert Foxes, Wine & Wheat. Join us September 12 at Paradise Valley UMC or September 13 at Holy Trinity Lutheran, Chandler. Admission is free (donations welcome). Featuring soprano Lariche Lamar and conductor Charles Zoll, with livestream available on YouTube.
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Medicaid is more than a program—it is a lifeline for families. Paige Ballinger, a Mosaic at Home Coordinator and niece of someone supported by Mosaic in Northern Colorado, shares how Medicaid services have transformed her aunt’s life and lifted the burden on her family. With recent federal budget cuts threatening these supports, Mosaic leaders emphasize the urgent need for continued advocacy to preserve and protect Medicaid for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Read Paige’s story and learn how you can join Mosaic Allied Voices to advocate for Medicaid—click here.
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In this episode of the Pivot podcast, Jason Jensen of InterVarsity shares how his engineering mindset failed in cross-cultural ministry—and how it reshaped his view of spiritual authority.,
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The Office of the Bishop will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2025 in observance of Labor Day. As we rest and give thanks, we remember that all work is holy vocation in God’s creation. Read more, including a prayer for workers and communities.
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The Office of the Bishop visits and preaches at various congregations around the synod, and takes a day off on Labor Day. We also share photos from the Installation and Ordination of Solomon Kuch at Emmanuel Sudanese Lutheran.
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Artificial intelligence is transforming our world—how will the Church respond? Faithful Futures: Guiding AI with Wisdom and Witness (September 2–5, 2025) invites leaders and learners across the Church to explore theological, ethical, and practical responses to AI. While in-person participation in Minneapolis is by invitation, everyone is invited to join the full online experience, with livestreamed keynotes, interactive scenario planning, and digital cohorts. Grounded in Richard Osmer’s practical theology framework, this ecumenical gathering will equip participants with tools and insights to lead faithful, informed responses to emerging technologies.
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued new federal grant terms for FY2025 affecting programs such as FEMA, HHS, and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. These terms include restrictions related to ICE cooperation, DEI/DEIA activities, and certain boycotts. ELCA congregations and ministries are advised to carefully review the new requirements and consult legal counsel before applying. Read the full ELCA guidance →
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For an end to war and conflict, especially in Gaza, Thailand, Cambodia, Colombia, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Ethiopia…
For all victims of gun violence, especially in Minneapolis, MN…
For business owners and leaders, facing increased costs and challenges…
For victims of flooding and landslides in Vietnam and Thailand…
For police officers and military personnel…
For immigrants coming to the US to escape violence in their countries of origin…
For those without a home or secure housing and those who serve them…
For those seeking meaningful work and all who are unemployed, underemployed, or retired…
For students transitioning to college and for the staff and faculty who care for them in these spaces, especially at our ELCA Colleges and Universities…
La Obispa Hutterer comparte con gratitud sus reflexiones sobre la Asamblea de toda la Iglesia de la ELCA 2025, donde el Sínodo del Gran Cañón fue anfitrión. Destaca la dedicación de los voluntarios, las transiciones históricas de liderazgo en la ELCA y la alegría de ser una sola iglesia expresada en congregaciones, sínodos y en toda la organización eclesial.
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Bishop Hutterer reflects with gratitude on the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, where the Grand Canyon Synod served as host. She lifts up the dedication of volunteers, the historic leadership transitions in the ELCA, and the joy of being one church expressed through congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization.
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Rev. Christine Stoxen of Holy Trinity, Chandler, writes that welcoming the stranger is not optional—it is a biblical mandate. Drawing on Isaiah and Micah, she reminds us that Jesus himself was a refugee, and that hospitality strengthens whole communities. Through ministries like AMMPARO and Global Refuge, the ELCA continues to advocate for migrants and asylum seekers. Faith calls us to justice, kindness, and humble service alongside the displaced and vulnerable in our midst. Click here to read her full op-ed.
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Four Lutheran clergy in Tucson have sparked an ecumenical movement, responding to harmful policies and the rise of Christian nationalism. Their statement, For God So Loved the World: A Christian Witness Against Harm, has now been signed by over 100 clergy and shared widely across congregations. The group is also hosting “Pray Without Ceasing” services every other Monday, modeled after Leipzig’s 1989 Prayers for Peace. Their witness reminds us of the church’s prophetic call to resist harm and lift up justice. Click here to read the full story and statement.
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September is Hunger Action Month, a time to rally together to fight food insecurity. One in eight Arizonans struggles with hunger—even though our state produces 12% of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. In 2024, food bank visits rose to 650,000 each month. This September, you can act by supporting food banks, joining peer fundraisers, downloading the “Hungry Friend” app, or simply wearing orange on September 5 to raise awareness. Every action matters in working toward a hunger-free Arizona. Click here to learn more and find the full Hunger Action Month calendar.
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Stay connected with the Arizona Faith Network! This week’s AFN newsletter highlights upcoming interfaith events, including a Tears of Things book study, election poll monitor training, Monday meditation, the Habits of a Peacemaker series, and the National Voter Registration Day Fair. You’ll also find ways to support heat relief efforts, join the call to protect Arizona’s sacred lands, and connect with partner events in Tucson and Chandler. Read the full newsletter and subscribe at arizonafaithnetwork.org/newsletter.
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