This week we celebrate the ordination anniversary of Rev. Bjorn Pedersen, who celebrates 38 years on December 20.
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Thrivent members can make a big difference through Thrivent Choice Dollars and Thrivent Action Teams—two benefits that support ministry at no extra cost. Direct your 2025 Choice Dollars by March 31, 2026 to your congregation or the Grand Canyon Synod, and apply anytime for a $250 Action Team grant to fund a service or outreach project. Learn more at Thrivent.com/thriventchoice and Thrivent.com/actionteam.
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Spirit in the Desert is offering a daily Advent email devotion written by Sheri Brown, beginning Sunday, November 30 and continuing through Christmas Day. Each short reflection offers a simple daily pause to watch and wait for Christ.
Those who wish to receive these devotions directly in their inbox can register online here. These emails are ideal for personal use and can also be shared with congregations, staff, and small groups across the Grand Canyon Synod.
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Join the Women of the ELCA for the annual Blue Christmas Service on Sunday, December 21, 2025, the Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year. This virtual Zoom service at 6 PM (Arizona/Utah) / 5 PM (Nevada) offers a peaceful space with music, readings, and prayer for all who seek comfort and hope during the holiday season. Register to attend here.
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Join Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West on Friday, December 19 at 10:00 AM for a joyful Big Band Christmas Concert featuring festive music, vocalists, and a time of fellowship with holiday treats. All are welcome to gather in the Social Hall for a warm and spirited start to the Christmas season.
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Join the Center of Addiction & Faith for a virtual Blue Christmas Service on Sunday, December 21, at 6 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. PT—a gentle, contemplative space for anyone carrying grief, stress, or sorrow during the holiday season. Grounded in the promise of John 1:5, this service honors the real struggles that accompany the darkest time of the year and invites participants to seek comfort and light together. Register online and come as you are.
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Celebrate the season of Advent and Christmastide with the Grand Canyon Synod! Visit our 2025 Advent and Christmas page to explore stories, worship opportunities, and events from across our congregations. We invite you to share your own seasonal news or event as together we prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming and rejoice in the light that has entered the world.
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Begin your Advent Saturdays in prayer and quiet community with Earth and All Flesh: Advent Prayer Gathering, meeting on Zoom from 8:00–8:30 am MST on November 29, December 6, 13, and 20. Each 30-minute gathering includes a reading from Martin Luther’s Christmas Book, guided meditation, music or poetry, silent contemplation, and prayers of intercession, led by retreat facilitator Sheri Brown in partnership with Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center.
Register to receive the Zoom link at spiritinthedesert.org/earth-and-all-flesh-registration, and join others across our synod in praying for God’s hope, faith, joy, and peace for all creation this Advent.
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Experience the fifth annual Musical Advent Calendar from Lutheran Summer Music, November 30–December 24—daily musical meditations to inspire reflection throughout the Advent season. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, with all videos archived at LSMacademy.org/acal. Sign up to receive each day’s video directly to your inbox by completing this form.
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Following a deadly shooting at Brown University that claimed two lives and injured many others, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls the church to prayer, lament, and faithful public action. The statement names gun violence as a symptom of deeper brokenness in our common life and rejects its normalization in U.S. society.
Drawing on the ELCA’s social message on gun violence, Bishop Curry urges evidence-based, life-saving measures alongside sustained advocacy and accompaniment. In this Advent season, the statement affirms that God meets us in suffering and calls the church to work for justice, compassion, and peace. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.
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Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry has issued a statement following a deadly terror attack on the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah menorah lighting at Bondi Beach in Australia. Writing on the Third Sunday of Advent, Bishop Curry condemns antisemitism, reaffirms the ELCA’s commitment to opposing anti-Jewish hatred, and calls the church to concrete acts of solidarity, love, and peace with our Jewish neighbors.
Grounded in God’s irrevocable covenant and the hope of Advent, the statement invites prayer and faithful action as an antidote to fear and violence. Read the full statement and prayer from Bishop Curry.
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Your ministry matters! Help us share the good news of faith in action across the Grand Canyon Synod. Whether your congregation is hosting an event, looking for volunteers, or seeking to fill a ministry position, we want to hear from you. Submitting is easy—just visit gcsynod.org/share to send us your updates. Let’s strengthen our synod by sharing the ways God is working in our communities!
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Portico Benefit Services is mailing new 2026 Health ID cards and HealthEquity debit cards to ELCA-Primary health benefit members. Most cards arrive in December, though some may be delayed until mid-January. Members can print a temporary card or contact Quantum Health if theirs has not arrived by Jan. 1. HSA/FSA accounts will transition from Further to HealthEquity on Jan. 1, with specific cutoff dates for using current debit cards. New HealthEquity cards should be used starting Jan. 1.
This update outlines key dates, contact information, and steps to ensure uninterrupted access to health benefits in the new year.
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Global Refuge’s volunteer Pastor in Residence, Rev. Eric C. Shafer, is booking Sunday visits to ELCA congregations in our synod to preach and lead an adult forum on Christian welcome. Available dates: Dec. 28, 2025; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25; Feb. 1; and all Sundays in March 2026. Hosts provide travel expense support. To schedule, email ericcshafer@hotmail.com and learn more at globalrefuge.org.
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Join pastors, deacons, bishops, and faith leaders for Executive Skills for Church Leaders, a weeklong continuing education retreat at Spirit in the Desert, Carefree, AZ, January 5–9, 2026. Daily sessions cover hybrid ministry, AI tools, congregational vitality, and communication strategies, led by expert facilitators. Registration includes lodging, meals, and programming. Register now »
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Central Lutheran Church in Arizona City is offering parament banners, two wooden lecterns, and a Yamaha Clavinova digital piano to congregations across the synod. Interested ministries should contact Jill Lui (jillonahike@gmail.com)with “GCS classified” in the subject line. Pickup or delivery can be arranged. Full item list and details are available in this post.
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Need something to brighten your day? Here’s a story with video that is sure to bring a smile to your face, which shows the positive impact Mosaic has had in the life of an individual and his family. The post A High-Five and a Hug Are the Norm for Rich appeared first on Mosaic.
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In the latest Pivot podcast, Dr. Paul Hoffman, author of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep, joins hosts Terri Elton and Dwight Zscheile to offer a framework for discernment: How might artificial intelligence help or hinder human flourishing?
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Wisdom Keeper Patty Charley’s husband, Wayne, died earlier this week. Wayne died on Monday, December 8, in Albuquerque, NM, where he and Patty have a home. We invite the Grand Canyon Synod to hold Patty and her family in prayer. Patty serves as Primary Wisdom Keeper at the Navajo Lutheran Mission’s House of Prayer, where her leadership and ministry continue to bless the Navajo Nation. Please join us in surrounding Patty with love, support, and prayer during this time of grief.
A traditional Navajo burial service for Wayne will take place on Saturday, December 13 at 10:00 am in Rock Point, Arizona, followed by a family-hosted meal. No RSVP is necessary.
Flowers will be difficult to deliver to Rock Point, but gifts to the House of Prayer in Wayne’s memory would be deeply appreciated. Cards and condolences may be sent to House of Prayer, PO Box 354, Rock Point, AZ 86545.
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