Youth &
Family
Ministry

Our final Jesus, Church, and Me gallery features expressive, moving art by teens ages 13–18. Their work, part of our lead-up to the 2025 Synod Assembly, reveals a depth of faith and insight that inspires us all.

Children ages 9–12 offer creative and thoughtful reflections on Jesus, church, and community in this third installment of our synod-wide Jesus, Church, and Me art project. Their work will be shared at Synod Assembly and as commemorative postcards.

Explore how children ages 6 to 8 across the Grand Canyon Synod depict Jesus, church, and community in bold, faith-filled art. Part of our Jesus, Church, and Me series leading up to the 2025 Synod Assembly. View the full gallery and be inspired.

Youth from the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to Leadership Lab 2025, a weeklong Lutheran leadership experience for grades 8 through age 24, held June 23-28 at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Rooted in faith and friendship, Leadership Lab helps young people grow as disciples and leaders. Register now at leadershiplab.net.

Ready for summer? Lutheran congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod are offering Vacation Bible Schools and children’s camps filled with faith, fun, and fellowship. Explore the growing list of programs, and help us share your church’s summer offerings by emailing Deacon Laura Book at lbook@gcsynod.org.

Over 80 youth from across the synod will attend Lutheran Campformation at Pinerock from June 30–July 4, exploring faith through worship, study, and fellowship. This year features a new focus on Creation theology. You can support this ministry by sponsoring meals, camper days, scholarships, or giving to the Gerald Manlove Memorial Camp Fund.

On a Southern California beach and around a campus firepit, Concordia College campus pastors David and Kim Adams witnessed the sacred emerge in the ordinary. In this moving reflection, they share stories of student encounters with God—through Ash Wednesday ashes in a parking lot, communion shared under autumn skies, and raw conversations sparked by tragedy and trust. These moments remind us that campus ministry continues to be a vital space for hospitality, spiritual exploration, and hope. Click here to read the full article on Living Lutheran.

University Lutheran Campus Ministry shares their annual report as part of our 2025 Synod Assembly.

Youth from the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to Leadership Lab 2025, a weeklong Lutheran leadership experience for grades 8 through age 24, held June 23-28 at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Rooted in faith and friendship, Leadership Lab helps young people grow as disciples and leaders. Register now at leadershiplab.net.

We’re excited to debut the first entries from our synod-wide children’s art project, Jesus, Church, and Me! Beginning with the joyful art of our youngest children (ages 3–5), we’ll be sharing new batches leading up to the 2025 Synod Assembly. These creative expressions will also be featured as postcards and slideshow displays during the assembly in Las Vegas.

What does it mean to truly flourish? A global study from Baylor University finds that regular participation in a faith community—not wealth or age—is a key factor in living a good life. Scripture agrees. In John 14, Jesus promises we are never alone, and the Spirit remains with us so we may live abundantly. This week’s Faith Lens explores how our call to community and presence—both divine and human—helps us flourish together, not apart.

Young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate—but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Grand Canyon Synod’s Youth Advisory Team highlights TENx10, a national collaboration led by Fuller Youth Institute, offering free, research-based tools to help youth leaders, pastors, and congregations reimagine faith formation. Visit TENx10.org to access resources, take a 2-minute quiz, and join this movement to help faith matter more to the next generation.

Graduation season reminds us that some things we’re required to do—like learning—can become sources of joy and transformation. In John 13, Jesus offers a new commandment: to love one another. This law isn’t a burden but a gift that draws us closer to the heart of God’s good news. Explore how gospel and law intertwine in our everyday lives, and reflect on the ways love shows up in both what we’re told to do—and what we choose to do.

Children of Hope Preschool, a ministry of Esperanza Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, is hiring a full-time Preschool Director. This 5-star Quality First program seeks a leader with experience in early childhood education and a passion for Christian formation. Salary starts at $42,000. Learn more in this PDF and apply by sending a resume and cover letter to esperanza@myesperanza.org.

Every congregation in the Grand Canyon Synod is encouraged to create written Safe Church guidelines to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults. This blog post outlines who should be on your policy-writing team, what legal and insurance steps to follow, and includes dozens of helpful links, resources, and sample policies from across the ELCA

When Jesus declared his identity as the Messiah, some still refused to believe—not because he hadn’t made it clear, but because they couldn’t accept what that meant. This week’s Faith Lens reflects on mistaken identity, from the return of the dire wolf to the confrontation in John 10, and asks: when the truth is right in front of us, are we ready to see and hear it? Read more and reflect on how your own self-understanding is shaped by faith.

Build confidence and clarity in your children’s and youth ministry teams with a new online course from Faith+Lead. “Leading Faith Formation for Children and Youth” offers practical tools and theological grounding for volunteers, parents, and ministry leaders—just in time for summer planning. Enroll now for lifetime access and community support.

In the latest Pivot podcast, discover effective approaches to Gen Z spiritual formation in this insightful Pivot Podcast episode featuring Eric Huseth.

Youth from the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to Leadership Lab 2025, a weeklong Lutheran leadership experience for grades 8 through age 24, held June 23-28 at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Rooted in faith and friendship, Leadership Lab helps young people grow as disciples and leaders. Register now at leadershiplab.net.

Registration is now open for Campformation 2025, happening June 30–July 4 at Camp Pinerock in Prescott, AZ. Youth entering grades 6–10 are invited for a week of mountain hikes, ropes courses, and spiritual growth alongside peers from across the synod. Don’t miss this sacred summer tradition—register today at www.lutherancampformation.com.

In the wake of violence and despair, Jesus’ first words to his disciples after the resurrection were words of peace—spoken not once, but three times. This week’s reflection from Faith Lens invites us to shift our gaze from Doubting Thomas to the mission Jesus gives: to be sent, empowered by the Spirit, and grounded in a peace that brings life abundant. As global conflict continues and hope feels scarce, the resurrection reminds us that peace is not only possible—it is purposeful. Discover how Christ’s peace sends us into a broken world as agents of hope.

Young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate—but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Grand Canyon Synod’s Youth Advisory Team highlights TENx10, a national collaboration led by Fuller Youth Institute, offering free, research-based tools to help youth leaders, pastors, and congregations reimagine faith formation. Visit TENx10.org to access resources, take a 2-minute quiz, and join this movement to help faith matter more to the next generation.

Registration is now open for Campformation 2025, happening June 30–July 4 at Camp Pinerock in Prescott, AZ. Youth entering grades 6–10 are invited for a week of mountain hikes, ropes courses, and spiritual growth alongside peers from across the synod. Don’t miss this sacred summer tradition—register today at www.lutherancampformation.com.

What do distant planets and the resurrection of Christ have in common? Both challenge us to believe based on signs we cannot yet touch. This week’s Faith Lens reflection draws parallels between new NASA discoveries and the Easter story—reminding us that grace, like life, often reveals itself in ways that stretch our imagination and strengthen our faith.

Engage with youth, cool off in the pines, and explore stewardship this summer! Campformation at Camp Pinerock, June 30–July 4, 2025, invites three rostered leaders to join for free as Resident Theologians. Travel, room, and board are covered. Apply by March 15, 2025. Contact Pr. Tim Perlick at tim.perlick@gmail.com.

As March Madness crowns champions of skill and wealth, Palm Sunday offers a counter-narrative: a humble entry by an unlikely hero. This week’s reflection invites us to reconsider how we identify greatness—not through power or prestige, but through compassion, sacrifice, and love. As Holy Week begins, we remember Jesus not as the expected victor, but as the savior who rides in on a donkey, cheered by those in need of hope.

Camp ALOMA in Prescott is hiring three young men for summer staff. This is a unique opportunity to grow in faith, lead youth, and spend the summer outdoors. If you know someone ready for a Christ-centered adventure, invite them to apply today: https://forms.gle/Pu6vL5PzGesvsGUF6. Contact office@campaloma.com or 928-778-1690 for details.

Registration for Camp ALOMA’s 2025 summer sessions is now open! Seven weeks of faith-filled fun await youth in grades 1–12. Enjoy archery, canoeing, worship, and Bible study in the pines of Prescott. Bus transportation is available from Phoenix. Early bird pricing ends April 15 — register today at campdoc.com/register/aloma.

Leadership Lab 2025 is open for registration! From June 23–28, youth and adults from across the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to Augustana College in Illinois for a transformative week of worship, small group connection, and leadership development. In their annual report, learn how this ELCA-rooted ministry equips high schoolers and young adults to bring fresh faith and leadership home to their congregations—and how adults and rostered leaders can join too. Affordable rates and strong support make this an opportunity not to miss.

As Lent nears its end, this season reminds us that even in long, sorrowful journeys—whether personal or global—there is space for joy. Just as a woman anointed Jesus in love on his road to the cross, we too are invited to celebrate sacred moments, even in hardship. This reflection calls us to live intentionally, walk with those who suffer, and embrace joy as resistance and renewal during life’s most difficult seasons.