We share a letter from Bishop Hutterer and Synod Vice President Barbara Carl, thanking you and our synod’s congregations for continued mission support, half of which is passed to ELCA churchwide for ministry in the larger church.
Please fill out your Statement of Intent (view as PDF in English or Spanish) for your congregation’s plan for 2025 Mission Support by February 1, 2025 so we can plan for the coming year. Return it by to our office at office@gcsynod.org or by postal mail. Thank you!
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Grace and peace to you from the Triune God from whom we live & move & have our being,
As we embark into the year 2025 on the mission that God has set before us, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “It is a question of equality between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. As it is written, ‘The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.’” [2 Corinthians 8:13b-15]
This scripture, full of promise and hope, calls us into the heart of our shared mission as the church. It is a vision of balance and abundance, where the gifts we have received are joyfully shared so that no one is left in need. This vision guides our work as the Grand Canyon Synod, and it is made possible through your generosity and commitment to our mission together.
Last month, the Grand Canyon Synod Council affirmed this vision with the following statement:
The Grand Canyon Synod Council encourages all congregations to faithfully allocate Mission Support as an intentional commitment to our shared mission as church together. We encourage congregations to be generous and proportionate in their Mission Support, in accordance with the witness of scripture and the saints who came before us.
Your congregation’s Mission Support makes possible life-changing ministries throughout our synod and beyond. Together, we are equipping leaders, planting seeds of faith in growing hearts, standing alongside those experiencing hardship, and sharing the Gospel in ways that resonate with people across generations and cultures.
Here is what your Congregational Mission Support will make possible in Fiscal Year 2025-2026:
Investing in New and Sustained Leadership: Your gifts will help us continue to support, ordain, and equip pastors and deacons, ensuring that our congregations are served by faithful and capable leaders who proclaim God’s word boldly.
Growing Ministries that Transform Lives: From the West Valley Young Adult Ministry to vital campus ministries in Tempe, Tucson, and Flagstaff, your generosity will foster safe, sacred spaces where young people can experience the love of Jesus.
Empowering Local and Global Partnerships: Your Mission Support will nurture our deep relationships with ministries like Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, as well as international partners in the Mexican Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church in Senegal, working for justice and hope in God’s name.
Providing Support and Care: The Office of the Bishop will continue to walk with congregations in times of transition, conflict, and celebration, thanks to your commitment to our shared work.
In Christ’s love and service,
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA
Ms. Barbara Carl
Vice President
Grand Canyon Synod
of the ELCA
For every dollar that your congregation sends to the Grand Canyon Synod in mission support…
The distribution of Mission Support remains focused on our collective impact:
50% supports ELCA ministries nationwide and globally, funding impactful programs like Young Adults in Global Mission, ELCA World Hunger, disaster relief, and the work of Rev. David Pavesic, our new Director of Evangelical Mission, who walks side by side with strategic ministries across the Grand Canyon Synod.
25% invests in local missions and ministries, addressing immediate needs and building long-term stability through programs like Lutheran Social Services and Native American Urban Ministry.
25% empowers the administrative and leadership functions of the Office of the Bishop, equipping your synod staff to be a resource for congregations and leaders, providing leadership training, transition coaching, conflict resolution, and essential support services.
As you prayerfully discern your congregation’s Mission Plan for 2025-2026, I invite you to consider how your gifts reflect God’s call to generosity and shared abundance. By filling out the enclosed Mission Support Statement of Intent and returning it by February 1, 2025, you help ensure that our work together is guided by faith and vision.
Thank you for your partnership and faithful stewardship. As church together, we live into God’s vision of equality and abundance, where no one has too much or too little. May our shared mission reflect God’s extravagant grace, embodied here and now, as we work together to build God’s Kingdom.