At our assembly in June, Pastors Karn Carroll and Jacqui Pagel led the assembly in break-out sessions. In this post, we’ve compiled attendee’s answers to three questions posed:

1. Think for a moment about someone who might be new, young, or diverse to your congregation, then share with your breakout group, one new idea you could do to welcome them. 

2. Discuss with your group about one new relevant issue your congregation should address and how?

3. Name one thing that we might connect with: school, business, community. 

The Grand Canyon Synod had its first all-digital synod assembly in June 2021. Pastors Karn Carroll and Jacqui Pagel led the assembly in break-out sessions, pushing us all to think where our church is going and what are some of the ways we are going with her.

The congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod are up to many great things. There were many thoughts shared about our current and future actions, and our hoped-for actions. Here is a summary of how the breakout groups responded to the three specific questions that were asked.  

Question 1

Think for a moment about someone who might be new, young, or diverse to your congregation, then share with your breakout group, one new idea you could do to welcome them. 

• Start by acknowledging the diverse among you. 

• Learn better ways to ask questions by attending ELCA anti-racism training. Hang a rainbow pride flag in narthex. 

• Have designated greeters who recognize new faces strategically placed throughout worshipping campus.

• Intentionally invite families to participate in The Generosity Project upcoming.

• Host a “Just say hi” seminar.

• Conduct a training with practice of how to introduce yourself to strangers.

• Wear name badges so that others are encouraged others to get to know you. 

• Make “bulletin” more welcoming. Include hints and tips of how to get through worship, such as how communion works and location of restrooms? Include a lexicon that explains standard Lutheran phrases like bulletin, narthex, potluck.

• Utilize technology.

• Greet in the parking lot along with the narthex.

• Let visitors know it is ok to remain seated during welcoming, there is no need to make a show of them during worship. 

• Follow up with the visitors.

• Encourage every member to be “the welcoming committee”.

• Do more than open a pre school.

• Host a farmer’s market.  

• Have a welcome table with desirable treats, such as cold water, reusable drinking containers, reusable shopping bag. Provide clear information how to access people in the congregation.  

• Utilize church property for benefit of community. - Invitee community to tailgate and view fireworks from parking that provides a great view. 

• Provide free meals and food to community at large. 

• Be an I-HELP site. (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program)

• Start a hiking group.

• Encourage children to sing during service.

• Use multiple styles of music during worship.

• Have a strong “Sunday school” option for all ages.

• Provide diapers for children and adults to shelters, pantries, and any distribution sites. 

• Visit first time visitors at their home, take a welcome gift.  (a baked good) 

• Be sure each ministry has their champions.

• Understand if you are a community Church w/Lutheran roots or a Lutheran Church w/Community roots.

• Do a school supply drive and distribute to you neighboring school. 

• Host community rummage sale

• Turn a dirt lot into a community garden, plant food that can be picked and eaten immediately.

• Develop relationship with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.

• Conduct an outside blessing for homeless, animals, refugees.

• Host a health fair.

• Open a non-profit coffee shop.

• Have a designated online greeter.

• Be familiar with Churchwide and ELCA.

• SMILE

• Be a missional community.

• Put out welcome mats.

• Don’t fear.

• Make personal invitations to worship, church events, access to the pastor or council president.

• Be ready to tell about your community.

• Make wooden desks for those that don't have desks.

• Hire technology savvy people.

• Create an on-campus Meditation Center - invites community members just walk in, go in, relax, read. Have a place to breathe.

• Have quality signage / wave banners outside/improve visibility.

• Have book clubs, Meals with a Mission, quilting group, bible study.

• Be a site of advocacy, be able to refer other to advocate. 

• Post an outside free mini library.

Question 2

Discuss with your group about one new relevant issue your congregation should address and how? Let’s talk about….

• Can we provide affordable housing on our church property?

• That is ok to come back to into the church building.

• How do we encourage people to return inside the building and maintain a strong digital presence? 

• Can we do some work to provide living in home skills to the homeless?

• How to become a Reconciling in Christ Congregation?

• How do we move to a mindset of abundance? 

• That there is more in the world than White American Lutherans and they can use the message of grace that the ELCA promotes. 

• What scripture says about hate, division, and separation. 

• Youth and ways we can support youth all around the world through the American & Foreign Christian Union, ELCA affiliated church in Berlin, Germany. Make connections with youth in our neighborhoods through, community centers, area schools and places younger people hang out. 

• How are we a welcoming community? 

• How we can reach out to hearing-impaired and/or non-English speakers and provide worship service in Closed Captions or a language other than English. 

• Should we continue to offer drive through Communion, communion during live stream services? 

• What is the place for retirees in the church? Do they need help or are they the help? 

• How can we talk with those of retirement age about their role in institutionalized racism and our church?

• How does the lack of diversity in the ELCA matter? 

• Are Asians and those of Asian descent hated in America? How do we stop violence against them?

• How to be an effective listener?

• When is my church going to tell me what the Bible says about LGBTIAQ people? And what do I call them? What do all those letters stand for?

• How we can support immigrants coming into the United States. 

• Why are so many people against digital church?

• How do we access the digital world, hardware and software?

• Why is reaching outside of our church walls difficult.

• Zoom meetings and outdoor services.

• Acknowledging indigenous land. 

Question 3

Name one thing that we might connect with: school, business, community. 

• Other ELCA worshipping communities.

• Other faith traditions. 

• AARP to do taxes on site.

• Allow food trucks to use church property.

• Produce on Wheels ($10 for 70 lbs.)

• Host a clean up the side of the road campaign.

• Host community events for instance a bike safety rodeo that features the neighboring fire station that can pass out helmets and safety advice for bike riders.  Engage local bike shop to fix bikes and teach maintenance. Work with area police to get bikes out of impound and redistribute.

• Filling used prescription bottles for homeless people. 

• Native Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point AZ with the House of Prayer on the Navajo Reservation. 

• Senior Citizen care facilities and housing complexes. 

• Charter schools

• Grocery stores. 

• Pride Festival organizers

• Anonymous support groups, AA, NA, GA, AL Anon

• Jesus Christ

• Health Care providers

• Coffee shops/Breweries 

• Maricopa Community Colleges, Universities. 

• Singing groups, symphony, acting communities, dance studios.

• Camp ALOMA

• Meals on Wheels 

• Phoenix Fusion 

• Cruzando Fronteras and immigration ministry 

• Via de Cristo

• LGBT Center, Gender Justice Nevada, 

• Every business near you

• City/State/Neighboring Food distributors.

• Inside-Out Network https://insideoutnetwork.net

• Arizona Power Service (APS)/ Salt River Project (SRP)