Living Lutheran returns to print in spring 2025, offering quarterly issues filled with inspiring stories and church updates. Subscribe individually or as a congregation today. Plus, explore meaningful holiday gifts with the ELCA Good Gifts catalog, join the National Day of Racial Healing on Jan. 21, and prepare for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity starting Jan. 18. Find these updates and more in this month’s Seeds Monthly.
Read MoreHow do we define success? As college football celebrates a new twelve-team playoff, Advent invites us to reflect on a very different kind of victory. Mary’s song in Luke 1:39–55 reminds us that God lifts up the lowly so that all may share in divine blessings. As we approach the manger this week, let us celebrate the true meaning of success: God’s victory for all.
Read MoreIn the ELCA, we recognize that some of our members are of Syrian nationality or heritage. Through ecumenical bodies such as the Middle East Council of Churches, we have long been in relationship with the Syrian Christian communities, which date back to the earliest days of the church and whose members live and worship today as a religious minority that is not always welcomed or accepted. These Christians hope that a new Syria will include a place of safety, security and freedom of worship for them and their neighbors. Syria’s diversity is integral to the fabric of Syrian society and should be protected.
Read MoreIn our December 2024 Mission Support Memo hear from Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar of our Oregon Synod, telling her story of joyful and important accompaniment with the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland. Explore the eight enlightening things she learned about Poland and Polish Lutherans.
We are grateful how Mission Support connects us globally. You can also find out about an exciting series on aligning your pocketbook with your values, so learn how to join January 13th to explore “6 Weeks on Money.”
Read MoreLiving Lutheran is returning to print! After hearing from many of you, the ELCA is relaunching the beloved magazine with four print issues per year beginning in 2025. Individual subscriptions are $19.95 annually, with group plans available for congregations. Sign up today at livinglutheran.org/subscribe to stay connected to our shared stories of faith. Read the article in Living Lutheran here.
Read MoreIn times of heightened uncertainty, our immigrant neighbors need support and accompaniment. The ELCA’s AMMPARO ministry offers critical tools to understand and assert rights during encounters with law enforcement or ICE. This guide includes Red Cards, family preparedness plans, and multilingual resources to help families stay informed and safe. Access the full list of tools and share them with your community as we walk together in faith and advocacy. Read more at ELCA.org.
Read MoreRick Steves, a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Seattle, has shared a beautiful 2-minute video of the Christmas story from Luke, illustrated with stunning European art. Offered as a free gift to the ELCA, the video can be used in worship services, concerts, or celebrations with no need for attribution. Watch the video on YouTube here or download it here and enrich your community’s celebration of this holy season.
Read MoreJoin beloved 1960s TV icons Davey and Goliath for their 1965 Christmas special. Davey learns the real meaning of Christmas when he gives his part in a Christmas play to another boy.
Read MoreView the message on YouTube here or download the video here We invite you to pause with us during this holy season to celebrate the miracle of Emmanuel: God with us. From all of us at the ELCA Foundation, thank you for your generosity and partnership. Merry Christmas.
Read MoreMartin Luther’s Christmas sermon challenges us to look at our own lives this season. While Bethlehem had “no room” for Christ, we are asked: Do we make room for our neighbors in need today? God entered the world in love, and Luther calls us to respond with that same love for those around us.
Read MoreWondering how to make a positive impact in the world right now? With ELCA Good Gifts, choose from over 60 charitable gifts to give in honor of friends and loved ones this Christmas! New gifts include safe birth, a climate resilience kit and supporting a Young Adults in Global Mission volunteer for a month. Give online and you can personalize free, printed cards to be sent directly to your loved ones. Find several special-edition Christmas cards for select gifts now. Browse gifts.
Read MoreFor the nation of Syria of conflict, transition, and uncertainty…
For peace among nations of the world…
For all victims of gun violence…
For victims of gang violence in Haiti and for grieving families…
For those struggling to afford or access healthcare…
For safety and advocacy for those without stable housing…
For those affected by earthquakes in California and Nevada, and for those affected by brush fires in southwestern California…
For continued political stability in South Korea and France, and for the safety of political protesters in the nation of Georgia…
The ELCA is introducing several updates to the Annual Congregation Report process for 2024. Starting in mid-January, congregations will receive a letter with their ID and password but no printed resources; all instructions and materials will be posted online. A new reporting platform will also launch, offering streamlined tools and embedded instructions. Congregations must file 2023 reports by December 20, as the system will shut down afterward.
Read MoreCelebrating 50 years of ELCA World Hunger, this milestone highlights the ministry’s global and local impact in fighting hunger and poverty through sustainable solutions, advocacy, and partnerships. Discover inspiring stories and learn how you can join in this life-changing mission in this year-end Living Lutheran article.
Read MoreRediscover the courage to dream this Advent! Through childlike imagination and God’s promises, we are reminded that nothing is impossible. In her latest Living Lutheran article, join Kimberly Knowle-Zeller in reflecting on Advent practices, prayer, and bold hope for ourselves and the world.
Read MoreElizabeth Cote, a YAGM volunteer through the ELCA, shares her transformative experience in Senegal. From learning Wolof and adapting to rural life in Linguere to serving in a healthcare clinic and teaching English, Elizabeth reflects on living out her Lutheran faith through cross-cultural service. Discover her insights on Senegalese values like teranga (hospitality) and how they shape her mission. Read more about Elizabeth’s journey and how you can support her ministry in her first newsletter and second newsletter.
Read MoreThe Inflation Reduction Act opens new opportunities for ELCA congregations to embrace clean energy with rebates of 30% on project costs. Partner with the Mission Investment Fund for financing and guidance to make your vision a reality. Join others in caring for creation while saving money and empowering ministry. Learn more about this faithful opportunity today!
Read MoreIn a December 4 letter to President Biden, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton called for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. She condemned new Israeli laws restricting UNRWA’s operations and emphasized the catastrophic toll on Palestinian lives. Rooted in Lutheran theology, Bishop Eaton urged the U.S. to restore humanitarian aid and uphold human dignity.
Read MoreIn her Christmas message, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton calls our attention to the word “joy” in the angel’s proclamation to the shepherds. “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of a great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11). Eaton reminds us that the message of Christmas is joy, not happiness. Happiness is transient and humanmade. But joy given by God is deep and strong and unshakable. Read the message in English or Spanish, and download a video file at bit.ly/3D9ULKc.
“Joy is a sign of the reign of God…Perhaps that is why in the middle of the night, to terrified shepherds, outside of a small town, God chose to send the angels to announce the birth of Jesus. No distraction. No interference. Just the simple, deep, profound gift of true and lasting joy.”
Read MoreFrom new Advent resources and the ELCA Good Gifts catalog to inspiring stories of affordable housing and 50 years of World Hunger ministry, this month’s updates invite us to embody Micah 6:8: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. Explore new tools for Advent, creative giving ideas, and stories of resilience in the latest Go and Do news from ELCA World Hunger.
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