Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA 2021 update

2021 Assembly Reports: View reports for our 2021 assembly on our assembly report page and in this collection of blog posts.

Dear Ministry Partners in the Grand Canyon Synod,

Our Women of the ELCA continue to use our purpose statement to guide and lead us in doing God’s work: 

As a community of women created in the image of God and called into discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world.

With that purpose statement in mind, we’ve certainly been impacted in our ability to be together during this pandemic time. All in-person events were cancelled beginning in March of 2020, and we remain in that status yet today for synod-wide programming. Like you, we’ve learned that virtual communication isn’t as good as meeting in-person, but it does help us stay connected. Many of our women’s groups have continued to hold regular Bible study by Zoom, and in some churches this now includes women who never before participated. The women from New Promise in St. George, UT held an in-person AND virtual event for their annual retreat in February of this year. Women in congregations across the Synod are just starting the return to meeting together, masked and socially distant, to continue their study and ministry projects.

In September of 2020, we joined with some 600 women from across the country to participate in a virtual “Just Love” webinar from our churchwide Women of the ELCA, giving us a preview of what a Triennial Gathering might look like. Unfortunately, the pandemic caused the cancellation of that in-person event initially planned for Phoenix in 2020. We will come together, in-person, in Phoenix, in September 2023 for our next Triennial Gathering of Women of the ELCA.

Our annual Lutheran World Relief (LWR) in-gathering in Phoenix was impacted by the pandemic in 2020. We were thankful that Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, AZ opened their campus to receive LWR quilts and kits in November. While the collection was smaller than a typical year, it did result in 444 quilts and 126 kits being collected and sent on their way to the LWR warehouse. We look forward to the next in-gathering in Phoenix in April of 2022 

November of each year marks the time when many of our units collect “Thankofferings” among their women’s group, or perhaps across their entire congregation. This is a time-honored tradition among our Lutheran women and an opportunity to return a portion of what we’ve been blessed with to support our entire organization of Women of the ELCA. Two of our women’s units produced virtual Thankoffering services that were impressive! Together, our gifts make a huge difference!

In January 2021, we held a virtual Gather Bible study event for our synod women. The author of our winter study, Rev. Dr. Christa von Zychlin, overviewed her study on Journeys with Angels. Gather magazine is produced by Women of the ELCA. It includes a mix of articles, theological reflections, devotions and stories of comfort and challenge to help readers grow in faith and engage in ministry and action. This was our first synod women’s virtual event and included music, crafts, art and small group time. This experience gave us the knowledge and courage to plan additional virtual events in the coming months. Watch for announcements!

We will participate in the 11th Triennial Convention of Women of the ELCA – virtually – on August 3-5, 2021. 

While we remain in a hiatus from meeting together in-person, we will have a virtual Grand Canyon Synod Women’s convention in October of 2021. New officers and board members will be elected during this business meeting. We encourage women to consider these leadership opportunities to create a diverse board that will continue to support women’s ministries across all of our congregations.

May God’s love and grace continue to enfold you and those you hold dear. 

—Myrna Wells-Ulland, President