For residents of Tongo, following devastating volcanic eruption, and for all areas feeling effects of the event…
For members of the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, following last week’s hostage crisis…
For Asian American communities grieving acts of racial violence…
For unity in the body of Christ in seeking health, hope, and wholeness in our world…
For health and stamina for nurses, doctors, emergency room, and hospital staff…
ELCA Hunger invites you to continue your work by connecting your congregation to the church’s global work to end hunger and poverty during ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2.
To prepare, visit ELCA.org/40Days and download or order resources today. You’ll find free resources including a daily devotional calendar, a weekly study guide, an action guide for congregations, and weekly Lenten email series.
Read MoreJoin Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA Ammparo and ELCA Advocacy in their webinar, “Boldly Serving Our Afghan Neighbors: A Call for Congregational Accompaniment and Co-Sponsorship,” Tuesday, 2/8/2022, 5 pm MST, 4 pm PST. Register here.
Read MoreThe Hunger Leaders Network meeting on Tuesday, January 25 at 6pm MST will feature a special guest speaker: The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Bishop Eaton will pop in to the virtual meeting for 5-10 minutes to bring greetings and share updates from the ELCA churchwide. More info: January 2022 Agenda, Join Hunger Leaders Network, Join Zoom meeting.
Read MoreWith Black History Month approaching, the ELCA introduces "Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent" to help congregations wrestle with the meaning of the declaration, adopted at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, and its accompanying explanation.
The five-part study resource, with a guide and participant materials, is available at elca.org/Resources/Racial-Justice. Direct PDF links to the Explanation of the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent are here: Document, Study Guide and Participant Materials.
Read MoreBeing Here, a podcast through Portico that explores real world issues and topics important to professionals in the faith community, has added three new episodes.
Join host the Rev. Melissa Pohlman, as she welcomes three new guests to share their experiences and points of view on navigating retirement; Christian conversations about racial justice; and creative approaches to innovative ministry. Listen here.
Read MoreHave you ever seen a grassroots campaign for affordable housing? What about a ten year old preacher and professional artist? This is future church. New. Young. Diverse.
African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrating Black History Month with a new series “Talks at the Desk,” sharing the diverse expressions of the church. View video trailer here. Join us each Wednesday in February at 6:30pm MST, 5:30 PST. For more updates follow @ELCAADM on social or check out facebook.com/elcaadm.
Read MoreThe American Red Cross announced on January 11 that because U.S. blood supplies are at extremely low levels the country is facing an unprecedented blood crisis.
The agency said that the current surge in COVID-19 infections has caused its no-show rates to increase, as large numbers of people get sick. In addition, blood donations were already around 34% lower than before the pandemic because most blood drives are not being held.
Read MoreThe ELCA shares a video featuring Humble Walk Lutheran Church, a community of folks gathering around about the West 7th Neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. More at humblewalkchurch.org.
Read MoreDue to the latest COVID-19 surge and recent changes in Gathering leadership, we are pausing registration so our team can evaluate and discern the most faithful next steps for the 2022 Gathering, MYLE and the tAble. Registration rates and other key dates will be adjusted accordingly. Stay tunedfor updates in the coming weeks.
Read MoreIn observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Bishop Eaton says acknowledging that we have a long way to go to dismantle structural and institutional racism, “we are actively wrestling with the ways the sin of racism shows up in our lives together as a church. We also know that grace gives us the freedom to face our sin.”
Read MoreELCA Coaching is mixing things up in 2022 as they continue to experiment and learn.
You are invited to join ELCA Coaching on January Wednesdays at 1pm Central to hear from various leaders across the Church. They will continue with the theme of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP.
Read MoreWe revisit A Prophetic Call the Church: The Letter from Birmingham Jail, presented last year by the Metro D.C. Synod. Rev. Dr. King’s prophetic call to action to the Church and fellow clergy is grievously and regrettably relevant over 50 years later.
As we honor Rev. Dr. King’s dedication to reforming the Church and American culture, you are invited to listen to 20 African-American voices of rostered leaders of the ELCA.
Read MoreWe are officially in the season of Epiphany: a season of bringing light. This time was marked at first by the magi visiting Jesus during the first Christmas, but the whole season is set to bring to light the reign of God in our world. It might just be because it’s been a long and dark couple of years, but it seemed like in my area there were more Christmas lights than ever.
Read MoreThe Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program has been paused since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the YAGM staff have remained hard at work over the past two years, deepening relationships with global partners and asking important questions that will shape the future of the program. In this video message, YAGM program director Dan Beirne shares some of what he and the staff learned during that process. Find out more about YAGM at ELCA.org/YAGM.
Read MoreAcross the United States and over the years, places of worship and people of faith have been key partners in welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and others in need of hospitality. ELCA members and congregations have recently poured in their concern, prayers, and offers of assistance for uprooted Afghan neighbors following the end of the long war in Afghanistan.
We share a video and two posts from AMMPARO: an overview of the situation, and one on the Urgent Need for Congregational Accompaniment of Afghan refugees. An information session will be held February 8, 2022, at 6 p.m. Central time, and we’ll share the link when we receive it.
Read MorePlease join the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, and the Interchurch Center Committee on Ecumenical, Interfaith, and Community Concerns, for a live-streamed Ecumenical Service of the Word in observation of the 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Wednesday, January 19th, 2022, 10am MST, 9am PST, online via Facebook: Join Here. Free and open to the public; the service will remain available online for later viewing.
Read MoreA year ago, I watched the storming of the U.S. Capitol with horror – outraged at the violence and assault on our democracy, fearful for the lives of public servants and appalled at the proliferation of Christian language and symbols used by the mob. I turned to the book of Isaiah that day, especially chapter 61 where the prophet promises comfort and restoration to those who mourn.
The prophet unveils a vision for rebuilding out of the rubble of national tragedy. The blog post “Actual Renewal and Repair After Capitol Breach” explored this vision and the work of the church after January 6, 2021.
Read MoreFor those affected by snow, ice, and wind during recent winter storms…
For victims of the tragic house fire in Philadelphia…
For political unrest in Kazakhstan…
For the newly baptized and those preparing for baptism and affirmation of baptism…
For researchers and public health officials working to mitigate Covid variants and case count spikes…
For congregations, businesses, and institutions revising and canceling plans in order to stay healthy during this season of Covid…
From the most recent Stories of Faith in Action (SOFIA), we share a snapshot of giving in the ELCA. In 2020, ELCA members gave $1.7 billion in unrestricted offerings to support God’s mission and ministry through the three expressions of the ELCA: congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization.
Thank you for your generosity that enable us to be communities together in Christ serving the world!
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