Posts in ELCA
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: April 3, 2022
  • For further casualties suffered by combatants and civilians in Ukraine…

  • For those who suffer or grieve interpersonal violence

  • For areas suffering wind and storm damage…

  • For all drivers, passengers, and first responders involved in the massive crash on the Pennsylvania interstate…

  • For those navigating chronic, invisible, or progressive illnesses…

  • For those grieving loved ones killed by terrorist gunfire in Tel Aviv…

  • For youth who are navigating questions of identity, gender, and sexual orientation, and for the trusted adults who support them…

  • For our Muslim siblings as they begin the observance of Ramadan…

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ELCA Coaching offers Courageous Leadership by topic each first Wednesday

When Jesus began His ministry, He immediately formed a small group. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we gather in small groups for discussion and empowerment in the crucible of change for us as faith leaders. Join ELCA Coaching on April 6, 2022, 11am MST/PDT, noon MDT.

A majority of this hour will be spent in breakout rooms with conversations facilitated by our ELCA Coaches focused on: Growing Young, Grief in our Communities, Personal Grief, Rural Ministry, Urban Ministry, Hybrid Church, Advocacy, Race Relations, Allyship – LGTBQIA+, Conflict, Leadership Development.

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2024 ELCA Youth Gathering location is New Orleans

The 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering will be held in New Orleans, July 16-20. The Gathering pre-events — the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble, the ELCA gathering for youth living with disabilities — will be held July 13-16.

The Gathering leadership team is collecting ideas to help choose a theme for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering. Participate in the survey here.

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Additional worship texts for Good Friday and Easter

As we approach Holy Week and the Easter season, you may desire worship texts that hold in tension the joy of the resurrection with the reality of violence and suffering in our world in Eastern Europe and around the globe.

Below are three newly composed worship texts by Gail Ramshaw — For Good Friday, For the Easter Season, and an Eastertide Lament — available for use in your context during Holy Week. Guidance for use precedes each selection.

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Updated ELCA Style Guide reflects shift in use of gendered language

As language continues to evolve around the way we identify ourselves and others, so has the ELCA’s style guide. The most recent shift involves use of gendered language regarding our siblings in Christ, with a focus on ways to ensure that we represent everyone in the church, emphasizing gender-inclusive terminology and using titles and pronouns to reflect and honor nonbinary identities. Download the newest version at ELCA.org/brandmark.

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Recommendations for congregation secretaries

Every congregation requires a secretary. The secretary is arguably the most important officer, responsible for organizing, assimilating and disseminating information within and without the organization. They need to be organized, hardworking and intelligent, with excellent writing skills. In this post (or view as PDF), your congregation’s secretary can find some recommendations/guidelines for performing their duties efficiently.

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2023 Domestic Hunger Grants webinar

ELCA World Hunger will host a Zoom webinar April 6 at 10am MST/PST to review granting priorities and cover the basics of applying for ELCA World Hunger’s 2023 Domestic Hunger Grants. To join us for this virtual event, please register here for a Zoom link. The webinar will be recorded and accessible via the Domestic Hunger Grant FAQ page.

Visit the Domestic Hunger Grants page and this FAQ page about applying.

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Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe Crisis Response

As of Mar. 23, over 3.5 million people are estimated to have left Ukraine, most of which are women and children. The refugees are primarily fleeing to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. According to UNHCR, another 2 million people are displaced within Ukraine.

Lutheran Disaster Response has committed over $2 million to companion churches and ecumenical partners that are accompanying refugees and other impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

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Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: March 27, 2022
  • For Kyiv, for Mariupol, for all places where violence rages, for all who have been driven from their homes, for all whose lives and livelihoods are endangered, for love to vanquish hate…

  • For all who grieve the deaths of loved ones onboard the China Eastern flight that fatally crashed in southern China…

  • For all impacted by tornadoes and severe storms, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi…

  • For farmers making difficult decision in the wake of increased fuel prices and supply shortages…

  • For an international commitment to combating racism and white supremacy, especially in the church…

  • With gratitude for the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which included a delegation from the Lutheran World Federation…

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Faith Lens: Lost and Found

After 106 years of searching, a ship lost miles below the icy water near Antartica was recently found! Explorer Ernest Shackelton’s ship, Endurance, was exploring these frigid waters when it became trapped by ice and could no longer move. Scientists say that because it sank in such cold water the ship is almost perfectly intact, as if it sunk yesterday! Such a discovery!

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March 2022 Advocacy Updates

We share advocacy updates from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. as well as the UN and state edition, including U.N., Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

In this post we feature and highlight the update from Solveig Muus, Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA).

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