Posts in ELCA
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: June 19, 2022
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: June 19, 2022

  • For students of all ages, as another academic year comes to a close…

  • For new high school and college graduates, as they navigate their next steps forward…

  • For citizens of this nation, as we re-visit the events of January 6…

  • For all who gather this weekend to mark Juneteenth…
    For all victims of gun violence and race-based aggression, especially remembering the Emmanuel Nine…

  • For those affected by record heatwaves, rainfall, and extreme weather and for renewed commitment in working toward climate justice…

  • For all struggling to make ends meet amidst skyrocketing costs for daily necessities…

  • For fathers and all who offer compassionate, parental care…

  • For ELCA synod assemblies and for other denominations meeting in their respective conferences and assemblies…

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ELCA, PrayersBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
June 20, 2022: World Refugee Day 2022
June 20, 2022: World Refugee Day 2022

With so many lives in danger, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) call Lutherans on this World Refugee Day, June 20, to continue to honor our legacy of generous and compassionate welcome and advocacy for those who seek refuge and safety, including those who have resettled in the United States.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardImmigration and Refugees, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)Comment
Bishop Eaton participates in Emanuel Nine commemoration event to launch yearlong Bible study
Bishop Eaton participates in Emanuel Nine commemoration event to launch yearlong Bible study

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will join faith and government leaders on June 17, 2022, to mark the seventh anniversary of the racially motivated shootings at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. Watch the event here.

The leaders will participate in a commemorative Bible study event that will kick off a yearlong Bible study across the country. The theme for the event, "What Kind of Soil Are We?," is taken from Mark 4:1-20, the Bible passage the Emanuel Nine were studying on the night they were murdered by Dylann Roof (who was raised in an ELCA congregation).

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardRacial Justice, Emanuel 9, Gun ViolenceComment
Situation Report: May 2022 Tornadoes
Situation Report: May 2022 Tornadoes

On the night of May 30, a series of storms, including tornadoes, swept through the Central Great Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley. In Minnesota, heavily affected communities included Eagle Bend, Clarissa and Browerville, where over 100 buildings were damaged. In South Dakota, a tornado impacted the area around the city of Brandon, severely damaging Beaver Valley Lutheran Church in Valley Springs.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardLutheran Disaster ResponseComment
Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe (June 6, 2022)
Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe (June 6, 2022)

More than three months since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, fighting continues to intensify as humanitarian conditions deteriorate. The United Nations’ OCHA Ukraine: Humanitarian Report estimates that 6.6 million people have fled the country and 8 million are displaced internally.

Read this situation report from Lutheran Disaster Response, including partner updates with Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary (ELCH) and Lutheran World Federation.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardEvangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary (ELCH), Lutheran World Federation, Lutheran Disaster Response, Russia and Ukraine WarComment
Commemoration of the Emanuel Nine: June 17, 2022
Commemoration of the Emanuel Nine: June 17, 2022

As part of the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted a resolution designating June 17 as a commemoration of the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9—the nine people shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

Our relationship to the shooter, as well as two of the slain, reminds us of both our complicity and our calling.

The resources at elca.org/emanuelnine are provided to help synods and congregations mark this commemoration.

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ELCA, News, Resources, Worship ResourcesBrian FlatgardGun Violence, Emanuel 9, Racial JusticeComment
4 things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe
4 things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe

Cybercriminals don’t just focus on “the big guys.” Whether you have 10 employees or 10,000, human error is easily exploited by cybercriminals, and in fact a large percentage of cyberattacks are caused by human error or behavior.

Therefore, employees need to understand why protecting sensitive information is important and how to recognize threats. Here are four things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe. Learn more at cisa.gov.

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ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardAdministration MattersComment
New E-book: The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night
New E-book: The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night

The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night, a new e-book by Kenneth Q. Tan, a partner at CapinCrouse, delves into four key topics — sustainability, succession, structure and security — that leaders must address to prepare their churches for the challenges and opportunities presented by this ever-changing landscape. This free e-book includes checklists, best practices and discussion questions for your leadership team.

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ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardAdministration MattersComment
A message from Presiding Bishop Eaton regarding Bishop Megan Rohrer
A message from Presiding Bishop Eaton regarding Bishop Megan Rohrer

The Conference of Bishops (COB) met Sunday evening; Bishop Megan Rohrer chose not to attend. I shared that I am initiating the discipline process immediately, including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light. The COB strongly affirmed this decision. This process will take time, and I will provide updates as appropriate. I ask for your continued prayers for this church.

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News, Letters, ELCA, Bishop EatonBrian FlatgardBishop Rohrer, Region 2, Sierra Pacific SynodComment
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: June 5, 2022
Prompts for Prayers of Intercession: June 5, 2022

  • For rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts in Mexico following Hurricane Agatha…

  • For survivors, victims, and loved ones affected by recent mass shootings across the United States…

  • For safety, justice, and freedom from fear for all who live with the threat of gun violence in their communities…

  • For homes, communities, nations, and international relationships to be filled with peace and understanding…
    For our Jewish neighbors as they celebrate Shavuot and the gift of God’s law to Moses…

  • With thanksgiving for the gifts of LGBTQIA2S+ people in the church and across our society…

  • For an end to homophobia, transphobia, and gender-based discrimination…

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ELCA, PrayersBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
ELCA Fund for Leaders: We Don’t Become Leaders by Accident
ELCA Fund for Leaders: We Don’t Become Leaders by Accident

Fund for Leaders alum Meredith Kesely has served as the head pastor at Abiding Presence in Burke, Va. since 2010. In 2021, the congregation called Kelsey Kresse, another Fund for Leaders alum, to serve as its associate pastor. Both pastors reflect on their leadership journeys and the ways Abiding Presence is fostering future leaders. Your support for Fund for Leaders will allow more pastors like Meredith and Kelsey to say “yes” to God’s call. ELCA.org/FundforLeaders25

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ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardELCA Fund for LeadersComment
Faith Lens: Noticed, Named, and Known
Faith Lens: Noticed, Named, and Known

Recent research about Gen Z from the Springtide Research Institute suggests that a combination of three things leads to young people, aged 13-25, feeling like they belong in school: being noticed, named, and known by a community. Paying attention to someone, noticing rather than ignoring them, increases that person’s sense of connectedness. Greeting someone, holding the door for them, blessing them after a sneeze—all are simple ways to notice.

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Worship Resources, ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardFaith Lens, Youth and Young Adult, 2022 Holy WeekComment