The Rev. Craig A. Miller, Mifflinburg, Pa., was elected June 18 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA.
Read MoreTo be a female, Black and gay pastor on “Freedom Day” necessitates a certain amount of introspection, for my relationship with the church has long been a queer dance whose steps I don’t often apprehend.
Galatians 3:28 says: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Yet this oneness has been elusive in the ELCA and elsewhere, has it not?
Read MoreAfter consultation with the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and per the Sierra Pacific Synod Constitution (S8.54), the Sierra Pacific Synod Council has appointed the Rev. Claire S. Burkat as its interim bishop.
Read MoreWhen disaster strikes, it’s too late to think about what you should have done to prepare; before disaster strikes, that preparation can be daunting. This guide walks you through the essentials of severe-weather preparedness. Read this PDF from Church Mutual Insurance.
Read MoreDear church,
Whatever personal perspective one might take on the June 24, 2022 abortion ruling from the Supreme Court, it is the legal framework in which we now minister, and I wish to speak a pastoral word at this time.
Read MoreFor those grieving, injured, and displaced after the earthquake in Afghanistan, and for all relief and aid efforts…
For the people of Ethiopia, as their nation is torn apart by civil war…
For those whose lives have been upended by the war in Ukraine, including civilians trapped in their homes, prisoners of war held behind enemy lines, and those grieving loved ones who’ve been killed…
For those organizing and attending Pride celebrations…
For LGBTQIA+ siblings who cannot yet feel safe coming out…
In thanksgiving for the life and work of Clela Rorex, the first county clerk in the U.S. to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple, in Boulder in 1975…
Participate in “Housing and Hunger” with Brooke De Jong (ELCA World Hunger) and get a new resource on housing – June 29, 2022, 3pm MST/PDT, 4pm MDT. Click here to register.
Questions about “Hunger at the Crossroads” can be sent to hunger@elca.org.
Read MoreThe ELCA Youth Gathering is planned and led by amazing, dedicated volunteers who serve on 10 different teams and a small staff from the ELCA Churchwide Office. Applications to serve on one of our planning teams will close on June 24, 2022. Learn more, and apply now!
Read MoreIn this ELCA Advocacy update, we highlight the update from LAMA, who shares news of their $20,000 Spark grant, photos and visits to Washington DC, and the first birthday of the Hunger Leaders Network.
Read MoreThe Rev. Stacie R. Fidlar of Rock Island, Ill., was elected June 18 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA.
Read MoreIn the video we shared at our 2022 Synod Assembly, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton urges us to follow Luther's example and use modern tools to spread the gospel, just as Luther shared the good news with the help of Gutenberg's printing press. 500 years ago this year, Martin Luther published his first translation of the New Testament into German vernacular.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response Western Regions shares their latest newsletter, Upsurge, with climate news and what to expect in Region 2.
Read MoreELCA Worship shares their June news in this newsletter, highlighting All Creation Sings, Spanish resources, and many summer resources and events.
“During the summer months, worship leaders often plan for fall and the next liturgical year. As part of this looking ahead, there can also be an intentional looking back to what has nurtured and shaped your congregation’s worship in the past months.”
Read MoreELCA shares their June, 2022 update, viewable on this web page. Highlights include the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, providing God’s Word in American Sign Language, Evangelical Lutheran Deaf Association 2022 conference, and the ELCA Disability Ministries blog.
Read MoreA well-written mission statement should clearly and concisely communicate the congregation’s purpose for existing and can provide the focus and motivation it needs to carry out its mission. View this PDF at ELCA.org.
Read MoreRostered ministers are heading to Phoenix in July, 2023! If you like to welcome people, help with registration, or have the gift of hospitality, please connect with Pastor Doug Dill: pastordoug@centrallutheranaz.org or 402-235-6969. More info about the gathering at elca.org/rmg.
Read MoreIn her sermon, my pastor lamented that “each person killed was a precious and irreplaceable child of God,” on the Sunday following the racially motivated massacre of 10 shoppers and workers at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. The irreplaceability of each person made in God’s image stands in marked contrast to so-called “Great Replacement” theory, the fear that stoked the White shooter’s hatred and motivation to target and gun down people of African descent.
Read MoreWatch the virtual celebration of the 2022 graduating class of International Women Leaders scholars.
These scholars are graduating from Augsburg University, Concordia College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Luther College, Newberry College, St. Olaf College, Wartburg College and Wittenburg University.
Read MoreThe prolific and prophetic voices of Black people, Indigenous people and people of color in this denomination remind white folks such as myself that being a faithful Lutheran has very little to do with being polite. The Holy Spirit empowers us to tell the truth.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, June 22, 2022, 11am PDT/MST, noon MDT, ELCA Coaching welcomes author and poet Daniel Bowman, Jr., (MFA, Seattle Pacific University) who is associate professor of English at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, where he codirects the Making Literature Conference. The login information can be on the ELCA Coaching website.
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