The Church Council of the ELCA met at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, Nov. 10–Nov. 13, 2022. The council welcomed ELCA Vice President Imran Siddiqui and 18 new members, elected by the 2022 Churchwide Assembly.
In key action, the council approved a nomination process for the Commission on a Renewed Lutheran Church.
Read MoreIn the predawn hours of May 30, 2022, in Valley Springs, S.D., tornado sirens pierced the air, rain poured and windows clattered as they blew off hinges.
Beaver Valley Lutheran, a steadily growing congregation of around 420 active members, was directly in the path of the tornado. The church, more than a century old, suffered significant damage. Its offices, kitchen, fellowship hall and education wing were mangled into unrecognizable piles of debris, said Greg Johnson, pastor of Beaver Valley.
Read MoreExecutive certificate in religious fundraising from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Wednesdays from Jan. 4 through March 8 (except for Ash Wednesday), with a smaller cohort meeting an additional day each week. The course is offered at a steep discount for parish deacons and ministers, at only $550. Contact Rev. Larry Strenge or Rev. Timothy Brown with questions. Learn more here.
“Learning Donor Motivations” stewardship webinar, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, 6 p.m. Central time.
Join ELCA Coaching on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 when we will hear from Christina Costa, MSc, a Psychology PhD candidate at University of Michigan. Log in info is on the ELCA Coaching website.
When a psychologist who studies well-being ends up with a brain tumor, what happens when she puts her own research into practice? Christina goes beyond the "fight" narrative of cancer -- or any formidable personal journey -- to highlight the brain benefits of an empowering alternative (hint: gratitude) to fostering resilience in the face of unexpected challenges.
Read MoreFor worship leaders and musicians preparing for Advent and Christmas…
For those traveling this Thanksgiving holiday, those who will spending the holiday alone or with one less place setting this year, and those for whom holiday gatherings bring grief or anxiety…
For those who grow, distribute, sell, and prepare our food, and the land from which it grows…
For those struggling and working to rebuild in the wake of flooding and natural disasters…
For those grieving in the aftermath of the University of Virginia shooting and for an end to gun violence…
For an end to the continued war in Ukraine and all places of war and conflict…
Churches around the world are coming together to participate in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Starting on Nov 25th, 2022, we will be acting, lifting voices, and promoting a more justice world for women and girls.
Please find attached the form to sign up here for your activity during this campaign, and learn more in this post.
Read MoreIn December 2021, western Kentucky was hit by a series of deadly and destructive tornadoes, destroying over 1,300 homes. In July 2022, record-setting floods inundated communities in eastern Kentucky. The flooding caused heavy damage to homes and local infrastructure. Recovery in both areas will takes years.
Read MoreAccording to Wikipedia, politics, from the Greek politika (“affairs of the city”), is the set of activities associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. It’s jarring to see such a definition because politics is currently far from what it was intended to be.
Read MoreI invited the youth to write down all the things they could think of that were good. I told them to keep writing, not to lift up their pens, and to list as many things—big and small—that felt good to them. Once we finished sharing, I asked one question: Did anyone include themselves on the list? I met their eyes and saw surprise and many heads shaking. Not one had added their name to their list of good things.
Read MoreWhen I met Mark, his first marriage had failed, as had mine, but his love and commitment toward his young daughter, Kristen, were unshakable. When we married, she became a full-fledged member of our new family, and I became a stepmother.
The time and increasing closeness Kristen and I shared brought me immense joy. Even so, I often felt insecure as she came and went on a schedule beyond my control, always returning to the care of a woman whose claim and closeness far outweighed my own.
Read MoreA common challenge regarding stewardship is finding organic ways to speak about it. The following upcoming readings this Advent and Epiphany are just a few hooks on which a stewardship thought might hang: Matthew 24:36-44, Nov. 27; Matthew 3:13-17, Jan. 8, 2023; and Matthew 5:13-20 | Feb. 5, 2023.
Read MoreELCA worship invites you to give feedback on prayers of intercession by 11/23/2022.
Intercession prompts:
For newly elected and re-elected public officials and a willingness to reach across party lines for the well-being of all people, especially the most vulnerable…
For deepening political divisions within our communities, nation, and families…
For those who are unemployed or underemployed…
For residents of Florida and the Bahamas, as Tropical Storm Nicole makes landfall and intensifies…
For an end to the continued war in Ukraine and all places of war and conflict…
A message from the Director of the ELCA Youth Gathering, Deacon Tammy Jones West, on how the upcoming ELCA Youth Gathering theme was chosen.
Read MoreThe gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have sections where Jesus makes dramatic predictions about things that will happen in the future. Because these things seem to be hidden from general knowledge and are being revealed as special information to Jesus’ followers, they are called “apocalyptic” sayings. These terms “apocalypse” and “apocalyptic” are Greek words meaning “uncovering” or “revealing.”
Read MoreOne of my favorite Sunday school songs is “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man” (“And a wee little man was he”). I love teaching the actions to kids and watching them light up at the seeming silliness of the story—from pretending to climb the tree to peering down at Jesus as Zacchaeus to looking up at Zacchaeus as Jesus.
Read MoreIn line with standard ELCA protocol, the project to create a new social message on Climate Care is being shepherded by the ELCA Director for Theological Ethics, working with a lead writer in collaboration with a group of reviewers.
The draft social message is now available for public feedback! Read the social message draft here and then use this survey to share your input by Friday, December 2, 2022.
Read MoreRev. Louise Johnson, Executive for Administration with the ELCA, invites rostered ministers to participate in a survey being conducted by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Duke Endowment. The survey, open through November 2022, is part of a major national study on the health and future flourishing of mainline Protestant clergy and churches.
Read MoreWelcome to the first issue of “Where Your Heart Is,” the new stewardship newsletter of the ELCA (subscribe here).
In the coming months and years, I hope we not only dig into some of the things valued in our lives, both personal and collective, but also highlight the important and honest fact that all of life is an act of stewardship, from our first breath to our last. How do we use our days?
Read MoreIn this Living Lutheran article, 1517 Media’s Dawn Rundman recommends three books: The Wit of Martin Luther; Baptized, We Live: Lutheranism As a Way of Life; and Luther the Reformer.
Read MoreThe ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program is ready for new volunteers! Applications are now open, and you can invite young adults on this journey abroad for the 2023-2024 program year.
If you know young adults aged 21 to 29, this is the time to reach out. Encourage them to apply for YAGM by the deadline of Feb.1, 2023. (Priority deadline is Jan. 15, 2023.) YAGM volunteers will begin in August 2023. Learn more at ELCA.org/YAGM.
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