These conversations offer an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics about congregational engagement in advocacy. The LAMA Roundtable meets the third Monday of the month at 6:30p via Zoom.
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Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler invites you to join us for a Discipleship Journey Seminar, February 17-18, 2023. Explore what being a disciple of Jesus means to you. Register here. Keynote speakers include Rev. Charles Newman, Bishop Deborah K. Hutterer, and Bishop’s Associate Rev. Jacqui Pagel.
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Worried about your congregation today? Wondering what the future holds? You are not alone.
People throughout the church are experiencing doubts, fears, and uneasiness about the future. Bishop Hutterer would like to talk with you about the worries and wonders you are experiencing. If you are invested in our Church’s future, join the conversation at one of our upcoming 2023 spring gatherings.
Click here to register for spring conferences so our host congregations can plan for this event.
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In an article and video in this post, Pastor Stephen Hilding, with Tanque Verde Lutheran Church, shares his trip of a lifetime experience going to the Holy Land in 2022.
Click here to learn more about the Grand Canyon Synod’s Scholarship for International Travel Program and apply by March 1, 2023 for the next scholarships of $6,000.
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With deep gratitude, we are happy to announce that recent gifts put our total to $675,737 in gifts and pledges to our Growing Generosity Appeal. We have now only $74,263 to reach our $750,000 total. Thank you!
Stay tuned for stories of how these gifts have already been put to use. We invite you to help raise our final $75,000 by the end of 2023 through gifts from congregations, foundations, endowments, and individuals!
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This week, the Office of the Bishop travels and preaches, attends the synod council meeting, and keeps the data flowing. We also share photos from last week’s Colorado River Conference Spring Gathering, at Christ Lutheran in Las Vegas .
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Conditions are improving in most of the country, with reported cases and hospitalizations both falling by more than 20 percent nationally in the past two weeks.
Note: our updates can be a week behind due to our news cycle overlapping with Thursday updates. View the latest CDC and NYTimes updates here.
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Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) is co-sponsor of the Anti-Hunger Alliance Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 13th, 2023, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm at the Wesley Bolin Plaza. Complimentary lunch included. Please join us! Learn more on the lamaz.org site.
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It’s brave and smart to seek help if you’re living with stress, depression, anxiety, or mental health struggles – but accessing an in-person counselor isn’t always easy or even possible.
That’s one reason the ELCA-Primary health plan EAP benefit has expanded to include Talkspace, digital confidential online counseling with licensed therapists via text, video, or audio. Read more on myPortico.
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We pray for The Rev. Kerry Neuhardt and the people of Church of Our Saviour in Lakeside, part of the High Country Conference. Visit their site at churchofoursaviourwm.org, and their Facebook. page.
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The Extravaganza, an annual gathering of children, youth and family ministry leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, took place Feb. 3-6 in Anaheim, Calif. The event was hosted by the ELCA's Youth Ministry Network.
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Over the weekend, the ELCA Youth Gathering team announced that "the registration fees for the first 1,000 registrants for the ELCA MYLE and the first 200 registrants for the tAble will be waived by the Gathering for the 2024 cycle." These events are in New Orleans, 7/13-7/16/2024.
The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) is a gathering for youth of color that happens just before the ELCA Gathering, and The tAble is a gathering for young people who live with a range of physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities. Be on the lookout for more details coming soon!
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The annual Report to the Bishop is an opportunity for you to connect directly with Bishop Hutterer. She looks forward to your responses and feedback. Completion of this required report is one of the commitments rostered ministers are invited to make upon entering the synod.
The report is due back to Bishop Hutterer by February 28, 2023. Access the report in this post or on our rostered minister report page.
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We pray for Pastor Chris Stoxen, Pastor Louis Ochoa, and the people of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mesa, part of the Rio Salado Conference. Visit their site at firstevlutheran.com, and their Facebook page.
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You are invited to join us for an Interfaith Prayer Gathering of inspirational stories of hope. Experience “Finding Hope in New Beginnings,” a virtual zoom community bringing people of different faiths and perspectives together to share stories of hope and inspiration.
Wednesday, 2/15/2023, noon MST, 11am PST, featuring Susan Masood with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. Hosted by Northeast Valley Consortium & Fountain Hills, AZ, Interfaith Alliance. More info in this post, as PDF, or email HopeInOurWorldNow@gmail.com.
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Please share your congregation’s plan for 2023 Mission Support by February 15, 2023 so the Synod Council can plan for the coming year. Thank you!
In this post, we share a letter (English, Spanish) from Bishop Hutterer and Synod Vice President Barbara Carl, thanking you and our synod’s congregations for continued mission support, half of which is passed to ELCA churchwide for ministry in the larger church.
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All active Grand Canyon Synod rostered ministers are required to participate in professional boundary training every three years. Retired rostered ministers are not required. The Office of the Bishop has partnered with CongregationU to provide Boundary Awareness Training for $29.00.
Click here to take this course by 2/15/2023, and email your certificate of completion to office@gcsynod.org by 2/28/2023. Learn more in a letter from Bishop Hutterer in this post.
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The Arizona Faith Network’s February, 2023 newsletter is available online, featuring Black History Month and AFN's Stone of Hope web page; meeting schedules; a Simplicity and Interfaith Gathering; Environmental Day at the Capitol; Black History Month Film Festival; Faith Rooted Advocacy Leadership Series; Human Trafficking Awareness Webinar; the Connection to Nature Interfaith Family Event; and much more.
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Our synod’s ELCA Foundation planners—Lisa Higginbotham and Josh Kerney—share a monthly bible verse and charitable giving tip. This month’s verse is Galatians 6:6-10, and we explore planned giving.
Also known as Legacy Planning, Estate Planning, and Gift Planning, Planned Giving is a proactive action of love and consideration to include our beloved charities and congregations in our end-of-life plans.
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Luther Seminary's Faith+Lead Bookhub for February, 2023 is 2/16/2023, entitled Work that Means Something: Experiencing God’s invitation in the ordinary. Learn more and sign up here, and check out the three featured books:
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