Yvonne Shortt is an artist who uses grasses, clay, moss, and other natural materials to create beautiful sculptures of people’s heads. Slowly over time Yvonne began losing her eyesight because of a rare genetic disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Her story is part of a documentary called Adapt-Ability by filmmaker James Robinson which highlights how her limitations are really a gift to her art.
Read MoreIn Ghana, water scarcity threatens the lives and livelihoods of nearly 90% of the population. Even in urban areas, more than half the people lack access to clean, safe water. In developing countries such as Ghana, almost 80% of illnesses and deaths are caused by water-borne diseases, which in turn are driven by people needing to rely on unsafe water sources.
Read MoreHow do we go in peace to love and serve the Lord in civic life?
The ELCA invites you and your congregation to explore this and other questions by using "A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith." View a video on this question in this post, along with a PDF guide.
Read MoreJust over two years ago, after decades of working, Susan became disabled. “I was newly poor and relatively terrified,” she wrote. “With literally everything stripped from the budget except a roof over our heads and very modest transportation, the monthly budget showed a balance of negative $5. The meaning of food insecurity became abundantly clear.”
Read MoreWhen Detroit Police Officer Marcus Harris II got a call to check in on an individual sleeping at an abandoned gas station, he found far more than he ever expected. At first, Corporal Harris went through the motions, offering the man, Adrian Hugh, a bus ticket back to California.
But after taking time to talk and get to know one another, Corporal Harris and Hugh realized that there was more they could do together than apart.
Read MoreWhat's faith-based living got to do with civic life?
The ELCA invites you and your congregation to explore this and other questions by using "A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith." View a video on this question in this post, along with a PDF guide.
Read MoreDeep breaths, time with loved ones, a good night’s sleep … what are your best practices for keeping yourself centered and healthy?
If you’re looking to expand your toolbox, and you have ELCA-Primary health benefits, check out Learn to Live’s new course focusing on building resilience. Take the initial assessment and then enroll in the self-guided program at no out-of-pocket cost to you: learntolive.com.
Read MoreWhen a building collapses, there’s an estimated 48-hour window during which trapped victims might be rescued. More generous estimates expand that to five or six days, maximum. Beyond that, the odds of survival decrease significantly. But after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey on February 6th, rescue teams were still pulling survivors from the rubble nearly 10 days later!
Read More“You are a hiding place for me.” —Psalm 32:7
Psalm 32 is a fitting way to begin the season of Lent. The season has most commonly been understood through the centuries as a time of fasting and preparation for Easter, a time when new Christians were often baptized.
Read MoreWhat are the objectives of democracy in the United States?
The ELCA invites you and your congregation to explore this and other questions by using "A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith." View a video on this question in this post, along with a PDF guide.
Read MoreThe Richard R. Hammar Clergy Tax Guide and the Federal Reporting Guide for Churches are both available on myPortico at no cost to you.
Read MoreThe February, 2023 edition of Go and Do News, a newsletter from ELCA World Hunger, is available. This edition features 40 Days of Giving, a new vacation Bible school program, The Dwelling, The Legacy of Martin Lutheran King Jr. event, partner spotlight Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), and featured resources.
Read MoreAfter perhaps a year or more of not gathering on-site for Ash Wednesday services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, worshiping communities across a large swath of the US are dealing with or expecting severe weather that would prevent gathering on-site.
Conversations on social media have begun, as fellow worship planners ask one another what they are doing when assembling for worship on-site will not be possible.
Read MoreELCA Worship shares their news for January, 2023.
Don't forget to visit ELCA.org/worship and click on "Worship Resources" for a library of liturgical and formational resources for use in your context. You might find something new (or new to you) and share it with others who help plan worship in your context. Blessings as we approach Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.
Read MoreStudents of all races at Collingswood High School in South Jersey recently protested two straight days over allegations of racism in their school. During the peaceful demonstration, students protested racial profiling, lack of inclusivity, and how their Black classmates are disproportionately disciplined.
In a recorded statement student Abygail St. Louis shares her frustration and why it has come to protesting for equal rights for her and her classmates. She says she would rather be in the classroom.
Read MoreJoin us this season — on your own, in a small group or with your congregation — as we encounter the psalms anew and unite in our efforts to end hunger. Visit elca.org/40days to download or order a suite of resources to equip you on the journey.
Read MoreIn the fall of 2021, the ELCA Worship Blog began a weekly series entitled, “Prompts for Prayers of Intercession.” Beginning this Lent, the blog series will be retitled, “For What Shall We Pray?”
This new title honors a more expansive understanding of the purpose of this resource. It is a weekly invitation for individuals, groups, and congregations to remain mindful of the needs of our world, and to lift one another up in prayer.
Read MoreWhat are Lutheran views on civic life?
The ELCA invites you and your congregation to explore this and other questions by using "A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith." View a video on this question in this post, along with a PDF guide.
Read MoreAll 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.
Read MoreDr. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a celebrated poet, author, teacher, filmmaker, and civil rights activist, among other roles and accomplishments. When interviewed upon being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Angelou reflected: “I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say, “‘I’m a Christian.’ I think, ‘Already? You’ve already got it?’ I’m working at it…”
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