After coming out as a transgender woman more than two years ago, Vica Steel never dreamed of forging a path to church leadership. Until now.
“It’s Never Too Late” is a series from the New York Times that tells the stories of people who decide to pursue their dreams on their own terms. Read the article here which highlights Vica Steel, who is studying at Wartburg Theological Seminary, in Dubuque, Iowa, to become an ELCA pastor.
Read MoreOn 9/15/2021, members of Sodhi’s family, friends as well as nationally known elected leaders and people of different faiths gathered at the Chevron station in Mesa, Arizona, to memorialize Sodhi. Catholic Sister Simone Campbell revered Sodhi as a saint and a holy man “for his generosity in caring for neighbors.” Read the article from Religion News Service here.
Read MoreAfter much prayer and conversation, Gathering leadership have decided to require full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative test result (likely 72 hours before arrival) to attend the 2022 Gathering, MYLE and the tAble.
For a list of updated Frequently Asked Questions, we encourage you to visit: elca.org/YouthGathering/COVID19.
Read MoreTom Cunniff, General Counsel with the ELCA, shares a a resource on items for congregations to consider when evaluating their relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. It can be found as a PDF on elca.org or in this post.
Read MoreThe GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY retreat will inspire you to get outside, connect with creation, laugh and play more, & follow Jesus into the world: March 13-16, 2022, at Spirit in the Desert.
Read MoreEach week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. View the slideshow here.
This week’s photo gallery includes Yom Kippur, Bishop Rohrer’s installation, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Balbir Singh Sodhi’s memorial in Mesa, Arizona, and more.
Read MoreRisk levels in our synod’s counties are roughly the same: extremely or very high for unvaccinated people.
Extremely high risk counties for unvaccinated people in our synod include Clark, Gila, Greenlee, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma and Washington counties.
Very high risk counties include Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Pima, and Santa Cruz.
The Office of the Bishop team ranges from Las Vegas to Spain this week. View all the details for each team member in this post.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton encourages us to celebrate and pray for the new bishops being installed in our region and throughout America.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA has many free Bible study resources available, both online and in physical books and videos. Simply pay the postage and they’re yours! View their resources page for more info and contact info. A list is in this post as well.
Read MoreVisit gcsynod.org/grants to get more info and apply for over $200,000 available in Project Support Grants, and Adapting, Connecting, Transforming, and Sustaining (ACTS) Grants. Submit applications by 10/15/2021.
You can also view our Q&A webinar and resources in this blog post.
Read MoreELCA’s Region 2 celebrates the installation of Bishop Brenda Bos in the Southwest California Synod, and Bishop Megan Rohrer in the Sierra Pacific Synod. Check out information and highlights at the Southwest California Synod’s website and Facebook page, and at Sierra Pacific’s Synod website, Facebook, and this wrap-up newsletter.
Read More“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service president and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said. “The outpouring of support we’ve seen … feels unprecedented and awe-inspiring. It feels like a unique moment.”
In a typical week, LIRS would see maybe a dozen people sign up to volunteer. In the past three weeks, 45,000 people signed up. And LIRS has partnerships lined up with Airbnb for housing, Uber for transportation and Walmart for gift cards.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Christopher Heller, Rev. Glenn Zorb and the people of Mountain View Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Fiesta Conference. Visit their site at mvlutheran.org, and their social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Read MoreStudents from ASU and U of A Lutheran Campus Ministries gathered for the 41st time in San Diego for a Labor Day Weekend retreat. Each ministry did their own community building activities and discussions, with shared times are on the beach, worship on La Jolla cliffs, breakfast at Mission Bay, and meditation exercises.
Read MoreNational Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week is now through Saturday, September 18. Once trained to be caregivers only for those who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), their responsibilities have grown to be so much more. Read more from Mosaic.
Read MoreEveryone hoped that the conflict over whether to mask or not mask amid the COVID pandemic would be over by now. It isn’t. The number of cases continues to climb and mask mandates–and opposition to them–are also rising. A recent article points out that the issue can be framed as whether the vulnerable have a right to feel safe at school.
Read MoreWorking the overnight shift at the chapel at Ramstein Air Base in Germany is a challenge, but Chaplain Katie Osweiler is thankful to be helping refugees from Afghanistan on their way to new lives free of the Taliban.
Read MoreThe 2021-2022 Stories of Faith in Action resources are available at ELCA.org/SOFIA. Dive into the latest issue, which is now available in its digital edition or print edition, and includes:
A special message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
Nine inspiring stories from around the country and the world.
Your 2020 financial report on Mission Support — the portion of your offering your congregation shares with your synod, and your synod shares with the churchwide organization.
A story-based devotional for use at Bible studies or committee meetings.
'You cannot be a truly godly person unless you have respect for every path to God,' said Monsignor Jim Lisante, who lost 30 parishioners on 9/11. Read the article from Religion News Service here.
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