“We should look to see what God is doing in our lives but with the knowledge that God isn't out to get us but God is there to guide us, comfort us, perhaps sometimes to challenge us but always to be leading us in the right direction and caring for us along the way.”
View this month’s Cup of Generosity in this post or in this PDF.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Andrea Cain, Rev. Thaddeus Book and the people of Desert Cross Lutheran Church in Tempe and Gilbert, part of the Fiesta Conference. Visit their site at desertcross.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read More"ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World" provides general guidance for occasions when Christians and people of other religions come together. Included are recommendations for prayer services, crisis and tragedy response, social ministries, pastoral care, weddings and funerals.
"Preaching and Teaching with Love and Respect for the Jewish People" explores challenging topics, lectionary selections, and Bible passages to inform Christian preaching and teaching so that they respect the integrity of the Jewish tradition and avoid anti-Jewish interpretations of New Testament texts.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop does some traveling this week for meetings, conferences, and preaching.
We also share photos from the Synod Council and Dean Retreat last weekend at Ascension Lutheran in Paradise Valley, where our guests and presenters included the ELCA’s Vance Blackfox, Native American Urban Ministry’s Rev. Mary Louise Frenchman and Wanda Frenchman, as well as Patterson Yazzie and Patty Charley with Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission.
Read MoreWe celebrate the following ordination anniversaries this week:
Rev. Nanette Christofferson, Love of Christ, Mesa, who celebrates 3 years on October 5.
Rev. Kimberly Sterner, Lord of Life, Sun City West, who celebrates 36 years on October 5.
For relief and recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian and Typhoon Noru…
For communities grieving and rebuilding after flooding in Pakistan…
For all areas of the world who have suffered recent natural disasters…
For the health of creation…
For peace amidst leadership and regime transitions across the world…
For those whose mental and physical health is affected by changing seasons…
For blessings upon our Jewish siblings marking Yom Kippur this week…
In thanksgiving for LGBTQIA+ siblings…
Five hundred years ago in September, at the Leipzig Fair in the German state of Saxony, the printer Melchior Lotter Jr. offered up for sale his first edition of the New Testament as translated from the ancient Greek into the German vernacular by Martin Luther. By then Luther was notorious across Europe for his attacks on the papacy. He had been denounced as a heretic, excommunicated by Pope Leo X and condemned by Charles V, leader of the Holy Roman Empire. The edition of 3,000 copies sold out rapidly.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. David Drach-Meinel, Rev. Diane Drach-Meinel and the people of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Henderson, part of the Colorado River Conference. Visit their site at cslconline.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read MoreThe Rocky Mountain Synod shares this upcoming interview with Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers, on Wednesday, 11/2/2022, 5:30pm MST/PDT, 6:30 MDT. Register for The Rise of Christian Nationalism webinar here.
Read MoreLuther Seminary’s faith+lead presents a free webinar featuring Andy Root and Ryan Panzer on October 12, 2022, 11am-noon MST/PDT, noon-1pm MDT. Get more info and register here. Registration will be capped at 300 participants.
Read MoreIs your congregation ready to take some steps (even small steps) toward renewal or revitalization? These four fast-paced and creative training sessions jump start the process, starting 10/6/2022 through 11/17/2022.
Register for free here. For more information, please contact Pr. Miguel Gomez-Acosta, miguel.gomez-acosta@elca.org.
Read MoreThe Planning Team shares a letter of invitation to the Rostered Ministers Gathering in Phoenix next summer, July 17-20, 2023. You’re invited to join colleagues under the theme of "Rekindle the gift within you" (2 Timothy 1:6).
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.
Read MoreIf you love to sing, join the Central Arizona Guild of Organists and La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church for a free hymn sing at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale.
The hour-long “Hymns for Him: a Hymn Festival Sing-Along,” will feature guild members playing La Casa de Cristo’s 91-rank Berghaus Pipe Organ, which, with its 5067 pipes, is among the largest pipe organs in the Southwest. A reception will follow the hymn sing.
Read MoreThe Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement in support of HM King Abdullah II following his speech at the UN Assembly in NY on September 20, 2022. The speech raised concerns about threats to the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response is responding to Hurricane Fiona through the Caribbean Synod. The synod is providing gift cards for people impacted by the flooding so they can purchase their immediate needs. As the damage from the hurricane is assessed, Lutheran Disaster Response and the Caribbean Synod will develop a long-term recovery plan. Additionally, Lutheran Disaster Response is funding a disaster response and diaconal ministry team for the synod.
Read MoreAccompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities (AMMPARO) responds to recent arrivals of migrants by bus.
“Those who cross through our country to get to a better place to live are human beings with needs who eat, who drink and who need to rest. Let us not allow rejection and xenophobia to be more visible than God’s great acts of justice and love” —Moises Perez Espino, Biblical Studies; Old Testament and Migration
Read MoreJohn Stewart is an actor, comedian, and talk show host. He is probably most famous for hosting The Daily Show, a comedy news show, for many years. Stewart is also a well known advocate for 9/11 first responders and the military.
Read MoreWe still have a few rooms open for active rostered ministers and any retired pastors actively serving in a congregation at the 2022 Bishop’s Fall Gathering. Learn more and register here by Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Interns serving in your congregations are most welcome! Partial scholarships are available, and we can assist you in pairing you with a roommate if needed.
Read MoreA 58-inch conference table is available from All Saint's Lutheran in Phoenix. Please call Shari Clark, Parish Administrator at602-866-9191 ext. 103 if interested.
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