Rev. R. Stewart McDonald, who celebrates 36 years on November 12.
Rev. Ruby Myers, Trinity, Phoenix, who celebrates 1 years on November 13.
Rev. David Krueger, who celebrates 46 years on November 14.
In the South and West, several states — including Nevada, New Mexico and Utah — have seen reported cases increase by 50 percent or more over the past two weeks.
According to the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels, Apache is a high level county. All other synod counties are low level: Apache, Clark, Coconino, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Nye, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Washington, and Yuma.
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Join facilitator Sheri Brown this Advent to explore what faith is making of you this Advent season … and to practice making a few gifts for the world in response. Our Advent of Making will be a season of making peace, making hope, making comfort, and making joy.
Join the Spirit community for a scant hour on Sundays at 4pm MST, 5pm PST. Weekly themes and program details here. The four programs are free of charge, but donations are welcome.
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“Beloved – No Matter What” the theme for the ELCA Youth Leadership Summit at the Carol Joy Holling Camp in Ashland, Nebraska. Three youth from across the Grand Canyon Synod traveled with Pr. Jacqui Pagel to meet up with 100 other youth, young adults, and leaders to practice better ways to communicate God’s love to all in and out of our churches.
Please contact Pr. Jacqui if you are a youth or have a youth that would like to represent the Grand Canyon Synod at The Summit, November 2 – 5, 2023, in New Orleans, LA.
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In this video for the Be Connected Faith Network, Pastor Brett Everett shares the power the faith community has to deal with issues facing combat veterans and active duty service members, including dealing with forgiveness, guilt, anger, estranged relationships, depression, and PTSD.
A combat healing group is someplace where veterans can feel safe, share their stories, and find a healing of the soul.
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In this video for the Be Connected Faith Network, Anthony Newkirk, Ph.D., shares how his spiritual journey helped him get back on his feet after childhood trauma, military service, and time in prison.
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Our synod is home to more than 500,000 service members, veterans and their families. If you need help or would like to help, we invite you to learn more about the Be Connected Faith Network which provides support and healing to our service members, veterans and their families through faith. Visit ConnectVeterans.org/Faith, read this PDF, or call their confidential support line at 866-4AZ-VETS (866-429-8387).
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A message from the Director of the ELCA Youth Gathering, Deacon Tammy Jones West, on how the upcoming ELCA Youth Gathering theme was chosen.
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The 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.”
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We pray for Rev. Christine Stoxen and the people of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler, part of the Fiesta Conference. Visit their site at htlutheran.com, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
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One 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.
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Almighty and ever-living God, we give you thanks for the men and women who have served and defended our country and the values of freedom and justice we hold so dear. Help us be mindful of the sacrifices they made and the hardship endured by their families and friends, so that we never take for granted the privileges they have secured for us. Hear us, we pray, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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In 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.
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Rev. 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.
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Welcome 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?
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The Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) and Western States Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (WYLE) is back! Coming to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA from July 4-9, 2023. The event is open to high schoolers in our synod and ELCA Regions 1-4. The Western States Multicultural Youth Leadership Pre-Event (WYLE) will be held July 4-6, 2023.
Early-Bird registration for the Western States Youth Gathering is now OPEN! Learn more and register your group for the lowest possible prices at wsyg.com/registration!
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In 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.
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The 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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Watch the third annual LAMA Summit from Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. The program featured the Rev. Eugene Cho, president & CEO of Bread for the World.
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The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has launched an anniversary photo book as part of this year’s events to mark 75 years since the communion was founded. In Communion – The Lutheran World Federation 1947-2022 is the title of the book, which highlights moments from the communion’s rich history over seven and a half decades.
The 75th anniversary book can be downloaded here, and will be available in a printed format at the end of this year. LWF General Secretary Rev. Anne Burghardt presented the book on Reformation Day, 31 October, at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva.
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