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.
Read MoreIn this post from Lutheran World Relief, find a suite of resources to help you guide your congregation in their response, and more info at lwr.org/quake.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response has been active in this region for several years, partnering with ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation and the Middle East Council of Churches to accompany Syrian refugees and internally displaced people with food, water, shelter, health services and sanitation support.
Read MoreA new poll by Morning Consult, released in January, showed that only 16% of Generation Z adults (ages 18-25) said they were proud to live in America.
Looking at all adult age groups, 52% said they were proud to live in America and 73% of the oldest generation, Baby Boomers, said they were proud to live in the U.S. Even millennials, the next closest age group to Gen Z, saw 20% more of its members saying they were proud to live in America, although still a minority at 36%.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreOver 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!
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreYou 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.
Read MoreThis lecture will present an overview of the CRISPR revolution and the various uses of CRISPR, a powerful gene editing tool. The questions and issues raised by the scientific, ethical, and religious communities amidst this CRISPR revolution are more important than the answers provided.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 10am-12pm MST, 9-11am PST. If you are planning to attend in-person, please register at this link. If you are planning to attend online, please register at this link. Presented by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and California Lutheran University.
Read MorePlease 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.
Read MoreELCA Disability Ministries began accepting grant applications on 12/12/2022, and will officially close the application process on 2/15/2023, for funding to ministries that are committed to inclusion and accessibility. Read more about these grants in this letter from coordinator Rev. Lisa Heffernan.
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 MoreThe 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.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreAs part of the latest Stories of Faith in Action, we share UP Wild Brings Worship Outdoors (view online or as PDF). Located in the town of Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UP Wild Church is among the newest ministries in the growing movement of “wild” outdoor worship communities.
View all the Stories of Faith in Action here, and how your offering becomes mission support.
Read MoreHow Is God’s invitation to discipleship lived out in a democracy?
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 MoreELCA Global Mission shares their Global Links newsletter for January, 2023, featuring: new family ties in Senegal, news around the world, mission personnel, and how to get involved.
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