“Where Your Heart Is,” the new stewardship newsletter of the ELCA, continues with their March, 2023 newsletter featuring: words from Tim Brown, Director for Congregational Stewardship; upcoming events, stewardship in the text, and stewardship resources.
Read More
Note: these pews have found a good home in Naco. Thanks!
Read More
March 22 marks the 31st annual World Water Day, a United Nations observance to celebrate the progress the world has made in providing access to clean, safe water for all and to remember how far we have to go as a global community toward that goal.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 3/22/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1679495516703-5MQ3AWG9AUMPMECUGUON/unsplash-image-Nk7hHi3I__0.jpg)
Back in the days of the pandemic when I had a little more time to sit at home and watch TV, I found myself drawn to a show called “Good Bones,” a show about a mother/daughter duo who buys dilapidated houses with ‘good bones’ and rehabs them – transforms them – into beautiful places for others to make a home.
Read More
We pray for Rev. Brian Weinberger and the people of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mesa, part of the Rio Salado Conference. Visit their site at blcmesa.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and Vimeo.
Read More
For people involved in labor strikes – teachers in Los Angeles, workers across sectors in France, and hospital and airport workers in England…
For those working to stabilize political unrest in Kenya and South AFrica…
For the people of Russia and Ukraine, and for all peace and diplomacy efforts…
For Muslims across the world who are preparing for the holy season of Ramadan…
For rescue and relief efforts in Ecuador following this weekend’s earthquake…
For continued recovery efforts in Malawi following last week’s cyclone…
For educators, librarians, and all who steward knowledge and encourage learning…
For all who mourn, and for all who watch and wait at bedside of those nearing death…
For women across the world who continue to stand up, speak out, love, fight, and flourish despite opposition and violence…
For marginalized and vulnerable communities, and for their allies and advocates…
In the city of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental Island, in the Philippines, groups of people have come together to fight against a proposal that they believe will severely impact their community. This proposal, P23-B, is a land reclamation project that seeks to develop the coastlines of the city.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 3/21/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1679416054870-FBNY9UI33DDS6Q7TS54B/unsplash-image-cvw75oY6Mjc.jpg)
In a recent episode of the podcast Hidden Brain, researcher, and author Dacher Keltner talks about what happens when we experience awe. It turns out that stopping to look at nature creates deep joy and happiness in human beings.
Read More
We pray for Rev. Kim Taylor and the people of American Lutheran Church in Tucson, part of the Kino Conference. Visit their site at godsplaceforgrace.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read More
ELCA Worship shares their news for March, 2023.
We enter these latter weeks in Lent and anticipate the Three Days, attentive to the depth of human experience these days bring. Amid deep grief and great joy, pain and pleasure, quiet prayer and jubilant praise, God is with us. In this and every season the ELCA Worship staff note resources and events that can be helpful to you in your ministry.
Read More
The March, 2023 edition of Seeds Monthly is available here, featuring articles, events, and resources.
Read More
As we approach March 31, many people are preparing to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility, an international day to celebrate the contributions of transgender people and raise awareness about the deadly injustices they face.
As bishop of this church, I am concerned that the rights of transgender and nonbinary Americans have been targeted all over this nation.
Read More
The Installation of Rev. Dan Potaznick will be Saturday, April 1, 2023, 2pm MST/PDT, 3pm MDT, at St. John’s Lutheran Church (7205 N 51st Ave, Glendale AZ 85301). Bishop Hutterer will be preaching and presiding, Pastor Dan Potaznick will preside after installation, and Rev. Dr. Peter Perry will assist. View the livestream here.
Rostered Ministers are invited to robe and process. Color of the day is purple. There will be a reception following the service.
Rev. Dan Potaznick, CFRE, is Director of Generosity & Strategic Development with the Grand Canyon Synod.
Read More
Portico Benefit Services provides ministers and congregations participating in the ELCA benefit program with no-cost access to annual tax guides. For ministers, Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide by Richard R. Hammar gives special attention to tax-related topics most relevant to ministers.
For congregations, Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches by Richard R. Hammar helps congregations understand their federal tax-reporting requirements.
Read More
The community of Cataño, Puerto Rico, is vibrant, with residents talented in music, art and sports, yet it also faces a number of challenges. Forty-six percent of people in Cataño live in poverty. So when Hurricane Maria passed through, the devastation compounded ongoing challenges and added new ones.
Read More
All rostered ministers in the ELCA are invited to join colleagues July 17-20 in Phoenix, Ariz., for the Rostered Ministers Gathering. Early registration will close March 31, and online registration will close July 1, 2023. Learn more and register today! And check out this special invitation from Bishop Eaton.
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. Click here to register as a volunteer at elca.org.
Read More
The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) is a pre-event to the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. From July 13-16, youth of color or those whose primary language is not English, will gather together to worship, celebrate, and learn from one another. Dr. Kelly Sherman Conroy (she/her), the director of MYLE, shares an invitation to be a part of this faith formation event. To learn more about the 2024 Gathering, visit elca.org/Gathering and watch the video in this post.
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 3/20/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1679319292801-08XTT6OIQ05YUOC38OY9/unsplash-image-xbG7QRCJ7Ts.jpg)
Buried with Christ in death, joined to him in the waters of baptism, and raised with him to new life every day by default means that we are ‘in the Lord.’ And being joined to God in Christ Jesus means that God’s vision of mercy, justice, and love become our own vision…
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 3/19/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1679236568840-DNFJ23UVK70C5P6VLJP0/Screenshot+2023-03-19+at+7.35.02+AM+%282%29.png)
The Lord will preserve you from all evil and will keep your life. The Lord will watch over your going out and you're coming in, from this time forth forevermore. —Psalm 121.7-8
Read More![[re]imagine Lent: 3/18/2023](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bc35f5d7980b31e1c91ba1c/1679170588639-WZ60E6PPSI15X6OXIBPF/unsplash-image-8k9QyEhjMV4.jpg)
The [formerly blind] man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.”
Read More