This month's "Where Your Heart Is" newsletter from the ELCA Stewardship team emphasizes the importance of slowing down amidst the busyness of life, especially during the Holy Week and tax season.
The newsletter also introduces valuable stewardship resources and invites engagement with stewardship themes in upcoming lectionary readings, underscoring stewardship as a holistic approach to living out our faith.
Read MoreThe 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering is making an exciting move to the Smoothie King Center, right next door to the initially planned Caesars Superdome, due to ongoing construction. Deacon Tammy Jones West assures that faith formation and participant experience remain the top priority, and this venue change presents a unique opportunity to fill the arena to capacity for the first time in Gathering history.
Read MoreThe 2024 Synod Assembly welcomes Deacon John Weit, ELCA’s Executive for Worship, as our churchwide representative. His leadership and expertise in worship will play a crucial role, especially as he assists us with our Bishop election process. Read more about our 2024 assembly here.
Read More“He has been raised; he is not here.” —Mark 16:6
This year, journeying through Lent as well as the spring gatherings around our synod, I was heartened by the joy of our most basic calling: sharing the Good News.
At gatherings of conferences in Las Vegas, Tucson, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Sedona, a portion of our time was dedicated to simple open mic sessions, introduced by conference deans, where leaders of our congregations and ministries proclaimed the wonders of God's work in their communities. The feedback we received was clear: we live in a world desperate to hear any kind of good news.
Read MoreIn this week's Arizona Faith Network newsletter, highlights include Arizona Gives Day for collective philanthropy, Monday Meditation sessions for spiritual nourishment, a webinar series on dismantling American Christian Nationalism, and crucial workshops on racism and community building. Additionally, the newsletter calls for action to protect public lands and offers opportunities for engagement with the state's initiative verification process.
Read MoreIn this week's Faith Lens, Kelsey Green from Baltimore, MD, offers reflections for Easter Sunday amidst the tiredness and worry of the world's current state. She explores the assurance that nothing is too big for God, drawing from Paul's words to the Corinthians about the cross's power. The discussion centers around personal powerlessness, the need for reminders that death does not win, and the joy of resurrection as seen through the women at the tomb in Mark's Gospel. This post encourages readers to find joy, share the good news, and support those in grief with the message that death does not have the last word.
Read MoreThis is your last chance to purchase Festival access before our prices increase! May 13-16, 2024, Pittsburgh, PA or Digitally from Anywhere. Registration costs will rise after April 2nd, and we don't want you to miss this opportunity to save. Will you join us at the Festival? Learn More & Register.
We look forward to this week of preaching, worship, and communal replenishment every single year. This May we'll be hearing from the likes of Otis Moss III, Pádraig Ó Tuama, and Emilie M. Townes; enjoying Beer & Hymns with the Fleshpots of Egypt; and pausing & reflecting with Taize prayer, yoga, and more. All in the innovative and energetic city of Pittsburgh!
Read MoreThe Faith and Community Engagement Manager will work as part of the Fund Development Team to advance the mission of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) with donors, volunteers, congregations, and other partners throughout the Phoenix metro area. The ideal candidate is a natural networker who enjoys making connections between people and building community. Get more info and apply here.
Read MoreYou are invited to join Faith/La Fe Evangelical Lutheran Church (801 East Camelback in Phoenix) for The Great Vigil of Easter at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
Gathering in the courtyard after sunset, the new fire will be lit and our new Paschal Candle will be blessed. If you've never experienced an Easter Vigil or it's been awhile, the richness of this liturgy one to attend. All are welcome!
Read MoreJoin the Cactus Conference Women’s Gathering to explore the nexus of Artificial Intelligence and faith. Engage with Brian Flatgard, Director of Communications with the Grand Canyon Synod, to discern how emerging technologies are shaping our spiritual communities and personal beliefs.
“Sea of Galilee meets Silicon Valley: Artificial Intelligence, Faith Communities and Faith” will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, 8:30 am – 2:15 pm, at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West, Arizona. View a PDF for info and registration here.
Read MoreFor victims of the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore, MD and for emergency personnel, government agencies, and all organizations offering services and support
For the family and loved ones of the Moscow Concert Hall attack in Russia…
For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Palestine and Israel, Myanmar, Iraq, Haiti, Russia and Ukraine, and South Sudan…
For aid and food to successfully enter Gaza, along with a permanent ceasefire…
For the thoughtful and compassionate discernment of our courts…
For resurrection hope this Holy Week as we move toward Easter…
For the eradication of racism and hate crimes; may we learn to celebrate one another…
For new immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the United States…
Address loneliness within your community and faith at the 'Loneliness and Christianity' seminar on April 13, 2024, 1-4 pm, at Living Water Lutheran Church, Scottsdale, AZ. Explore Christian responses to loneliness with Rev. Dr. Colleen Windham-Hughes. Register by April 5 for an afternoon of learning and connection, with both in-person and virtual options available. View and share this PDF for more info.
Read MoreThe 2024 Synod Assembly offers flexible lodging options. Attendees are invited to stay at any place that suits them best, with a list of recommended hotels provided for convenience and comfort.
Read MoreWeek 6 of “Following the Way of Jesus: A Lenten Holy Land Journey” is Journey to the Cross, with Rev. Rodny Said.
Sumud is the ELCA’s new name for our church’s engagement in accompaniment, awareness-building and advocacy for justice in Palestine and Israel. Sign up for updates about Sumud and upcoming events at: bit.ly/SumudSubscribe You can also learn more at ELCA.org/sumud.
Read MoreIn her Easter message to the church, Bishop Eaton focuses on three words that describe what the women at tomb experienced when the angel announced that Jesus had been raised from the dead: fear, amazement and being seized or possessed.
“These three words really say something about the women, and I think about us and, most especially, about Easter…I think it's very important to take time to be a little amazed, to be standing in a different place, to have a sense of this awe and trembling before the Lord, and to allow ourselves to be possessed by the Spirit, who will give us power and courage in these times.”
Read MoreThe ELCA commemorates 50 years of dedicated service through ELCA World Hunger, introduces a new initiative for justice in Palestine and Israel named Sumud, celebrates the recognition of Lutheran Eagle Scout Samuel L. Jones after 60 years, and highlights important updates including calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, registration reminders for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, and insights into Lutheran-Catholic dialogues in "Seeds Monthly" March 2024.
Read MoreApril marks a milestone for West Valley Young Adults, with 11 diverse events planned across new areas of the valley. This expansion aims to attract members from near the ASU West Campus, Surprise, and Arrowhead, fostering a larger, more vibrant community. Join us in this exciting venture to connect and grow together.
Read MoreReflect on the insights shared by Rev. Aimée Appell on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as she discusses the vital work of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice. Appell highlights the transformative power of action-love observed at the George Floyd Global Square and emphasizes the importance of standing in solidarity with marginalized communities. Through personal experiences and scriptural wisdom, she inspires us to embody God's active love in our efforts to dismantle racism and white supremacy.
Read MoreExplore the ELCA Advocacy's March 2024 updates on pressing legislative matters, including the Federal Budget's impact on hunger and housing, the progress of the Yes In God's Back Yard Act for affordable housing, and the efforts towards wildlife conservation and Uyghur human rights. Discover the ELCA's call for ceasefire and support for UNRWA funding, along with its solidarity with Annunciation House, reflecting its commitment to peace, human rights, and support for the vulnerable.
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