Healing of Memories Workshop for Religious Leaders
Healing of Memories Workshop for Religious Leaders

The Healing of Memories workshop is for clergy and religious leaders who have experienced emotional, psychological and spiritual distress – in their personal or professional lives. This workshop provides a safe, confidential environment, the ideal setting to help participants take the necessary steps toward healing.

As religious leaders, your unique role is to minister to other people’s pain, yet you often lack a safe space to address your own. You experience secondary trauma without a place to address and heal it. A faith community gives life and strength but is also an institution where one often experiences pain; we offer a safe place to address these wounds, recognizing the invaluable contribution you make to the healing of others.

Sponsored by the Institute for Healing of Memories (IHOM) and Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, the workshop is Monday – Thursday, June 3-6, 2024 at Spirit in the Desert in Carefree, Arizona. Click to learn more and register. View a PDF with info here.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardSpirit in the Desert Retreat CenterComment
Confronting Arizona’s Water Crisis: Join the Symposium on Equitable Distribution
Confronting Arizona’s Water Crisis: Join the Symposium on Equitable Distribution

Join experts and community leaders at "The Trouble with Water" symposium by the Creation Care Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona on June 1st in Mesa. Discuss critical issues surrounding water scarcity and distribution in Arizona, hear from top field experts, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Registration is free and includes lunch. RSVP today.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardEcumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, Water, Climate ChangeComment
Thursday evening's Wild Life Hymn Festival debuts and kick starts our assembly
Thursday evening's Wild Life Hymn Festival debuts and kick starts our assembly

Join us for “Wild Life,” a Hymn Festival on June 13, 2024, at 7:30 pm, and be part of a unique celebration that weaves together hymns from various eras and cultures. Experience the unity and diversity of our global church community through song, reflection, and prayer. This event promises an enriching experience that aligns our hearts with the divine creativity of our Creator. Don’t miss this opportunity to blend your voice with the eternal chorus of faith at this distinctively Lutheran event.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian Flatgard2024 Grand Canyon Synod AssemblyComment
Interim DEM’s Pastor James Dew Annual Report: 2024
Interim DEM’s Pastor James Dew Annual Report: 2024

Thank you for this opportunity to serve you throughout this past year as your Interim Director for Evangelical Mission. In this role, I have been honored to walk alongside an amazing collection of gifted leaders and a whole array of diverse programs being lived-out in and through their ministries. I have marveled at the heartfelt and transformative care being poured out into their surrounding neighborhoods and beyond in Jesus’ Name.

A couple months ago, our Synod Council asked for a listing of the various congregations and ministries which I accompany in my work as your Interim DEM. I believe this list may be of interest also to this Synod Assembly. Read the list in this post or in this PDF.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian Flatgard2024 Assembly Stories, Office of the BishopComment
Explore and Engage: Visit Our Exhibitors at the Synod Assembly
Explore and Engage: Visit Our Exhibitors at the Synod Assembly

Join us in thanking and visiting our exhibitors at the 2024 Synod Assembly! Each exhibitor, from universities and retreat centers to financial and ministry support organizations, plays a vital role in our community. Don’t miss the chance to learn more and engage with them in the sanctuary, where you can also enjoy some refreshments.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian Flatgard2024 Grand Canyon Synod AssemblyComment
Faith Lens: The Holy Trinity
Faith Lens: The Holy Trinity

This week’s Faith Lens explores the profound implications of the Holy Trinity on personal relationships, especially in the context of today’s social challenges. Dave Delaney discusses the increasing isolation among teenagers and the essential nature of meaningful relationships that reflect the interconnectedness of the Holy Trinity. The session emphasizes the transformative power of relationships modeled after the divine fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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Worship Resources, ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardYouth and Young Adult, Faith LensComment
Inside Out Network Updates: Internship Success, Reentry Initiatives, and More
Inside Out Network Updates: Internship Success, Reentry Initiatives, and More

The Spring 2024 ION Newsletter highlights key initiatives, including the impactful work of ION interns, the Reentry Congregation Initiative, and the progress of deploying the ION platform on inmate tablets. Learn about Fred Nelson’s six guiding words and the success of our “Color Me Yellow” campaign. Read more about our efforts to support returning citizens and foster community connections. Read the full newsletter as PDF here or online here.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardInside Out Network, PrisonComment
Join the Free Webinar: Effective Pastoral Care for Addiction Issues
Join the Free Webinar: Effective Pastoral Care for Addiction Issues

Join the Center of Addiction & Faith for a free webinar titled “Let Your Light Shine: Providing Successful Pastoral Care to Individuals and Families Hurt by Any Kind of Addiction” with Rev. Otto Schultz on May 29, 2024, from 10-11 AM PDT/MST. Learn key strategies for addressing addiction within your congregation and supporting affected families. Register here.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardAddiction, The Center of Addiction & FaithComment
For What Shall We Pray?
For What Shall We Pray?

  • For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Palestine and Israel, Iran, Myanmar, Iraq, Haiti, Russia and Ukraine, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan…

  • For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies, that the Spirit would enliven and guide them…

  • For all countries whose national life is marked by destabilizing events, especially Slovakia and Iran…

  • For areas of Texas and the Midwest in the midst of severe storms…

  • For safety for all who serve in our nation’s armed forces, and for families who remember loved ones this Memorial Day…

  • For all who live with mental illness, that they receive the support they need…

  • For gardeners, landscapers, farmers and farm laborers, and all who tend our land…

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ELCA, PrayersBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
Ordination celebrations: May 24 – May 30, 2024
Ordination celebrations: May 24 – May 30, 2024

This week we celebrate the ordination anniversaries of:

  • Rev. Richard Jessen, who celebrates 61 years on May 24.

  • Rev. Ronald Koplitz, who celebrates 55 years on May 25.

  • Rev. David Swanson, who celebrates 60 years on May 26.

  • Rev. Jon Clutz, who celebrates 60 years on May 27.

  • The Rev. Donald Bebber, St. Raphael, Benson, who celebrates 1 years on May 27.

  • Rev. Benjamin Bergren, Community, Las Vegas, who celebrates 26 years on May 28.

  • Rev. Nicholas Mays, who celebrates 58 years on May 29.

  • Rev. Norene Smith, who celebrates 41 years on May 29.

  • Rev. Leroy Rehrer, who celebrates 47 years on May 29.

  • Rev. Ronald Glusenkamp, who celebrates 43 years on May 29.

  • Rev. Randall Olson, Honor Health, Scottsdale, who celebrates 48 years on May 30.

  • Rev. Dennis R. Nelson, who celebrates 53 years on May 30.

  • Rev. Kenneth Miller, Grace, Kingman, who celebrates 20 years on May 30.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardOrdination AnniversariesComment
2024 Assembly Guide: Schedule, Registration, and What to Bring
2024 Assembly Guide: Schedule, Registration, and What to Bring

Prepare for the 2024 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly from June 13-15 at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa, AZ with our Attendee Vital Information page, which we’ll keep updating as we receive info. This year’s assembly features a Bishop’s election, requiring pre-registered voting members to check in on Thursday or Friday morning. Free childcare is available with advance registration. Join us as we “Embody the Word”!

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian Flatgard2024 Grand Canyon Synod AssemblyComment
2024 Synod Assembly Agenda available
2024 Synod Assembly Agenda available

Join us for the 2024 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly from June 13-15. This year’s assembly includes the Bishop’s election, starting with registration and a Hymn Festival on Thursday. Friday and Saturday will feature plenary sessions, worship, workshops, and multiple voting rounds. Key events include a Bible study with Rev. Dr. Colleen Windham Hughes and a visit from Chaplain Capt Matthew W. Dobyns. Your attention is crucial as we have a bishop election and conduct essential synod business.

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Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian Flatgard2024 Grand Canyon Synod AssemblyComment
California Lutheran University Announces Leadership Transition
California Lutheran University Announces Leadership Transition

The California Lutheran University Board of Regents announced that President Lori Varlotta will step down from her role effective May 31, 2024. Dr. John Nunes, most recently pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Santa Monica, Ca., and former president of Concordia College New York, will serve as interim president for a two-year term beginning on June 1, 2024. 

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Region 2, NewsBrian FlatgardCalifornia Lutheran UniversityComment