ELCA Blogs

Sep 28, 2022

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – October 2, 2022

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Lutheran Disaster Response

Sep 27, 2022

Situation Report: Hurricane Fiona

Situation: Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18. The storm brought torrential rainfall and dangerous flooding and...

Peace Not Walls

Sep 27, 2022

Christian Presence in Jerusalem

Today, September 27, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement in support of HM King Abdullah...

Faith Lens

Sep 27, 2022

October 2, 2022–Duty!

Joshua Serraro, San Carlos, CA Warm-up Questions What does duty mean? Do you believe that you have any duties as...

AMMPARO

Sep 23, 2022

Response to Recent Arrivals of Migrants By Bus

“Quienes cruzan por nuestro país para llegar a un mejor lugar para vivir son seres humanos con necesidades que comen,...

ELCA World Hunger

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A Short Tour of Community Gardens

Aug 15, 2022 - Our garden at home has finally started yielding its bounty, which means we have more tomatoes than we know what...

NEW Resource! Housing: A Practical Guide to Learning, Advocating and Building

Aug 8, 2022 - A New Resource on Housing! The United States faces a looming crisis in housing, the second in barely more than...

Global Farm Challenge Podcast

Apr 6, 2022 - Welcome to “More than Food,” the podcast of ELCA World Hunger’s Global Farm Challenge! Find out more information below about...

Lent Reflection 5: A Way in the Wilderness

Apr 4, 2022 - ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 5: A Way in the...

AMMPARO

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Response to Recent Arrivals of Migrants By Bus

Sep 23, 2022 - “Quienes cruzan por nuestro país para llegar a un mejor lugar para vivir son seres humanos con necesidades que comen,...

Welcoming Afghan Newcomers

Jan 3, 2022 - (original from ELCA Advocacy view here) Across the United States and over the years, places of worship and people of...

Urgent Need for Congregational Accompaniment of Afghan refugees

Dec 22, 2021 - URGENT NEED FOR CONGREGATIONAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF AFGHAN REFUGEES At the end of August, we watched with anguish the fall of...

Why can’t immigrants apply for citizenship? A reflection shared with AMMPARO

Nov 3, 2021 - I see that the focus is on the limited and highly restricted avenues for applying. That’s a powerful indictment of...

ELCA Worship

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Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – October 2, 2022

Sep 28, 2022 - These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – September 25, 2022

Sep 21, 2022 - These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – September 18, 2022

Sep 14, 2022 - These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – September 11, 2022

Sep 7, 2022 - These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Lutheran Disaster Response

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Situation Report: Hurricane Fiona

Sep 27, 2022 - Situation: Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18. The storm brought torrential rainfall and dangerous flooding and...

Situation Report: Kentucky Flooding

Sep 9, 2022 - Situation: Beginning on July 27, a line of severe storms dumped record amounts of rain on eastern Kentucky, overflowing rivers...

Eastern Europe Partner Spotlight: L’Arche

Sep 1, 2022 - As Russian forces advanced on his town in Ukraine’s heavily contested Donbass region, a group of friends helped to save...

Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe (July 7, 2022)

Jul 7, 2022 - Lutheran Disaster Response has raised over $10 million in support of refugees and internally displaced people in Ukraine and surrounding...

Peace Not Walls

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Christian Presence in Jerusalem

Sep 27, 2022 - Today, September 27, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement in support of HM King Abdullah...

Special Action Alert: Support U.S. Funding of Augusta Victoria Hospital

Jul 28, 2022 - Support U.S. Funding of Augusta Victoria Hospital! Take action today. Background President Joe Biden visited Augusta Victoria Hospital on July...

President Biden visits Augusta Victoria Hospital

Jul 15, 2022 - The United States President Joe Biden visited the LWF-operated Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the morning of Friday July 15....

ELCA Bishops Write to Congress about Augusta Victoria Hospital Funding

May 20, 2022 - On May 18, ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton and 44 ELCA synod bishops wrote to Congress about their concerns related...

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Faith Lens

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October 2, 2022–Duty!

Sep 27, 2022 - Joshua Serraro, San Carlos, CA Warm-up Questions What does duty mean? Do you believe that you have any duties as...

September 25, 2022–Too Much Forgiveness?

Sep 20, 2022 - Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA Warm-up Question Do a mini money autobiography. Here are question suggestions: What is the earliest experience...

September 18, 2022–Heavenly Mansions

Sep 13, 2022 - Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany Warm-up Question How can good come from evil? Can you give an example? Heavenly Mansions Mackenzie...

September 11, 2022–Be Still, Be Found

Sep 6, 2022 - Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX Warm-up Question Have you ever been lost? What was the situation and how were you...

ELCA Advocacy

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September Update: Advocacy Connections

Sep 23, 2022 - from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from...

September Updates: U.N. and State Edition

Sep 22, 2022 - Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in...

Current sign-on letters

Sep 22, 2022 - WHAT IS A SIGN-ON LETTER | IMPACT OF SIGN-ONS | DECISION PROCESS | UPDATED LIST Our advocacy takes many...

August Updates: U.N. and State Edition

Aug 19, 2022 - Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in...

ELCA Racial Justice

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The Beauty and Tragedy of the Mestizaje Mindset by Kristina Diaz

Sep 15, 2022 - Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! As we celebrate, I can’t help reflecting on what is being celebrated: independence, legacy and...

Independence in Inches: A July 4th Reflection by Nathaniel Viets-Van Lear

Jul 14, 2022 - Independence in Inches: A July 4th Reflection by Nathaniel Viets-Van lear For the last four years, I’ve made the same...

Relearning our shared history by Linda Post Bushkofsky

Jul 4, 2022 - I was surprised as the next person when I received the Daughters of the American Revolution History Award my sophomore...

My Freedom Day as a Female, Black and Queer Pastor by The Rev. Dr. Yolanda Denson-Byers

Jun 27, 2022 - My Freedom Day as a Female, Black and Queer Pastor To be a female, Black and gay pastor on...

Administration Matters

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Index of the September 2022 Issue

Sep 15, 2022 - Issue 84 of Administration Matters Stewardship Kaleidoscope: Sept. 26-28 Join us online or in person in Savannah, Ga., to hear...

Index of the July 2022 Issue

Jul 15, 2022 - Issue 83 of Administration Matters ELCA Churchwide Assembly Pre-event: “Embody the Word” Bible study sessions In preparation for the 2022...

Index of the May 2022 Issue

May 15, 2022 - Issue 82 of Administration Matters ELCA Churchwide Assembly The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take place Aug. 8-12 in Columbus,...

Index of the March 2022 Issue

Mar 15, 2022 - Issue 81 of Administration Matters Create engaging virtual ministry with Vanco Your church might already offer livestreaming, but this Lenten...

Disability Ministries

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Mosaic: A Ministry of the Church

Sep 7, 2022 - by by: Rev. Dr. David deFreese, Vice President of Church Relations and International Programming, Mosaic “Embracing God’s call, Mosaic...

Update: Grant proposals

Aug 29, 2022 - Hello! The time to receive grant proposals is on the way! Thank you to those who have reached out recently...

Total Inclusion!

Aug 8, 2022 - Today’s blog post comes from Josiah Benedict, the Program Coordinator for Total Inclusion: Total Inclusion was launched in 2020 after...

“Our Wholeness Is In Jesus Christ” by Rev. Peter Heide

Jul 28, 2022 - I remember a particular Sunday in October 1962. It was the first anniversary of me being blind, and I was...

Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Perspectives

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Studying Ecumenism – Strasbourg Ecumenical Institute Online Course

Aug 24, 2022 - Registration closes August 31 The Strasbourg Ecumenical Institute offers advanced training in ecumenical theology for Lutheran pastors. The next...

New Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World

Jul 13, 2022 - by Kathryn M. Lohre As Lutherans in North America, we have a remarkable opportunity to live out our Christian vocation...

Reflecting on and Commemorating the Emanuel Nine

Jun 17, 2022 - This reflection is a cross-published piece, which was originally published on the ELCA Racial Justice Blog on June 6, 2022....

Introducing “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Muslim Community”

Apr 19, 2022 - By Professor Mark Swanson On March 31st, the ELCA Church Council adopted “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Muslim...

ELCA Youth Gathering Blog

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How in the world do you select a host city?

Aug 16, 2022 - Announcing the city of the ELCA Youth Gathering, Multicultural Youth Leadership Event and the tAble is a fun and somewhat...

Behind the curtain…

May 5, 2022 - A message from Deacon Tammy Jones West, 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Program Director— First, there is no curtain but for...

New Orleans & the ELCA Youth Gathering

Apr 7, 2022 - Since the start of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in 1988, New Orleans has hosted the ELCA Youth Gathering and...

I’m just, It’s just…

Mar 24, 2022 - A message from Tammy Jones West, 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Program Director— I’m just, It’s just… Hello world. My name...

ELCA Innovation Lab

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An Introduction to Equity Design

Aug 12, 2021 - This is part two of a two-part introduction to design thinking. Part one is available here. Introduction Design thinking...

Thriving Congregations, Thriving Church

Jul 28, 2021 - People are lonely. A January 2020 survey from Cigna found that three in five US Americans are lonely, and we know loneliness only...

Open Doors

Jul 14, 2021 - Open Doors supports ELCA congregations interested in meeting new people in this time of re-gathering in physical spaces Over...

An Introduction to Design Thinking

Jan 19, 2021 - Introduction Have you or your worshipping community ever encountered a tough problem and found yourselves unable to come up with...

ELCA Young Adults

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The Wolf Shall Lie Down With the Lamb: #NoPlasticsforLent

Mar 15, 2021 - The Word Genesis 1:29-30 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the...

Creation Care on Campus: #NoPlasticsforLent

Mar 11, 2021 - A Starting Place Creation care looks different at different stages of our lives. College is a transitional time for many...

Local is Global: #NoPlasticsforLent

Mar 4, 2021 - The Word “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to...

Justice Alongside Indigenous Peoples : #NoPlasticsforLent

Feb 23, 2021 - ‘Wild’ Places I have been interested in environmental activism, indigenous justice, and decolonization since I was a kid (I was...

Congregational Vitality: Stories and Learning

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Reviving hope in Memphis

Dec 18, 2019 - by Rev. Antoinette Robinson, Peace Lutheran Church, Memphis Peace Lutheran Church, Memphis, formed Trinity Ministries in partnership with two...

Reclaiming faith with LGBTQIA+ community in Los Angeles

Dec 11, 2019 - ADORE LA is seeking new and creative ways to do church in the city of Los Angeles. This LGBTQIA+...

Communing with Christ in the strawberry field

Dec 11, 2019 - The faith community of Iglesia Luterana Santa Cruz communes with Christ in a strawberry field of Santa Maria, Calif....

CV Training Event Travel and Logistics – San Diego – February 2020

Dec 4, 2019 - Congregational Vitality Training Event — San Diego Travel & Logistics for Training Event & Pre-Events: February 17-21, 2020 TRAINING EVENT...

Stories from the Global Church

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Helmut and Rotraut Diefenthal: Service in Malaysia and Tanzania

Apr 8, 2015 - Franklin Ishida The son of a Jewish father, Helmut Diefenthal and his wife, Rotraut, survived Nazi Germany and World...

Nurturing the church in Japan

Mar 31, 2015 - Nathan and Sharonette Bowman New playground equipment is enjoyed at the kindergarten. The Rev. Nathan and Sharonette Bowman accompany...

Hunger

Mar 24, 2015 - Kirsten Fryer The Rev. Kirsten Fryer serves as pastor at St. Andrew’s United Congregation in Cairo and is also pastoral...

Women’s Sunday in Kenya

Mar 17, 2015 - Leslie Weed-Fonner and Michael G Fonner Women’s Sunday worship March 1 at the Nairobi International Lutheran Congregation. The Rev....

Blog Latino

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