Skip to content

ELCA Blogs

Lutheran Disaster Response
Jun 29, 2022

A History of Welcome

When war came to Ukraine and desperate people began streaming across the international borders in the frigid days of late...

ELCA Worship
Jun 29, 2022

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – July 3, 2022

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

ELCA Racial Justice
Jun 27, 2022

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

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

ELCA Advocacy
Jun 22, 2022

June Updates: UN and State Edition

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

ELCA Worship
Jun 22, 2022

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – June 26, 2022

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

ELCA Worship

See all posts

Prompts for Prayers of Intercession – July 3, 2022

Jun 29, 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 – June 26, 2022

Jun 22, 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 – June 19, 2022

Jun 15, 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 – June 12, 2022

Jun 8, 2022 - These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are...

Lutheran Disaster Response

See all posts

A History of Welcome

Jun 29, 2022 - When war came to Ukraine and desperate people began streaming across the international borders in the frigid days of late...

Situation Report: May Tornadoes

Jun 8, 2022 - Situation: On the night of May 30, a series of storms, including tornadoes, swept through the Central Great Plains and...

Situation Report: Ukraine and Eastern Europe (June 6, 2022)

Jun 6, 2022 - More than three months since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, fighting continues to intensify as humanitarian conditions deteriorate. The United Nations’...

Situation Report: Mass Shootings in the U.S.

May 26, 2022 - Buffalo, NY Situation: On May 14, a mass shooting occurred in a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo,...

ELCA Racial Justice

See all posts

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...

A Pastor’s Reflection on The Feast Day of the Emanuel 9 by Rev. Kelly France

Jun 16, 2022 - I had just started my car to drive to my internship site on June 18, 2015, when I learned from...

Reflecting on and Commemorating the Emanuel Nine by Bishop Virginia S. Aebischer

Jun 6, 2022 - June 2022 — Reflecting on and Commemorating the Emanuel Nine   On the evening of June 17, 2015, a white...

Remembering Tulsa by Bishop Michael Girlinghouse

May 25, 2022 - For a long time, no one in Tulsa’s white or black communities talked about the massacre that destroyed the Greenwood...

ELCA Advocacy

See all posts

June Updates: UN and State Edition

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

Quashing Replacement Theory with Irreplaceable Truth

Jun 16, 2022 - by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society In her sermon, my pastor lamented that “each...

Confession and hope give strength to end gun violence

Jun 10, 2022 - The following reflections are the foundation of comments shared at the “Interfaith Vigil and Rally: Faith Acting on Gun Violence”...

Devotional: Can’t Control the New

May 26, 2022 - by Isabella Peterson, 2021-22 Hunger Advocacy Fellow [about the author] I often struggle with an uneasy sensation when faced with...

Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Perspectives

See all posts

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...

A Holy Confluence: A Reminder of our Interconnection

Apr 14, 2022 - By Kristen Opalinski For the first time in decades we are witnessing a confluence of significant religious holy days and...

OMNIA: Striving Towards Beloved Community

Feb 4, 2022 - By Dr. Shanta Premawardhana  More than 50 years ago, Dr. Mary Nelson (founder of Bethel New Life in the westside...
View All

ELCA World Hunger

See all posts

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...

Lent Reflection 4: Transformed in the Wilderness

Mar 28, 2022 - ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 4: Transformed in the Wilderness...

Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness

Mar 21, 2022 - ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness...

Faith Lens

See all posts

June 12, 2022–Faith Lens on Summer Hiatus

Jun 6, 2022 - Faith Lens is not published during the summer.  The next posting will be on September 6. 2022 for Sunday, September...

June 5, 2022–Noticed, Named, and Known

May 31, 2022 - Drew Tucker, Columbus, OH Warm-up Question How do you know that you belong in a community? What are the signs...

May 29, 2022–Unity not Uniformity

May 24, 2022 - Alyssa Kaplan, Baltimore, MD Warm-up Questions What does the word “unity’’mean to you? Can you think of a time when...

May 22, 2022–What’s Next?

May 17, 2022 - Sara Galyon, Decatur, GA Warm-up Question Do you feel like God is active in your life? Why, or why not?...

ELCA Innovation Lab

See all posts

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

See all posts

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...

Disability Ministries

See all posts

North/West Lower Michigan Synod Task Force for Disability Ministry

May 18, 2022 - Greetings,  My name is Pastor Clay Bates, and I serve as the chair of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod Task...

Meet the Advisory Team!

May 18, 2022 -   Hi! I’m Rev. Lisa Heffernan, and I serve as the coordinator for Disability Ministries; a position I began just...

Peace Not Walls

See all posts

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...

Join Bishop Eaton in speaking out about Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing

May 19, 2022 - May 19, 2022 Presiding Bishop Eaton wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to express her “profound shock and sadness...

ALAMEH, ELCJHL, and WCC respond to killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

May 16, 2022 - Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH) “The Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage...

Heads of Churches of Jerusalem speak out on Illegal Seizure of Little Petra Hotel

Apr 6, 2022 - On April 4, 2022 the Patriarchs and Heads of Local Churches in Jerusalem released this statement: “Pray for the peace...

Administration Matters

See all posts

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...

Index of the January 2022 Issue

Jan 15, 2022 - Issue 80 of Administration Matters   Tithe.ly introduces new rate ELCA congregations using Tithe.ly’s online platform for giving will now...

Index of the November 2021 Issue

Nov 15, 2021 - Issue 79 of Administration Matters Invite a friend to subscribe to Administration Matters! Over 13 years ago a group of...

ELCA Youth Gathering Blog

See all posts

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...

#MYLE2022: Cultural Awareness

Dec 9, 2021 -   We are very excited to see you next July for the 2022 Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and happy...

AMMPARO

See all posts

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...

Welcoming Migrants at the Border and AMMPARO: A Whole-Church Response Mobilized

Mar 31, 2021 - An increase in unaccompanied children and asylum-seekers arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico has given rise to claims of...

Congregational Vitality: Stories and Learning

See all posts

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

See all posts

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

See all posts

Mensaje navideño

Dec 25, 2016 - Jesús es nuestro verdadero hogar. Esa es nuestra esperanza en Navidad y durante todo el año. Nunca estamos lejos de…

Reflexiones sobre las elecciones recientes

Dec 6, 2016 - Video de reflexiones sobre las elecciones por parte de la reverenda Elizabeth Eaton, obispa presidente de la ELCA

Obispa presidente de la ELCA emite declaración sobre Standing Rock

Nov 14, 2016 - CHICAGO (14 de noviembre de 2016) – La reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton, obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en...

Una mirada mayor al Catecismo menor

Nov 10, 2016 - Por Elizabeth Eaton, Obispa presidente de la ELCA, columna de octubre de 2016 en Living Lutheran Nota del editor: Esta es...