Still Black. Still Lutheran: Confronting the Challenges of Leadership in the ELCA

In honor of Black History Month, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries is amplifying the voices of African Descent Lutherans, highlighting the ongoing challenges Black women face in ministry and leadership. In Still Black. Still Lutheran, Nicolette Peñaranda reflects on the systemic barriers that Black women encounter within the ELCA and broader professional spaces. As we celebrate Black history, Peñaranda calls on congregations to move beyond conversation into action—watching Talks at the Desk, engaging with discussion guides, and committing financial support to Black-led ministries. Read more to explore the realities and ways to create lasting change.

ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardFebruary 6, 20252025 Black History Month, Racial Justice, ELCA Racial Justice MinistriesComment

Welcoming the Stranger: Bishop Eaton Responds to Immigration Orders

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a statement expressing deep concern over recent immigration executive orders, highlighting their impact on families, faith communities, and service organizations. The ELCA reaffirms its long-standing commitment to welcoming immigrants and calls for prayer, learning, personal witness, and public advocacy. Resources, including a webinar on January 30, are available to equip Lutherans to respond faithfully. Read more on how the Grand Canyon Synod can stand in solidarity with immigrants and refugees in these critical times.

Defendiendo Espacios Sagrados: Declaración de los Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA | Defending Sacred Spaces, ELCA Latino Ministries Speak Out

La Asociación de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA ha respondido a recientes órdenes ejecutivas que amenazan a comunidades inmigrantes y espacios sagrados. Basada en fe y justicia, su declaración llama a la unidad, acción y abogacía, ofreciendo recursos esenciales para poblaciones vulnerables. Lea más aquí.

The ELCA Latino Ministries Association has responded to recent executive orders threatening immigrant communities and sacred spaces. Rooted in faith and justice, their statement calls for unity, action, and advocacy while providing essential resources for vulnerable populations. Read more here.

ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardJanuary 27, 2025Español, Asociación de Ministerios Latinos de la ELCA, Latino, Church and SocietyComment

From the Block to the Table: How Good Trouble Church Builds Community in Baltimore

Good Trouble Church in Baltimore, Maryland, embodies the call of Micah 6:8, creating “A Way Out of No Way” for those navigating systemic oppression, poverty, and housing insecurity. Led by Rev. Elazar Zavaletta, this ELCA congregation is a beacon of resilience and community care, offering initiatives like a Farm to Stoop Free Market, harm-reduction housing, and leadership workshops. Rooted in Afro-Indigenous wisdom and a “theology of the block,” Good Trouble Church demonstrates how faith can drive grassroots justice and liberation.

ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardJanuary 27, 2025Hunger, ELCA World HungerComment

Daily Bread and Bold Witness: A Call from Presiding Bishop Eaton

In her pastoral message, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on the recent executive orders and their impact on communities, emphasizing prayer, advocacy, and action grounded in faith. Highlighting Martin Luther’s teachings on daily bread and leadership, she calls on the ELCA to advocate for policies that uphold justice and protect the dignity of all people. Resources like the social message on “Government and Civic Engagement” and AMMPARO are commended as tools for action in these uncertain times. Read the full message to explore how our church can respond faithfully to these challenges.

Bishop Eaton, ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardJanuary 27, 2025Bishop Eaton Letters, Immigration and Refugees, Sumud, AMMPARO, Church and SocietyComment

The Grace in Letting Go: Embracing an Unbalanced Life of Purpose

Discover why balance might not be the answer to modern life’s demands. Pastor Angela Denker shares a New Year’s reflection on embracing the grace of an unbalanced, purpose-driven life rooted in Jesus’ call to mission. In this post from Café, learn how to prioritize what truly matters and give yourself—and others—permission to let go of the illusion of balance.

ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardJanuary 24, 2025Café, Women of the ELCA (WELCA)Comment

Risky Transformation: Embracing Change with Faith and Courage

Reflecting on her weight-loss journey, ELCA Pastor Angela T. !Khabeb shares a powerful testimony of hope and transformation through faith. While her efforts to change physically were met with challenges, she discovered the deeper need for spiritual and mental renewal. Drawing on Paul’s metaphor of clay and the potter, Pastor !Khabeb reminds us that our successes and failures are tools in God’s hands, shaping us into works of art still under construction. Her reflections inspire us to embrace transformation with courage, trust in God’s promises, and lean into the grace that sustains us. Read more on the Café blog.

ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardJanuary 23, 2025Café, Women of the ELCA (WELCA)Comment

Beyond Binaries: Upholding God’s Diversity in Humanity

This week, ELCA Region 2 leaders respond to a recent presidential declaration limiting gender identity to a binary framework. Reflecting on Galatians 3:28 and the ELCA’s 2019 social statement, they affirm the inherent diversity of God’s creation, celebrate all gender expressions, and call for advocacy against discrimination. This letter underscores our shared identity in Christ and invites prayer for those affected by these harmful statements. Read the full letter and join us in standing for justice and inclusion.

Strength in Numbers: A Devotional Reflection on Liberation and Community

How can we harness our individual gifts to create lasting change in our communities? Drawing on their experiences as an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Sagi Rudnick reflects on the intersection of self, community, and liberation, inspired by the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. Their journey offers a powerful reminder that “two are better than one,” and that together, we can build a stronger, more equitable world. Read more on the ELCA blog.

ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardJanuary 22, 2025ELCA Advocacy, Hunger, ELCA World HungerComment

Faith Leaders Unite for Immigration Reform: A Call to Nevada’s Politicians | Líderes de Fe Unidos por la Reforma Migratoria: Un Llamado a los Políticos de Nevada

On Martin Luther King Day, faith leaders from Nevada, including Bishop Deborah Hutterer, called on political leaders to support humane immigration reform. Their published letters emphasize justice, compassion, and dignity for immigrants. Read the full messages and learn how you can support their advocacy efforts.

En el Día de Martin Luther King, líderes religiosos de Nevada, incluida la Obispa Deborah Hutterer, llamaron a los líderes políticos a apoyar una reforma migratoria humana. Sus cartas publicadas destacan la justicia, la compasión y la dignidad para los inmigrantes. Lea los mensajes completos y descubra cómo apoyar sus esfuerzos de abogacía.

From Bethlehem to Iowa: Answering God’s Call to Serve

Jamil Zoughbi and Claudine Faltas’ journey from the West Bank to Wartburg Theological Seminary in Iowa is a testament to faith and resilience. Trusting in God’s plan, the couple overcame challenges, including visa hurdles and the pain of leaving family behind, to pursue rostered ministry in the ELCA. Their story highlights the power of community, the support of the church, and the transformative call to serve. In this article from Living Lutheran, read how their faith continues to inspire their mission to serve marginalized communities and empower others to lead.

ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardJanuary 17, 2025Living LutheranComment

Grounded in Grace: Finding Strength in Life’s Challenges

How do we stay grounded in grace when life’s challenges seem unending? In this reflection in Living Lutheran, Mindy Holland shares how the promises of Scripture, the love of a faith community, and the songs of worship have anchored her through life’s storms. With Philippians 4:6-7 as her guiding verse, she invites us to embrace God’s peace and remember that Jesus is always with us. Read more about how grace sustains us and how we can share this grounding truth with others.

ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardJanuary 17, 2025Living LutheranComment

Faith Amid Flames: Bishop Eaton’s Call to Prayer for California Wildfire Relief

The devastating California wildfires have displaced thousands and destroyed homes, businesses, and places of worship. Bishop Brenda Bos of the Southwest California Synod is among those personally impacted. Presiding Bishop Eaton calls for prayers, accompaniment, and action as Lutheran Disaster Response mobilizes to bring aid and hope to affected communities. Learn more about how you can help: Lutheran Disaster Response.

Faithfulness in our time: a Christmas message from the ELCA bishops and synod vice-presidents of Region 2

In this Christmas message, the bishops and synod vice presidents of Region 2 reflect on Howard Thurman’s poem, “The Work of Christmas,” calling us to embrace God’s grace and live out Christ’s liberating love. Representing over 500 congregations, they invite us to join in justice, service, and joy, embodying the good news of Christ in our communities and the world.

A Year of Advocacy and Blessings: Reflecting on LAMA’s 2024 Impact

2024 was a year of remarkable advocacy through the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona (LAMA), with record participation at Lutheran Day at the Legislature and impactful work in areas like hunger, housing, and international aid. As we celebrate Christmas, we reflect on the Nativity’s call to care for the vulnerable and recommit to advocacy in 2025. Read more for highlights from LAMA Director Solveig Muus and an inspiring message from Hunger Advocacy Fellow Autumn Byars.

Bishop Hutterer: Teranga, Hospitalidad, and the Spirit of Generosity

This Advent season, as we wait in hopeful anticipation for the gift of Christ’s birth, I find myself reflecting deeply on gifts and generosity. Not just the kind we wrap in paper and ribbons, but the kind we experience through the Spirit—the gifts of love, grace, and community that bind us together as one church, one body of Christ.

In the past months, I’ve been blessed to witness firsthand how the Holy Spirit moves through our shared ministry, both within our synod and across the globe. During recent visits to two of our companion churches—the Lutheran Church of Senegal (LCS) and Iglesia Luterana Mexicana (ILM)—I saw acts of generosity that have left me humbled and inspired.

Bishop Hutterer, Letters, Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardDecember 17, 2024Bishop Hutterer Letters, 2024 Advent and ChristmasComment

Bishop Eaton's Christmas Joy message

In her Christmas message, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton calls our attention to the word “joy” in the angel’s proclamation to the shepherds. “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of a great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11). Eaton reminds us that the message of Christmas is joy, not happiness. Happiness is transient and humanmade. But joy given by God is deep and strong and unshakable. Read the message in English or Spanish, and download a video file at bit.ly/3D9ULKc.

“Joy is a sign of the reign of God…Perhaps that is why in the middle of the night, to terrified shepherds, outside of a small town, God chose to send the angels to announce the birth of Jesus. No distraction. No interference. Just the simple, deep, profound gift of true and lasting joy.”

Bishop Eaton, ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardDecember 6, 2024Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Bishop Eaton Letters, 2024 Advent and ChristmasComment

Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20

Each year, we pause to remember the lives lost to anti-transgender violence, especially Black and brown transgender women. Vicar Vica-Etta Henrietta Steel reflects on the intersection of racial and transgender justice, urging us to honor this day by amplifying marginalized voices and committing to advocacy and allyship. Read more at ELCA.org about how the church can lift trans joy and pursue justice for all.

ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardNovember 19, 2024LGBTQIA+Comment

Woven Together: A Post-Election Message from Bishop Eaton

The day after the 2024 presidential election, Bishop Eaton reflects on the many expressions of our church being woven together as strands of a large tapestry, even as individually people are experiencing joy or grief. She reminds us that regardless of who is elected president or to other leadership positions in our country, our call to be Christ in the world doesn’t change. View on YouTube or in this post, or download here.

“As we're moving through these next years, no matter what happens and what befalls … imagine all of us woven together and in Christ, and we will continue to serve the gospel and to serve the world.”

Bishop Eaton, ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardNovember 7, 2024Bishop Eaton Letters, Church and Society, Elections and Voting RightsComment

Bishop Hutterer: A Message of Peace and Hope after the Election

As I reflect on the election results in our nation and in our swing-states synod, I recognize that emotions across our communities are varied and deeply felt. For some, there is joy and hope; for others, uncertainty and worry. In this moment, we turn our gaze once again toward Jesus, our unchanging source of comfort and strength in uncertain times.

For those who are filled with joy today, I ask for your prayers, support, and compassion toward those who may feel fearful or lost. For those who are anxious, may you know the comfort of a God who holds you close. Jesus sustains us all, inviting us into a spirit of action and healing, no matter the season or the outcome.

Grand Canyon Synod

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