From Rev. David Brandfass, Synod Council Secretary, are the full minutes from our 2021 Synod assembly available in PDF format.
Read More
At our assembly in June, Pastors Karn Carroll and Jacqui Pagel led the assembly in break-out sessions. In this post, we’ve compiled attendee’s answers to three questions posed:
Think for a moment about someone who might be new, young, or diverse to your congregation, then share with your breakout group, one new idea you could do to welcome them.
Discuss with your group about one new relevant issue your congregation should address and how?
Name one thing that we might connect with: school, business, community.
At our 2021 Assembly, we took time to remember the rostered ministers who have entered the church triumphant since our last synod assembly, as well as the Holy Closures of two of our congregations.
Read More
Since we did not have a 2021 Assembly, we have two years of milestone rostered minister anniversaries. As your read the names in the list in this post or video, say a prayer of thanks for the rostered leaders and their ministry among us.
Read More
We took some time during our 2021 assembly to recognize and thank some of the leaders of the Grand Canyon Synod by name. This is by no means a complete list. In the rush of the last year, many leaders and informal groups stepped up in numerous ways.
But while we have this list in one place and at one point in time, we thought we’d share it.
Read More
Since we last met as an assembly in June, 2019, we have newly ordained ministers and newly called rostered ministers to the Grand Canyon Synod.
Read More
We thank and recognize our outgoing and previously serving synod council members:
Nancy Davis
Paul Gryniewicz
Pr. Jeff Kallevig
Jan Loomis
Solveig Muus
Pr. Doris Nolan
Janet Santiago
Bill Thompson
As part of our assembly business, we adopted the 2022-2023 Mission Spending Plan as well as the 2021 Treasurer’s Report. Explore the spending plan here as well as an overview of the Treasurer’s Report in PDF.
Read More
In this post we try to thank the many people who made our first online assembly possible. We apologize for anyone we’ve neglected. It’s a blessing to have so many who volunteer their time and energy that we can barely count them. We are church together.
We start by thanking all the voting members who took the time to participate, not only on the Saturday of our assembly, but by attending our tech training sessions and informing themselves on the business of our synod. Your leadership is greatly appreciated.
Read More
The following rostered ministers have retired since May 1, 2020. In the past, congregations may have given them large celebrations to acknowledge their ministry. We know during the year of pandemic that didn’t happen. We take a moment and recognize the service of these individuals.
Rev. Thomas Stephens
Rev. Alan Field
Rev. Richard Lawrence
Rev. John Lillie
Rev. Glenn Zimbelman
Rev. Adele Resmer
Rev. Abigail Byrd
Rev. B. Melissa Harr
We give thanks to God for these congregations who celebrated significant milestones in 2020 and 2021.
Faith Lutheran Church, Phoenix, 75 years
Lord of Life, Sun City West, 40 years
Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Tucson, 75 years
Gloria De Cristo Lutheran Church, Yuma, 25 years
Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Clarkdale, 25 years
We give thanks to God for the presence of Rev. Albert Starr, our visiting churchwide representative. Rev. Starr led our Bible study and gave a churchwide report. We share his presentation files in this post, and you can view his sermon for our worship service here.
Read More
At our 2021 Assembly, we elected synod council members and committee members, as well as voting members to attend the Churchwide Assembly in August, 2022.
We welcome these new members, and thank all of the many leaders who participated in these elections. We are grateful for your continued leadership in the Grand Canyon Synod.
Read More
Newly ordained Pastor Nanette Christofferson, serving at Love of Christ, Mesa, shares some gratitudes as part of our 2021 Assembly updates.
Read More
Newly ordained Pastor Pam Reynolds, serving at Lord of Life, Sun City West, shares her some her joys as part of our 2021 Assembly.
Read More
Pastor Don Lorfing, senior pastor at Good Samaritan Lutheran, Henderson, led us in a devotion and prayer based on our 2021 assembly’s theme and scripture: Freed in Christ.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” — Galatians 5:13-14
Read More
Pastor Karn Carroll (Our Saviour’s Church in Phoenix) serves as our synod’s representative to the ELCA church council. At our 2021 Assembly, she and Pastor Jacqui Pagel shared specifics about our future church and ways to move forward.
Read More
Rev. Miguel Gomez-Acosta, Director for Evangelical Mission and Bishop’s Associate for Congregational Vitality, gives an update as part of our 2021 Synod Assembly.
Read More
We opened our 2021 Assembly with greetings from Pastor Roberto Trejo Haager, president of the Mexican Lutheran Church, or Iglesia Luterana Mexicana.
Read More