Young adult parents rate religious faith as the least important value to pass on to their children. How can congregations respond? This post in ELCA.org explores ways faith communities can engage parents, support their well-being, and foster connections between faith and shared values like empathy and responsibility. Read more for practical insights and reflection questions to spark creative ministry.
Read MoreThe U.S. Surgeon General’s recent advisory calls attention to a growing crisis in parental mental health. Parents and caregivers face unprecedented stress, with nearly 75% expressing concerns about their children’s mental well-being. This is a profound opportunity for faith communities to step up, offering open dialogue and supportive networks to ease the burden. The latest ELCA Innovation Blog post explores actionable ways the church can stand in solidarity with families, rooted in faith’s call to care for one another.
Read MoreAs design thinking is utilized to solve big-problems and ultimately redesign systems, the process of design thinking itself must be examined closely to mitigate the causes of inequity. Design thinking as a field often refuses to acknowledge power imbalance or the exclusive nature of many design processes. That is where equity design comes in.
Read MoreThe Open Doors initiative was launched to support ELCA congregations interested in meeting new people during this time of transition and re-gathering in physical spaces. ELCA congregations were invited to share their concrete, actionable ideas for meeting new people during this critical time.
Read MoreHave you or your worshipping community ever encountered a tough problem and found yourselves unable to come up with a solution? Then design thinking might be able to help! Design thinking is being used every day by global companies, top universities and people around the world to help solve big challenges.
Read MoreThis “Experiments in Action” blog series features individuals and communities who are trying something new. This post features a story from The Rev. Rebecca Ehrlich, Interim Director for Evangelical Mission and Assistant to the Bishop in the Allegheny Synod and founder of an online community exploring Christian Minimalism.
Read MoreLast week, Mikka McCracken, Director of the ELCA Innovation Lab, spoke about our call to “fail boldly” and what it means to ABIDE in failure.
Check out this video which explores the importance of taking risks in service to our neighbor, and remembering that our worth is not defined by our success or failure but rests in our identity as loved children of God.
Read MoreELCA Innovation Lab is reading “Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation.”
Authors Dr. Linda A. Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove and Kent Lineback say innovation is not about solo genius but focuses on building the culture and context for collective genius.
Read MoreThe “Experiments in Action” blog series features individuals and communities who are trying something new. This post features a story from Tree of Life, Minneapolis, MN a Lutheran church start-up that is queer-affirming, millennial-led, and for the spiritual but also slightly religious. Read here.
Read MoreAs the ELCA Innovation Lab has begun to imagine ways to help the church reclaim relevancy, we have tapped into our deep reformation roots. After all, Lutheranism is a tradition founded on the new and useful ideas of Martin Luther that changed not only the church, but much of western society.
Read More“The way people hear and receive the gospel is changing at an increasingly rapid rate. The competitors of the gospel are many,” says Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
“The ELCA Innovation Lab is a space to experiment and innovate in real time so more people can know more about Jesus and experience the love of God.”
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