Posts in ELCA
From Minnesota to Virginia: Lutherans Advocate for Housing, Health, and Hope
From Minnesota to Virginia: Lutherans Advocate for Housing, Health, and Hope

Across the country, ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices are hard at work advocating for justice-rooted policies in areas like housing, healthcare, hunger, climate, and civic engagement. From Minnesota’s letter-writing campaigns and housing wins, to over 200 disciples gathering for Lutheran Day in Pennsylvania, to Texas Lutherans standing against religious extremism, the spring updates reflect faithful witness in action.

Read the latest state-by-state highlights and explore how you and your congregation can stay involved in policy that reflects our shared Lutheran values. Click here for the full Spring State Policy Update from ELCA Advocacy.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardAdvocacy, ELCA AdvocacyComment
For What Shall We Pray?
For What Shall We Pray?

  • For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, India and Pakistan…

  • For victims of gun violence, especially members of the Israeli embassy staff in Washington D.C. and those killed in Waterbury, Connecticut…

  • For the aftermath of the glacier collapse in Blatten, Switzerland…

  • For those in need of affordable and accessible health care and food resources…

  • For immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees…

  • For international students seeking to pursue their education in the United States…

  • For LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities at the outset of Pride Month…

  • For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies, that the Spirit would enliven and guide them…

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ELCA, Prayers, SpotlightBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
Julie E. Schneider-Thomas Elected Bishop of the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod
Julie E. Schneider-Thomas Elected Bishop of the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod

The Rev. Julie E. Schneider-Thomas has been elected bishop of the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod during their synod assembly held May 18–20 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. She was elected on the fifth ballot and will begin her six-year term on September 1, succeeding Bishop Craig Satterlee. Schneider-Thomas currently serves as pastor of Zion Lutheran in Comstock Park and Hope Lutheran in Rockford, Mich. Installation details are forthcoming.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
Churchwide Assembly 2025: Congregation Observers Invited to Participate
Churchwide Assembly 2025: Congregation Observers Invited to Participate

Each ELCA congregation is invited to register one observer for the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix. Observers receive access to all assembly materials and reserved seating but do not vote. Registration is $125 and closes May 31. Learn more about lodging, travel, and how to be part of this unique gathering of our wider church.

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ELCA, News, Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2025 Churchwide AssemblyComment
Bishop Eaton Issues Statement on Fatal Shooting of Two Israeli Embassy Staff in Washington, D.C.
Bishop Eaton Issues Statement on Fatal Shooting of Two Israeli Embassy Staff in Washington, D.C.

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a statement on behalf of the ELCA expressing deep sorrow over the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff in Washington, D.C.—an act rooted in the deadly rise of anti-Semitism. The ELCA stands firmly against such hatred and calls for prayers for the victims’ families, the Jewish community, and the people of Gaza. The statement affirms the ELCA’s commitment to peace, dialogue, humanitarian aid, and a just resolution in the Holy Land.

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ELCA, Bishop Eaton, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardBishop Eaton Letters, Israel and Palestine, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious RelationsComment
Tracey Breashears Schultz Elected Bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod
Tracey Breashears Schultz Elected Bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod

The Rev. Tracey Breashears Schultz has been elected bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. Elected on the third ballot at the May 16–17 synod assembly in New Orleans, Schultz currently serves as the synod’s associate for leadership and brings experience from congregations in Houston and San Antonio. Her installation is scheduled for Sept. 7 at Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas. Bishop Michael Rinehart, who has served since 2007, will transition to a role with GSB Fundraising.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
For What Shall We Pray?
For What Shall We Pray?

  • For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, India and Pakistan…

  • For all victims of gun violence, especially in Durban, South Africa; Mexico City, Mexico…

  • For victims of the bombing of the Palm Springs, CA fertility clinic…

  • For relief and recovery efforts following severe storms in the midwestern and eastern United States…

  • For all who grieve a loved one on Memorial Day, and for those who serve in the armed forces…

  • For graduating students and for all whose academic years are drawing to a close…
    For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies…

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ELCA, Prayers, SpotlightBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
“Here I Pod” Amplifies Voices on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
“Here I Pod” Amplifies Voices on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

The latest Here I Pod episode from ELCA Advocacy addresses the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), featuring a powerful conversation with ELCA Indigenous Ministries leaders. Vance Blackfox, Justice Nichols, and Brenda Blackhawk reflect on the church’s call to justice, truth, and healing. Timed with MMIW Awareness Day on May 5, this episode explores the intersections of advocacy, climate justice, media representation, and the ELCA’s ongoing Truth & Healing Movement. Click here to listen or learn more.

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ELCA, Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardAmerican Indian and Alaska Native, Here I Pod, ELCA AdvocacyComment
Faith Lens: Flourishing Together
Faith Lens: Flourishing Together

What does it mean to truly flourish? A global study from Baylor University finds that regular participation in a faith community—not wealth or age—is a key factor in living a good life. Scripture agrees. In John 14, Jesus promises we are never alone, and the Spirit remains with us so we may live abundantly. This week’s Faith Lens explores how our call to community and presence—both divine and human—helps us flourish together, not apart.

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Worship Resources, ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardFaith Lens, Youth and Young AdultComment
May 2025 Mission Support Memo: God With Us
May 2025 Mission Support Memo: God With Us

The May 2025 Mission Support Memo from ELCA is all about the resiliency of a small-town ministry. Immanuel Lutheran Church, in rural central Texas, faced a variety of challenges, a vacancy in pastoral leadership and the ongoing impact of the pandemic. Yet, they saw opportunity when they called Katie Rode under a special program that allowed her to serve part-time while attending seminary full-time.

Explore the memo to find out how you can participate in the September Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference in New Orleans and learn about the 2024 Mission Support outcomes.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardStewardship, Mission Support, ELCA Mission Support TeamComment
Breaking Barriers: Australian and New Zealand Lutherans Welcome Women to the Pulpit
Breaking Barriers: Australian and New Zealand Lutherans Welcome Women to the Pulpit

The Lutheran Church in Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) has ordained women as pastors for the first time, following a landmark decision last fall to allow the ordination of women. Maria Rudolph and Sue Westhorp were ordained this spring to serve congregations in Perth and Box Hill, respectively. This historic move affirms the LCANZ’s commitment to recognizing the gifts of all whom God calls, regardless of gender, and aligns with broader movements within the Lutheran World Federation. Click here to read the full article on Living Lutheran.

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ELCA, Global Church, NewsBrian FlatgardLiving LutheranComment
What’s New in Church Administration? Read the May Issue of Administration Matters
What’s New in Church Administration? Read the May Issue of Administration Matters

The May 2025 issue of Administration Matters is now live. Find key updates on online Bible studies for the 2025 Churchwide Assembly, mental health resources for leaders, health benefit changes coming in 2026, and practical financial and safety tools for congregations. Don’t miss this valuable resource for leaders across the Grand Canyon Synod. Read the full issue.

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ELCA, Leadership Resources, NewsBrian FlatgardAdministration MattersComment
Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee Reelected in Northwest Washington Synod
Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee Reelected in Northwest Washington Synod

The Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee has been reelected to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the ELCA’s Northwest Washington Synod. The vote took place May 16 during the synod assembly in Everett, Washington, with Bishop Wee receiving 215 votes on the second ballot. She has served as bishop since 2019 and brings decades of pastoral and leadership experience within the ELCA. To read the full article at elca.org, click here.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
A Message from Bishop Eaton for the Fifth Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder
A Message from Bishop Eaton for the Fifth Anniversary of George Floyd’s Murder

May 25, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. In her message to the church honoring George Floyd, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton calls our attention to how this “horrific act revealed the deadly reality of racism in the United States for many across the world.” Eaton stresses that “racism is one of many tools of white supremacy and a sin that distorts God’s image in all of us, and it stands against the Gospel we proclaim.”

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardRacial Justice, Bishop Eaton LettersComment
Churchwide Assembly 2025: Congregation Observers Invited to Participate
Churchwide Assembly 2025: Congregation Observers Invited to Participate

Each ELCA congregation is invited to register one observer for the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix. Observers receive access to all assembly materials and reserved seating but do not vote. Registration is $125 and closes May 31. Learn more about lodging, travel, and how to be part of this unique gathering of our wider church.

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ELCA, News, Grand Canyon SynodBrian Flatgard2025 Churchwide AssemblyComment
Gaza, FEMA, and the Common Good: ELCA Advocacy May 2025 Update
Gaza, FEMA, and the Common Good: ELCA Advocacy May 2025 Update

From proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts to the dismantling of FEMA and halted humanitarian aid to Gaza, the May 2025 Advocacy Connections report from ELCA Advocacy highlights urgent policy concerns affecting vulnerable communities at home and abroad. Guided by Lutheran social teaching, ELCA advocacy staff are responding with calls to action on hunger, healthcare, global health funding, disaster response, and tax justice.

Learn how these developments intersect with ELCA priorities like Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All and Caring for Creation, and see how our companion churches are helping shape the conversation in Washington, D.C. Click here to read the full May update from ELCA Advocacy.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardAdvocacy, ELCA AdvocacyComment
For What Shall We Pray?
For What Shall We Pray?

  • For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, India and Pakistan…

  • For de-escalation of hostilities and a lasting peace between India and Pakistan…

  • For all affected by wildfires in Minnesota and Arizona, and flooding in Maryland…

  • For all in need of affordable and accessible healthcare…

  • For the financial well-being and sustainability of social service agencies, feeding programs, and anti-poverty initiatives…

  • For the vocation of colleges and universities, and for all faculty, staff, and students…

  • For Pope Leo XIV and the global Roman Catholic church…

  • For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies…

  • For graduating students in this season of transition…

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ELCA, Prayers, SpotlightBrian FlatgardELCA Worship, For What Shall We PrayComment
Rev. Dr. Katrina Foster Elected Bishop of Metropolitan New York Synod
Rev. Dr. Katrina Foster Elected Bishop of Metropolitan New York Synod

The Rev. Dr. Katrina Foster has been elected bishop of the ELCA’s Metropolitan New York Synod, following the conclusion of their synod assembly on May 3. Foster, who currently serves as pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in NYC, was elected on the fifth ballot and will begin a six-year term. She succeeds the Rev. Paul Egensteiner, who is returning to parish ministry.

Foster brings over three decades of pastoral leadership in New York and holds degrees from ELCA-affiliated institutions including Newberry College and United Lutheran Seminary. Her election marks a new chapter for the Metropolitan New York Synod. Click here for more.

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ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardComment
Faith Lens: The Good News Commandment
Faith Lens: The Good News Commandment

Graduation season reminds us that some things we’re required to do—like learning—can become sources of joy and transformation. In John 13, Jesus offers a new commandment: to love one another. This law isn’t a burden but a gift that draws us closer to the heart of God’s good news. Explore how gospel and law intertwine in our everyday lives, and reflect on the ways love shows up in both what we’re told to do—and what we choose to do.

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Worship Resources, ELCA, ResourcesBrian FlatgardFaith Lens, Youth and Young AdultComment