Can seasonal members vote in our annual meeting? Can I hold an electronic meeting? Where do I find the ELCA model constitution? How do I revise our congregation constitution?
Join ELCA Secretary Deacon Sue Rothmeyer and Pastor David Brandfass for a Zoom workshop on congregation constitutions. All congregational leaders are invited: Thursday, 12/2/2021, 5-6:15 pm MST, 6-7:15 pm PST. Click here to register by 11/29/2021.
Read MoreThe October 2021 issue of Living Lutheran focuses on Intergenerational Ministry, with several articles and perspectives on the topic. The primary article shares many resources, including an interview with Linda Staats of the Generosity Project, as well as photos from the Grand Canyon Synod.
View the article online or in its magazine format, and find the study guide here.
Read MoreThe 10/16/2021 session of the Beginning a Culture of Generosity fall stewardship program is available for review. It’s for those who missed it or are curious about the program.
Read MoreWhen you think of a sloth, what do you think of? I’d bet a small, furry creature. Likely clinging to a tree with incredibly long claws. Probably munching on some leaves or flowers with a glib, goofy grin that God placed on its face through millions of years of evolution.
Read MoreGloria Dei Lutheran Church and Palo Cristi Presbyterian Church, Paradise Valley, are offering 40 years of SATB Choral Music to be given away free! There are individual pieces, as well as Cantata Books and compilation selections. Call 602-955-7330 for details.
Read MoreAs you observe All Saints Sunday on November 7, 2021 or at another time near November 1 (All Saints Day), you may desire a rite that acknowledges those who have died from COVID-19 during this past year or since the beginning of this pandemic.
Read MoreIn late September the MacArthur Foundation announced that Joshua Miele is a genius grant recipient. Miele designs adaptive technologies that allow blind and visually impaired (BVI) people to use the technologies that permeate society. For instance, Miele developed YouDescribe, which allows sighted volunteers to create audio descriptions of any video on YouTube.
Read MoreThree songs from our 2021 Bishop’s Fall Gathering are available for your listening pleasure: A Story For All People, For All the Faithful Women, and I Love to Tell the Story. Listen and watch in this post.
Thanks to vocalist Karin Gunderson and pianist Jerry Gunderson for sharing. Jerry isDirector of Worship & Music Ministry, All Saints Lutheran Church, Phoenix.
Read MoreRyan Panzer, guest at our 2021 Fall Gathering, offer 30% off the cover price of his book Grace and Gigabytes with code PANZER30, valid only at fortresspress.com.
You can also subscribe to his digital ministry newsletter and view more resources at www.ryanpanzer.com.
Read MoreMany congregations are just now getting things ready to attend the 2022 Gathering, so if you haven’t started yet– you aren’t behind! Here are 10 things to know as you prepare to bring a congregational group to the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering.
Read MoreVisit gcsynod.org/grants to get more info and apply for over $200,000 available in Project Support Grants, and Adapting, Connecting, Transforming, and Sustaining (ACTS) Grants. Submit applications by 10/15/2021.
You can also view our Q&A webinar and resources in this blog post.
Read MoreIn the past few years there has been a movement within the US American Catholic Church to recognize Dorothy Day as a saint within their tradition. While Lutherans and Catholics have different understandings of saints and sainthood, we too, can look to these people as exemplars of the faith.
Read MoreA worship resource for Veterans Day includes prayers, hymn suggestions, and other ideas. Both PDF and Word versions are available at elca.org/Resources/Worship#Liturgy.
The resources may be used and adapted as needed for Veterans Day observances or in weekly worship on the Sunday closest to November 11. To learn more about caring for returning veterans, resources are available from the ELCA Federal Chaplaincy Ministries.
Read MoreWhen the church gathers, we pray for the needs of the world. Like preaching that is both rooted in scripture shared across time and space and attentive to the local assembly at the present moment, the sense of “praying for the world” is expansive but also attentive to a particular context.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship encourages that “The prayers [of intercession] are prepared locally for each occasion” (ELW. p. 105). How can this be done? What practices are useful? What resources can help? Listed in this post are several resources from ELCA Worship or Augsburg Fortress.
Read MoreA 2010 study by psychologist Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton revealed that money did have an impact on how people evaluate their lives — people with more money feel better about their lives. The study showed when individuals reached an annual salary of $75,000, more money didn’t equate to more happiness.
Read MoreNorthern-Texas Northern Louisiana Synod will be doing a series of free online Congregational Council trainings beginning on October 21, 2021 and running 5 consecutive Thursdays from 7-8:15pm. CST. We will have a variety of presenters through the course of the sessions. Each session stands alone individually. The registration link is here: tiny.one/ntnlleads.
Read MoreThe Thriving Leadership Formation program from Cal Lutheran offers free and meaningful opportunities for ELCA rostered and lay leaders in your synod. TLF brings ELCA pastors, deacons and lay leaders together online to cultivate skills and networks of trust, support, spiritual practice and accountability.
This is the second round of cohort groups. Cohort groups meet on Zoom 12 times. At Large Cohorts and Synod Cohorts available.
Read MoreBlessed Are the Peacemakers: Mediation and Reconciliation Skills for the Church is a new publication created by Lutheran World Federation leaders after years of experience in dealing with church conflicts across the Americas. The resource is published in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Read MoreStories of Faith in Action is a free, annual publication highlighting how God is changing lives through the ministries funded by your congregation’s Mission Support offering, shared with your synod and ELCA churchwide. Visit our SOFIA 2021-2022 page for all resources.
How can you inspire ELCA members with this publication? View this how-to PDF resource or this post which has: links for the digital and print PDF; one-page stories for printing; three videos for social media or mission moment with your congregation (1, 2, 3); and prompts for devotional time.
Read MoreThe morning after the 2016 presidential election, Bruce MacKenzie had a line from the “Prayer of St. Francis” running through his mind: “Seek as much … to be understood as to understand.”
He came across an article that mentioned Braver Angels (formerly “Better Angels”), an organization trying to bridge the partisan divide and depolarize America, and signed up for a “Red/Blue Workshop,” which brings together an equal number of conservatives and liberals to discover common values.
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