September 18 and October 2
There will be 2 zooms that are available for anyone who is interested to attend.
The first will be on Spiritual Practices and will be September 18, beginning at 5pm PST / 6pm MST.
The second will be an introduction to worship leadership will be on October 2, also beginning at 5pm PST /6pm MST.
Scott Kinder-Pyle, Interim Pastor at Northwood Presbyterian Church and Certified Chaplain with Gentiva Hospice, has offered some essay-reflections and poems in his newly published book, Hospice Chaplain, Interrupted.
We’re excited to share the latest School Spotlight featuring Advent Lutheran Child Center in Spokane Valley, Washington!
Lutherhaven Ministries is thrilled to welcome Dave Ellingson as our Guest Speaker for Go Outside & Play! This one-night retreat (option to add a second night) is designed to provide time and space for adults to enjoy all camp has to offer – campfires, s’mores, time in the word, and fellowship! Dave will encourage us to “Go Outside & Play!” During the retreat you will be challenged to look at what the words “Go Outside and Play” means with the life of Jesus in mind.
Earlier this summer, the Senate Banking Committee advanced a bipartisan housing reform bill by an overwhelming 24-0 margin. The ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651), introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), comprehensively bundled together many bipartisan solutions to addressing the housing crisis affecting millions of Americans.
Mission Possible is the annual servant learning opportunity of this congregation. It started in 2005 under the ministry of our retired Deacon Heidi Cryer. Mission Possible uses an accompaniment model of service, where we seek to learn from those in need, to be part of what is already being done, and to interact with agencies that provide direct services to the poor and vulnerable in our community. We recognize that joining together is the best way to address our community’s challenges.
All are invited to a Workshop offered by the Synod's Worship Team
9:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday, October 25, 2025
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Boise, Idaho
The Blessing of Animals is a fun way to engage people of all ages and to have conversations about our responsibilities to all creatures who share Earth with us. Some people may bring their animals to church to be blessed, while others bring photos to avoid unnecessary stress on their pets. Through photos or stuffed toys, congregations may celebrate and bless all types of creatures beyond pets. An appropriate hymn for the blessing of animals is number 1064 in All Creation Sings, “Earth is Full of Wit and Wisdom,” which sings of roly polies, giraffes, geckos, monkeys, mice, and many other creatures!
We are preparing to open registration for our three one-day United at the Font: Partnering for the Future events this fall. As I wrote in our grant application to Wartburg Seminary, these three locations were chosen in conversation with ecumenical partners. However, I see no reason why the entire synod cannot join in on the learning and growing.
Pastors Wilson Nyakachewa and Ezekiel Mwambungu will soon be here! They arrive On September 8 and will depart our area on October 27. Please hold them in prayer as they prepare to leave, travel, and be with us
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a letter to President Donald Trump and members of Congress expressing support of “our Jewish-American and Israeli siblings who have suffered because of the Oct. 7 attacks,” yet voicing “profound horror regarding the catastrophe in Gaza and the wider crisis in the Holy Land.”
Our July 2025 Mission Support Memo enlightens us about our ELCA chaplains in specialized ministry and federal chaplaincy across our church who minister to all in all kinds of places. Our ELCA chaplains in specialized ministry and federal chaplaincy serve to support those defending our country, in places outside church walls, tending to people of all needs and backgrounds and showing the gratitude and love of God to all.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a video message about the recent IRS ruling that suggests the agency may interpret the Johnson Amendment of 1954 in ways that would allow churches and other religious organizations to engage in partisan activity.
…continuation of our Leadership Formation series, this time with even more learning and opportunities to hear from one another with our Enneagram Type Panels programming -- to our launching of our Leadership Formation Transforming Teams series -- we can't wait to get started!
From September 1 to October 4, the ecumenical Christian family unites for a worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home. This “Season of Creation” is a special time when we celebrate God as Creator and acknowledge Creation as the divine continuing act that summons us as collaborators to love and care for the Earth.
Have your ever wondered where the money we give to the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese (UKD) goes to support? Have you wanted to go see, first hand, why we support the hospital and school a half a world away, in Tanzania? Or where is Tanzania, for that matter? If these questions, or some similar have been ones you have asked yourself, now is the time to act. Our synod will be sending up to 20 travelers with two leaders to Tanzania in June 2026.
In September and October of this year, we will welcome two guests from the UKD. Pastor Wilson Nyakachewa is the Assistant to the Bishop of the UKD. Pastor Ezekiel Mwambungu is on the Diocese Leadership Team and is the Director of the UKD's Strobelt Pre and Primary School.
The Rev. Lucille "CeCee" Mills was elected Aug. 1 to serve a six-year term as secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
The Rev. Yehiel Curry was elected July 30 to serve a six-year term as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
It was an honor to be one of the seven voting members from the NWIM Synod at this Assembly, under the theme For the Life of the World. (continue with summary report)
This retreat is for LAY LEADERS, especially, but not limited to, those going through Montana’s Lay Ministry Associate program OR Luther Seminary’s Lay School Certificate or Graduate Certificate programs.
October 13-15 in Richland, WA
Registration is open now until September 15.
LuMin is the Lutheran Campus Ministry Network. As part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), LuMin celebrates our partnerships with other traditions and welcomes people from a variety of faith backgrounds. There are currently more than 240 faith communities connected with LuMin.
Have your ever wondered where the money we give to the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese (UKD) goes to support? Have you wanted to go see, first hand, why we support the hospital and school a half a world away, in Tanzania? Or where is Tanzania, for that matter? If this questions, or some similar have been ones you have asked yourself, now is the time to act.
Mark your calendars for the Rostered Ministers Gathering on July 6-9, 2026, in Indianapolis. All ELCA deacons, pastors and bishops (under call, on leave or disability, retired or an approved candidate for call) are invited.
The ELCA’s Truth & Healing Movement is an opportunity for this church to increase our understanding of our colonizing impacts on Indigenous people in the past and present. Over the next several months, there will be opportunities to learn, raise awareness and engage in other ways to impact hearts and lives across this church. We believe that the truth, and our knowing and embracing it, is the first step toward healing for all of us.
We invite you to join with congregations and communities across the ELCA to gather for weekly, community prayer as part of the Bishops’ Pray Without Ceasing Initiative.
If you’re watching church attendance declining at your congregation and wondering what you’re doing wrong, this conversation will transform how you understand the challenges facing American religion. Dr. Christian Smith, sociologist at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Why Religion Went Obsolete,” reveals that the struggles you’re experiencing aren’t primarily about your leadership, programs, or preaching. Instead, we’re dealing with “perfect storm” conditions—massive cultural, technological, and social forces that have been building for decades, creating what Smith calls a “cultural mismatch” between traditional religion and today’s zeitgeist.
Theologian Walter Brueggeman praises the role of the artist in keeping imagination alive, especially in the face of tyranny. Imagination is alive and well at Celebration Lutheran Church in East Wenatchee, thanks to their Liturgical Arts group and a grant from the synod SHARE fund in 2024.
My name is Marwah Alobaidi, and I’m the Community Programs and Translations Manager at USAHello. I’m reaching out to make sure you’ve seen our newly updated Multilingual Immigration Guide, which is now easier to use—with more resources, better filtering, and translations in 9 languages.