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.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, congregations of the ELCA will join together for our annual day of service, "God's work. Our hands." This day continues to be an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the ELCA — one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
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.
Washington just launched a hate crime and bias incidents reporting hotline in three counties across the state, one of which is Spokane. Hotline staff will help callers find local, culturally competent, victim-centered, and trauma-informed support services and, with consent of the caller, can assist in reporting incidents to local law enforcement.
September 8-9
Lead with courage and clarity in a divided world.
This virtual summit offers six video sessions and live Q&As with Dr. Rose Madrid Swetman and Dr. Kate Rae Davis.
Hosted by The Center for Transforming Engagement
For many among us, the summer season provides a break in the normal routine. In congregations and other ministry sites, many committees and programs pause or slow down their activity (and others might increase). It also tends to be a time for planning for the future. All this makes summer an ideal time for leaders to tend to some basic “committee work,” or (re)establishing foundational practices and principles for the mutual work the group or committee is about. Here are some helpful points to consider:
For instructions on how to register and apply, please go HERE. We’re excited to see God at work in your projects and plans!
Coaching as a leadership support is very different. In our synod, we have been using coaching for Faithful Innovation, Mission Developers, and First Call Rostered Leaders. An individual or a team works with a coach to…What do coaches do?
Don’t Miss the Tailgate Party of the Year!
Vandals vs. Cougs
August 30, 2025
I think people need to be reminded, now more than ever, that God blesses them outside of our hour of communal worship, that God cares about our labors (volunteer and compensated). Equally important, we all need reminders that united with Jesus Christ, we each can bring gifts of empathy, connection, and presence to our laboring, no matter what it is.
OPEN POSITION
@ St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Renton, WA
Join our welcoming congregation as we seek to praise God through vibrant, inclusive music. We’re searching for a passionate Interim Director of Music Ministries who is ready to inspire worship, lead choirs, and collaborate with our creative team.
All ELCA-Primary Health Plan options are changing for 2026. Before Annual Enrollment begins, you’ll want to understand how the new plans will work, what factors you should consider to determine what’s best for you, and how to navigate the new tools we’re creating to help your decision process.