Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Friday, July 26 We pray for […] The post Prayer ventures: July 26 appeared first on Living Lutheran ..read more

For Nathan Pipho, who was elected June 7 as bishop of the New England Synod, the top three priorities for his synod are clear: “Telling the story of Jesus, building community and doing the work of racial justice.” And he sees some clear ways the synod can take on those opportunities. “The more focused we […] The post “An important time to be the church” appeared first on Living Lutheran ..read more

Service to others has always been integral to Sam Swenson-Reinhold’s worldview. “I’m a double pastor’s kid, so I’m a unique breed in that way,” he said. With two ELCA pastors as parents, he’s “been an ELCA member since the time I came out of the womb.” His father is an ELCA coach, and his mother […] The post A vocation of service appeared first on Living Lutheran ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Thursday, July 25 We remember in prayer young adults nearing the end of their yearlong volunteer service in the Young Adults in Global Mission program. We give thanks for their faith, gifts, witness and commitment to ministry, and pray that the Spirit will prepare them to pursue new opportunities for service and ..read more

Service to others has always been integral to Sam Swenson-Reinhold’s worldview. “I’m a double pastor’s kid, so I’m a unique breed in that way,” he said. With two ELCA pastors as parents, he’s “been an ELCA member since the time I came out of the womb.” His father is an ELCA coach, and his mother is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist. “That approach to self-growth and the pursuing of it has always been in my DNA,” he said. Today Swenson-Reinhold serves as an ELCA coach himself, as well as project coordinator for Operation Backyard with the nonprofit Knoxville (Tenn.) Leadership Fo ..read more

As congregations seek new ways to minister to diverse communities, outdoor ministries are redefining how they welcome campers of all faiths, ethnicities and sexual orientations. One of the ELCA’s 145 outdoor ministries, HopeWood Outdoors, based in Columbus, Ohio, aspires to be more welcoming and sustainable financially. With day-camp programs and 480 acres of campground in Marengo and Conneaut, Ohio, the ministry has provided staff with cultural training, awarded scholarships to economically disadvantaged campers, hosted diverse organizations, and sought new revenue streams and sustainabl ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Wednesday, July 24 “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). We may not be familiar with the work of shepherds anymore, but we do know the joy and relief of having God in our lives to guide us, comfort us, restore us and walk with us through darkness and evil. We give thanks and praise to God, our ever-present shep ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Tuesday, July 23 We praise God and give thanks for the leaders and volunteers who planned and implemented the ELCA Youth Gathering, Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), the tAble event and the Young Adult Gathering. We give thanks for congregations, community organizations, residents and community leaders ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Monday, July 22 We pray for musicians and leaders gathering for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians conference at Valparaiso (Ind.) University, an annual continuing education event to nurture and equip church musicians, pastors and worship leaders. The post Prayer ventures: July 22 appeared first on Livi ..read more

Jen Nagel believes the church is at a turning point. “I have the sense that we’re at a time of change for the Lutheran church—for all of Christianity,” she said. “I don’t necessarily feel like I come with all the answers for how it should be changed. But I am somebody who’s good at helping people and organizations think through the process of how we might move through this time.” Nagel, who was elected May 4 as bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod, has seen firsthand as a parish pastor the anxiety and burnout many church members have felt in recent years. “Our best resources are the peopl ..read more