If you’re trying to go somewhere, get from here to there, a straightforward, readable map is exactly what you need. | more »
Pastor
ELCA mission developer Margaret Kelly sees her ministry bringing “new life” to those living with poverty and homelessness. | more »
Emanuel Lutheran Church in West Warwick, R.I. was the first ELCA congregation powered by renewable energy. | more »
Pastors find sabbaticals to be transformative experiences that strengthen and develop the clergy’s ability to serve the congregation. | more »
ELCA congregations have the privilege and the responsibility to offer a Christian presence to those with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. | more »
How do we encounter that gift of abundant life in times of sickness? | more »
Turns out jobs and cars were a little more complicated than I first believed. Lawns? Forget it. Lawns have always been way beyond my control. | more »
Here are some safety tips to follow if you plan to set up an inflatable fun house for a congregational event. | more »
Something is lost in the daily grind; pastors need to be replenished after a time of hard work. | more »
The ELCA's "Ventures in Growing Stewards" workshop is just one way David Kappus promotes stewardship in the ELCA Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod. | more »
The church is called to talk to anyone who is seeking to know and understand God’s love. That call is to all of us. | more »
A worshiping community in northwest Wisconsin reaches out to those who “aren’t interested in walking into a church building.” | more »
It can lead to some remarkable moments, as I learned in my last call. | more »
Why does prayer matter? We answer that question with: How has prayer helped you?
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Consider ways of highlighting the juxtaposition of the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit. | more »
It is not important that we get the world to come to the church. Our calling is to bring the thirsty and the water of life together. | more »
I hope pastors might consider the following points for their benefit and the benefit of those they serve. | more »
At Bread of Healing in Milwaukee, members are offered a hot meal, free health care and a powerful community. | more »
Besides helping children in Peru, ELCA Missionary Sponsorship is a way for Julie Pavri and Dana Nelson to spread the gospel and to stay in touch. | more »
A developing ELCA congregation in Brooklyn, N.Y., meets a hunger in the community. | more »
When sin is forgiven, conflict resolved and broken relationships restored, it is God — not us — who makes all things new. | more »
“No one is speaking up for women here, and this is America!” | more »
Like all human bodies, the body of Christ that we call "church" needs to attend to its health or it may become ill.
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The story of what God is doing in the world through Jesus and his followers can’t be contained in one book, or two, or 102 or more. | more »
For an ELCA worshiping community, the cross necklaces they wear have become more than just jewelry — they have become a part of who they are. | more »
An ELCA congregation in Chicago connects with their artistic, urban community. | more »
Here are some ways a pastor and congregation can help those who are in the muddle or crisis of midlife. | more »
My runner friends have been angry, and hurt and sad. I’ve been scared and struggling to process it all. | more »
Jesus calls us to “agape,” self-sacrificial love. This is love that has to do with how we act toward one another, not how we feel about each other. | more »
Many ELCA congregations find themselves in a kind of exile, grieving for what they have lost.
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As one of the ELCA Fund for Leader’s first full-tuition scholarship recipients, Lynnae Sorensen brings a special perspective to her Austin, Texas, congregation. | more »
The hearing of the Shepherd’s voice is not the difficult part in all this. Just hearing the voice is not enough. | more »
No one expects a medical emergency at a congregational function, but everyone should be prepared. | more »
We’ve asked ELCA pastors from across the country to recommend their favorite inspirational quotes. Here is what they had to say. | more »
Hope Lutheran Church in Rhodes, Mich., makes a point of sharing its blessings with neighbors. | more »
The signs of resurrection and new life were at first so small, it was easy to miss them — and to dismiss them. | more »
Our congregation has an “Investment in Ministry Plan,” not a budget. In our meetings and conversations, the leadership avoids the word “budget” and always speaks in ministry terms. | more »
At its heart, preaching is storytelling — whether it’s retelling the Bible stories or the story of what God is up to now in the world. | more »
Multitasking isn’t inherently bad, and newer generations are simply better at it than older generations. | more »
Updating a blog or a site may seem daunting and time consuming, but it is well worth the effort. | more »
Like those first disciples surprised by the empty tomb, we can instead get lost in that past moment of time. | more »
Some who saw the risen Christ still doubted, while others, who have never seen him, believe fervently. | more »
One of the persistent questions we ask when we approach the Passion story is “why?” | more »
Now more than ever, it is essential to have a well-designed and engaging site. | more »
Proclaiming the good news should go beyond sanctuary walls to reach those who don't yet believe. | more »
Mary discovered that things had changed, the tomb was empty, the body was missing, and angels were lurking about. She had come upon the greatest “but God” moment of them all. | more »
Potlucks can combat world hunger! | more »
The Catacomb Churches in western Washington want to "to engage as saints and sinners, not as people with all the answers." | more »
I agree with the idea that in order to survive — even thrive — in life, we have to make choices about where we spend our energy. | more »
Here is a list of interesting facts you might not have known about Joseph. Think about sharing them in Sunday school, Bible forums and home devotions. | more »
The image of the real Jesus has been obscured by time and cultural shifts and “preacherly” reinterpretation. | more »
Disasters can happen at any time and place, often without warning, and it is vital for each of us to prepare ourselves. | more »
It is a chance to come together to hear God’s promises and to take comfort that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” | more »
Every day of the week, Jim Freeman can count on a warm meal delivered to his home, thanks to ELCA World Hunger. | more »
When absolution is pronounced, it is pronounced on behalf of God. It draws us out of the echo chamber of our own inner feelings and into relationship. | more »
Find worship ideas to help with the challenge of a festival that lasts for 50 days. | more »
These stories remind us to never give up when we feel lost in the universe for God is always out there looking for us. | more »
Attention to health has a positive impact, not just on our own lives, but on the lives of those around us. | more »
In today's Web, it is not enough to just make your content available; you need to serve it up in a way that makes it easy for people to access and listen.
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Exclusively harking back to a lovely bygone era is not a helpful or life-giving model for the community of faith in the here and now. | more »
Stewardship can be summed up as the interplay between God’s grace and our response. | more »
Members of St. James Lutheran Church in Grosse Pointe, Mich., commemorate St. Francis Day with some of God’s creatures. | more »
Chaplains live and work every day with the people they minister to. | more »
I keep thinking that because we are made in the image of God we stamp God’s presence on the world like a typewriter stamps an image on a piece of paper. | more »
Such fears are too often personally devastating and publicly debilitating if left ignored or unresolved. | more »
He had given up fast food for Lent but ate at Burger King and got food poisoning. I told him his worst sin was blaming God for fast food. | more »
Can anyone tell me where to find the word “Easter” in the Bible? | more »
We care about ELCA members who are in the military, but what about their families and friends waiting at home?
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Mid-week worship services are an opportunity to emphasize and expand upon Lenten lectionary themes of God’s mercy and forgiveness. | more »
Would your congregation pass a Natural Church Development annual checkup? | more »
From prayer breakfasts to brown bag Bible studies and soup dinners, ELCA congregations are changing up their ministries for the 40 days of Lent. | more »
Every congregation should have a plan for members to follow when emergencies arise. | more »
The goal should go beyond merely raising enough money to pay the bills. | more »
Just because you teach spiritual truth through the use of a story doesn’t mean the story isn’t factual. It just means that sometimes the facts are beside the point. | more »
In a “perfect storm of God’s goodness," a congregation in Milwaukee helps build a home for one of their own. | more »
It is good to identify people in the community who exhibit qualities of wisdom. They seem to be attuned to lasting patterns of meaningful life and purpose. | more »
Instead of giving something up for Lent, why not add something to enrich your spiritual life? | more »
Neatness counts; what message is your congregation sending to the neighborhood? | more »
In the end, it is simply this: The call is from God. This call to speak as Jeremiah did — loving the people enough to call them to account. | more »
John Bunyan was honored, but his teachings are now ignored. Is this the way it is with the church today, remembering Jesus but forgetting his message? | more »
Its effect can be as minor as an irritating hangover — or as traumatic as living with auto fatalities, job loss and domestic abuse. | more »
Our identity as Christian people flows directly out of Jesus’ identity as the Christ of God, what we are called to do follows directly on what Jesus was called to. | more »
The United States is unique in its practice of allowing clergy to preside at legal wedding ceremonies. In much of the world couples first go to a judge. | more »
An ELCA congregation in Orlando celebrates Epiphany “Puerto Rican style.” | more »
Do we continue in our illness, embracing the symptoms, and running to our death? Sounds dramatic, I know, but sin needs to be taken seriously because God takes it seriously. | more »
Jesus took good things from the past and transformed them, changed them, into other good things for the future. | more »
Parroquia Luterana San José in Beloit, Wis., remembers Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. | more »
Hope Lutheran Church in Reading, Pa., prepares to show the world their hopeful spirit. | more »
When we receive the bread and wine of this meal, we receive Christ’s body and blood. | more »
Congregations need to reassure their members who are affected by the difficulties of unemployment or job transition. | more »
Too often too many of us act as though we have been baptized with John’s baptism only, redeemed from the past, but not empowered for the future. | more »
Here are some considerations for rethinking outreach to twenty- and thirty-somethings. | more »
I find myself thinking of those wise men, those magi, those kings and I find myself wondering about what stirred in their hearts to compel them to risk so much. | more »
In extreme cases of bullying, victims feel compelled to take drastic measures, such as carrying weapons, seeking violent revenge or even considering suicide. | more »
Members of Santa Maria de Guadalupe haven't needed to knock on doors to invite people to church — potential members just show up. | more »
Today we get Jesus in the temple and it’s a good story, an important story for today because Luke is trying to tell us who this Jesus really was. | more »
For many, it’s a reminder of lost loved ones, personal disappointments and dreams left unfulfilled. | more »
Decorations can have a downside — faulty lights or unattended candles can quickly set your worship space on fire. | more »
Help make this Christmas special for those who are terminally ill.
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You won't find holiday decorations or snow at this Kenyan congregation. But you will find children helping celebrate the birth of Jesus — just as in congregations everywhere. | more »
Recent Comments
Brian Beckstrom: “You're welcome Marcus. Thanks for reading.” | more »
Marcus Kunz: “Thanks for a great post, Brian.” | more »
blessedchurchmouse: “Great story! Thank you for posting. Blessings : )” | more »
Charles Oberkehr: “This year, we got 7 foot shimmering red streamers and” | more »
Charles Oberkehr: “Thanks for the reminder. Great piece.” | more »