“Seek the welfare of the city… for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” — Jeremiah 29:7

During a recent meeting of the Nevada Legislature’s Interim Commerce and Labor Committee, lawmakers heard testimony on property ownership and the growing challenge of wildfire risk. One concern raised was the increasing number of homeowners insurance cancellations and non-renewals, not only in high-risk mountain communities, but even in places like Pahrump.

Homeownership doesn’t end when you receive the keys. For a growing number of Nevadans, keeping homeowners insurance is becoming another major challenge.

A recent report from The Nevada Independent found that Washoe County has experienced a sharp increase in homeowners insurance cancellations and non-renewals as insurers respond to increasing wildfire risk. Even homeowners who have invested in defensible space and other fire mitigation efforts are finding it more difficult to obtain or keep affordable coverage.

When insurance becomes unaffordable, or unavailable, the consequences extend beyond individual homeowners. It affects families, neighborhoods, housing affordability, local economies, and the long-term stability of our communities.

As people of faith, we believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Loving our neighbors means supporting policies that strengthen community resilience, reduce wildfire risk, promote responsible stewardship of our public lands, and help ensure families can access affordable homeowners insurance.

Housing justice is about more than building homes. It’s also about making sure people can afford to stay in them.

A recent report shows that Nevada is seeing a decline in Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollment as enhanced federal premium subsidies have expired. For many Nevadans, rising premiums mean difficult choices between paying for health insurance and paying for groceries, rent, housing, or other basic necessities.

New federal data show that Nevada’s Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollment fell from 107,749 people in February 2025 to 99,663 in February 2026.

That means 8,086 fewer Nevadans had active Marketplace health coverage—a decline of 8 percent in just one year.

The decline followed the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits that had helped lower monthly insurance costs. Nationally, Marketplace enrollment fell by more than 2.6 million people, or 12 percent.

These numbers represent neighbors who may now be delaying preventive care, skipping prescriptions, or living without health insurance because coverage has become too expensive. When people lose coverage, they are more likely to wait until a health concern becomes an emergency. The consequences are felt not only by individuals and families but by our entire community.

As people of faith, we believe every person is created in the image of God and deserves the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified life. Access to affordable health care is one way we love our neighbors and seek the common good.

At Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), we support policies that expand access to affordable, quality health care and protect Nevada families from losing the coverage they depend on. We encourage Congress to pursue solutions that keep health care within reach for working families, older adults, small-business owners, and everyone who relies on the Marketplace for coverage.

Healthy communities begin with healthy people, and healthy people need affordable access to health care.

Natalie Abudayyeh has spent one month in Israeli detention with no charge.

On June 2, 2026, Natalie Abudayyeh, a 21-year-old Lutheran young adult of the Church of the Reformation congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), was abducted from her university housing at gunpoint by Israeli forces alongside three of her classmates. An “Update from Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad on Natlie Abudayyeh: 6 July” can be read from the ELCJHL Facebook page. To date, Abudayyeh has not been charged with any offenses. It is not known why Abudayyeh was abducted or continues to be held in Israeli detention, and no information has been shared with her lawyer, her family or her church. Abudayyeh’s family and pastor have all been denied access to see her, and her lawyer has only been able to speak to her through a video chat.

The ELCA has named the priority to “defend the human rights of groups most susceptible to violations, especially all minorities, women, and children” in the social statement For Peace in God’s World (p. 14). In 1 Corinthians 12:26, we are reminded: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” Our voice as Americans and as Christians matters in proclaiming that Abudayyeh, her classmates, and the thousands of other Palestinians being held without charge have human rights and must be treated with the dignity, respect and humanity they deserve.

Abudayyeh is the latest victim of an institutional system of incarceration that mistreats Palestinian prisoners. Palestinians are processed in Israeli military court, while Israeli citizens are processed under a civil court which offers more rights and freedoms. Abudayyeh’s detention comes at a time when Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces continue to target the indigenous Christian community of Palestine. In 2025 alone there were 155 documented incidents in Israel and East Jerusalem against Christians, their property, and Christian institutions and houses of worship, as well as a marked increase in attacks on Christian communities in the West Bank. While Palestinians of any faith continue to face systemic persecution and violence, the uptick in violence specifically targeting the Christian community has risen markedly since October 2023.

Please take a moment to advocate for the release of Natalie Abudayyeh and her classmates.

August Recess is a congressional tradition that brings heightened opportunities to reach out to your federal lawmakers where you – and they – live. U.S. representatives traditionally return to their home districts in this month to engage with their constituents.

What does this mean for constituents? Town Halls and in-district meetings may be available in this period that create windows to raise your experiences, the experiences of your faith community, and policy concerns locally. It is a time faith voices can highlight ministries of accompaniment and draw attention to communities and concerns whose concerns may be disregarded in political processes.

How do you find out what opportunities are available? Your lawmaker’s Web presence is likely to highlight opportunities. One way to get to that Website is from govtrack.us. Local media and publicity may also share a schedule.

• If a Town Hall is listed, it may be an open forum or a virtual experience. You may need to register to attend and/or raise a question. Virtual experiences may be especially constrained in a question-and-answer format, but any Town Hall can be a meaningful connection point.
• You may request a local meeting in this period – but request this time on your lawmaker’s calendar as early as possible since calendars get filled.
  • Issue-centric meetings can be held in-person or virtually and will be strongest with intentional preparation including by pre-planning partner attendees. Find tips below.
  •  A showcase of your ministry can be an effective relationship builder with your presence in the community. In-person or virtually, a tour and impact illustration can position ongoing connection.
  • A chance for a lawmaker to speak or connect with constituents after a worship service or event can also be a strong relationship building experience, mindful that participation by congregations in such activities must be strictly nonpartisan and abide by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines.

If an ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy office is in your area, these leaders can be very helpful for local education and lawmaker connections.

Here is a ELCA Advocacy blog post with suggestions from our ELCA federal policy staff about issues that intersect with ELCA Federal Policy Priorities for the 119th Congress which are presently on the horizon. Question prompts may help you shape a timely way to use August Recess opportunities.

Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Helping someone participate in something new takes patience.

Most people don’t decide to vote because of a single conversation. They participate because someone they trust took the time to listen, answer questions, and stay connected.

Every conversation is a seed. Over time, those seeds can grow into action.

Begin with Their Story

Instead of starting with politics, begin with people’s everyday lives.

Ask questions like:

• How have rising costs affected you lately?
• What’s been weighing on you this year?
• What challenges have you or your family been facing?
• If you could change one thing about your community, what would it be?

People are often willing to open up when they know you genuinely want to understand their experiences.

Lead with Curiosity

Our goal isn’t to win an argument. It’s to understand one another.

• Listen with patience.
• Ask thoughtful follow-up questions.
• Resist the urge to immediately offer solutions.
• Look for opportunities to learn before trying to be heard.

When people feel seen and heard, they are far more likely to stay engaged in the conversation.

Connect Their Story to the Bigger Picture

As trust grows, gently connect their experiences to the decisions our communities make together.

If they mention rising utility bills:

• “I’ve been thinking about that too. It reminds me how much decisions about energy affect everyday families.”

If they’re worried about housing:

• “That’s one reason I’ve started paying more attention to local government. Those decisions shape what’s possible for our neighborhoods.”

If they mention health care:

• “Everyone deserves access to quality health care. That’s something I think about when I decide who to support.”

If they’re concerned about extreme heat:

• “I’ve learned how much local leaders influence investments in cooling centers, shade, trees, and neighborhood resilience.”

These connections invite reflection without putting someone on the defensive.

Remember the Goal

The goal isn’t to persuade someone in a single conversation.

It’s to help people recognize that many of the challenges they face are shared by their neighbors—and that, together, communities have the ability to shape a better future.

Healthy democracy begins with healthy relationships.

Stay Tuned

We’ll continue sharing practical ideas for having meaningful conversations about civic participation and voting.

Because building a stronger Nevada takes all of us.