May 22, 2025

We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America join our ecumenical and interreligious partners in expressing deep concern and sadness over the deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff outside an event in Washington, D.C. This is yet another example of the rising, deadly scourge of anti-Semitism in our society.

As a church, we have declared that “we recognize in anti-Semitism a contradiction and an affront to the Gospel, a violation of our hope and calling, and we pledge this church to oppose the deadly working of such bigotry, both within our own circles and in the society around us” (“A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community,” 1994).

We are profoundly disturbed that these killings occurred in the context of an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee that featured speakers from the Multifaith Alliance and the humanitarian organization IsraAID. These speakers were discussing avenues for ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, precisely the kind of collaboration that is needed, and that the ELCA supports, as the people of Gaza face starvation and intentional mass displacement.

We join in praying for the families, colleagues and communities of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, for the Jewish people in our communities who live in fear, and for the people of Gaza, who desperately need humanitarian aid to stay alive. We continue to call for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages and those being detained, for access to humanitarian aid, for rejecting violence as a means of solving the ongoing destruction of the Holy Land, and for recommitments to dialogue, reconciliation and humanization. Above all, we pray for God’s peace and justice to prevail for all people.  

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

The ELCA Building Resilient Communities (BRC) team invites nominations of adult leaders, ages 18-and-older, to participate in the inaugural Building Resilient Leadership (BRL) cohort.

Over twelve months, BRL participants will grow their public leadership skills while they develop a justice-oriented project in their community, build relationships with a peer mentoring group, and participate in community-organizing skills workshops.

BRL seeks to work with leaders who already demonstrate leadership in their communities on an everyday basis and seek to further develop their ability to accompany their community as it continues to flourish.

If there are any adult leaders in your life who you think would be a good fit for this program, please send them the link to this page. If they indicate a desire and capacity to apply, please nominate them using this form.

Nominations will be accepted through June 2nd. Nominees will then be asked to officially apply, with a due date of July 7th for that application.

Who is the Building Resilient Communities team?

BRC is the office of the ELCA that represents the three direct service, intersectional justice ministries of the church: ELCA World Hunger, AMMPARO, and Lutheran Disaster Response. We meet human need and enhance human dignity, work to overturn oppression and injustice, and engage members and constituents collaboratively toward the flourishing of human community.

Program Highlights

• Participants will create a project in, with, and for their community. BRL’s goal is to support leaders whose work throughout the program prioritize the stories of their community, is open to people from any identity or background, and increases their community’s power. The project might be a single event or seek to have longevity beyond the 12-month program. Some potential projects might be (but are not limited to):
  • Community-based mutual aid groups
  • Local community spaces (physical or virtual)
  • Safe spaces for marginalized people in a community (physical or virtual)
  • Regular resiliency training for community members
  • Local advocacy dedicated to building power for marginalized members of a community
  • First steps toward creation of local food-hub
  • Most importantly: participants do not need to have a project in mind before they start the BRL program.
• Peer mentoring. In peer mentoring sessions participants will develop their project relationally, alongside other BRL leaders and an assigned mentor. Through reflection and open discussion, colleagues will hold one another accountable for the growth of their project and their leadership skills.
• Participants will attend a monthly workshop series that will inform the growth of their project. Each workshop will feature experts from the ELCA ecosystem, focusing on different aspects of leadership development and community organizing.

BRL leaders benefit from the following:

• Up to $1,000 in seed money to develop a community project.
• Connection to the national, intergenerational network of ELCA justice ministries: ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and AMMPARO.
• Tangible, transferrable skills for leadership in career, volunteering, and recreation.
• Deepened relationships with people in their communities.
• New connections with peers passionate about many of the same justice issues as themselves.
• A prestigious addition to their resume.
• The opportunity to shape a growing leadership development program from the ground-up, through participation in this inaugural cohort.

Participants’ Time Commitment

• Participation at a two-day, in-person orientation at the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Columbus, Ohio in September.
• 5 hours/month to attend and prepare for workshops and peer mentoring sessions.
• Any time spent on their community-based justice project. This is up to the participant and depends on the extent of the project. Intensive work on projects will begin around November and continue into the following summer.
• A final celebration and presentation of projects in August.

If you would like to nominate any adults in your life, please do the following:

• First, let them know! When you do be sure to acknowledge and celebrate their leadership. Then, make sure the program is something they can commit to. Their participation in all elements of this program is required. Feel free to send the potential candidate the link to this page. They should also know there is a brief application process for nominees.
• Once you have confirmation that one or more leaders in your life are interested and able to apply, please fill out this form.
• Self-nominations are also welcome.

Questions?

Email Peter McLellan (ELCA Program Director, Hunger Education) at peter.mclellan@elca.org.

How might your congregation engage in advocacy on behalf of our neighbors in need on “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday? Ask us how!

On Sunday, Sept. 7, congregations will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.

This annual day of service is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the ELCA — one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.

To help you plan for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, we invite you to visit ELCA.org/DayofService for resources including:

• 2025 God’s work. Our hands. Toolkit
• 2025 worship resource.
• 2025 “God’s work. Our hands.” poster (with date of Sept. 7).
• 2025 “God’s work. Our hands.” poster (with date of Sept. 7), Spanish.
• 2025 customizable poster to add your day of service.
• 2025 customizable poster to add your day of service, Spanish.
• 2025 PowerPoint template.
• 2025 PowerPoint template, Spanish.
• 2025 social media art (with date).
• 2025 social media art (with date), Spanish.
• 2025 social media art (no date).
• 2025 social media art (no date), Spanish.

Old Lutheran has T-shirts and other items available for purchase. The deadline for ordering your congregation’s personalized T-shirts is Aug. 18.

Don’t forget to share your participation with us. Send your stories and photos to LivingLutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God accomplishes through you.

Participate on social media using #GodsWorkOurHands.

If your congregation cannot participate on Sept. 8, please consider another day for your service activities. We know that you work every day to make a positive impact on your community!

Go in peace, serve the Lord!

Next week, Pastor Paul will join the Sierra Pacific Synod Border Immersion Trip, traveling to El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, and Las Cruces. During the trip, he will visit ELCA congregations and connect with ministries working along the U.S.–Mexico border in the El Paso area.

Pastor Paul looks forward to learning from those engaged in vital border and immigration ministries, and he will share reflections from his experience right here on the LEAN website.