As people of faith, we advocate for tax policies that reflect our values of compassion, justice, family and care for the least of these. Congress is currently considering budget legislation that will shape our tax system. We encourage lawmakers to: 

• Make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) fully refundable so low-income families can access the full credit. 
• Increase the CTC amount to account for inflation and make the credit permanent.  
• Ensure tax reforms do not come at the expense of other vital safety net programs like SNAP or Medicaid. 
• Maintain or strengthen the charitable tax deduction that allows churches and nonprofits to continue serving their communities. 

Join us in calling on Congress to prioritize families and children by supporting a more robust and inclusive Child Tax Credit. 

During our last week of the Lenten Action Series, contact your member of Congress today.

The Department of Education (DOE) faces a 50% staff reduction and potential dissolution under the new administration. Recent budget cuts in a continuing resolution have already reduced K-12 innovation and improvement funding by $88 million, with proposals for future cuts in a reconciliation bill – up to $330 billion – over the next decade for education programs (additional clarifications on cuts are available from ELCA Schools & Learning Centers). Critical offices including Civil Rights, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) student loans, and data collection have been severely impacted. “Because children are God’s gifts to society and the Church as well as to parents, society through government also has responsibility and authority to provide for young people’s education,” says the ELCA social statement Our Calling in Education. Also, “All people share the need and responsibility to be educated in civil righteousness and the matters of earthly life,” which affirms our human dignity and contributes to community well-being. Our ELCA social teaching emphasizes that quality education must be accessible to all people regardless of socioeconomic status.  

Additionally, consider learning more about our theological grounding on education with the newly published resource, “Vocation as a Balancing Act,” affirming Lutheran values in higher education. The publication is the Spring 2025 issue of Intersections, a publication by the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU). 

During this Lenten Action Series reflecting on national budget priorities, contact your member of Congress to oppose these harmful cuts and advocate for robust educational support for all communities. Send a customized letter with your local experiences and convictions.  

Thank you for adding your voice!

Here are just a few of the bills making their way through the Legislature that LEAN is following.

The Trump administration has called for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants in the United States, recently terminating historical restrictions on immigration activity at places of worship, schools and hospitals. Mass deportations would have significant emotional, health and financial tolls on impacted immigrant families as well as the broader community. Congress is preparing to allocate billions for this directive.

This Action Alert is part of a Lenten Action Series, an opportunity to take advocacy action as part of your Lenten practice. Our baptismal calling to “serve all people,” following the example of Christ, takes on urgent meaning as families across the nation face mounting challenges.

The book of Genesis underscores that “human beings are created ‘in God’s image’” (Genesis 1:27). The ELCA social policy resolution, “Toward Just, Compassionate, and Humane Immigration Reform,” acknowledges the presence of undocumented immigrants. It advocates for both good governance to protect the nation and the just and humane enforcement of immigration laws. It guides the view of this church to prioritize human dignity while upholding the law.

Now is the time to act. Congress has moved quickly to authorize hundreds of millions in new funding for immigration detention, immigration agents, border wall construction and surveillance technology along the border and is poised to authorize billions more through budget reconciliation.

In addition to new spending to be utilized for mass detention and deportation, reconciliation opens the door to cuts to hunger programs, cuts to immigrant’s limited eligibility for social services, and harmful non-fiscally related immigration policy.

Act now to tell Congress you oppose the detention and separation of immigrant families. Customize your letter with your values and local experiences.

Thank you for your advocacy. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has released a draft social message on child protection and maltreatment—and your input is essential. This draft is open for public comment now through June 30, 2025, and all members of the Grand Canyon Synod are encouraged to read, reflect, and respond.

The message, created in response to a directive from the 2022 Churchwide Assembly, lifts up the church’s responsibility to care for children, grounding its call in the words of Jesus from Matthew 19:13–14: “Let the little children come to me… for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” The draft seeks to address the staggering crisis of child abuse and neglect in the U.S., where at least 1 in 7 children experience maltreatment each year, according to the CDC.

The ELCA’s social messages provide teaching and guidance on pressing social concerns. This child protection message draws from Lutheran theology and existing ELCA social teaching, affirming our sacred duty to create spaces where all children are welcomed, protected, and nurtured. But to ensure the message is as faithful, relevant, and impactful as possible, it must reflect the voices and experiences of the wider church.

We invite you to:

• Read the draft: ELCA.org/childprotection

• Complete the online survey to share your thoughts

• Submit written feedback or questions via the contact form on the site

• Access a large-print version or stay tuned for the Spanish translation, coming soon

This period of reflection and input is a chance to live into our baptismal promise to “nurture children in the faith and teach them to trust God.” Your engagement can help the ELCA create a powerful, faithful response to protect the most vulnerable among us.