Across the country, a hunger crisis is unfolding. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 4.5 million people have lost SNAP benefits since July 2025, including an estimated 1.5 million children.

And more changes are coming.

Beginning October 1, federal support for administering SNAP will be cut in half. At the same time, states are facing the possibility of being required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits for the first time.

For Nevada, this isn’t an abstract federal policy debate. It could become a significant issue when the Nevada Legislature returns to Carson City in 2027.

When states are forced to absorb millions of dollars in new costs, the consequences ultimately reach our communities: families trying to put food on the table, seniors living on fixed incomes, children who depend on reliable meals, and food banks and congregations already working to meet growing needs.

Food banks and churches do incredible work, but charity cannot replace SNAP.

As Congress considers the Farm Bill, Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada joins advocates across the country calling for a Farm Bill that strengthens SNAP, protects access to food assistance, and gives states the resources they need to serve eligible families.

As people of faith, we believe feeding our neighbors is not simply an act of charity. It is part of our shared responsibility to build communities where everyone has enough.

The decisions being made in Washington today will shape the choices Nevada faces tomorrow.

Contact your lawmakers today. Customize your message with your experiences and values.

Find your Member of Congress Here

Senator Catherine Cortez Mastro, 202-224-3542, https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/

Senator Jackie Rosen, 202-224-6244, https://www.rosen.senate.gov/

Rep. Dina Titus, (202)-225-5965, https://titus.house.gov/

Rep. Mark Amodei, (202)-225-6155, https://amodei.house.gov/

Rep. Susie Lee, (202)-225-3252, https://susielee.house.gov/

Rep Steven Horsford, (202)-225-9894, https://horsford.house.gov/

If you would like to schedule time with your legislator, please reach out to Pastor Paul,and he is willing to work with ELCA Advocacy Partners to secure a time.

ACT NOW

Join Pastor Paul Larson, Advocacy Director for Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Reno!

As your congregation begins planning for the fall and spring, consider inviting Pastor Paul and LEAN to join you.

Pastor Paul is available to visit congregations across Nevada to preach, lead an adult forum or Bible study, talk about faithful advocacy, provide an update on issues facing our Nevada neighbors, or help your congregation explore how faith calls us into public life.

Advocacy begins with relationships, conversation, and listening to our neighbors.

We would love to visit your congregation this fall or spring. Reach out to LEAN to find a Sunday or gathering that works for your community!

The Grand Canyon Synod grant application window closes no later than midnight on Friday, September 25, 2026. Funds support specific new or continuing projects that advance one to three goals in the GCS Strategic Plan. Awards are up to $15,000 per project, with a total of approximately $175,000 available this fall. Priority is given to innovative, strategic-plan-aligned, and collaborative proposals—especially those partnering with another ELCA ministry. Apply and find details: gcsynod.org/grants

Key dates

• Application window: August 24 – Sept. 25, 2026 (midnight)
• Grants Webinar/Q&A: August 25 at 4:30 pm AZ (Register for the August 25 Grant Webinar/Q&A here)
• Committee review due: Nov. 13, 2026
• Final review (Bishop, VP, Treasurer): Nov. 19, 2026
• Council approvals: Jan. 23, 2027
• Applicant notifications: week of Jan. 25, 2027
• Funding begins: Feb. 2027 (one-time) or Feb/May/Aug/Nov 2027 (quarterly)

Eligibility

An applicant for this grant must be an organized congregation, a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC), or a Strategic Ministry of the Grand Canyon Synod, or an organization or institution in good standing with the ELCA or the Grand Canyon Synod.

Allowable uses (examples)

Educational and marketing materials; essential capital equipment (e.g., laptops); scholarships for ELCA youth camps/gatherings; essential furnishings; worship materials/musician support; short-term consultant stipends; ELCA-sponsored travel (youth gatherings, Global Mission partnerships, Churchwide Assembly); food-pantry-related building repair.

Not allowable

Salaries; ongoing operating costs (benefits, rent, insurance, utilities); unrelated capital equipment; licensing for health/food pantry services; recreational/social activities; travel for individual member interests; vehicle purchase/payments/mileage.

What to prepare

• Complete the 2027 GCS Grant Application (Word or PDF; name file: gcsgrant_organizationname_2027). 
• Attach a Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet).
• If applying as a congregation, include last year’s or current Mission Support amount to the GCS.
• Plan for project evaluation, sustainability after 2027, and (if continuing) a brief summary of outcomes to date.
• Applicants are expected to attend the online Grants Webinar in September 2026 or view the recording before submitting (Register for the August 25 Grant Webinar/Q&A here).

How to submit

Submit electronically no later than midnight on September 25, 2026:

• Email attachment to office@gcsynod.org, or
• Through the online grants system at gcsynod.org/grants.No late submissions can be accepted.

Why this matters (our Lutheran lens)

These grants are one way our synod stewards shared gifts—bequests, congregational tithes from bequests, proceeds from closed congregations, West Valley Lutheran Thrift Shop grants, and other unrestricted gifts—so congregations and ministries can Communicate Jesus, Connect People, and Create Possibilities in their communities. Together we accompany one another in innovative, faithful witness across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George, and the Navajo Nation.

Questions?

Contact Theresa Thornburgh in the Office of the Bishop at office@gcsynod.org or 602-957-3223.

Apply & details: gcsynod.org/grants

Some of our congregations are located in or near school zones, while others regularly interact with school zones through ministries, community partnerships, or simply traveling to and from church.

These are shared spaces where students, families, pedestrians, cyclists, church members, and our neighbors are all using the same streets and sidewalks.

During Nevada’s 2025 Legislative Session, lawmakers passed several measures affecting traffic and safety around schools. Whether you are heading to worship, Bible study, a community meeting, or another ministry event, it is important to know what Nevada law requires.

Here is a quick breakdown of Nevada’s school-zone laws and recent changes:

PLEASE DRIVE WITH EXTRA CARE

Watch Your Speed

School and school-crossing zones have reduced speed limits when they are active. Follow the posted signs, flashing lights, and times. Some Nevada school zones are posted at 15 mph.

No U-Turns

Nevada law prohibits U-turns in an active school zone or school crossing zone.

Please do not use the streets or entrances around schools to simply to turn around.

Do Not Pass

Drivers may not pass another vehicle traveling in the same direction within an active school zone or school crossing zone.

Watch for Crossing Guards

Always follow the directions of school crossing guards and be prepared to stop for students entering a crosswalk.

Stop for School Buses

When a school bus is displaying flashing red lights, drivers must stop as required by Nevada law. Never attempt to pass a stopped school bus when the law requires you to stop.

Watch for Students

Students may be walking, biking, or using scooters around School property. Please take extra care when entering and leaving school zones, especially during school arrival and dismissal.

Caring for Our Neighbors

School-zone laws are about more than avoiding a ticket. They are about protecting our neighbors.

Slow down. Be patient. Pay attention.

Together we can help make our neighborhood safer for everyone.

Our first video of our 5-part “Stolen Stories” series is LIVE! Watch via the link below!

How do Palestinian Christians tell their story? In “Stolen Stories”, a 5-part educational video series by ELCA Sumud, listen to the voices of Palestinian Christians as they recount their historical narrative from pre-1948 to present day. This series highlights the important perspectives of our Palestinian siblings in Christ and lifts up the lived experiences of Palestinians— especially the indigenous Christians of Palestine and Israel— in their own words. In “Stolen Stories”, Palestinian Christian pastors, bishops, and scholars offer important contextual, historical, and theological framework that continues to shape life in Palestine and Israel today.

Video Here.