There is a place for you here.
We are a church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person — questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.
In letters to Christian church leaders in Syria, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson offered his support of the churches’ collective call for peace and prayer for people in the troubled region. Read more
ELCA Fund for Leaders supports seminary tuition for students. "This scholarship has been a blessing and affirmation," says Sara, a 2011 scholarship recipient. | Support seminarians
Mark Knutson, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland, says members can see how their faith connects to the world. | LivingLutheran.com
ELCA leaders met with staff of the U.S. State Department to make nutrition a priority. A good prenatal diet can make a difference in the lives of millions of children worldwide. Read more
The Horn of Africa drought has driven thousands of people out of their homes and into Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Your gifts will be used 100 percent for people in their time of greatest need. Give now
Lutheran peace activist Leymah Gbowee led a nonviolent women's movement that ended a 14-year civil war in Liberia. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her peace-building work and securing the political rights and safety of women in Liberia.
For ELCA volunteer Chelsea Mathis, living in Palestine brought frustration and joy. "The worst part was realizing how helpless I am in changing the political situation," she says, "and the best part is that I have changed the future with my presence, support and simple acts of kindness."
Together ELCA members are sustaining farming and ranching communities in drought-stricken Texas. Contributions of hay came from ELCA members across the Upper Midwest. "The response has blown me away," says Harold McMillin, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Luana, Iowa. "It says something about the heart of ELCA members who respond very generously."
The 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly was a real eye-opener for Walter "Alook" Savetilik, a member of Alaska Native Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska. His experience as a voting member at the assembly helped him learn about important initiatives like the ELCA Malaria Campaign.
With the help of ELCA members, École Saint Matthieu has risen from the rubble of the January 2010 earthquake. The new school building is strong and designed to withstand earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. "I'm happy to be back at school," says 11-year-old Josette Jean Pierre. "I'm not even scared anymore."
An ELCA scholarship helped Patricia Cuyatti, a pastor in the young Peruvian Lutheran Evangelical Church, earn her doctorate degree. "The Lutheran church in Peru has a goal to develop more leaders," Patricia says. "My personal goal is to develop my knowledge to help the church not only as an educator but also as a pastor."
More than 20 ELCA missionaries in Japan witness signs of hope in the midst of devastation following the 2011 earthquake — one of the largest on record there. ELCA members continue to stand in solidarity with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, helping to restore communities and lives.
Leslie Abell believes that she will make her own small but vital contribution to combating climate change. Serving at a science base in the Antarctic, Leslie says, "Everyone will be impacted by climate change, but the poor will be the hardest hit of all. I need to do my part to help."
An ELCA new-start congregation in Maricopa, Ariz., is filled with an energy that flows from all the members. | more »
We are called to do God's work in the world. Here are some ways we can work together:
