William O. Gafkjen, Indianapolis, was reelected June 9 to serve a third six-year term as bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the ELCA. The election was held during the synod…
Naomi Mbise knows what it’s like to move between places, spaces and cultures. Mbise grew up in Tanzania but now finds herself on the campus of California Lutheran University, Thousand…
Daniel G. Beaudoin, Findlay, Ohio, was reelected June 3 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the ELCA. The election took place during the…
Scott Alan Johnson, Fremont, Neb., was elected June 4 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the ELCA. The election took place during the synod…
Young people in the church today know what they want from faith-based institutions. If a church offers relationships, mentors, authenticity and political engagement, they’ll stay, often becoming leaders who will…
Why do some people experience increasing joy and happiness while others become more anxious, stressed and unhappy? The difference has to do with inner flourishing. Those who evolve into considerate,…
I first heard about “spiritual direction” from the best of my classmates during our first year in seminary. These seminarians were seeking spiritual directors for ongoing discernment, ministry formation and…
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I…
David C. Nagler, San Diego, was elected May 20 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Pacifica Synod of the ELCA. The election took place during the synod…
Focal verse “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Reflection Last fall…
Editor’s note: This piece originally ran on August 23, 2021. Susan Schnelle knows all too well the devastating toll of mental health crises among young people in the United States….
Instead of preaching inside pristine chapels, Ray Stubbe preached outside in foxholes. Instead of worrying about low attendance on Sunday morning, the 20-something chaplain conducted impromptu sermons to no more…
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