Synod News
Stay connected with updates from the La Crosse Area Synod. From church leaders to congregational members, everyone is encouraged to sign-up.
Newsletter Archive - find previous Synod Updates & Synod Spotlights here
February is National Heart Month
February is National Heart Month! The first step toward heart health is understanding our risk of heart disease. Your risk depends on many factors, some of which are changeable and others that are not. Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. These risk factors may be different for each person.
Prayers for the Week
Let us join together as a community in prayer for ministry sites, emerging leaders, pastors, partners in ministry and special requests.
National Day of Racial Healing
In a world that often looks right past our neighbors, Bishop Felix Malpica & ELCA Story Tellers remind us that the path to racial healing begins with the radical, holy act of truly seeing one another and honoring the stories we carry.
A Pastoral Message: We Will Not Grow Weary
We will not grow weary
Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and ELCA synod bishops from Minnesota share a joint pastoral message condemning recent immigration activity.
Wisconsin Faith Leader Open Letter on Immigration Enforcement
In a powerful call for justice and compassion, Wisconsin faith leaders have issued an open letter urging elected officials to protect the constitutional rights and inherent dignity of our immigrant neighbors. This statement invites all people of faith to stand in solidarity through concrete acts of advocacy and witness as we work together to ensure a safe and welcoming Wisconsin for everyone.
Prayers for the Week
Let us join together as a community in prayer for ministry sites, emerging leaders, pastors, partners in ministry and special requests.
Canada, Denmark, U.S. Lutheran bishops issue joint statement supporting Greenlandic people
The national bishops of Lutheran churches in the United States, Canada and Denmark sent the Greenlandic people their full support in an unusually difficult situation.
Bishop Curry Issues Statement on ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
In this moment, I urge all of us in this church to embrace God’s call, to hear and embody the good news of Jesus Christ and to fulfill our roles as peacemakers through active civic engagement.
Bishop Curry Issues Statement on Venezuela
As God’s beloved, Christians share in Jesus’ ministry and compassion for the vulnerable. Our prayers remain with the people of Venezuela.
Welcoming Rev. Mary Runyon to Sugar Creek
⛺️ BIG NEWS: Welcome Rev. Mary Runyon!
We are overjoyed to announce that Rev. Mary Runyon is joining the Sugar Creek team as our new Program Director! 🌟
Mary officially starts on December 15, bringing a wealth of experience as a pastor, coach, and outdoor ministry leader. With an M.Div, an MBA, and a heart for the Driftless region, she is ready to lead our 20+ year-round programs with creativity and deep pastoral care.
“My hope is that every person who comes across the bridge into the valley feels seen, valued, and invited to discover the ways God is already moving in their story.” — Rev. Mary Runyon
Baptism is God’s Work
Baptism is God’s work.
In this work we are delivered, raised, united, anointed and joined it says in our baptismal service.
God knows who we are. God knows our abilities and our disabilities. God has spoken us into this world “Let there be (your name)” . God has created us – each of us, unique, a specific combination of skills, experiences, and passions. We are an issuance of the love God has for the world made into a human form though whom God will patiently go about healing and reconciling this world back to the goodness in which it was created.
🌿 The Hidden Cups: A Story of Life-Giving Relationship and Creation Care
Discover how two congregations cultivated a life-giving relationship, turning a forgotten supply of vintage communion cups into a powerful act of creation care and collaboration across the Synod.
Synod Spotlight: Pray Without Ceasing Initiative
A handful of churches in the synod are experiencing amazing transformation through shared prayer.
Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry to speak on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will offer keynote remarks at Luther College’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.
The theme of the day and Curry’s talk is “Courage for the Common Good.”
Synod Spotlight: Fall Theological Conference Explores Fresh Expressions
Pastors and SAMs from the La Crosse Area Synod gathered in Eau Claire for the Fall Theological Conference, exploring Fresh Expressions—a movement inspiring new ways of being church in everyday life. Through worship, conversation, and connection, they reflected on how listening, relationship-building, and discipleship can help the gospel come alive in their communities.
Synod Spotlight: Clergy Appreciation Month
This October we celebrate our Pastors, Deacons, and SAMs who share God’s love in so many ways. Thank you for helping us live out our mission of “Cultivating Life-Giving Relationships Rooted in God’s Love.”
A Letter from Bishops of the ELCA to the Church
In this time of division and fear, we, as people grounded in our faith, insist on love. This commitment flows from our faith in Christ crucified and risen—the One whose love breaks down barriers, confronts hatred, and transforms hearts.
ELCA Statement on Supreme Court Ruling That Allows Racial Profiling in Immigration Enforcement
Presiding Bishop Eaton has released a statement on the Supreme Court ruling that allows racial profiling in immigration enforcement.
Bishop Curry Issues Statement on ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
Alongside our siblings in Christ in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota and all who have been impacted by aggressive immigration enforcement and violence by federal law enforcement agents, I mourn the shocking shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Jan. 7, 2026.
A Pastoral Letter on Rejecting Political Violence and Insisting on Love
In these days of division and unrest, we must speak clearly: political violence is sin. It denies the image of God in our neighbor, wounds our communities, and tears at the fabric of our nation.
As people of faith, we are called to a better way—the way of Jesus, who embodied love, reconciliation, and peace.
ELCA & Synod Partnership News
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Advocacy- ELCA
Sharing stories and your voices about public policies and relevant advocacy issues.
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Churches for Middle East Peace
(CMEP)
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ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
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Faith Lens- ELCA
Weekly Bible studies that connect world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.
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Living Lutheran
ELCA Publication of inspirational stories, blogs and photos.
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LuMin
Lutheran Campus Ministry
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Luther Park Bible Camp
Nurturing Faith through Holy Play
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Lutheran Men in Mission
LMM Foundations is a quarterly newsletter.
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Lutheran World Federation
A global communion of churches in the Lutheran tradition working together for a just, peaceful, and reconciled world.
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Lutheran World Relief
(LWR)
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Sugar Creek Bible Camp
(SCBC)
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Sumud- ELCA
Sign up to receive action alerts about the Middle East
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WELCA Synod News
The Crosswinds is published in Spring & Fall
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Wisconsin Council of Churches
(WCC)