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
Small Hands, Big Hearts: How Zion’s Youngest Leaders Fed a Community
Gemini said
Discover how a culture of listening and support at Zion Lutheran empowered two young siblings to lead their entire congregation in an effort to feed their neighbors.
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.
A Time for Rest
Bishop Felix Malpica announces his upcoming summer sabbatical, a purposeful season of rest, family time, and prayerful discernment regarding his future ministry. As he reaches his five-year milestone, he invites the synod to join him in valuing the "holy thing" that is rest while he prepares to clarify his sense of calling for the 2027 election.
Finding a Faith Home for the People We Love
What does it actually mean to "do the work" of welcome? For this family of four, finding English Lutheran meant finding a home that embraced their toddlers, their backgrounds, and their LGBTQ+ loved ones without hesitation. Read their moving testimony on why "Reconciling in Christ" matters now more than ever.
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.
Synod Spotlight: Exploring Celtic Roots
It’s a wonderful reminder of how history can inform our modern faith—valuing peaceable evangelism and the "beautiful" simplicity of monastic tradition.
What would it mean to be an RIC synod?
Please reach out to the RIC team to let us know what questions you have as we walk through this process together.
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.
Synod RIC March Update
Several team members would love to answer your questions about what being RIC would mean for us. You can connect with them here.
A Different Kind of No: Trust, Welcome, and the RIC Journey
What happens when a church’s welcome moves from words to action? A member of Peace Lutheran in Tomah shares a moving reflection on how becoming a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation didn't just change their pews—it changed the integrity of their invitations and built trust in unexpected places.
Synod Spotlight: The Sweet Simplicity of "Chocolate Sunday"
Discover how a simple plate of brownies is transforming fellowship at Our Savior’s Lutheran in La Crosse through their annual "Chocolate Sunday." This festive tradition highlights how any community can create a warm, "low-lift" invitation for neighbors and friends using little more than a bit of cocoa and a lot of heart.
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.
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.
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)