Northeast Valley Consortium sponsors GCS Hunger Leaders Network in 2025

Guest blog by Kris Bartanen, New Journey Lutheran Church, Fountain Hills, AZ

June 17, 2024 “Train the Trainer” lunch pack at NJLC.

The Northeast Valley Consortium – a collaboration among Ascension, Christ the Lord, Living Water, New Covenant, and New Journey Lutheran Churches, founded in 2020 – voted at its September 25 steering committee meeting to contribute $2,000 to the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network to fund GCS participation in the 2025 ELCA World Hunger Leaders Gathering in Columbus, Ohio. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona Director Solveig Muus addressed the meeting, including speaking to the NEVC’s active support of hunger efforts and of advocacy.

The GCS Hunger Leaders Network consists of leaders representing congregations across the synod who meet monthly to learn, share and support one another in their efforts to alleviate hunger in their communities. Meetings include updates from churchwide, presentations from local hunger ministries, notice of new resources and upcoming events, and more. One of the programs the GCS HLN sponsors is the 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge.

The NEVC heat respite leadership team: Mary Cole, New Covenant; Kris Bartanen, New Journey; Deb Slack, Christ the Lord; Karen Olson, Ascension; not pictured: Deb Bash, Living Water.

In addition to individual congregation efforts, the NEVC has taken a leadership role in addressing hunger by expanding from New Journey’s long-standing trio of summer lunch packs for Grace in the City, Phoenix to completing 13 lunch packs across the five congregations in summer 2024, with at least seven pallets of water and accompanying vital electrolyte powder going to Grace Lutheran, First United Church of Christ, and Wesley United Methodist in central and south Phoenix, respectively – all part of Arizona Faith Network’s Community Resilience and Heat Relief Network. A generous grant from Ascension Lutheran provided crucial funding for the expanded heat respite work.