Here I Pod is a podcast series from ELCA Advocacy bringing together voices of faith-based advocates caring for all people and creation. Real people making a real difference come to the fore in Episode 3, delving into how faith-based advocates can engage in shaping public policy and drive meaningful community engagement. Host: Regina Q. Banks of Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California.

New Lenten Action Alert! Join ELCA Advocacy in calling on Congress to prioritize families and children by supporting a more robust and inclusive Child Tax Credit.

New Lenten Action Alert! Share your values and convictions with elected officials — urge Congress to oppose cuts to vital education programs.

New Lenten Action Alert! Act now to tell Congress you oppose the detention and separation of immigrant families. Customize your letter with your values and your own experiences.

New Lenten Action Alert! Share your values and convictions with elected officials — urge Congress to oppose the repeal of IRA investments in affordable clean energy, American jobs and economic development in the upcoming budget reconciliation bill.

New Lenten Action Alert! In FY25 budget resolution processes, cuts of $230 billion to agriculture programs – the vast majority of which is expected to come from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – have been proposed. Oppose these cuts via ELCA Advocacy.

New Action Alert! Congress has a new fiscal deadline of March 14 to pass the 2025 budget when a temporary stopgap expires and to begin the process of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget plan. Urge Congress to pass a budget with strong homeless and affordable housing programs.

Church World Service — As a Covenant Member of CWS the ELCA was part of drafting and signing The Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration: Defending Refuge. Read the final version of the Declaration and sign on.

Sojourners and the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (WISC) co-sponsor this weekly public witness through March, beginning Ash Wednesday, March 5. These multi-faith vigils will call on Congress to exercise greater moral courage in upholding its Article 1 powers and preventing executive overreach.

Solveig Muus writes the first in this new SPPO Spotlight Series, a feature accenting a perspective from an ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy Office, one of the ways we can resource our faith-based advocacy.

Living Lutheran, February 19. “Lifting our voices to alleviate hunger and other forms of suffering is an act of hope,” said Cynthia Crane, former director of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin. “We begin with God, who walks with us and is where we end. In response to God’s immense love, we are stewards of the present and a vision of what can be.”

Has your church or a church you are familiar with made use of the Direct Pay for Clean Energy Tax Credits from the Inflation Reduction Act? If so, please share your stories.

Urge Congress to do everything they can to end the funding freeze on lifesaving programs. ”We affirm that our nation has responsibility to contribute a portion of its wealth to people in poorer nations through effective economic assistance,” (ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World).

The Grand Canyon Synod is all about advocacy in February! Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) also holds a day of advocacy on Monday, February 10. Tell your friends in Nevada!

Urge Congress to resume funding for humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria via the United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA). The work of UNRWA is the work of feeding the hungry, sheltering the unsheltered and providing lifesaving medical care to tens of thousands in need.

In times of heightened uncertainty, our immigrant neighbors need support and accompaniment. The ELCA’s AMMPARO ministry offers critical tools to understand and assert rights during encounters with law enforcement or ICE. This guide includes Red Cards, family preparedness plans, and multilingual resources to help families stay informed and safe.

From combating child hunger to advocating for climate action and justice for Dreamers, the ELCA continues to live out its call to serve neighbors and proclaim God’s peace. This month’s highlights include updates from COP29, work on U.S.-Israel humanitarian aid, and support for DACA protections.

Response to the cry to address polarization in our communities is being heard in many ELCA synods, congregations and ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices. Helpful resources and ideas for caring for one another and our communities as people of faith from the "Faith in Elections Playbook" on Interfaith America are reprinted in this post.