2023 Farm Bill Primer: Information on bills we are watching and hoping to see in the upcoming Farm Bill! Read on to find out about proposed legislation and how you can advocate for those struggling with hunger.

ACTION ALERT: Urge Congress to fully fund the WIC program in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Join LAMA members and community advocates at our 4th annual LAMA Summit on the theme of Advocacy as a Spiritual Practice. Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa hosts this year. Come meet the LAMA team, share issues close to your heart, and learn how YOU can get involved!

From September 17 - 20, State Public Policy Office (SPPO) directors from across the country met at Spirit in The Desert Retreat Center in Carefree. The faith based offices gathered to discuss priorities, advocacy and engagement strategies, attend lectures and discussions led by guest Amanda Tyler, and welcome the 2023-24 Hunger Advocacy Fellows.

Read about guest speaker Amanda Tyler’s presentation on Christian Nationalism at our State Public Policy Office retreat! Learn more about what Christian nationalism is and find out what you can do to combat it.

LAMA Hunger Fellow Autumn Byars writes about her visit to ASU’s student run food bank, Pitchfork Pantry and University Lutheran Church’s history with the organization.

A new video from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton addressing Christian Nationalism. Bishop Eaton says this dangerous ideology “is a perversion of the gospel and a threat to our democracy. It’s precisely because I love my country that I warn against it.”

The statement reads in part, “Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution. As Christians, we must speak in one voice condemning Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to American democracy.”

The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices.

David D. Grafton raises the question of what it means to do public ministry in a multi-faith context. He proposes that thinking about ministry in a multi-faith North America actually provides opportunities for the authentic Christian witness and a faithful Christian life.

Consider Advocacy for your “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Day of Service this year ! Check out the planning toolkit and resources to make September 10 a wonderful, productive day! 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.

As Christians, we are called to seek justice, care for those experiencing hunger and poverty, and embrace our Creator’s vision of hope, love, and peace. Learn how to create an Offering of Letters in your congregation.

The ELCA’s newest social message, adopted on Thursday, April 20, 2023 is entitled Earth’s Climate Crisis, a message on climate care. This project was authorized in light of the grim contemporary situation affecting our global home and the need for fresh action on the part of this church.

The 2023-24 Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with LAMA will serve as a member of the staff of this ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy Office as a full-time contract employee. This is a paid position, including health insurance. The position begins in September 2023.

Congress is preparing to reauthorize the Farm Bill in 2023. Each reauthorization provides an opportunity to improve or expand programs that ensure access to fresh and healthy food while addressing root causes of hunger.

Nearly 100 hunger advocates from across the state gathered at the State Capitol for the very first Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 13, 2023.

Do you have FOMO? Can’t get enough of LAMA news? Previous LAMA Newsletters are now available online!

LAMA is co-sponsor of the Anti-Hunger Alliance Advocacy Day at the Capitol on March 13th, 2023, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm at the Wesley Bolin Plaza. Complimentary lunch included. Please join us!