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.

Action Alert from LSS-SW: This week, Congress may vote on the Federal budget, which at this time includes drastic cuts to Medicaid in the amount of $880 billion over 10 years and $230 billion in cuts to SNAP benefits. We know that existing challenges already leave many people vulnerable—from affordable housing shortages, job losses, to the high cost of everyday necessities—will only be exacerbated if Medicaid is cut.

Monday, March 3. In this special edition of Rick Steves’ weekly travel series, Rev. Eugene Cho of Bread for the World joins Rick for an update on global hunger and how your support helps BFW advocate for U.S. policy that fights against hunger at home and abroad.

The Rev. Christine Stoxen of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chandler, testified before the Arizona House Appropriations Committee on Monday, February 24, 2025 in support of HB2191, the “Yes In God’s Back Yard” (YIGBY) bill on behalf of LAMA and Valley Interfaith Project (VIP).

Guest blogger Jan Fosen writes about her day packing meals for Feed My Starving Children at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Sun City West, Arizona. Nearly 179,000 meals were packed over the weekend by 850 volunteers.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton speaks to the church about the need to check in on one another during this time of great anxiety and fear for so many members. "We may not know what tomorrow brings, but we have each other.” 1:42 mins.

Bishop Hutterer has recorded a special invitation video encouraging participation in the 2025 Lenten Challenge! This friendly, faith-deepening challenge connects us in daily spiritual practices while supporting safe drinking water efforts at the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) in Rock Point, AZ. Watch the video, share it with your congregation, and join the challenge today! Download options are available on our Vimeo page.

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.”

URGENT ACTION ALERT. HB2191 is on the House Government Committee agenda Wednesday (2/19) at 8 am. We need you to show your support most urgently! Sign in to the Request to Speak (RTS) system and support this bill today.

At the Table, the 2025 Intergenerational VBS Study from ELCA World Hunger, focuses on the importance of storytelling, inviting your community to learn how storytelling can make a difference in your neighborhood and the world.

Solveig Muus shares the story behind the 40-40-40 Region 2 Lenten Challenge, and how the Challenge, now in its third year, connects hundreds of individuals in congregations across the 5 synods in Region 2 with each other, as well as with the work of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR).

The 40-40-40 Region 2 Lenten Challenge for 2025 is raising awareness of the ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries, in particular the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) in Rock Point, Arizona, known locally as the Rock Point Navajo Mission. This 9-minute video tells the story of the Mission.

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.

In her February 14, 2025 response to President Trump’s executive orders on immigration, Bishop Eaton urges us to take action and speak out. “We are church together, and together we will continue to defend the most vulnerable communities and people among us as Jesus taught us.” 3.33 minutes.

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).