Towards the close of 2023, the congregation council articulated a vision for our community: “Telling the Story.”

When we began thinking about this vision and how it would direct us in 2024, we were, primarily, focused on celebrating 10 years as an organized congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

For the first quarter of the year, “Telling the Story” related to remembering the last 10 years of our shared ministry: the people whose gifts deeply shaped us, the pivotal moments that defined us as a community, and celebrating God who has accompanied us in this journey of faith.

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Make a difference this summer by donating blood! Join us for not one, but two community blood drives this month.

Mark your calendars for New Journey’s 13th Food for Kidz Food Pack.  The 2025 event will be held on Wednesday, February 26.  The New Journey Lutheran Church Food for Kidz Team met May 29.  The following Goals were set for 2025:

In June, we honor Pride Month—a time when the LGBTQIA+ community celebrates their freedom to express their true selves. As a congregation, we extend a warm welcome to people of all races, cultures, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, abilities, and economic backgrounds. At New Journey, our foundation rests on radical hospitality and openness. Through Christ’s teachings, we learn to love one another as God loves us, fostering growth in our faith.

Advocacy Alert: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMAz.org) urges us to let our State legislators know that we oppose HCR 2060, which would essentially bring back 2010's SB1070 anti-immigration law that was declared unconstitutional.

Social Ministry Team Meeting: June 30, 11:30 a.m., at church, to plan for the balance of 2024. Anyone is welcome to join.

Be ready! Your NJLC lunch pack team is preparing for the June 17, 9:00 a.m., launch of the 2024 heat respite season. We will be joined by 4-5 observer-guests from Ascension, Christ the Lord, Living Water, and New Covenant so they are prepared for their lunch packs in the coming weeks. All New Journeyans are welcome!!

Books, books, books: New Journey's gathering of books for Living Water VBS book drive continues through Sunday, June 16. We would love to see those bins fill up! Read more details here.

This is the most significant holiday in Norway, akin to our Fourth of July, but it is celebrated not by independence but by creating a constitution. It is properly called Constitution Day. The date was May 17, 1814.

On Sunday, May 12, family and friends of Bob Rosenthal gathered at New Journey Lutheran for a service of remembrance.

Together, we laughed, cried and thanks to God for Bob's life. We remembered how he made a lasting impact in our lives and in the life of New Journey Lutheran Church.

Living Water will host a blood drive on Monday, June 24, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. There is a shortage of blood in the summertime, and we hope this event will help the Red Cross increase its supply.

All members of the Grand Canyon Synod are invited to participate in the presentation of the 2025-2026 Mission Plan. Each session is the same, with two dates to choose from.

• Tuesday, May 28 at 5:30pm MST/PDT, 6:30pm MDT. Click here to register.

• Saturday, June 1 at 9am MST/PDT, 10am MDT. Click here to register.

If we could pick one word to explain why God would become flesh and dwell among us in the person of Jesus, what would we choose?

If we could pick one word to explain what draws us back into Christian community week after week, what would we choose?

If we could pick one word to describe what sustains us as we live in a world full of dangers, toils, and snares, what would we choose?

Easter Project Wrap-Up: In the spirit of 1 Peter 4:10, many thanks to New Journey friends for $465 to support farm animals, water filters, cooking stoves, and mosquito netting through ELCA World Hunger ministries around the world. And, likewise, much gratitude for $760 in designated and undesignated gifts, plus a 20-pound bag of rice, for "Casa M" asylum shelter in Nogales.

New Journey Lutheran Church in Fountain Hills recently wrapped up two Easter season projects, raising funds for two programs that provide shelter and sustenance for those in need.

A total of $760 raised will go to Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones, a shelter for asylum seekers in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, that supports mainly women and children while their asylum claims are processed.

A donation of $465 will go to the ELCA Good Gifts program which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year to support sustenance needs worldwide including farm animals, environment-friendly water filters and cookstoves and family mosquito netting.

To read the approved April Congregation Council meeting minutes, click here.

If you have questions, please contact any member of the Congregation Council.

Cindi Brady—President

Pete Galindez—Vice President

Mike Bartanen—Treasurer

Karl Flormoe—Secretary

Jo Martinson—Member at Large

Mike Wilson—Member at Large

Pastor Beth Gallen

The congregation council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at 5:30 pm. Council meetings are open to any member of the congregation to attend. Should you wish to address the council, please contact Cindi Brady a week before the scheduled meeting to be placed on the agenda.

“Mommy, how come we don’t get to see Jesus?” Amelia asked me one day on our way to the grocery story.

These kinds of questions often come out of the blue as we’re running errands or playing outside in the backyard. Questions that give me pause and make me wonder what to say and how to say in a way that my six year old might understand.

Lately, (perhaps because we’ve been in the season of Easter for seven weeks and talking about the resurrection of Jesus) Amelia has felt annoyed that the disciples were able to see and talk with Jesus, and we don’t have the same luxury. “It’s not really fair. I want to see, Jesus, too,” she complains.

The 2024 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly is swiftly approaching, and we're thrilled to invite our voting members, visitors, and exhibitors to join us from June 13-15, 2024, for a time of fellowship, decision-making, and worship. This year's assembly promises to be a transformative experience for all attendees, filled with meaningful discussions, inspirational worship services, and the opportunity to connect with fellow members from across the synod.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance communication and streamline our processes, I wanted to share an important update regarding our eNews frequency.

 For the past couple of months, we have adjusted the timing of our newsletters. Instead of sending the eNews out monthly, we are now sending it out twice a month on the first and third Fridays.