...Jesus came near & went with them

Upcoming Events

• Common Table: Young Adult Gathering
• Leading Faith and Civic Life Zoom Series from NEOS
• Luther Home of Mercy 41st Annual Golf Outing
• LWR 2026 Ingathering
• Watch LSM on Demand

Service and Sponsorship:

• Growing Hope: HopeWood Outdoors Campaign
• Hunger Network in Ohio: Monthly Advocate Check-In

Resource Sharing:

• NWOS - The Great Goat Project
• NWOS Annual Fund Campaign
• 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering GNews
• ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowship Applications
• ELCA Advocacy Resources
• ELCA Young Adult Opportunities
• The Sermon Supply
• Free Children's Choir Robes Available

Position Postings:

• Full-Time Custodial Position - St. Mark's Bowling Green
• Executive Director - City Mission of Findlay
• Youth Leader Grades 6 - 12 - St. Paul, Jenera
• Church Organist - St. John, Celina
• Learning Center Teacher - Emanuel, Marion
• Organist/Pianist - Zion, Sandusky
• Music Director - Community of Christ, Whitehouse

UPCOMING EVENTS

Common Table: Young Adult Gathering

Join us for our monthly Common Table meeting, an intentionally ecumenical and inclusive community for young adults ages 18-35.

Come enjoy meaningful community and connection.

Friday, July 31st, 2026 from 6 - 8pm

Flip the Table - Board Game Bar & Lounge

3136 Central Ave, Toledo, OH, 43606

It's game night! Join us at Flip the Table for an evening of board games and friendly competition. Come hang out, meet new people, and play some great games! The cost is $5 to get in. We will provide pizza, but bring money for a drink.

Whether you're looking for community, curiosity, or just a fun night out, you

belong at the table. We hope to see you there!

Leading Faith and Civic Life: An Equipping Series for Rostered Ministers

Pastors and deacons are being asked to lead conversations about faith and civic life that are complex, personal, and often tense. This five-session Zoom series prepares you to lead the ELCA’s Faith and Civic Life study guide with theological clarity and practical tools for your context.

Each session focuses on a portion of the study guide, moving from scriptural and confessional foundations into applied topics like moral deliberation, civic participation, the Constitution, the First Amendment, and the church’s relationship with political authority. You can also submit your questions and concerns ahead of time so we can address real challenges you are facing.

Wednesdays | August 19, 26, September 2, 9, 16

11:00 AM–12:15 PM Eastern on Zoom

Registration is required to receive the zoom link.

You will leave with a clear understanding of the study guide, language for leading difficult conversations, and a plan for engaging your community.

Luther Home of Mercy 41st Annual Golf Outing

Support the care of individuals with disabilities at Luther Home's 41st Annual Golf Outing! A few ways to get involved: golf, sponsor, donate a raffle prize, share the flyer. Learn more at www.lutherhome.org.

LWR 2026 Ingathering

The Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Quilt and Kit Ingatherings are coordinated collection drives where congregations drop off handmade quilts and care kits to be shipped to those in need. The Women's group at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pemberville, will be hosting an Ingathering at the date, time, and location below:

Saturday, October 10, 2026

8:00 am - 12:00 noon (EST)

St. Paul Lutheran Church

14545 New Rochester Road

Pemberville, OH 43450

Missed LSM This Summer? Watch on Demand

The LSM 2026 season may be over, but the inspiring music continues online.

Watch more than 40 concerts, worship services, recitals, and special events from this summer whenever it's convenient for you. Catch up on the performances you missed or experience your favorite moments again with LSM On Demand.

Enjoy the Bach Cantata Eucharist, Festival of Hymns, plus performances by the Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra, and many more joyful moments from this summer's season.

SERVICE AND SPONSORSHIP

Growing Hope:

Campaign for HopeWood Outdoors

HopeWood Outdoors is launching a new capital campaign! This campaign is called Growing Hope and our desire is to expand the impact of Lutheran outdoor ministries here in Ohio. With a goal of $2.5 million, the priorities of Growing Hope include projects at both HopeWood Pines and HopeWood Shores, as well as the expansion of HopeWood Connect.

God is already bringing growth to HopeWood’s ministries, including 190% growth in campers since 2022. What a blessing to know that God is already Growing Hope among us! We want you to join us in Growing Hope, too. We invite you to read attached documents will share more details about how God is expanding ministry through HopeWood Outdoors.

Hunger Network in Ohio’s - Monthly Advocate Check-in

SECOND THURSDAY’S (NORMALLY) 7PM - 8PM

Join fellow advocates from across Ohio to hear what is going on at the Ohio Statehouse, ways to get involved, ask questions, and share what is going on in your community. All are welcome to this time!

RESOURCE SHARING

NWOS - The Great Goat Project 2026!

Summer is right around the corner—which means one thing…

☀️ Vacation Bible School season is almost here! ☀️

This year, we invite your congregation to join something fun, meaningful, and a little bit… goat-tastic 🐐:

👉 The Northwestern Ohio Synod’s Great Goat Project

🐐 What’s it all about?

The Great Goat Project isn’t just about goats—it’s about sharing God’s love in real, life-changing ways.

Through this project, your VBS can help provide goats to families in Kashasha, Tanzania, in partnership with our Companions in the ELCT Dodoma Diocese in Tanzania. A single goat can:

• Provide nutritious milk for children
• Help families grow food through fertilizer
• Create income and long-term sustainability
• Bless not just one family—but an entire community

All of this grows out of our shared theme:

💛 “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) 

NWOS - Annual Campaign

Living out the Synod’s mission to equip leaders, this year’s Annual Fund will focus donations on Synod programs which identify, enrich and encourage lay members to grow their faith and leadership skills for ministry.

This will include programs such as Growing in Faith, (Diakonia), a two year program of advanced classes in church foundations and practical education on leadership in the church; Synod Authorized Ministers (SAM) and their mentors;  and encouraging nontraditional students to attend seminary.

The Annual Fund will also support Imagining Renewal Microgrants, small one time grants for unique ministries, which recognize the needs of communities and empower lay and rostered leaders to respond with creativity and passion. 

All Annual Fund donations remain in and benefit NWOS. While funds are unrestricted, these funds allow for building up churches, developing lay members and growing the number of people able to express and meet ministry needs.

2027 ELCA Youth Gathering

Every three years, thousands of high schoolers and their adult leaders from across the ELCA come together for the ELCA Youth Gathering. It’s not just an event but a movement in which faith ignites and community comes alive. Through inspiring speakers, experiential learning and transformative connections, young people experience the church in bold, unforgettable ways. Each night, participants share a unique faith experience through high-energy worship and powerful storytelling. The Gathering is an opportunity to ask big questions, grow in faith and be part of something bigger than yourself. Are you ready to join the movement?

ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowships

Learn the skills of faith-based advocacy as an ELCA World Hunger Advocacy Fellow. The 2026–27 cycle begins September with positions available in Minnesota, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Apply using the QR code or through the link below!

ELCA Advocacy Resources

ELCA Advocacy offers a monthly blog called "Advocacy Connections" which features Policy Notes, Action Alerts, Featured Resources, Dates of Note, and much more!

You can find Editions of Advocacy Connections and learn how to sign up to receive these emails at the link below.

Young Adult Opportunities

Check out what’s happening with ELCA Young Adult Ministry this month!

Sermon Supply Library

Region 6 Sermon Resource

We’re excited to officially launch The Sermon Supply, a collaborative project from the synods of Region 6!

Beginning today, congregations can access a growing library of sermon videos and manuscripts—designed to support preaching ministry across our synods. Whether you're looking for pulpit supply options, a fresh voice, or support during vacation time, these sermons are free to use and rooted in the Gospel. 

Each sermon is filed in a folder by lectionary number, making it easy to find what you need.

Thank you for being part of this shared ministry. We hope these sermons equip and encourage you and your communities in the weeks to come.

Free Children's Choir Robes Available

Olivet Lutheran Church, Sylvania, has approximately 40 children's choir robes of various sizes (preschool through high school) we'd like to pass along to another church. The robes are red and blue. Please contact Amie McGee, Director of Operations, for more information (419-882-2077 or operations@olivetsylvania.org).

POSITION POSTINGS

Full-Time Custodial Position - St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Bowling Green



St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Bowling Green, Ohio is currently hiring a full-time Custodian/ Light Maintenance staff person. The church facility, located at 315 S. College Drive (near the Bowling Green State University campus), is seeking an individual who can handle daily upkeep, seasonal needs like snow removal, and proactive problem-solving. This full-time position also includes a benefit package.

Please send email and/or resume to:  office@stmarksbg.org. 

Executive Director - City Mission of Findlay



The City Mission of Findlay is a non-profit Christian ministry that provides emergency services to the homeless and hungry in Hancock County by providing shelter, support, and opportunities for transformation to those in need. 

This is the top leadership role responsible for overseeing all operations, staff, finances, programs, fundraising, and strategic direction of the mission.  The Executive Director is expected to lead from a Christian, servant-leadership perspective while ensuring the ministry stays aligned with its faith-based mission and values.  

If interested in more details, please contact Kcline913@gmail.com

Youth Leader grades 6-12 - St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jenera



Looking for a Youth and Family Ministries coordinator who will plan, implement and attend activities that guide youth, primarily in grades 6 - 12 on their faith journey, utilizing Bible Study, Sunday School Lessons, Missions projects, Activities of Service, and Group Discussion

If interested in more details, please contact grieserjn@gmail.com

Church Organist - St. John Lutheran Church, Celina



Looking for an organist to lead our 9:00 am traditional worship service each week and other special services during the church year (Lent, Advent, Christmas Eve, Night of Promise,...).

Learn more about our church at https://www.purpledoorchurch.org/

Learning Center Teacher - Emanuel Lutheran Church, Marion, Ohio 

We are adding to our amazing staff at the Learning Center!

Ideal applicants will have experience working with children (birth-age 5), will be self motivated, excited to work, and have a love for helping children learn and grow.

Bonus points for having a CDA!

(minimum requirement-high school diploma)

For inquires please reach out to emanuelearlylearningcenter@gmail.com or call 740-382-0257

Organist/Pianist - Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sandusky, Ohio

We are looking for an organist/pianist who will work in cooperation with the pastor, the Music Ministry Team, and the Choir Director. The organist/pianist will play music for our regular worship services. This position includes the provision of music for Sunday mornings, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve and Day, Lenten, Easter, and special services.

Please email your application with resume to the Church Administrator - Loriwobser@zionsandusky.org

Music Director - Community of Christ Lutheran Church, Whitehouse, Ohio

Community of Christ Lutheran Church in Whitehouse, Ohio, member of the Northwest Ohio Synod of the ELCA, is actively seeking one or two music professionals to serve as music director/organist/choir director. Candidates should be eager to share their talents with our congregation, provide opportunities for various levels of participation in the music of our church and facilitate the growth of our music programming. Hours, compensation and continuing education opportunities will be determined commensurate with final determination of roles and responsibilities. Community of Christ, founded in 1974, is a growing and engaging Lutheran church in Whitehouse, Ohio.

If you have an announcement or an event that you would like to share throughout the synod, click below to access our submission form. Questions: news@nwos-elca.org