A Report from the Front Lines

of Immigrant Accompaniment

The following is a report from Pastor Karla Halvorson about her time yesterday accompanying immigrants to court, through the work of ELCA Ammparo in San Diego.

"This was my fourth visit to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown San Diego, where I accompany asylum seekers and immigrants. I’ve prayed with people in the hallways, sat in courtrooms, and walked alongside those checking in with ICE or receiving ankle monitors as an alternative to detention.

Two community groups coordinate much of this accompaniment: FAITH (Faithful Accompaniment in Trust and Hope)—a faith-based network that prays, accompanies, and bears witness—and Detention Resistance, which documents hearings, tracks cases, and advocates for humane treatment. I’ve volunteered with both.

Many asylum seekers wait silently, trying to stay calm. But when I approach wearing my clergy collar and offer prayer or a listening ear, their relief and gratitude are visible. Today, after visiting the immigration courtrooms and ICE offices, we went to BI Incorporated, where people receive and maintain their electronic monitoring devices. The atmosphere there is tense but hopeful—each person following every rule, longing for the day their anklet will be removed and their status secured.

I spoke with one person whose case—long thought to be resolved—was suddenly reopened after more than a decade. Their story is not unique. Many who have lived here for years, followed every guideline, and built stable lives are now back at risk of deportation. The sense of isolation is profound; though they are among hundreds of thousands affected, most feel completely alone.

Yet amid fear, Christ is present. The simple acts of prayer, conversation, and accompaniment remind people that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten.

If you feel called to join this ministry of presence, please contact me at pastor.stmarkscv@gmail.com. The courthouse is just a trolley ride away, and everyone—especially clergy—is needed. When people of faith and goodwill fill those hallways, it truly makes a difference: there is more dignity, fewer detentions, and more hope."

Introducing the Pacifica Synod Latiné Newsletter!

The Latiné Office of the Pacifica Synod has launched a monthly newsletter, which you can read above. To sign up for this exciting new publication, please click here.

Introduciendo la nueva hoja informativa Latiné del Sínodo del Pacífico!

La oficina Latiné del Sínodo del Pacifico a empezado una nueva hoja informativa mensual, la cual puedes leer arriba. Para registrarse y recibir esta nueva publicación, por favor haga clic aquí.

Support Immigrants

Through AMMPARO and CLUE

THANK YOU for your wonderful support of migrants, asylum seekers, and immigrants! We are in this together! We will not turn our backs on those who are suffering and we will continue to prayerfully do what we can!

What you can do:

1. Come to AMMPARO meetings and contact Pastor Karla Halvorson or a planning team member to find out more! You can text Pastor Karla at 858-442-6761. The next meeting is Saturday, November 8, at 10 am, and you can join via Zoom here. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A NEW LINK! (Meeting ID: 870 8107 6920  Passcode: AMMPARO) 

2. Faith leaders in the San Diego area are invited to join the Catholic Diocese of San Diego and Detention Resistance as courthouse escorts. This is someone who meets with asylum seekers and goes into courtrooms with them to support them and help them feel safe. This is especially important in this moment where many of these asylum seekers will be detained and kidnapped by ICE when they exit the courtroom. Having sustained volunteer presence matters even if it's just to witness what is happening and pass that information on to others. To participate or to get more information, text Krystle J of Detention Resistance at 858-382-2109.

3. Faith leaders in Orange County or Los Angeles can consider joining the CLUE Rapid Response network in Orange and Los Angeles County. CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) have long been advocates of immigrant rights and are looking for volunteers to help in many ways, including Courtroom Observation and Accompaniment. Speaking a second language is helpful but not required. Click here to find out more info on providing immigrant support at the courthouses in Los Angeles and Santa Ana.

Advocacy Needed for Evi Sihomping,

Wrongfully Detained by ICE

Evi Sihomping is one of the active members of Getsemani Indonesian Lutheran Ministry in Riverside, CA. She was picked up from her home in Loma Linda by ICE on June 7, 2025 and is currently being held at the Adelanto ICE Detention Center. 

She and her former husband applied for asylum back in 2003 but were denied; her former husband went back to Indonesia, while Evi stayed with her daughter, who was born in the US, in California. When her daughter reached 21 years old, she also petitioned for asylum her mom, a petition which is still in process. Nevertheless, ICE came to pick Evi up. 

Right now, Evi is working with her immigration lawyer to get her out of prison so she can be with her daughter and her husband. In the meantime, Bishop Dave and Evi's pastor Robert Waworuntu invite members of the Pacifica Synod to advocate on her behalf. Here is a PDF with a script you can adapt for a phone call, email, or letter to your elected representative(s) to call for Evi's release. Please take a few moments to lend your voice.

Lutheran Office of Public Policy

Guidance on CA Prop 50

The Lutheran Office of Public Policy for California has made available two separate letters regarding the upcoming public vote on California's Proposition 50. You can read the letters by accessing the links below:

Prop 50 Policy Council Letter

Letter from CA Bishops in Support of LOPP

The Veracity and Historicity of the Bible

St. Paul Lutheran, Fullerton

Sundays in November

St. Paul in Fullerton is offering a four-week look at the veracity and historicity of the Bible for the first four Sundays in November. There is no cost--just come if you're able! Classes begin at 11:00am and will feature discussion from two professors at Biola University.

Installation of Rev. Jennifer Zahnow

Good Shepherd Lutheran, Buena Park

November 22, 2025 (1:00pm)

All are invited to the Installation of Rev. Jennifer Zahnow at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Buena Park at 1:00pm on November 22, 2025. Clergy please vest in green. A reception will follow the service.

Dates for 2026 Regional Gatherings, "A-Zoom-bly"

We are pleased to announce the dates and locations for next year's in-person regional gatherings and our all-synod assembly being held over Zoom. Save the date!

Regional Gatherings (from 10am to 2pm)

• April 25, 2026 – Hawaii (at LC of Honolulu)
• May 2, 2026 – Inland Empire (Trinity, Riverside)
• May 9, 2026 – Orange County (Bethlehem, Los Alamitos)
• May 16, 2026 – San Diego (Clairemont, San Diego)

And the A-Zoom-bly (starting at 12pm PDT):

• June 20, 2026

Watch this space for more details as they become available!

42 Million Americans Face Hunger Crisis During Shutdown

There are 42 million Americans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families who are at risk of seeing delays of their November benefits due to the current government shutdown. This comes as other essential hunger programs, such as the Women, Infants and Children’s Program (WIC), and free/reduced school meals are also set to run out of contingency funding due to the shutdown around the first week of November. 

Through ELCA World Hunger and our congregational networks across the country, we witness daily the vital role SNAP and federal programs play in preventing hunger. Our food pantries, community meals and hunger relief organizing efforts complement but cannot replace these benefits. The families we serve – working parents, children, seniors and people with disabilities – are counting on these benefits to survive. 

You are encouraged to take action now to urge lawmakers and the Department of Agriculture to release SNAP contingency funds and to ensure no delays in hunger benefits during the government shutdown. Add your voice here.

Webinar: Creating Accessible Spaces on a Budget

November 17, 2025

Every church should be a place where everyone feels welcome and included — regardless of ability. But making your facilities more accessible doesn't have to break the bank.

Join the ELCA Disability Ministry on Monday, November 17 at 7pm central time for this practical and inspiring webinar designed specifically for churches seeking to improve accessibility with limited resources. We'll explore affordable strategies to enhance physical, sensory and digital accessibility in your church buildings and programs. From simple upgrades to creative adaptations, you'll gain tools and ideas that can be implemented right away — no large renovation budget required.

In this workshop, you’ll learn:

• Low-cost improvements that make a big impact.

• How to prioritize accessibility changes.

• Ways to engage your congregation in accessibility efforts.

Pastoral Care Call in Response to

Arrest of Youth Worker

Bishop Brenda Bos of the Southwest California Synod invites all volunteers, family members, and youth workers who are impacted by the arrest of former ELCA Youth worker Casey Goslin to a pastoral care call Thursday evening, October 30th, at 7pm. You can join the meeting using this link.

Mr. Goslin was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona on multiple federal charges including possession and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. While he never served in either the Pacifica or SoCal Synods, several local Lutheran leaders and volunteers know Mr. Goslin through ELCA events. We are bringing people together on this call for pastoral support and prayer in light of this news.

Bishop Deborah Hutterer of Grand Canyon Synod has released a public statement regarding this ongoing situation.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and this synod are deeply committed to the safety of all people and will not tolerate abuse of any kind. We will continue to review our screening and supervision policies to ensure the safety of all people under our care.

Please share the invitation for pastoral care and community with others who wish to process this news. As a church, we stand together to protect and defend the vulnerable, and to come together when we are grieving or angry.

Show Solidarity with Palestinian Christians

with the Holy Land Accompaniment Pilgrimage

March 9-19, 2026

The ELCJHL (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land) is inviting the Pacifica and Southwest California Synods to the Holy Land early next year for an accompaniment pilgrimage. Come be with Palestinian Christians and experience the challenges they encounter just trying to live out their faith in the face of enormous structural obstacles. Yes, you'll see the historic foundations of the early Church--Capernaum, the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, and others--but more importantly, you'll form relationships with those who are building on those very foundations today. Have your faith inspired and your hope challenged.

Interested? Bishop Dave and Tony Abuaita from Good Shepherd Travel will be hosting an informational Zoom meeting on November 19th at 7pm PST. Get details, ask questions, learn more. You can join the call here.

PLTS Discernment Weekend

October 31 - November 2, 2025

Are you wondering if seminary might be right for you? Consider joining Signs Along the Way at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California to connect with others in discernment, get to know PLTS faculty, and explore what it’s like to be an online student in the MDiv, MA in Spirituality and Social Change, or Lutheran Year programs. PLTS is transitioning to only offer online study with in-person intensives, so this weekend is designed for those interested in online learning. PLTS covers lodging and meals during the event and can offer travel assistance for those who need it.

Rev. Eric C. Shafer,

"Pastor in Residence" of Global Refuge,

Scheduling December, Early 2026 Visits

The Rev. Eric C. Shafer is the volunteer "Pastor in Residence" for Global Refuge. Part of his ministry is visiting ELCA congregations in the Pacifica Synod, sharing the ministry of Global Refuge, ideally preaching for worship and leading an adult forum before or after worship.

He is looking to schedule his Sunday morning congregation visits in 2026 for Global Refuge. If you are interested in hosting him for any of these Sundays - December 28, January 4, 11, 18, 25, February 1 & 8 and all Sundays in March - please let him know via email at ericcshafer@hotmail.com.

He can visit congregations anywhere, but any visit does need some financial support for his travel expenses.

Natural Sciences Retreat (Carefree, AZ)

January 16-19, 2026

Are you curious about the natural sciences' connection with Christian theology? If so, Living Into a New Story: A Spirited Assessment of the Christian Story in the Light of Earth-based Wisdom and Today’s Sciences Retreat is for you!

The retreat goals are to:

• Provide meaningful experiences together that will affirm our being cheered on by the whole Universe and by God
• Discover new realizations that our modest lives are part of a much larger story
• Inspire continued deep questioning and learning
• Stimulate a renewed sense of vocation

Highlights and takeaways include a booklet of current and rewritten hymns/songs grounded in ecology-theology themes; a worship/preaching/teaching resource for the Season of Lent; quotes, poems and journaling starts; book lists for further reading; time for journaling, worship, prayer, music, experiences; good food, serene surroundings, stimulating discussions, healing relaxation; time outdoors on the land, including an optional hike; wisdom for sustainable living and effective advocacy.

Financial Administrator (Part-Time)

Community Lutheran, Rancho Santa Margarita

Community Lutheran in Rancho Santa Margarita is seeking a financial administrator to handle bookkeeping duties for both the church and their Saddleback Children’s Center preschool, beginning January 1, 2026. The job requires approximately 15-20 hours a week, currently pays $30/hour, and may be done almost entirely remotely. A more detailed job description can be found here. Please contact Pastor Matt Anderson: pastormattclcrsm@gmail.com or 949-858-0307 x102

Music Items for Sale (Updated on 10-29)

Trinity Lutheran, Hemet

Trinity Lutheran in Hemet is still downsizing and only has hand bells left! This list was updated October 29, 2025, with many items removed that have already gone to other Lutheran churches in the Pacifica Synod. Download an updated flier with links to all the available items by clicking here or contact the church at trinityhemet@verizon.net

Organist

Incarnation Lutheran, Poway

Incarnation Lutheran Church (ILC) in Poway is seeking an organist to help us experience and celebrate God’s gifts of grace in worship at our traditional Sunday worship service at 11am. ILC has a long history of excellent music expressed through our musicians, vocal and bell choirs, congregational singing, instrumental ensembles, and soloists. If interested and qualified, candidate could apply to be considered at a later date as Director of Music and/or vocal and bell Choir Director. 

A full job description can be found at this link. Those interested are asked to contact the church office at Servants@GodAmong.us with questions or to send letters of interest/resumes.