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Assembly Reflection from Bishop Bos

Meeting under the theme “God is our Refuge and Strength” brought special courage and comfort for me at this year’s Synod Assembly. Nearly 300 people gathered at the Pasadena Hilton to pass a budget, consider resolutions, elect leaders and hear from our powerful keynote speaker, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the President and CEO of Global Refuge, and Pastor Khader El-Yateem, the Executive Director of the ELCA’s Service and Justice division. These two leaders shared their ministries and their passion in serving the vulnerable people of this planet. 

In my mind, true leadership connects both the honest telling of our situations and the vision of a better future for all. This requires deep listening to those in need, those in power and all the rest of us in between. Synod assembly is a wonderful place to hear from each other, learning about hopes, goals, disappointments, shared vision and commitments. Because God is our refuge, we were able to lean into God’s grace as we heard some hard truths, as challenges were raised about our spending and our priorities. I spoke frequently about the time and courage it takes to truly see and hear each other, to be changed by each other’s experiences. Southwest California Synod is one of the most diverse in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. While that gives us a splendid opportunity to learn from each other, we also live in historic and systemic tensions of race, power, gender and economic realities. I love this place, I believe we all do, and it requires a lot of us.

This is where God’s strength comes in. God’s love and promise fuel us when life gets hard. God’s commitment to us, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, binds us together when the going gets tough, or when the conversations get awkward. I confess there are many times when I don’t know what to say, or how to respond, and I am constantly learning to lean into God’s will and wisdom… which does not always immediately reveal itself. 

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One question that arose during Assembly was, "How can I get more involved?" We'd love to continue the conversation. If you are interested in learning more about or becoming involved in any of our Synod ministries, please let us know using the form below. A member of our staff will be happy to connect with you and help you find opportunities to engage.

Your Voice Matters - Feedback Survey

As we reflect on the 2026 Synod Assembly, we invite you to complete our Assembly feedback survey. Your feedback, observations, and experiences help us better understand what worked well, where we can improve, and how we can continue creating meaningful Assembly experiences for our congregations and leaders.



The survey will remain open through June 15. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

Hotel Reimbursements

Please note - we will be accepting submissions for hotel reimbursement through June 15. We are offering $100/person for one night. Steps to take:

1. Please submit your hotel folio (the receipt you received at the conclusion of your stay) to assembly@socalsynod.org. When submitting your reimbursement request, include the following information in addition to your receipt: Church name and Church address
2. All reimbursement checks will be mailed to the church and distributed to individuals by the church.

Global Refuge Offering

We were honored to welcome Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge, as our keynote speaker. Through her powerful message, we learned that since its founding, Global Refuge has helped more than 800,000 newcomers build new lives in the United States. More importantly, we were reminded that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a story of courage, resilience, and hope. Krish challenged us to remember that Southern California does not thrive despite immigrants....it thrives because of them. Inspired by this call, our Synod reaffirmed its commitment to being a Global Refuge Synod, offering tangible financial, relational, and spiritual support to the life-changing work of welcoming our new neighbors.

If you did not get a chance at assembly, please consider an offering to Global Refuge. Click HERE to donate.

Bishop Brenda Bos addressing the assembly.

CLU Student Lila Woodard speaks during a worship shortie.

High school youth 15-18 years old represented their congregations and their church leaders; six of the youth were first-time delegates for their church. This youth experience track offered space and reflection for the youth to learn and ask questions about the 'business' of the larger church.

We encouraged our youth with a guide to engaging the church:

1. Know the rules of how to make change so you can use them. 
2. Ignore the pushback and strive.
3. Rely on your mentors and friends to listen and strategize.
4. Discover what makes you tick as a person of faith and let the world see it.

THE DANCE OF WORD AND SACRAMENT, AN ASSEMBLY REFLECTION by Neil Sprouse

At this year’s Synod Assembly, there were many powerful moments of worship, conversation, service, and community. But sometimes the moments that stay with us longest are the quiet ones.

Neil Sprouse, a member of St. Matthew’s North Hollywood, recently shared a beautiful reflection inspired by a simple yet profound scene that unfolded just before closing worship: the quiet preparation of the communion table while Bishop Bos proclaimed God as our refuge and strength.

What emerged was a moving meditation on sacred space, Word and Sacrament, and the many ways God meets us in ordinary places and ordinary acts of service.

We invite you to read Neil’s full reflection on our blog.

ASSEMBLY TESTIMONIALS

Assembly is about more than reports, resolutions, and business sessions. It's about people, relationships, faith, and the hope we find in one another. We asked two Assembly attendees to share what they were experiencing during our time together and what was giving them hope. We hope their reflections inspire and encourage you as much as they encouraged us.

FEATURED ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE SYNOD

New Synod Events Page

Click HERE to see our new Synod Events page. Please be sure to reference this page for all upcoming Synod events and details.

Job Opening at the Synod office

Assistant to the Bishop for Administration and Finance - Learn more and apply HERE



MORE FROM THE SYNOD OFFICE

SAVE THE DATE

The first in our Aging with Grace faith-based webinar series for Seniors, Families & Caregivers will take place on Monday, June 29th. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about helping older adults navigate aging with confidence, explore supportive options and remain connected to faith, community and purpose. Please share with your congregations.

ELCA & COMMUNITY

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Supply Collection for Western States Youth Gathering



Help support our youth attending the Western States Youth Gathering by sending in supplies to make care kits for those still recovering after the fires. The youth will learn more about disaster response by using the Lutheran Disaster Response Simulation Kit. They will then put together the kits, which will be distributed by the synod. Please send in donations by June 5th. 

Ecumenical Taizé Prayer, Camarillo, CA

Are you looking for some quiet time with God in these hectic times? All are welcome for Taizé-style prayer—a contemplative, meditative form of worship—held on the 2^nd Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Three congregations (Camarillo United Methodist, Mount Cross Lutheran, and St. Columba’s Episcopal Churches) are offering this in-person service, held in the intimate setting of the Mount Cross sanctuary (102 Camino Esplendido, Camarillo, 93010). This month: June 12, 7:00 p.m.

Job Opening - Preschool/Toddler Teacher, West Covina, CA



Christ Lutheran Church and Preschool in West Covina, California is seeking a passionate and energetic Preschool/Toddler Teacher to inspire young minds and foster a nurturing learning environment. In this role, you will be responsible for creating engaging lesson plans, implementing age-appropriate activities, and supporting the developmental needs of children in early childhood education settings. Your enthusiasm and dedication will help cultivate a positive classroom atmosphere where children feel safe, valued, and excited to learn.

This paid position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children's growth while developing your skills in early childhood development and classroom management. Please see the job overview for more details, and contact Michelle at psdirector@clswc.org for more information or to apply. Thank you!



Click on the event title below to learn more.

• Now through June 10th - Applications Open for Certificate in Climate Justice and Faith at PLTS
• July 6th -9th, 2026 - ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering
• Sunday, June 7th - Solheim Annual Meeting of the Corporation



The Office of the Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the ELCA is located on the traditional territory of the Chumash, Tongva, and Kizh people. The SWCA Synod rests on the traditional territory of over 11 different indigenous people. 

Here is a resource you can use to find out more information about the traditional keepers of the land on which you live, work or travel.

Who We Are



The Southwest California Synod is a Reconciling In Christ Synod, making a public commitment to welcome, include and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people. For information about becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation or organization, please contact the Region 2 RIC Coordinator or the RIC office.

We are a Lutheran Restoring Creation Synod. Lutherans Restoring Creation is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, cultivating a community of dedicated stewards of earth and neighbor who proclaim God’s promise of hope and healing for all.

We are a Jubilee USA Network Synod. There are over 750 national and local faith groups that work with Jubilee USA to address the root causes of poverty and inequality. Congregations and faith communities are a critical moral champions on economic policies that impact our lives. Jubilee faith communities play a pivotal role in winning debt, tax, trade and transparency policies that protect vulnerable people and economies.