Published on
August 20, 2014
A Guide to Worship Resources

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) continues several varied streams of Lutheran church life introduced to America during the Colonial era. The ELCA was formally constituted in 1988 as a merger of the Lutheran Church in America, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the American Lutheran Church.



Official Documents on Worship

Key Worship Resources

  • Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress (annual print volume or online subscription)
  • "The Sunday Assembly," using Evangelical Lutheran Worship vol. 1, Augsburg Fortress, 2008
  • "Keeping Time," using Evangelical Lutheran Worship vol. 2, Augsburg Fortress, 2008
  • "The Christian Life," using Evangelical Lutheran Worship vol. 3, Augsburg Fortress, 2009
  • Musician’s Guide to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2007
  • Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2010
  • Indexes to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2007

Denominational Hymnals/Worship Books

  • Occasional Services for the Assembly, Augsburg Fortress, 2009
  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2006
  • Chinese Lutheran Book of Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2005
  • This Far by Faith, Augsburg Fortress, 1999
  • Libro de Liturgia y Cántico, Augsburg Fortress, 1998
  • With One Voice, Augsburg Fortress, 1997 (supplement to the Lutheran Book of Worship)
  • Lutheran Book of Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 1978
  • Service Book and Hymnal, Augsburg Fortress, 1958

General Background and Statistics

Website: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Associations: Lutheran World Federation
Origin: 1988
Mergers: American Lutheran Church (ALC), Lutheran Church in America (LCA), and Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), 1988
Separated from: N/A
Separations:N/A
College: There are many ELCA Colleges.
Seminary: Luther Seminary, MN; Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, IL;  Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA; The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, PA; Wartburg Theological Seminary, IA; Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, SC; Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, CA 
Congregations: 10,348 (Association of Religion Data Archives)
Members: 4,542,868 (Association of Religion Data Archives)
Publication(s): The Lutheran
Denominational Offices:

8765 West Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631