Your registration materials will be emailed in April 2025 and will explain when and how to make your travel arrangements. Remember not to book your air travel until you have received your registration materials. If you are a voting or advisory member, your travel costs will be paid for by the ELCA, but you must make your air travel arrangements through Direct Travel, preferably using the travel app Etta (powered by Deem): elca-dt.deem.com.

When booking your travel, remember that the assembly starts with orientation on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 1 p.m. and concludes at the close of the plenary session on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, at 12:30 p.m.

‍Please make travel arrangements no later than May 23, 2025.

I don't have an Etta account. How do I book travel?

You can book travel through Etta even without a travel profile, using a one-time link developed for churchwide assembly participants.

Voting and advisory members will receive this link and the proper credentials when their registration information is emailed to them.

Visitors can book their travel through Etta at elca-dt.deem.com.

Enter the following information in the required fields:

Username: assembly2025.guest

Password: 2025churchwide

If you need assistance, please contact Dana Adams, director for meeting management, at 773-380-2802 (office) or 773-372-5639 (cell), or Dana.Adams@elca.org. Please do not call Direct Travel.

I am having difficulties booking my air travel on the Etta travel app. Whom can I call?

If you need assistance in booking your air travel, please call Direct Travel, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Central time, at 773-380-2440 or 800-543-8016.

Whom do I contact if my flight has been canceled or changed and I am stuck at the airport?

Please contact Dana Adams, director for meeting management, at 773-380-2802 (office) or 773-372-5639 (cell), or at Dana.Adams@elca.org.

‍If you are traveling after hours (7 p.m.-8:30 a.m. Central time) and need assistance, please contact the after-hours emergency service at 866-587-3303. Please note that this number is for emergency purposes only, on the day of travel. Please use discretion in calling this number; the ELCA is charged between $48 and $75 per call, based on the call needs and time.

How do I get to the hotel once I arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and then back to the airport when the assembly ends?

Shuttle buses will be arranged to help transport Churchwide Assembly voting members and advisory members to the assembly hotels at the beginning of the assembly and at the end of the week. When you arrive at the airport, please go to the baggage claim area. Volunteers will be stationed there to help direct you to a shuttle bus that will take you to the assembly hotels. Buses will be available continually throughout the day on July 27 and 28 to transport voting and advisory members to the hotels. At the end of the assembly, on Aug. 2, they will transport attendees back to the airport. If, for some reason, your flight is delayed and you arrive after 11 p.m., please take an Uber or taxi to the hotel; you can be reimbursed for this expense. If you are a voting or advisory member, you will schedule transportation when you complete your online assembly registration.

Voting members and advisory members have their airfare paid by the ELCA, but what if I choose to drive?

Voting and advisory members of the assembly will be reimbursed at the current IRS rate for mileage, along with the cost of tolls and parking, up to the amount of the lowest available advance airfare. More detailed information about the allowed amount for reimbursement will be forthcoming.

I am driving. What about parking?

There are various lots available. The ELCA does reimburse the cost of self-parking for voting members and advisory members. More detailed information about the allowed amount for reimbursement will be forthcoming. If you opt to valet-park your car, you will not be reimbursed.

At what hotels are we staying?

The two primary hotels will be the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown and Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Some assembly participants and guests may be assigned to the Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown. Room reservation requests must be made during the online assembly registration process. Hotel selections are based on request only and are not guaranteed. Please do not contact the hotels directly.

Is my hotel room paid for by the ELCA?

Yes, voting members and advisory members will have their hotel rooms paid for by the ELCA. Voting members are expected to share rooms. Those who want a private room will be charged one-half of the room rate plus tax, per room, per night, which is $84.99, tax included. You will have the option of selecting a single room during registration.

How do I make a change to my hotel accommodation?

Once your registration has been processed, you may contact the CWA registrar for any changes to your registration, including hotel accommodation. Please email your request to cwaregistrar@elca.org.

When will I receive confirmation for my hotel accommodation?

Hotel confirmations will be sent via email about two weeks before the start of the Churchwide Assembly.

How do visitors make hotel and travel arrangements?

When visitors register for the assembly, they will have the opportunity to make hotel and travel arrangements. Visitors are welcome (but not required) to use Direct Travel and to stay at one of our three hotel properties at the negotiated rate. You may make these arrangements during registration, using your personal credit card for payment. Direct Travel charges a $22 fee for use of its service.

Can visitors purchase meals for the Churchwide Assembly week?

Yes. Visitors can choose to purchase meals when they register online before the assembly.