Dear Partners in Mission:
Greetings to you on this 10th day of the Christmas festival. While secular Christmas has long been over, and Valentine’s treats have now come to dominate the store shelves, I pray you are taking time to continue to reflect on what Christmas means to us as followers of Jesus. In the incarnation, God has come to us to be for us in a way that should stun and challenge us every year. Stun us that God would take human form. Challenge us in the value that puts on human life, and what that means for our responsibility to our neighbor.
As we continue Christmas, we also though must look forward. The first full weekend of 2023 in NT-NL will be a busy time, and I want to be sure you have noted these events:
–Ordination of Darlene Hopkins, Saturday, January 7, 4pm at Trinity-Fort Worth. Rostered leaders are invited to vest and participate. The color is red.
–Funeral of the Rev. Yvonne Kiebler, Saturday, January 7, 1pm at Advent-Arlington. Pastor Joel Burkholder presiding. Please contact Advent for more information.
-Closing Worship of King of Glory-Fort Worth (1pm Saturday, January 7) and Walnut Hill-Farmers Branch (3pm Sunday, January 8). All are invited to be present as these communities make the faithful decision to end Word and Sacrament ministry at these physical locations so they can share their community and assets for mission across the church.
–Registration is now open for our 2023 Synod Assembly in Shreveport, LA, April 28-29th. Please note there will be NO on-site registration this year. So make it a priority to get registered early. Our speakers will be the Rev. Joe and Deacon Jessica Lyles from The Neighborhood Church in Rogers, Ark. This ELCA congregation, planted in 2012, is a growing community of faith, and Joe and Jessica will share with us their passion for reaching those disconnected from faith community and how God is continuously changing and challenging their leadership.
A busy start to 2023. As we move into a new calendar year, know that your synod staff is here to support and walk with you. May God bless you and your communities in 2023.
In Mission Together:
Bishop Gronberg