Northern Texas - Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA

BRIDGES Book Club: Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
2017-01-14 | TX
Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Saturday, January 14
2-4pm at Trinity, Fort Worth
4-6pm at New Life in Christ, Duncanville
Click here for a bulletin insert.
Choose the site most convenient for you. Light refreshments will be served.
You are welcome to invite friends. To be on the email list for BRIDGES Book Club gatherings, please send your name, phone number, and email address to jason@ntnl.org.
Trinity Lutheran Church
3621 Tulsa Way
Fort Worth, TX 76107
New Life in Christ Lutheran Church
311 S Cockrell Hill Rd
Duncanville, TX 75116
Initiative of the NT-NL Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice.

Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
2017-01-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2017-02-11 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
2nd Saturday of each month
Open to all

Tarrant Churches Together MLK Day of Service
2017-01-16 08:00 - 14:00 | Baker Chapel AME Church, 1050 E Humbolt St, Fort Worth, TX, 76104, United States
Bishop Gronberg will be preaching during the worship service!
Make it a Day On – Not a Day Off!
The seventh annual Tarrant Churches Together MLK Day of Service is Monday, January 16, from 8 am to 2 pm. We will meet at Baker Chapel A.M.E. Church for sign-in and a brief worship service and then head out to work at various community agencies. The work day will conclude with lunch and fellowship.
From Tarrant Churches Together website:
Martin Luther King Day of Service
Joining up with national celebrations, this event honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King by bringing people of all walks of life together to serve the community.
Started in 2010 in Fort Worth with 13 service sites and 150 folks from congregations around Tarrant County, the MLK Day of Service brings together people from all walks of life to worship together, serve the community together, and talk together about where racial issues have healed and where more work needs to be done. In 2015, during the 5th Annual MLK Day of Service, Tarrant Churches Together brought together 525 volunteers to provide 1,275 hours of service to 29 service sites around Tarrant County.
This event is amazing! You do NOT want to miss it! Get ready to join us in 2017 to make it a day on, not a day off. You will be so glad you did!

Tri-Synodical Theological Conference
2017-01-23 - 2017-01-25 | TX
For full details: http://www.swtsynod.org/theological2017
HOTEL:
There are a number of DoubleTree Hotels in Austin. We will be at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin, 6505 N Interstate 35 location. http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-austin-AUSLNDT/index.html
$129 “Theological” Rate
(If booked by January 1)

“Theological” Reservation Link
512-454-3737

Free Self-Parking for hotel guests.
$12/day Self-Parking for non-hotel guests.
REGISTRATION opens October 19!

NT-NL Junior High Gathering
2017-01-27 20:00 - 2017-01-29 11:00 | TX
The Junior High Gathering is for ANY Junior High / Middle School student (for most churches, this event is for your Confirmation Group). The event includes small group activities, church fellowship time, songs, games, meaningful worship experiences, a dance, and more!
Locations: Faith Lutheran, Flower Mound, AND Holiday Inn Express, Irving (North of the airport)
Cost includes programs, hotel, meals, and t-shirt.
Full details here:
Complete these registration forms and mail in to the address on the forms.
For more information, contact NTNLYouthLeaders@yahoo.com.

Installation of new Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas
2017-02-09 14:00 - 16:00 | TX
Pope Francis has named the Most Reverend Edward J. Burns to serve as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas. The much anticipated appointment was announced on December 13, 2016, in Washington, D.C., by the papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. Bishop Burns, the new Chief Shepherd of the 1.3 million Catholics in the Dallas diocese, succeeds Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who left Dallas for Rome on October 1 after the Pope appointed him the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Click here to read the full press release.
Bishop Burns will be installed as the Bishop of Dallas on February 9, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, located at 2215 Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas.
Our own Bishop Gronberg will be in attendance and has been asked to bring greetings.

Tri-Synodical Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering
2017-02-10 - 2017-02-11 | Christ Lutheran Church – Georgetown, 510 Luther Dr, Georgetown, TX, 78628, United States
The Keynote Speaker will be Brigadier General Charles Duke, the 10th and youngest astronaut to walk on the moon.
Click here for a PDF of a poster with full details.
Click here for the registration form with more details.

Mission / Synod Council Meeting
2017-02-10 13:30 - 2017-02-11 14:00 | Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1919 Independence Pkwy, Plano, TX, 75075, United States
Hosted by Resurrection Lutheran, Plano
Tentative Agenda:

Friday, February 10
1:30pm – Deans with Staff
4:00pm – Executive Committee
6:00pm – Dinner
6:45pm – Worship
7:30pm – Meeting

Saturday, February 11
8:30am – Resume Meeting
Noon – Lunch
2:00pm – Meeting adjourns

2017 Lutheran Legislative Event
2017-02-12 - 2017-02-14 | TX
“Called to be Light”
The 2017 Lutheran Legislative Event, sponsored by the NT-NL Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice, the Southwestern Texas Synod‘s Poverty and Justice Task Force, and Texas Impact, will be held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Austin, starting the afternoon of Sunday, February 12, and will conclude about 1:00 pm on Tuesday, February 14.
Flyer | Bulletin insert
We strongly encourage your participation!
You can register online here.

North Texas Senior Fest 2017
2017-02-25 08:30 - 15:00 | Resurrection Lutheran Church, 1919 Independence Pkwy, Plano, TX, 75075, United States
“Luther For Today”
Dr. Russell Vardell will be the keynote speaker, and Bishop Erik Gronberg will lead opening worship.
In addition, participants will be able to attend up to three workshops.
Click here for a flyer with more information.
All Lutherans age 50+ are invited to attend. The Senior Fest is sponsored by ALOA – Adult Lutherans Organized for Action – an inter-Lutheran movement that provides resources for the older adult ministries of the LCMS and ELCA. ALOA’s mission is to equip mature adults to celebrate and serve.

Creation Care and Climate Change: It's About the Kids!
2017-02-25 08:30 - 16:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
WATCH THE LIVE STREAM.
Join us for a discussion about environmental stewardship and actions we can take today as Christians to care for the Earth.
We will look at our theological and biblical mandates to care for the earth with a focus on climate change. We will talk about what we can possibly do about it through world economies, governments, corporations, and our own households for the good of our children and grandchildren.
An outstanding faculty will outline the theological and biblical context for creation care and the Church’s responsibility to future generations. They will show us the urgent need to live out a bold vision: to reduce our carbon footprint and take an active role in public policy.
Presenters include:
Dr. Barbara Rossing, New Testament professor, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson, Director of the Atmosphere and Energy Program, Stanford University
Cheryl Simmons, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture
Bee Moorhead and the Rev. Sam Brannon, Texas Impact
Bishop Erik Gronberg, NT-NL Synod, ELCA
Discussion will probe next steps. What should we do next, after this event is over? Let’s work together to come up with ideas to bring to individuals, congregations, and the global church. How might the church encourage action everywhere that will address the pressing problem of climate change?
Click here for a detailed agenda and a summary of presenters’ bios.
Click here for a bulletin insert in color. / Click here for a bulletin insert in black and white.
Click here for the Facebook event page.
Sponsored by the NT-NL Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice and Texas Impact.

NT-NL Lenten Retreat for 4th, 5th, 6th Graders
2017-03-03 - 2017-03-05 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
Save the Date!
More details forthcoming.

NT-NL Peer Ministry Leadership Training
2017-03-03 20:00 - 2017-03-05 13:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
For 9th through 12th graders.
Registration due by February 1.

Your registration includes:

2 nights lodging (bring linens/sleeping bag)
Saturday meals (3), Sunday breakfast & lunch
Materials

Full details here:
Complete this registration form and mail in to the address on the brochure.
Questions? Call Janelle Miller at 817-726-7031.

BRIDGES Book Club
2017-03-04 14:00 - 18:00 | TX
Saturday, March 4
2-4 pm at Trinity, Fort Worth
4-6pm at Mount Olive, Dallas

A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machinations, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. Just Mercy should be read by people of conscience in every civilized country in the world to discover what happens when revenge and retribution replace justice and mercy. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation. — Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
2017-03-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2017-04-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church, 715 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, TX, 76011, United States

OutLast Youth LGBTQ youth homelessness awareness event
2017-03-12 | First United Lutheran Church, 6202 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX, 75214, United States
Dear Faith Community Leader,
OutLast Youth would like to formally invite you to an interfaith awareness event focused on LGBTQ youth homelessness. As you may or may not be aware, approximately 40% of homeless youth identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer/Questioning, nationally, whereas only 7-10% of the national youth population identify as such.
We would love for you to extend the invitation to your faith community to join us for an informative event on this issue and how YOU can join us in the fight to reduce and prevent LGBTQ youth homelessness in Dallas and surrounding counties by 2020!
WHO: Interfaith communities across Dallas County. All are welcome.
WHAT: LGBTQ youth homelessness awareness event
WHEN: Sunday, March 12 @ 4:00 P.M.
WHERE: First United Lutheran Church, 6202 E. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, 75214
WHY: To build awareness, educate and work together as a community

Parish Lay Mission Academy, Spring 2017, Course 1
2017-03-18 09:00 - 15:30 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
For more information: http://www.plmacademy.org/schedule.htm

Dallas Area Metro North SWO Retreat
2017-03-25 09:00 - 15:00 | Christ the Servant Lutheran Church – Allen, 821 S Greenville Ave, Allen, TX, 75002, United States
The Dallas Area Metro North Synodical Women’s Organization will have a retreat on March 25, 2017, 9am-3pm, at Christ the Servant in Allen, TX.

Young at Heart Retreat (Briarwood)
2017-04-04 - 2017-04-06 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
From Briarwood Retreat Center‘s website:
Come join us for our annual senior’s retreat! This year’s theme is “Telling Your Story,” where we remember all of the things that God has done is our lives, continues to do so daily, and how we can share our experiences with others.
We will have devotions, play games, do crafts, and even have time to relax. Cost is $60-$120, depending on your lodging arrangements.
Mark your calendars, and we hope to see you there!
REGISTER HERE.

NT-NL Family Retreat (all ages)
2017-04-07 - 2017-04-09 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

Parish Lay Mission Academy, Spring 2017, Course 2
2017-04-08 09:00 - 15:30 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

Mission / Synod Council Meeting
2017-04-27 16:00 - 2017-04-28 11:30 | Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center, 7121 Bishop Rd, Plano, TX, 75024, United States
Prior to our NT-NL Mission / Synod Assembly
Thursday: Executive Committee at 4 p.m. / Mission/Synod Council 7 p.m. – ?? (end time to be decided)
Friday: ?? a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (start time to be decided)

2017 Mission / Synod Assembly
2017-04-28 - 2017-04-30 | Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center, 7121 Bishop Rd, Plano, TX, 75024, United States
If you’re looking for recordings / resources:
The Rev. Dr. George Mason’s keynote presentation from Friday, April 28
Rev. Mason graciously sent us the text as well: A Baptist Blessing to My Lutheran Cousins
The Rev. Louise Johnson’s sermon from Friday, April 28
Bishop Erik K. J. Gronberg’s sermon from Saturday, April 29
ELCA VP Bill Horne has given us permission to share the slides from his presentation. To help explain those slides, see the following articles in Living Lutheran:
The Campaign for the ELCA: What you need to know (part one of three)
The Campaign for the ELCA: A look at domestic initiatives (part two of three)
The Campaign for the ELCA: A look at global initiatives (part three of three)

Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation!
Our theme builds on Luther’s pivotal question in the Small Catechism:
What Does This Mean?
The assembly will give thanks for our reformation heritage, welcome ecumenical guests, and celebrate our theological heritage as Lutheran Christians. Additionally, through worship and education, we will be invited to consider what it means and will mean to carry the name Lutheran into the 21st Century.
Martin Luther’s theological move 500 years ago towards the justifying work of Christ and insistence on the individual’s right to personal conscience changed the world forever.
Luther boldly proclaimed the power of God’s alienated righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30), poured out for humanity (Philippians 2), so that then we are invited to give ourselves for the life of the world (Gal. 5:22). We live within that theological heritage and are challenged today to ask that same question:
What Does This Mean?
Click here for the Catholic – Lutheran Joint Statement On The Occasion of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
Registration
Online registration is closed.
On-site: Voting Member $315 (Book of Reports hard copy included) | Retired Clergy $160 | Visitor $130
Hotel
Our host hotel is Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. Our booking deadline was April 12. You can contact them to see if they have any rooms available and if they will still honor our assembly rate of $109.00 (plus taxes and fees) per night. Call Marriott Reservations at 1-800-228-9290 and mention “NT-NL Synod Assembly.”
Resolutions
The deadline to submit resolutions was two weeks prior to Assembly. This year, that date was April 14.
Scroll down to the Resources link to view submitted resolutions.
Speakers
Our Churchwide representative will be ELCA Vice President William “Bill” Horne II, who will be speaking and leading a workshop.
Our preacher for opening worship will be The Rev. Louise N. Johnson, President of Wartburg Theological Seminary.
Beth A. Lewis, President & CEO of 1517 Media, will be speaking and also presenting a workshop.
Workshop Leaders
Julia Coffin, Program Specialist for Detention and Visitation, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
Craig Ongley, NT-NL Synod Attorney
Savanna Sullivan, Program Associate, ELCA Strategy on HIV/AIDS
Dr. Rusty Maisel, Curator of The Enduring Word Museum (with an operational Gutenberg printing press)
The Rev. Russell Vardell, pastor of First United Lutheran Church, Dallas
Ecumenical Guests
Pr. George Mason, Senior Pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
Michael Thompson, Associate General Presbyter, Grace Presbytery
The Rev. Robert Williams, Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas
RESOURCES
For the Book of Reports, which includes the Proposed Agenda, click on this link, then click on the Useful Forms tab.
https://www.ntnl.org/nt-nl-mission-assembly/assemblyresources/
More information will be added as available.

2017 Synod Assembly Worship Service (open to the public)
2017-04-29 17:00 - 19:00 | TX
Join us as the full NT-NL Synod Assembly meets at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church for a worship service at 5:30pm on Saturday, April 29. Pre-gathering music will begin around 5pm.
The Rev. Erik K. J. Gronberg, Bishop of the NT-NL Synod, will be preaching.
ALL ARE WELCOME.
(No assembly registration required, and no fee to attend.)

"Go Baptize, Make Disciples" Catechumenate Training Institute
2017-05-04 09:30 - 2017-05-06 13:30 | TX
We may be in a time of numerical decline among denominations, yet the church has a grand opportunity for spiritual deepening. Now is the time to reclaim the traditional path of discipleship—through a faith formation process known as the Catechumenate. This ancient/future way of learning and creating disciples invites us to hear one another’s stories in the light of God’s story. It is a baptismal journey with Jesus that is life-giving and transforming—not only for individuals but for entire faith communities.
You are invited to experience this simple yet profound way of making disciples at a Training Institute being held May 4-6, 2017, in Arden, North Carolina. The event for pastors, seminarians, and lay leaders is co-sponsored by Journey to Baptismal Living (NAAC) and the North Carolina Synod (ELCA). Bring a team and be immersed in the movements and worship rites of the Catechumenate. Every participant receives a training manual and free copy of Go Make Disciples: An Invitation to Baptismal Living (Augsburg Fortress) that will help you introduce this discipling process to your congregation.
The Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Arden—located near the Asheville airport—is hosting the training institute. Because of a synodical grant, registration (including meals, program, and materials) is being offered at the low cost of $175 per person. Housing is available at the discounted conference rate of $89 per night at the nearby Mountain Inn and Suites Airport Hotel—but rates are only guaranteed through April 4, 2017, by calling 828-684-0040.
Full scholarships (including housing) are available for students/seminarians. For more information contact Pastor Mark Fitzsimmons at mfitzsimmons@nativityarden.org or call 828-684-0352.

More details can be found in these documents: 1) Training Institute Flier, 2) Training Institute Brochure, 3) Training Institute Schedule, and 4) Training News Release.

Click here to go directly to online registration.

NT-NL Candidacy Committee Meeting
2017-05-05 - 2017-05-06 | Christ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Center at Briarwood, 680 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

Briarwood Annual Gala
2017-05-06 | TX
For full details: http://www.briarwoodretreat.org/gala

Golf Outing & Fundraiser for Lutheran Campus Ministry in Denton
2017-05-07 | TX
Benefiting LCM students at University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University

The Trails of Frisco Golf Course, Teel Avenue, Frisco, Texas
1:30pm shotgun start
$80/player
4-person scramble (teams or individuals can participate)
Dinner, Awards, and Prizes to follow

Cost includes green fee, cart, range balls, buffet dinner, replay certificate at The Trails, 2 Mulligans a player, and hole 10 par 5 (150 out)
Entry and full payment due by April 30
Mail to Mike Minard, 2625 Calmwater Dr, Little Elm, TX 75068
Make checks to LCM Denton. Write “golf” in memo.
For questions, contact Mike Minard at 940-783-8529 or michaelminard@sbcglobal.net OR Dave Grieser at 214-437-9591 or dave.grieser@yahoo.com

To register, please note Individual or Team and include name(s) of all players and payment for each one.
