Northern Texas - Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA

Public Witness Team meeting
2018-10-13 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church, 715 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, TX, 76011, United States
Virtual participation also available, from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/930852498
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16699006833,,930852498# or +19294362866,,930852498#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 929 436 2866
Meeting ID: 930 852 498

Teaching Fish to Walk: Church Systems and Adaptive Challenges
2018-10-12 09:00 - 15:00 | King of Glory Lutheran Church – Dallas, 6411 LBJ Freeway ·, Dallas, TX, 75240, United States
Informative | Interactive | Provocative | Imaginative
The Teaching Fish to Walk: Church Systems and Adaptive Challenges workshop will have no elephants in the room. We will explore with participants in an open and provocative way the future of the Christian faith in the context of the great velocity and reach of change in North America.
We have no “golden” answers. But we believe that a vital, realistic yet encouraging and collaborative conversation needs to happen. The church faces many adaptive issues, not unlike the early church had to contend with such as defining leadership roles and establishing its own lexicon to define words to convey fresh meaning regarding what they believed and who they were.
Adaptation means making structures or situations more suitable to the environment. Adaptation is evolutionary, and evolution is always messy. In Germany, for instance, arborists have discovered that certain types of trees are beginning to grow “anxiety shoots.” With changes in climate, trees are adapting with new root systems. Could we do less?
“We” are two Lutheran pastors (veteran church leaders). The Rev. Dr. Jon Lee is the former Senior Pastor at King of Glory, Dallas, and a past president of the Dallas Clergy Association. The Rev. Dr. Pete Steinke is an internationally respected church consultant and author/speaker. Together, they will offer presentations, guide group activities, and learn alongside of others.
Remember what William Deming said: “Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results you are getting.” We will start from there.
Cost:
Early Registration: $40 per person (Sept 28th deadline)
Regular Registration: $50 (or $45 for two or more from the same congregation)
Check payments to be made to New Visions Workshop, or Pay online

Briarwood Fall Festival & Thrivent Cook-Off
2018-10-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
CHANGES: Briarwood’s Annual Meeting time has changed for Saturday October 6. The meeting will now take place in the Chapel at 1:15pm. The Cook Off fellowship will be at 9AM with the awards ceremony now scheduled at 1PM.

Briarwood is holding its Fall Festival and Annual Meeting of the Advisory Board at the Thrivent Financial’s 5th Annual Cooking for Christ Cook-off on Saturday, October 6, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Briarwood.
The festival and cook-off will be a fun-filled family day at Briarwood! There will games available for children of all ages, tours of the camp, and the Annual Meeting of the Advisory Board. We will also have the usual treats, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, and sodas, along with treats provided by the various cooking teams, available throughout the day!
The Cooking for Christ Cook-off is sponsored by Thrivent Financial. Teams will compete in three categories: beef brisket, spare ribs, and chicken. The Judging Panel consists of representatives from each registered team. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category, and Grand Carnivore.
Tickets for the event cost $10 per person and can be purchased from participating congregations and Briarwood. Space for the Cook-off is limited, so turn in a Registration Form and $100 Registration Fee, payable to Briarwood. For more information or registration forms, please contact the Briarwood office at bw@briarwoodretreat.org or call 940.241.2099. This will be a “can’t miss” event, so make plans now to attend!

OLOGY The Symposium: A Dialogue Between Psychology and Theology
2018-10-04 08:30 - 13:30 | First United Methodist Church – Richardson, 503 N Central Expwy, Richardson, TX, 75080, United States
Convened by the Pastoral Counseling Center
Join us for a dialogue between psychology and theology for mental health professionals and the faith community.
Research indicates the need for a dialogue between the disciplines of psychology and theology. People often go to ministers first when they face a challenge and many clients want to be able to include their faith and spirituality in therapy. The Center is convening psychotherapists, psychologists, ministers, church leaders, congregational care volunteers, and medical professionals to learn about the latest research and thought on the intersection of mental health and spirituality.
Cost
Symposium/Lunch: $45.
Symposium/Lunch and 4 hours of CEU credits for LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs, and Licensed Psychologists: $100.

Seating is limited.
Symposium Schedule:
8:30 Registration
8:45 Prayer and Why OLOGY?
9:00 Plenary Panel Discussion: What Research Says About Mental Health and Faith
10:00 Attend one of three breakout sessions (see detailed descriptions below)
11:30 Guided table discussions and lunch
12:00 Keynote Address: Dr. Mark McMinn, The Science of Virtue – Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church
1:30 Dismissal
Sessions include:
Opening Prayer | Reverend April Johnson Bristow, Director, Caring Ministry, First United Methodist Church Richardson
Plenary Panel Discussion | What Research Says About Mental Health and Faith A panel of representatives from the fields of social work, research, psychiatry, and theology will discuss what needs to be said in the dialogue between mental health professionals and those involved in ministry.
Panelists:

Dr. Mark McMinn, PhD
Dr. Paula Dobbs-Wiggins, MD, Psychiatrist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pastoral Care, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
Dr. Holly Oxhandler, PhD, LMSW, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Assistant Professor, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University
Dr. Marisol De Jesús-Pérez, Licensed Psychologist with the Pastoral Counseling Center

Breakout 1 | Speaking into the Silence: Building Awareness and Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness in the Church
Angela  Whitenhill,  M.Div., LCSW, Mental Health Initiative Manager, National Benevolent Association
Explore cultural norms and stigmas that exist in our congregations about mental health challenges, offer transformative ways to address these stigmas, and discuss practical ways to engage congregational culture to be more welcoming and inclusive of persons with mental health challenges.
Breakout 2 | About Faith: Cultivating Spiritual Competence in Clinical Practice
Dr. Nathaniel Strenger, Dr. Marisol De Jesús-Pérez, Dr. Garrett Woods, Licensed Psychologists on the Center Staff
Develop an understanding of the relationships between faith, psychology, and social science as a whole. Increase awareness of potential pitfalls in work that “integrates” mental health and faith/theology. Gain insight into specific spiritual competencies and their practical approaches.
Breakout 3 | Adolescent Mental Health: Dealing with Crisis, Encouraging Well-being
Dr. Sarah Feuerbacher, LCSW-S, Director, SMU Center for Family Counseling
Examine families’ mental health issues as related to the success of students, parents, and supportive communities. Look at the impact that the “need to succeed” has on our stress levels, anxiety, exhaustion, depression, self-harm, and suicide particularly as related to the pressures of being overscheduled in the “Rushed Child Syndrome.”
Keynote Address |

Keynote Address by Dr. Mark McMinn
The Science of Virtue:
Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church
Dr. McMinn will guide exploration of several virtues currently being studied in positive psychology, including forgiveness, wisdom, gratitude, and humility, how Christian thought can help refine the constructs being studied in positive psychology, and ways the scientific study of virtue may be helpful in Christian faith communities.

Mosaic in San Angelo's Partners in Possibilities fundraiser lunch
2018-10-02 12:00 - 13:00
Tuesday, October 2, 12-1pm
LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center, San Angelo, TX
People who would like to join Mosaic in San Angelo for this event can RSVP by calling 325-651-3333 x206, or by email, ami.flint@mosaicinfo.org.

Panhandle Fall Conference: An introduction to The Generosity Project
2018-09-29 09:30 - 15:30 | St. John Lutheran Church – Wilson, 1305 Dickson Ave, Wilson, TX, 79381, United States
The Generosity Project is a lively, interactive, intergenerational workshop, modeling a congregation’s potential to connect and equip all ages and generations as steward leaders in the congregation and in the home.
Equipping households to daily respond to God’s extravagant generosity is a year round opportunity. Equipping individuals of each generation, age and stage to live as grateful stewards offers endless, creative possibilities.
Led by Linda Staats, the ELCA Generosity Project Coordinator
St. John Lutheran Church, Wilson, TX
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Congregations from across the NT-NL are invited to participate for FREE.
Multi-generational participation is highly encouraged.
Please RSVP by September 20 so that we can prepare adequate meeting space and food. Email: dtfreitag@windstream.net or Text: 806-759-1584
Schedule for the Day
9:30 AM Welcome Reception & Registration
10:00 AM Worship with Holy Communion
11:00 AM The Generosity Project
12:30 PM Lunch (Freewill Offering)
1:30 PM The Generosity Project Continued
3:00 PM Panhandle Conference Business Meeting
3:30 PM Sending
Click here to access a flyer with full details.

Addiction & Faith Conference
2018-09-28 - 2018-09-30
For Congregations, Clergy, & Care Givers
September 28-30
Bloomington, MN
​Addiction in every form, including the current opioid problem, is ravaging our world. ​
​How will we, as people of faith, respond?

Click here for full details and to register.
Open to anyone interested in exploring the devastation of addiction and the remarkable healing process of faith. Together, we’ll enhance our knowledge about addiction recovery, share stories of learning and hope, and celebrate our faith in God’s abiding grace. Featuring:

Internationally-known keynote speakers
Interactive workshops and breakout sessions

CEU’s available for nurses and health care professionals
You’re Invited to Join Us!
From the world of church: clergy, synod staff, deacons and deaconesses, parish nurses, youth leaders, addiction awareness teams, congregants, and the community of people in recovery.
From the world of addiction treatment: treatment center staff, healthcare professionals.
Throughout the Addiction and Faith Conference:

12-Step Meetings
Recovery Yoga Meditation Room (always open!)
Conscious Contact (11th Step Meeting with drumming!)
Therapeutic Massage (fee, sign up to save your space!)
Spiritual Direction (free, sign up to save your space!)
Music
Prayer
Worship

2018 First Call Retreat
2018-09-24 - 2018-09-26 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
It’s time yet again for our annual First Call Retreat. This year, it will be held at Briarwood Retreat Center from Monday, September 24, to Wednesday, September 26. Our theme this year is about tending to your own spiritual care and sharing best practices with each other.
There will be:
* Fellowship & free time
* Bible study, worship, and devotional elements
* time with some spiritual directors to learn about the practice
* opportunities for you to share with each other about your own best practices.
* text study group time to prepare for the upcoming Sunday (if you desire)
What we need to know from y’all is, are there spiritual/relaxation practices you do that you would be willing to share/teach/guide during our Tuesday afternoon session? If so, please let us know on your registration form. That will be helpful as we continue to develop the plans and schedule. We’re open to ideas of all kinds.
The $145 cost includes:
* two nights lodging (double rooms with two full beds – sorry, single rooms are not an option due to space & numbers)
* breakfast & dinner for both days
* lunch on Tuesday (lunch Monday & Wednesday are on your own, but there are plenty of options within a few miles of Briarwood)
Two of the Tuesday afternoon free time options do involve an additional cost of $25, so if you choose to participate in archery or the zip line/ropes activity at Briarwood, please indicate that when you register, and that cost will be added to your registration.
We realize that for some of you this registration cost may exceed your budget. If it is a hardship for you, please let us know. We also know that some of you have generous continuing education budgets that may allow you to contribute to help underwrite the cost for those who need some financial assistance. If that is the case, there is an option to do that as well with your registration.
We look forward to our time together in September!
REGISTER HERE.

The Church of the Damascus Road Golf Outing and Fund Raiser
2018-09-24 | The Golf Club Fossil Creek, 3401 Clubgate Dr, Fort Worth, TX, 76137, United States
The Church of the Damascus Road is a ministry that assists those people that are imprisoned as well as those that are out and trying to start over. This Ministry is in the need of funds to continue to provide services to the members of the church and to grow the ministry to help those struggling. We hope that you will join us in a day of golf and support of the important work being done!
Click here to access a flyer with all the details and to register / become a sponsor.

MEF Board meeting
2018-09-22 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

Middle School Retreat
2018-09-21 - 2018-09-23 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
The Middle School Retreat will be using the “This Changes Everything” theme. The weekend is for 6th-8th grades and begins on September 21st 7:00 PM and ends September 23rd 11:00 AM.

Synod Council Meeting
2018-09-20 - 2018-09-22 | Christ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Center at Briarwood, 680 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
Thursday, September 20: Synod Council New Member Orientation
Friday, September 21 – Saturday, September 22: Synod Council Retreat and Meetings

Boundary Training: Healthy Relationships in Ministry
2018-09-17 09:00 - 16:00
Brite Divinity School will offer Boundary Training: Healthy Relationships in Ministry on September 17 from 9:00 to 4:00. This training will cover such things as: discerning the importance of healthy boundaries for building community; identifying behavior in self and others that can potentially compromise healthy relationships; developing professional ethics that sustain ministry; examining the dynamics in communities where clergy misconduct has occurred; and creating strategies for maintaining healthy relationships with self, others, and God. This workshop is intended to meet boundary training criteria for ministerial standing.
A certificate will be given at the end of the workshop for six contact hours of continuing education in boundary training. (Please submit your certificate to jeanne@ntnl.org to add to your Rostered Minister file in our database.)
The workshop will be led by Rev. Dr. Joretta Marshall, Executive Vice President and Dean and Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care, and Rev. Dr. Timothy Robinson, Alberta H. and Harold L. Lunger Associate Professor of Spiritual Disciplines and Resources, at Brite.
Registration is $20 for the day and does not include lunch. For more information, call 817.257.7582 or email e.theilig@tcu.edu.
Location: University Christian Church, Fort Worth, TX

Public Hearing: Women & Justice ELCA Draft
2018-09-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Christ the King – Haltom City, 4200 Denton Hwy, Haltom City, TX, 76117, United States
Join us in the Fellowship Hall to discuss this important document: Draft Social Statement on Women and Justice.

Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Fall 2018, Course 1
2018-09-15 09:00 - 15:30 | Christ Evangelical Lutheran Mission Center at Briarwood, 680 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

"God's work. Our hands." Sunday
2018-09-09
Many of you are already making plans for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday on Sept. 9. New resources are now available to help you organize and prepare.
You will find the resources you need to plan your activities and worship, invite your neighbors and promote within your community. There are videos to watch and share for inspiration. New this year are Spanish-language postcards, door hangers and social memes.
You also can order yellow “God’s work. Our hands.” T-shirts. We realize that many congregations wear their T-shirts throughout the year and do various service projects in addition to the designated day of service. Thank you for bringing Christ’s love to your communities.
Let us know about your plans for Sept. 9 by answering a couple quick questions in our survey. This will allow us to learn more about your vital congregation and its mission in your community. If your congregation cannot participate on Sept. 9, please consider another time. Either way, we look forward to hearing from you.
“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday celebrates the work you do every day, serving communities in ways that share the love of God with all people. We look forward to doing this work together again this year.
God’s peace,

Christina Jackson-Skelton
Executive Director, Mission Advancement
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

With “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday approaching, the Life of Faith Initiative offers a new document to expand “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday from being a single day of service to a way to equip our people for a life of faith so that “every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.”

The Bolder Board Training
2018-09-07 08:30 - 16:00
This training is being hosted by our partners at United Way of Tarrant County.
This is not your average board training.
The Bolder Board Training helps nonprofit boards awaken, articulate, and pursue their most magnificent dreams. It teaches boards how to work with their leaders to create audacious possibilities for impact. It is the first board training designed specifically to offer boards a pragmatic and conscientious alternative to the culture of financial deprivation and constriction that they often find themselves upholding. It is not a traditional training on governance and finance. It is an immersion in possibility and aspiration that positively and radically disrupts traditional ways of thinking. The Training takes place over the course of approximately seven hours. It is part lecture, part workshop. It is designed specifically for boards. Organizations are encouraged to bring as many of their board members as possible. The Training can also serve as a powerful first day to a board retreat.
I’mpossible.
The training liberates natural leadership instincts from the constraints of our cultural mindset about charity. It helps boards become conscious of persistent, limiting assumptions. It is based on the idea that we are at our best, most fully alive, and most impactful when we are challenging assumptions of impossibility – often that we didn’t even know we had.
Click here to learn more.
Register your interest in a North Texas training on Friday, September 7.
The training is led by Dan Pallotta.
Dan invented the multi-day charitable event industry with the AIDSRides, Breast Cancer 3-Days, and Out of the Darkness suicide prevention events, which raised over half a billion dollars in nine years and were the subject of one of the first Harvard Business School case studies on social enterprise. His 2013 TED talk on philanthropy has been viewed more than 4.3 million times and is one of the 100 most-viewed TED talks of all time. His book, “Uncharitable,” is the best-selling title in the history of Tufts University Press. The Stanford Social Innovation Review said that it “deserves to become the nonprofit sector’s new manifesto.” He is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review online. He is widely credited with changing the national conversation about impact and overhead in charity in America.

From a recent email from Dan:
Hi Everyone,
I was in Australia week before last to give three speeches and lead the Bolder Board Training in Brisbane, which was wonderful. We now have 100 new Australian alumni to connect with!
Since the trip I cannot get the Sydney Opera House out of my mind. The reason I cannot, after having seen it, is because the idea to build it was ridiculous. The architect who designed it — Jørn Utzon — was an unknown 38 year-old Dane when his entry was announced as the winner in an international competition. His vision for a “sculptural, curved building on the Harbour” broke radically with the linear shapes of modernist architecture. And here’s the thing: in the 1960s, they had no idea how to build it. You know those iconic shells or sails that define it? The challenge of how to build them confounded the engineers working on it for years, even after the foundation had been poured! Imagine pouring a foundation for a building you don’t yet know how to build!
You remember how, in the Training, we talked about commitment and declaring a possibility? Pouring that foundation, without knowing how to build the building, was a commitment – a declaration of possibility. It was impossible, but their commitment to it transformed it into reality. It now not only defines that city, but in many ways that nation.
Imagine if it had never been built. Imagine if some expert put a stop to it because of its ridiculousness.
If you’re not being ridiculous, you’re not exploring your organization’s true potential. Everything in the world that makes us go “Wow,” was born of some absurd human being with a ridiculous, impossible idea — from the Eiffel Tower to landing on the moon to the idea of America herself. We are taught that prudence is sophistication. The opposite is true. The most sophisticated things I’ve ever seen in my life – the most intelligent solutions to the greatest technical challenges in history — all came from someone being ridiculous. Ridiculous is what really tests us. Stretches us. Forces us to use the full measures of our intelligence, creativity, fortitude and strength.
Anything less and our true potential for intelligence, creativity, strength and fortitude gets left on the table, never to see the light of day.
Resist the temptation to be safe, cautious and normal. Resist it in all things. Resist it with every fiber of your being. Lives are at stake in our work. Be ridiculous on their behalf.
Dan

Bishop Installation for the Southwestern Texas Synod
2018-09-01
The Southwestern Texas Synod
announces the installation of
The Rev. Susan J. Briner
called to serve as
Bishop
Installation to be held at
University United Methodist Church
5084 De Zavala Rd, San Antonio, Texas
Saturday, September 1, 2018
at 2:00 p.m.
by
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
Rostered persons & Synodically authorized ministers
are invited to vest and be a part of the service.
Color of the day is red.
Reception following the Installation.
All are welcome!
You may send an acknowledgment to her email: sbriner@swtsynod.org
Click here for the news release about her election.
Click here for a flyer of this installation announcement.

"Undoing Racism" Training
2018-08-28 - 2018-08-30 | Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church, 715 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, TX, 76011, United States
(Limited to the first 20 registrants.)
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNDOING RACISM TRAINING

The two and one-half day “Undoing Racism” workshop presented by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond will be offered Tuesday, August 28, through Thursday, August 30. Sessions for the first two days begin at 9:00 a.m. and end late afternoon. The Thursday session begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at noon. The workshop is worth approximately 16 hours of continuing education units.
The Public Witness team is making this opportunity available free of charge to those in our churches who would like to attend but find the $350.00 tuition prohibitive. The team asks those who have adequate resources to make a contribution with the possibility of not only paying for oneself but also helping to defray the costs for someone else.
STRUCTURE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THE UNDOING RACISM WORKSHOP
Undoing Racism® is the signature workshop of the Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond. Through dialogue, reflection, role-playing, strategic planning, and presentations, this intensive process challenges participants to analyze the structures of power and privilege that hinder social equity and prepares them to be effective organizers for justice. The multiracial team of organizers/trainers includes more than 100 men and women whose anti-racist organizing expertise includes years with civil, labor and welfare rights struggles, educational, foster care, social service, and health reform movements, as well as youth and grassroots community organizing. An average of 30 groups per month participate in The People’s Institute Undoing Racism®/Community Organizing process.
Workshop participants will:
• Develop a common definition of racism and an understanding of its different forms: individual, institutional, linguistic, and cultural;
• Develop a common language and analysis for examining racism in the United States;
• Understand one’s own connection to institutional racism and its impact on his/her work;
• Understand why people are poor and the role of institutions in exacerbating institutional racism, particularly for people and communities of color;
• Understand the historical context for how racial classifications in the United States came to be and how and why they are maintained;
• Understand the historical context for how U.S. institutions came to be and who they have been designed to serve;
• Understand how all of us, including white people, are adversely impacted by racism every day, everywhere;
• Address surface assumptions about how your work is (or is not) affected by racism;
• Develop awareness and understanding about ways to begin Undoing Racism®
• Gain knowledge about how to be more effective in the work you do with your constituencies, your organizations, your communities, your families;
• Understand the role of community organizing and building effective multiracial coalitions as a means for Undoing Racism®.
Click here to download a flyer.
Questions may be directed to chuck.hubbard@yahoo.com.
(Limited to the first 20 registrants.)

Meet & Greet with The Rev. Carrie Ballenger Smith, ELCA Missionary to Jerusalem
2018-08-18 14:00 - 16:00 | King of Glory Lutheran Church – Dallas, 6411 LBJ Freeway ·, Dallas, TX, 75240, United States
Join Bishop Erik Gronberg and King of Glory, Dallas, as we host our ELCA Missionary to Jerusalem for a short presentation, Q & A, and meet & greet.

The Rev. Carrie Ballenger Smith serves as pastor of the English-speaking congregation at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem’s Old City. She also serves as special assistant to
Bishop Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).
Learn more about Pastor Smith and her ministry in Jerusalem in these Living Lutheran articles: A new pastor in Jerusalem (2014) and Joy to the world: Christmas with ELCA missionaries (2017).
Follow Pastor Smith’s blog.
Follow Pastor Smith’s facebook page.

WELCA 2018 Annual Women's & Girl's Retreat
2018-08-11 09:30 - 14:00 | Our Redeemer Lutheran – Grand Prairie, 4729 S. Carrier Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX, 75052, United States
Annual Women’s/Girl’s Retreat
Theme: Breathing Prayer
Leaders: Pastors Vicki Taylor and Suzanne Guinn
Breakfast treats/Lunch Provided
Hosted by the Women of the ELCA of Lord of Life, Glenn Heights, and Our Redeemer, Grand Prairie
Click here for an informational flyer.
RSVP to hattie.hammer@sbcglobal.net or 972-637-3191.

Join the ALCM for Worship
2018-07-19 - 2018-07-20 | Calvary Lutheran Church – Richland Hills, 7620 Baker Blvd, Richland Hills, TX, 76118, United States
Join the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) for the worship services during their conference. Open to all!
Thursday, July 19
12:15 pm Opening Eucharist
6:00 pm Hymn Festival, Vespers, Compline
Friday, July 20
9:00 am Matins
3:30 pm Closing Eucharist

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) Regional Conference
2018-07-19 - 2018-07-20 | Calvary Lutheran Church – Richland Hills, 7620 Baker Blvd, Richland Hills, TX, 76118, United States
Thursday – Friday, July 19-20, 2018
For church musicians in congregations of all sizes
Click here to access online registration with full details.
Click here to access a brochure (PDF) with full details and manual registration options.
Questions?
Viktor Andersson, Director of Worship & Music
viktorandersson@hotmail.com
Calvary Lutheran Church (817-284-8724 ext. 27)

2018 ELCA Youth Gathering
2018-06-27 - 2018-07-01
PRAY FOR OUR YOUTH DURING THIS LIFE-CHANGING EVENT.
Every three years, 30,000 high school youth and their adult leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gather for a week of faith formation known as the Gathering. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service, and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives.
An important part of the Gathering’s ministry are the two pre-events, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), a faith formation and leadership development event primarily for youth of color, and the tAble, an ELCA gathering of youth with disabilities.
Click here for a flyer with more details, important dates, etc.
Contact Information for NT-NL Gathering Team:

Gathering Synod Coordinator is Janelle Miller (janellemiller@yahoo.com) 817-726-7031
Synod Day Coordinator is Christian Marbach (c.marbach@faithce.com) 254-421-8450

the tAble: an ELCA gathering of youth with disabilities
2018-06-24 - 2018-06-27
The tAble (formerly the Definitely-abled Youth Leadership Event or DAYLE) is a pre-event to the ELCA Youth Gathering that is designed to bless and empower young people who live with a wide range of physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities, so that they might grow as faithful, wise and courageous witnesses. The event also gives participants the opportunity to acclimate and orient themselves to the city of Houston and the venues in which the Gathering are being held.
The tAble is open to youth who are ages 14-18 or engaged in high school youth group or enrolled in high school or the vocational education equivalent. Youth who attend the tAble must be accompanied by an adult companion.
The tAble will be held June 24 – 27, 2018. The cost for the tAble is $190 per person and includes all housing, program and some food expenses during the tAble.

The ELCA Multicultural Youth Leadership Event
2018-06-24 - 2018-06-27
The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event is a pre-event to the Gathering and exists to empower young people of color and those whose primary language is other than English to claim their story as a part of God’s story; in order to move toward healing and wholeness as transformational leaders in the church and in the world.
MYLE’s core values include:
Culture is explored. Participants will experience an inclusive community that seeks to build understanding and appreciation of the various cultures and ethnicities that are a part of this church.
Leaders are formed. Youth and adults will learn about the issues in their communities and how to effect change.
Identity is claimed. Participants will be encouraged to uncover their story and live out their God-given calling in the world.
Faith is deepened. Youth and adults will explore the intersection of faith and life and how our faith calls us to act justly in the world.
Friends are made. Participants will connect with peers who are looking to build relationships and have a good time.
MYLE 2018 will be held June 24 – 27, 2018. The cost for MYLE is $190 per person and includes all housing, program and some food expenses during MYLE. To learn more about previous MYLEs, follow them on Facebook.

Walk Gently on Earth: A Multi-Faith invitation to Sustainable Lifestyles
2018-06-10 13:30 - 15:00
Sunday, June 10, 1:30 p.m.
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church (Houston, TX) and ONLINE
Last fall, world religious leaders presented the interfaith climate declaration, Walk Gently on Earth, to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bonn. The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to a talk about the declaration by Imaad Khan, of the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy (TICPP), who was there.
Imaad will discuss the presentation of the declaration, its message, and how houses of worship and their members can leverage this initiative. Walk Gently on Earth invites people of faith to lead the world in adopting a sustainable lifestyle. The focus for 2018 is in transforming three areas of our lives: energy use, food consumption, and travel. This talk takes place at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston and online via a simultaneous web meeting.
Please register for this FREE event. Texas Interfaith Power and Light, the environmental program of TICPP, has joined this initiative. For more information on the Walk Gently on Earth initiative, see their site at: http://www.txipl.org/content/walk-gently-earth. For more information about this talk, please contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

Building Congregational Capacity for Hispanic Ministry
2018-06-10 - 2018-06-15 | Seminary of the Southwest, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX, 78705, United States
This new Level II Intensive is designed for congregational leaders in those congregations where consideration is being given to starting Hispanic Ministry in their community. Teams from congregations are encouraged to attend. During this week, teams will learn:

To increase capacity for doing Hispanic ministry
To learn several models for engaging in Hispanic ministry in congregational settings
To improve facility in Spanish language, especially liturgical Spanish
To build a cohort of colleagues preparing for Hispanic ministry within their community
To avoid cultural violence in mission development.

The main presenter is Rev. Rubén Durán with several outstanding guest-sharing models for Hispanic Ministry. The Rev. Durán serves as Director for New Congregations in the Congregational and Synodical Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is responsible for promoting the development of Synodical mission strategies, local initiatives and emerging models for the multiplication of new communities of faith in the USA and the Caribbean. He will be joined by our very own Director for Evangelical Mission, The Rev. Irma Bañales.
You need not have completed the Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Language Intensive.
WHERE? On the campus of the Seminary of the Southwest, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX 78705. See ssw.edu for map.
WHEN? Beginning Sunday evening, June 10, 2018, at 5 p.m. and ending Friday, June 15, 2018, at noon.
HOW? Register online. Contact Consuelo E. Reid at lsps@lsps.edu with questions.
Click here for a webpage with full details.
Click here for a flyer with full details.

Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive
2018-05-27 - 2018-06-01 | Seminary of the Southwest, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX, 78705, United States
The Summer Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive is a resource for Lutherans and those of other denominations who recognize the growing need for competency in the Spanish language and an understanding of Hispanic culture in light of the increasing Hispanic population in this country and in the church. The course focuses on study of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.
Level 1 Intensive
WHERE? On the campus of the Seminary of the Southwest, 501 E. 32nd St., Austin, TX 78705. See ssw.edu for map.
WHEN? Beginning Sunday evening, May 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. and ending Friday, June 1, 2018, at noon.
HOW? Register online at MyWTS. Contact Consuelo E. Reid at lsps@lsps.edu with questions.
Click here for a webpage with full details.
Click here for a flyer with full details.

Transforming Loss: Finding Potential for Growth
2018-05-24 07:30 - 10:00 | Good Samaritan Society – Denton Village, 2500 Hinkle Dr, Denton, TX, 76201, United States
Denton Area Partnership for End-of-Life Care
Presents the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA)
25th Annual ‘Living with Grief’ Program
Join us for an inspirational program about positive change and action by the bereaved in the aftermath of loss. This program is 95 minutes in length, with additional 30-minute post-program discussion required for CEs.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
7:30 AM – Registration
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM – DVD program
9:30 – 10:00 am – Panel Discussion with local experts
Location: Good Samaritan Society – Denton Village, 2500 Hinkle Dr, Denton, TX 76201 | Please enter through the Administration entrance.
Cost: $15 | Snacks and refreshments will be available.
2 CEs for Nurses, Chaplains, Clergy, Social Workers, Funeral Directors, trauma counselors, hospice workers, emergency room staff, bereavement staff, police, firefighters, school staff through HFA
Click here for the registration form with full details.
Questions? E-mail DAPEC@AOL.com or call/text Ginny Hudson at 940-367-0598.
