Northern Texas - Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA

2021 Tri-Theological Conference
2021-01-25 - 2021-01-26
The 2021 Tri-Theological Conference with Professor Michael DeJonge
Co-sponsored by the Southwestern Texas Synod, Gulf Coast Synod, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, and Briarwood Leadership Center
This is an online event.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in conversation with his twin sister, Sabine

Bonhoeffer, Struggle, and Resistance
Monday, January 25, 2–4pm (all times Central)
The life of Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) is often interpreted through his participation in plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler. While his prayer and discernment led him to that point, his call for direct resistance to unjust actions of the state began much earlier. This session will introduce Bonhoeffer, his context, and his increasing calls for resistance, both within the church and in direct word and action against the state.

Bonhoeffer the Lutheran
Tuesday, January 26, 10am–Noon
Bonhoeffer has become a broadly popular figure throughout western Christianity. His stance against Adolf Hitler, the Third Reich, and accommodating elements within German Christianity cost him his life. Studies of his life and thought, however, have not always taken into account the specificity of his Lutheran commitments. How, for instance, does Lutheranism inform Bonhoeffer’s approach to pacifism and violence? What can that teach Lutherans about our tradition today?

Bonhoeffer’s Politics and Our Own
Tuesday, January 26, 2–4pm
Bonhoeffer is often referenced when people are seeking faithful responses to political crises. All sides of the US political spectrum have wondered if we are in a “Bonhoeffer moment.” Bonhoeffer’s historical, political, and cultural context was quite distinct from the early 21st-Century United States. In what ways can Bonhoeffer’s theological commitments help interpret political realities today? How can those insights inform faithful leadership and proclamation in the midst of current struggles?

Cost: $75 ($50 early-bird special until December 18)
Registration closes at 10am Central on January 25
REGISTER HERE.
Download a flyer here to share.

Michael P. DeJonge is Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida. He researches the history of Christian thought and issues involving religion and politics.
DeJonge has been a Fulbright Scholar, a Fellow of the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies, a Volkswagen/Mellon Fellow at the Leibniz-Institute for European History in Mainz, Germany, and Visiting Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Theology and Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
His scholarship has focused on the twentieth-century German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with monographs including Bonhoeffer’s Theological Formation (Oxford, 2012), Bonhoeffer’s Reception of Luther (Oxford, 2017), and Bonhoeffer on Resistance: The Word Against the Wheel (Oxford, 2018).

Event Structure
The conference organizers intend for this event to be directly relevant to your daily vocation and service in church and society. We are seeking to foster sustained, engaged conversation in addition to providing important content in Prof. DeJonge’s presentations.
Each of the conference’s scheduled sessions will include a breakout opportunity. In order to facilitate focused conversation, our request is that you come to the breakout session with one overarching question and one significant quote from the text assigned for that session.
Feel free to emphasize your personal responses and commitments as you engage the text. Our conversations will be enriched if you choose quotes that resonate with you and craft questions that are open-ended (questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”).
Like you, Bonhoeffer was a Christian leader deeply engaged with and challenged by his context. Your personal reflections on your life of service will carry us forward throughout our time together.

Intended Audience
This gathering is open for all people interested in the overarching topic, both lay and rostered. Our two-hour sessions will be structured to include a significant presentation from Prof. Michael DeJonge, ample time for discussion in breakout sessions, and time for sharing in plenary. Each session will have options for compact but in-depth reading intended to enrich conversation throughout the event.

Recommended Readings
Michael P. DeJonge, Bonhoeffer’s Theological Formation: Berlin, Barth, and Protestant Theology (Oxford University Press)
Michael P. DeJonge, Bonhoeffer’s Reception of Luther (Oxford University Press)
Michael P. DeJonge, Bonhoeffer on Resistance: The Word Against the Wheel (Oxford University Press)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Reader’s Edition, Fortress Press)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (Reader’s Edition, Fortress Press)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics (Reader’s Edition, Fortress Press)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison (Reader’s Edition, Fortress Press)
Clifford J. Green and Michael P. DeJonge, eds., The Bonhoeffer Reader (Fortress Press)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Holocaust Encyclopedia By Victoria J. Barnett
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/dietrich-bonhoeffer
Exploring Bonhoeffer’s Writings By Clifford Green
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/exploring-bonhoeffers-writings
Is This a Bonhoeffer Moment? Lessons for American Christians from the Confessing Church in Germany By Lori Brandt Hale and Reggie L. Williams
https://sojo.net/magazine/february-2018/bonhoeffer-moment
Hijacking Bonhoeffer (review of Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer) By Clifford Green
https://www.christiancentury.org/reviews/2010-09/hijacking-bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer Co-Opted (review of Charles Marsh, Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) By Joel Looper
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/bonhoeffer-co-opted/
A More Intimate Portrait of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (review of Diane Reynolds, The Doubled Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Women, Sexuality, and Nazi Germany) By Lisa E. Dahill
https://www.christiancentury.org/review/books/more-intimate-portrait-bonhoeffer
Christian Complicity? Changing Views on German Churches and the Holocaust By Robert P. Ericksen
https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/Publication_OP_2009-11.pdf
Special Focus: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (online exhibit) By Victoria J. Barnett
https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/special-focus/dietrich-bonhoeffer
The Church Struggle and the Confessing Church: An Introduction to Bonhoeffer’s Context By Matthew D. Hockenos
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28799641_The_Church_Struggle_and_the_Confessing_Church_An_Introduction_to_Bonhoeffer’s_Context

For some creative history on Bonhoeffer, check out this Lego short created 10 years ago by NT-NL young adult Tom Blaney! He has lived and regularly attended church services in all three Texas ELCA Synods (Frisco, Austin, and Houston). Tom was active in campus ministry at UTexas, a Briarwood summer camp counselor, and a 2019 ELCA Churchwide Voting Member representing NT-NL. (This video was done as a school project and won second place in the Texas Coalition for Holocaust Education’s Yom HaShoah “Upstanders in the Holocaust” Art, Writing, and Video contest.)

ELCA Extravaganza 2021
2021-02-04 - 2021-02-06
The Extravaganza is the annual gathering of children, youth, and family ministry leaders from across the ELCA. It is so much more than a conference: it’s space to be stretched, it’s worship, it’s inspiring speakers, it’s learning from colleagues across the country, it’s sharing your insights with others, it’s informative and transformative. The Extravaganza is renewing, educational, and connects you with others…then sends you home strengthened for the ministry to which you have been called.
The Extravaganza is for the professional and the volunteer. It is for the old and the young. It is for the urban, the suburban, and the rural. It is for pastors, it is for lay people. It is for all adult leaders who share in the adventure we call children, youth, and family ministry!
Location: Online

For 2021:
The scriptures are full of stories of God’s people holding loosely to their plans and learning to trust in the grace and the mission of God.
And so, as God’s people, we are reminded that grace is a gift of God, and trust follows grace. God calls on God’s people to trust in God’s abundance, love and promise. Too often, we try and maintain our own sense of control. But if ministry in 2020 has taught us anything, it has taught us that we are not in control. The world is a broken, turbulent place and we cannot navigate these troubled waters by ourselves.
And so, obediently, we trust in the work of the Holy Spirit in the midst of turbulent times. And we partner with God, serving as God’s hands doing God’s work in a world that is in need of hope.
We hold loosely, letting go of our need to control, creating space for the Spirit to work, and trusting in God, who has a vision for the world.
Extravaganza 2021 will explore God’s call to hold loosely to our own plans, and our need to control, and to trust in the one who comes to create, to redeem and to sustain. God’s call for us to “Hold Loosely” and trust is more important now than ever, as we live and do ministry in a time of pandemic, of racial injustice and unrest, of social division and political turmoil.
Our conversations at #ext21 will center around five questions:

How do we help those we work with navigate the grief of losing “normal?” How do we navigate that same grief for ourselves?
How do we care for ourselves in the midst of accompanying others in their pain?
How do we navigate change?
What should we do next?
How do we find hope in the midst of chaos?

It is in the words of Ephesians 2:8 that we are reminded that we place our trust in God’s grace, which provides guidance and direction during these hard days. And that this grace is a gift that we discover when we hold loosely.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8

Synod Council and Deans Meeting
2021-02-05 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
This meeting will be held online.
Sketch and Outline of Presentation to
NTNL Synod Council and Deans
Leading into God’s Future Together
February 5, 2021, 1-4pm
Objective and Purpose
Provide tools and resources to help pastoral and synodical leaders initiate conversations in congregations regarding their futures in light of the changing realities that have been brought on by Covid-19 and other circumstances and situations.
Structure
Basic structure will be three one-hour sessions, each lasting about 50 minutes with a ten-minute break between each session.
Session 1 – Basic Introductions and Defining our Problem

Bishop welcome and sharing learnings thus far.
Defining our problem, where are we “stuck?”

What challenges and struggles are congregations/pastors and lay leaders/synodical leaders encountering in the present moment? Where do you see us stuck?

Session 2 – Helpful theoretical resources that speak to our present moment

Systems theory

Who is responsible, reframing, what is goal?
What leads to “stuckness?”
Leading through resistance.
Distinction between empathy and sympathy.

Narrative theory and future story

We all, individuals and congregations, have a narrative.
Introduce idea of a future story.
Functional vs. dysfunctional stories

Grounding in reality, so we can make clear and realistic decisions about how to live into the future, even if that future is unknown.

Session 3 – Practical Application: Leading into the new, being prophetic and pastoral

Interactive exercises and sharing. Relating to real life situations.
Building resilience and ability to lead through resistance and into change.

Resources to be Applied
Andy Lester’s book, Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling (concept of Future Story)
Ed Friedmann: Failure of Nerve, and Friedman’s Fables; Wayne Menking: When All Else Fails; Rethinking our Pastoral Vocation in Times of Stuck. (Systems theory, change and resistance)

Synod Council and MEF Meeting
2021-02-06 09:00 - 14:00
This meeting will be held online.

Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation
2021-02-11 13:00 - 14:30
Virtual Keynote with Dr. Linda. A. Hill
Click here to join the webinar!
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To join via phone, call: (312) 626-6799 | Webinar ID: 879 3348 5378 | Passcode: [REDACTED]
What does it take to build organizations that can innovate again and again?
The short answer: the right leadership. Utilizing findings outlined in her book “Collective Genius,” Professor Hill
will discuss how leaders at such companies as Google, HCL and Pixar developed the key capabilities to get
innovation done.
This session reveals how these organizations go about developing a context where people are willing and able
to do the hard work that innovative problem solving requires. They build communities with a shared purpose
and a consistent set of values and rules of engagement that allow individual slices of genius to be leveraged
into collective genius. This speech also offers insight into what organizations can do to develop leaders with
the right mindset and talents.
About Dr. Linda A. Hill
Linda Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School
(HBS (and chair of the HBS Leadership Initiative. Dr. Hill is regarded as one of the world’s top experts on
leadership. She was named by Thinkers50 as one of the top ten management thinkers in the world in 2013 and
received the Thinkers50 Innovation Award in 2015. In addition to presenting insights from her research
captured in the book Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation, Dr. Hill will also discuss the
leadership imperative for innovation today published in her book Being the Boss: The Three Imperatives for
Becoming a Great Leader.
Dr. Hill is co-founder of Paradox Strategies — a leadership and consulting firm that advises organizations and
boards on innovation, leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a current and past Board member
of multiple publicly traded companies and sits on numerous boards of non-profit institutions globally, including
the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Forum for the Future of Higher Education, the United Nations Institute for
Training and Research, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund USA. Hill is also a
member of the HR People + Strategy Advisory Council.

Re-imagining Using Church Spaces
2021-02-22 19:00 - 20:00
Join the NT-NL Synod, Briarwood Leadership Center, and Foundry Commercial for a FREE webinar for congregational leaders to learn best practices around utilizing church space to create opportunity for ministry. Open to all.
Registration required: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvdOyqqT0sE938YThBTLnMwXypW-OauJBz. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This webinar will not be a promotional presentation but will walk through case studies, focusing on re-imagining church space and all the different ways to think about how real estate can assist in church use, and there will be time for questions and answers.
Learn more here:

Synod Devotions for Lent
2021-02-23 11:00 - 11:30
Tuesdays in Lent 2021
Synod Online Devotions, 11-11:20am (Central) via Zoom broadcast to Facebook
A time for leaders to take a moment to center ourselves in this Holy Season.
We will begin with a litany, special music, then read the gospel for the coming Sunday and have a short reflection.
We will close with prayer (prayer requests taken in the chat).
Bishop Gronberg will lead the liturgy; NT-NL first call pastors will bring the reflection.
Join us live on Zoom (link below) or watch on Facebook.

Feb 23: Mark 8:31-38 Rev. Nick Schmidlin (Faith, Flower Mound)
March 2: John 2:13-22 Rev. Kelsey Fitting-Snyder (St. Matthew, Waco)
March 9: John 3:14-21 Rev. Eric Saed (Trinity, Clovis, NM)
March 16: John 12:20-33 Rev. Kathryn Saunders-Allen (Good Shepherd, Irving)
March 23: Mark 11:1-11 Rev. Tom Schwolert (Gloria Dei, Garland)

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Lenten Journey: Landscapes of Our Soul
2021-02-24 19:00 - 20:00
Wednesdays in Lent, 7pm Central
February 24 – March 24
With Biblical and landscape artist Sara Novenson, and spiritual director and pastor, the Rev. Linda Anderson-Little, we will use Sara’s nature paintings as a visual tool for prayer (visio divina) and the Psalms for reflection and renewal. Art helps open up the creative side of our heart where prayer and faith reside, as we experience our inner spiritual landscape and explore deeper ways of connecting with God. FREE and OPEN TO ALL through a Mission Endowment Fund (MEF) Grant of the NT-NL Synod. Register here, and the Zoom Link and Passcode will be emailed to you.

Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Spring 2021, Course 1
2021-03-13 09:00 - 15:30
To register and for full details: https://www.ntnl.org/ministries/plma/

Discovering Hope Conference: Building Vitality in Your Congregation
2021-03-13 10:00 - 12:00
A conference to explore the best practices for Vital Ministry
This conference will be held online and is designed to build vitality in congregations with fewer than 50 people in worship. However, congregations with greater than 50 will also find it helpful. The focus is on spirituality, leadership, and community connections.
Topics covered include:

Stories of Hope: Finding Vitality in your Congregation
Making Disciples: Learning to Live Jesus’ Way
Evangelism: A Way of Life
Leadership: Who’s Driving the Tractor?
Discovering the Gift of Place
Mission: Possible – Discovering Hope for the Future

We encourage at least 3 people to attend from each congregation.
Only $20 per congregation (includes 1 copy of the book)
Register here: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/3279968 (registration closes 1 hour before the start of the conference)
The mailing address included with your registration is where we will send the book. If you register by March 5, you will likely receive your book prior to the conference.
The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants the morning of the conference.
Click here for a flyer.
Questions? Contact Rev. Irma Banales, irma@ntl.org

National Lutheran Choir 2021 Winter Online Program
2021-03-14
Hope Lives
Sunday, March 14, 4pm Central
Join singers of the National Lutheran Choir and guest artists, the Keith Hampton Singers & Friends, for a FREE online hymn festival. We will sing well-known hymns that highlight the joy of an ever-growing hope, and new hymns that speak to our time, inviting all people to sing in joy together “…as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.”

Living Connected Workshop on Creation's Gift of Land
2021-03-20 10:00 - 11:30
Land is a constant under our feet, and yet, except for those who make their living from the land, we may seldom think of it. We receive all our food and material goods from land. In its broadest sense, land is the place where we live, and it connects us to all life that shares the place with us. This Living Connected workshop will explore the ways we are called to care for land and offer spiritual practices for faith-based action.
NT-NL Public Witness is offering this Living Connected workshop online twice in March 2021. The presenter is Katrina Martich, a Lutheran Deaconess and licensed environmental engineer in Texas.
Saturday, March 20, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CST
Tuesday, March 23, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST
Register at katrinamartich.com for the Zoom link.
Living Connected presents creation care as a spiritual discipline, formed by using the gifts of creation in just and loving ways. Workshops are offered at a reduced cost thanks to a grant from the NT-NL Synod Mission Endowment Fund. For more information, send an email to Katrina at contact@katrinamartich.com
Click here for a flyer.

NT-NL Young Adults Spring Archery Event
2021-03-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
Bibles, bows, bullseyes, and great physically distanced times with NT-NL young adults!
If you are interested, please email avery@bwtx.org. Spaces are limited for this FREE event.

ESET 2021 Clase de Primavera
2021-04-10 09:00 - 12:00
Los detalles completos se pueden encontrar aquí: https://www.ntnl.org/ministries/sste-eset/

The Way Forward to Legacy Generosity
2021-04-11 14:00 - 15:00
April webinars to highlight planning for family, ministry
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest will offer “The Way Forward to Legacy Generosity,” a webinar on legacy planning for family and ministry. The webinar will be offered at 2 p.m. on two Sundays – April 11 and April 18 – and at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, and at 12noon on Thursday, April 15. Please sign up for the one that works best for you at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C49A8A629ABFFC25-theway.
This webinar is open to all congregational members to learn more about the foundation’s comprehensive legacy planning services for family and ministry. The foundation is a partner ministry of the three ELCA synods in Texas and offers its services at no cost and no obligation.
A congregation member may say, “I like the idea of leaving a gift to my church when I pass away, but I’d like to know more about how to create a plan for family and ministry.” The church has a dedicated ministry for just this kind of support through Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest. A gift planner is available in each synod that can guide you to clarify your goals and objectives in planning. Any congregation member can establish a robust personal legacy plan with the guidance of the synod gift planner. Those with existing plans should consider reviewing their plans to make sure they continue to meet their goals for family and ministry.
All members of ELCA congregations are invited to participate in these webinars. Those who may have additional questions or need assistance with registration are invited to contact Morgan Schmidlin, CGPA, gift planner for congregations in the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, at (440) 785-333 or mschmidlin@lfsw.org.

EcoFaith Summit 2021
2021-04-17 09:00 - 12:30
Now the Green Blade Rises: Storytelling for the Healing of Creation
Saturday, April 17, 9am-12:30pm Central
We invite you for a morning of personal and biblical stories to strengthen the grassroots movement through the telling of personal and biblical stories, to strengthen the grassroots movement among the People of God to hear the cry of creation and heed God’s call to respond. All are welcome!
Registration is available here and is NO COST.
There is a suggested pay-what-you-can to continue supporting the EcoFaith Network grassroots work.
Featured Speaker:
Professor Barbara Rossing, Professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, Director of Environmental Studies Program
Storytellers:
Kevin Anderson – Director, Family Freedom Center, Duluth
Johanna Bernu – Fond du Lac member, 8th grade student
Ricky Defoe – Spiritual Elder, Pipe Carrier, Fond du Lac Member
Tom Uecker – Founder, Duluth Monarch Buddies
Alicia Green – Creation Care Team Member, Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa
A story teller to be named centering on sustainable agriculture
Small group breakout sessions in which each participant has the opportunity to react, dream, consider future actions and tell their own stories
Now the Green Blade Rises Music videos as performed for the Moments of Arising videos, with musical arranger and director Paul Jacobson, and filmmaker Linda Kalweit
For questions, please contact EcoFaith Network Co-Leader, Rev. Kristin Foster, at 218-290-4694 or email ecofaith@nemnsynod.org.

Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Spring 2021, Course 2
2021-04-17 09:00 - 15:30

2021 Bold Gathering
2021-04-17 11:00 - 14:00
The 2021 BOLD GATHERING is a day for men to come together ONLINE
to learn, to network, and be equipped to BOLDY live out their faith!

Registration is FREE but Required

Synod Council and Deans Meeting
2021-04-23 12:00 - 16:00
This meeting will be held online.
More details forthcoming.

2021 Synod Assembly
2021-04-24 09:00 - 15:00
Theme: Entrusted
Scripture: “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.“ 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
Drawing on the ELW baptismal liturgy in which the Pastor reminds the parents of their duties…
“As you bring your children to receive the gift of baptism, you are Entrusted with responsibilities:
to live with them among God’s faithful people,
bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,
teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,
to place in their hands the holy scriptures,
and nurture them in faith and prayer,
so that your children may learn to trust God,
proclaim Christ through word and deed,
care for others and the world God made,
and work for justice and peace.”

As synod in 2021 we have been entrusted with God’s mysteries (2 Cor. 4:1-2) and we are expected then also to be trustworthy. But this expectation, this law, also comes with promise. The parents alone do not make promises in baptism. The sponsors and community also make promises to support the parents and the baptized in this work. And as we know also, God ultimately is the promise giver in baptism.
As we continue our work in 2021 we have been Entrusted with a Word to share and a gospel to live. I give thanks to you, the leaders of NT-NL for the ways you have shown yourselves trustworthy in 2020 and look forward to being #InMissionTogether in 2021. For full context, read more in Bishop Gronberg’s blog here.
Bishop Mike Girlinghouse will keynote our time speaking about his book Embracing God’s Future Without Forgetting the Past.
The 2021 Synod Assembly will be held online.
We are charging a small registration fee this year to provide resources for enhanced technology and for honorariums for presenters. Learning from our experience in 2020, we hope this Assembly experience will be enhanced and continue to grow our capacity for hosting online gatherings.
If your congregation did not have an annual meeting in which you elected voting members for synod assembly, the ELCA attorneys have counseled us that you should send the same individuals as were designated in 2020 to the assembly in 2021. Only if you have not designated assembly voting members for 2021.
At this assembly, we will be electing voting members from NT-NL for the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Columbus, OH (August 10-13, 2022). We will elect 6 individuals (2 young adults, 2 lay members, and 2 clergy). If you would like to nominate someone, please contact Bishop Gronberg at BpGronberg@ntnl.org.
2021 Synod Assembly Reference Materials
Voting Members who registered by April 15 were sent a login link on April 22 to participate via Zoom on April 24.
Visitors will be able to participate via Facebook (no account required). Registration not required.

We have also booked the services of Jonathan Zitelman with SimpleMan Productions and A Divine Canvas for this year’s Assembly for a better experience for all attendees.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 SYNOD ASSEMBLY SPONSORS:

Cottonpatch Designs

Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA

Sunset Lutheran Ministries

Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest

Lutheran Via de Cristo of North Texas

White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility
2021-05-11 19:00 - 20:30
A Study Group Co-Sponsored by Briarwood Leadership Center and the Public Witness Team of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA
American forms of racism shape our life together in ELCA congregations. White supremacy distorts our proclamation of the Gospel, limiting the possibilities of evangelism. Lay and rostered congregational leaders interested in facing these realities are invited to join this study group co-organized by Briarwood Leadership Center and the Public Witness Team of NT-NL Synod.
With an eye toward taking meaningful action, we will work through some of the most incisive analytical studies of racism. We will focus on structural realities rather than individual attitudes or personal experience. Equipped by this intensive study, the group will decide what actions they will take in their own congregations and which actions will be recommended to the NT-NL Synod as a whole.
Led by Emma Rodgers (St. John, Dallas) and Robert Smith (Briarwood Leadership Center), the course will feature several outside guest speakers with expertise in the topics and particular authors. The proposed agenda is listed below. All readings will be provided in electronic format, with encouragement toward additional resources.
Sessions are on Tuesday evenings, biweekly, 7-8:30pm. Pre-registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link. All participants are strongly encouraged to complete the assigned reading prior to participating in a session.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvf-Cvpz8tGNOiuDyWHhZGAguSPKrdNp3X. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
May 11
Introduction and Concepts
May 25
Selections from Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
June 8
Derrick Bell, “Chronicle of the Constitutional Contradiction”
June 22
Selections from Bernestine Singley, ed., When Race Becomes Real: Black and White Writers Confront Their Personal Histories
July 6
Derrick Bell, “The Space Traders”
July 20
Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex”
August 3
Enrique Dussel, “Eurocentrism and Modernity”
August 17
Vine Deloria, Jr., “A Better Day for Indians”
August 31
Ian F. Haney López, “White by Law”
September 14
Karen Brodkin Sacks, “How Did Jews Become White Folks?”
September 28
Susannah Heschel, “The Slippery Yet Tenacious Nature of Racism”
October 12
Cornel West, “A Genealogy of Modern Racism”

Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Spring 2021, Course 3
2021-05-15 09:00 - 15:30

Living Connected Workshop on Creation's Gift of Energy
2021-05-22 10:00 - 11:30
Since human beings first captured fire, energy has been a gift we’ve harnessed to work for us. This Living Connected workshop looks past the one-dimensional argument of oil and gas versus wind and solar to discuss our complex relationship with energy. In the workshop, you’ll:

Reflect on our use of energy and the consequences of our use.
Consider ways energy connects us to others.
Receive resources for making energy choices that care for our families and for our neighbors.

NT-NL Public Witness is offering Living Connected: Energy online twice in May 2021. The presenter is Katrina Martich, a Lutheran Deaconess and licensed environmental engineer in Texas.
Saturday, May 22, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CST
Tuesday, May 25, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST
Register at www.katrinamartich.com for the Zoom link.
Living Connected presents creation care as a spiritual discipline, formed by using the gifts of creation in just and loving ways. Workshops are offered at a reduced cost thanks to a grant from the NT-NL Synod Mission Endowment Fund. For more information, send an email to Katrina at contact@katrinamartich.com
Click here for a flyer.

2021 John Hope Franklin Reconciliation in America National Symposium
2021-05-26 - 2021-05-29
The Future of Tulsa’s Past: The Centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and Beyond
The Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod invites all our siblings from across the ELCA to join us digitally for the 2021 John Hope Franklin Reconciliation in America National Symposium, May 26-29. Following the Symposium, on the afternoon of May 29th, everyone is invited to join us for a Zoom conversation where we will continue addressing the themes of Symposium and talk specifically about how those themes speak to us as a church. Attending the Symposium is not necessary to be a part of the post-symposium gathering.
The National Symposium is an annual event sponsored by the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation in Tulsa, OK and brings together local and nationally known speakers and people from around the country to learn about and discuss ways to work against racism and for racial reconciliation. Founded in 2007, the vision of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation in Tulsa is to transform the bitterness and mistrust caused by years of racial division and violence into a hopeful future of reconciliation and cooperation for Tulsa and the nation. In the spirit of John Hope Franklin (1915-2009), American historian and educator noted for his scholarly reappraisal of the American Civil War era and the importance of the black struggle in shaping modern American identity, the Center promotes reconciliation and generating trust through scholarly work and constructive community engagement.
Individuals must register for the Symposium through the JHF Center website: https://www.jhfnationalsymposium.org. A schedule and list of speakers for the Symposium is also available on the website.
From 1:00-3:30 PM CDT on Saturday, May 29, ELCA participants in the Symposium and others are invited to join the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod for a time of reflection and conversation. Led by a panel including Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod Bishop Michael Girlinghouse, Ms. Vanessa Adams-Harris, John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, Mr. Bill Horne, ELCA Vice-president, and Ms. Judith Roberts, ELCA Sr. Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion we will discuss the complicity and silence of the white church in the perpetuation of racial injustice, including violent events like the Tulsa Race Massacre, how the church is working against racial injustice today, and ways we can show up and step up to work for change in our church, our local communities and nation in the days ahead. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will share concluding thoughts and reflections about how we can move together as a church to address these issues.
If you would like to join us for the post-symposium conversation, you will need to register at: https://www.aokelca.org/event-details/2021-john-hope-franklin-annual-symposium to receive the Zoom link and password for the ELCA event.
If you have questions please call the A-OK synod office at (918) 492-4288

Weekly NT-NL Leadership Prayer, Check-in
2021-05-27 10:00 - 10:30
NT-NL Synod ELCA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Leadership prayer, check-in
Time: 10:00 AM Central Time
Every week on Thursday
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/686256906
Meeting ID: 686 256 906

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Synod Council Meetings
2021-09-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
Save the Date!
Details emailed from Bishop Gronberg on August 12.

MEF Board meeting
2021-09-11 08:30 - 11:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States

Gathering Together
2021-09-11 11:00 - 16:00 | Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd., Argyle, TX, 76226, United States
We are praying we are able to be together IN PERSON as a synod on Saturday, September 11, 11am-4pm.
We will gather together — outdoors and masked — for lunch, worship, rock climbing, zipline, archery, field games, and a frozen treat! A great day for the whole family to enjoy! All ages are welcome.
Tentative schedule:
11am Lunch available at the Pavilion
12noon Worship under the Tent (including anniversary celebrations)
1:15-4pm Activities, Games, Popsicles, Free time
The Rev. Christopher Otten, ELCA Director of Chaplaincy, will be present with us to preach. During worship, we will welcome Santa Maria, Irving, and kin-dom community, and we will celebrate milestone ordination anniversaries.
Worship will be led by musicians from Abiding Grace, Southlake. Briarwood staff will be supervising the climbing wall and archery. Aaron and Katrina Colwick (Rejoice, Coppell and Grace, Carrolton) will be supervising field games for kids of all ages. Frios Pops (https://friospops.com/), one of our connections via our partnership with Paul Quinn College, will be on site with gourmet popsicles during the afternoon.
It has been a tradition at NT-NL synod assemblies to have a book of remembrance in which congregations are invited to share the names of those who have died in the past year so they can be remembered in the prayers of the community. In recent years, Bishop Gronberg has also invited us to share the names of those who have been baptized into Christ in the past year as well. We invite you to share those names through this online form, and they will be incorporated into our worship. – Romans 14:8
“The events of this day are scheduled to be outside and as such as safe as possible. Masks will be encouraged at all times and required to enter any building. I hope that you will plan to join us as we gather as synod for the first time since April 2019. To be encouraged by community, and fed by the bread of life.” Read Bishop Gronberg’s full blog post here.
Disclaimer: In the interest of safety and public health due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we reserve the right to enforce public health and safety measures, depending on the conditions at the time, at our discretion.

“God’s work. Our hands." Sunday
2021-09-12
Mark your calendar for Sunday, Sept. 12, when congregations of the ELCA will come together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday. Our church continues to live through the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical distancing has changed the way we worship and serve. But the need is great, and God’s church is at work.
We’re not sure what the impact of this crisis will look like in September, but we continue to be church together. We are witnessing the outpouring of love and concern that God’s people have for one another. Our congregations continue to maintain feeding ministries, serve communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infection and assist people who are financially burdened by the economic downturn.
“Service in the Time of COVID-19” was developed to offer service project ideas and considerations for safely supporting your community in this time of pandemic.
As we gather together in service to our neighbors, we are reminded of one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: All of life in Jesus Christ — every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life — flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. Be sure to save the date and visit ELCA.org/DayofService for updates to our resources.
You work every day to make your community a better place. We look forward to working together with you on “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.

Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Fall 2021, Course 1
2021-09-18 09:00 - 15:30
