Synod Assembly Updates
Our Churchwide representative will be ELCA Vice President William “Bill” Horne II.
Our preacher for opening worship will be The Rev. Louise N. Johnson, President of Wartburg Theological Seminary.
Click here for more details of our upcoming Synod / Mission Assembly, April 28-30, 2017.
Everyday Hero: Ben Nanny, Grace, Abilene
A great example of “God’s work. Our hands.” lived out daily!
(Ben Nanny rakes leaves in front of Grace Lutheran Church [Abilene, TX]. Nanny is congregational vice president at the church, and one of his duties is maintaining the property.)
From the Abilene Reporter-News:
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year in our Everyday Heroes series, the Reporter-News recognizes people who make the community a better place to live.
Ben Nanny probably wouldn’t answer to “Mr. Fix It” or “Mr. Nice Guy” but people give him those titles anyway.
Nanny is much too humble to acknowledge that he is either of those, or “Mr.” anything else. He attributes his good deeds to the upbringing he got from his family growing up in Haskell. One of the behind-the-scenes deeds Nanny does is to drop in on homebound members of his church, Grace Lutheran.
Holden Village
You can now access the Holden Village Voice via the NT-NL website under the News menu.
Have you heard the exciting news? Holden Village is back open and accepting registrations for Summer 2017: Beginning Together.
NT-NL News Next Week
We are not planning an issue of NT-NL News for Monday, January 30. We will resume on Monday, February 6.
Featured Resource
The Christian story, from Genesis until now, is fundamentally about people on the move—outgrowing old, broken religious systems and embracing new, more redemptive ways of life. It’s time to move again.
Brian McLaren, a leading voice in contemporary spirituality and religion, argues that— notwithstanding the dire headlines about the demise of faith and drop in church attendance—Christian faith is not dying. Rather, it is embarking on a once-in-an-era spiritual shift. For millions, the journey has already begun. Drawing from his work as global activist, pastor, and public theologian, McLaren challenges readers to stop worrying, waiting, and indulging in nostalgia, and instead, to embrace the powerful new understandings that are reshaping the church. In The Great Spiritual Migration, he explores three profound shifts that define the change:
∙ Spiritually, growing numbers of Christians are moving away from defining themselves by lists of beliefs and toward a way of life defined by love ∙ Theologically, believers are increasingly rejecting the image of God as a violent Supreme Being and embracing the image of God as the renewing Spirit at work in our world for the common good ∙ Missionally, the faithful are identifying less with organized religion and more with organizing religion—spiritual activists dedicated to healing the planet, building peace, overcoming poverty and injustice, and collaborating with other faiths to ensure a better future for all of us.
Click here to continue reading and for links to purchase this book.
Save the Date
OutLast Youth LGBTQ youth homelessness awareness event
March 12, 4pm
Click here for more information.
Where in the world is?
Bishop Gronberg:
- Jan. 23-25 – Tri-Synodical Theological Conference, Austin
- Jan. 29 – Ascension & Gloria Dei, Garland
- Feb. 5 – Our Redeemer, Grand Prairie
Pr. Totzke:
- Jan. 23-25 – Tri-Synodical Theological Conference, Austin
- Jan. 25-26 – First Call Retreat, Austin
- Jan. 28 – Faith, Sagerton
- Jan. 29 – Bethel, Avoca
- Feb. 5 – Grace, Abilene
Upcoming Events
- Jan. 23-25: Tri-Synodical Theological Conference
- Jan. 27-29: NT-NL Junior High Gathering
- Feb. 9: Installation of new Bishop for Catholic Diocese of Dallas
- Feb. 10-11: Mission / Synod Council Meeting
- Feb. 10-11: Tri-Synodical Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering
- Feb. 11: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Feb. 12-14: 2017 Lutheran Legislative Event
- Feb. 19-21: LSTC Seminary Sampler
- Feb. 25: North Texas Senior Fest 2017 (ALOA)
- Feb. 25: Creation Care and Climate Change: It’s About the Kids!
- Mar. 3-5: NT-NL Peer Ministry Leadership Training (grades 9-12)
- Mar. 3-5: NT-NL Lenten Retreat (grades 4-6)
- Mar. 11: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Mar. 12: OutLast Youth LGBTQ youth homelessness awareness event
- Mar. 25: Dallas Area Metro North SWO Retreat
Access our full online Calendar here. Updates made regularly.
Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit to the Mission Area office (MissionOffice@ntnl.org) for consideration for our next NT-NL News. Remember to include a picture or logo.
Looking for information in past NT-NL News? Find NT-NL News archives here!