Featured Blog Post

Beginning this month, we will feature a blog post or article from Bishop Gronberg or synod staff in the Leader News. This month, Bishop Gronberg reflects on how the vision of a leadership center offering training and leadership development to our congregations is becoming a reality. Read more at https://www.ntnl.org/visions-becoming-reality-across-nt-nl/.

---

Briarwood Gala

Briarwood 2020 Gala: Adventure Awaits

Saturday, March 21, 5:30pm

Briarwood Leadership Center, 670 Copper Canyon Rd, Argyle, TX

Please join supporters of Briarwood for our annual fundraising gala. This event supports our NT-NL leadership, retreat, and camp ministry at Briarwood. In addition, we will honor those who support this powerful outreach and extension of our calling in the world, including Thrivent, Dianne Eggemeyer (Trinity Evangelical, Miles), and Chip Sakakeeny (Abiding Grace, Southlake). We’re excited to be bringing this event back on site this year at Briarwood to showcase this beautiful resource of our synod and be good stewards of the dollars donated. Tickets are $100 / person, and sponsorships start at just $500! https://one.bidpal.net/briarwoodgala/welcome

---

ConFest 2020

Confirmands’ Afternoon with the Bishop

King of Glory, Dallas

March 22, 2-4pm

“For the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Featuring:

• A short worship service with a message from our DEM, Irma Bañales.
• A photo for each confirmation class taken with the Bishop.
• A ministry fair with information and involvement opportunities from synod and ELCA ministries.
• Food, of course!

The goals are for confirmation students to:

• get to know the bishop and youth from other congregations,
• learn about our wider church and how to get involved,
• worship, and
• have fun!

Congregations are invited to register your whole confirmation class, including teachers and adult advisers.

For congregations traveling more than 150 miles roundtrip, NT-NL is able to reimburse to offset mileage at the IRS Charitable rate of $0.14/mile. Please register and attend, then submit mileage to Avery Hawley at avery@bwtx.org.

REGISTER HERE.

---

Boundless Learning, Bountiful Living

Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning
March 26-28

Formerly known as the Perkins Theological School for the Laity, Perkins Summit for Faith and Learning is an annual event offering continuing education courses on the Bible, theology and spirituality to help students grow in knowledge and faith practices. Attend one class or up to three. Lunch is included with advanced registration. Course selections for 2020 include the following.

March 26, Thursday Half-day Courses meet from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Will Willimon: What’s Ahead for the UMC?
Jack Levison: A Boundless God: The Holy Spirit According to the Old Testament

March 27, Friday All-day Courses meet from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Steve Long: Truth Telling in a Post-Truth World
Jim Lee: How to Read the Bible According to the Early Church Fathers

March 28, Saturday All-day Courses meet from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wes Allen: The Emperor’s New Clothes: How Mark’s Ironic Passion Story Reveals God’s Reign
Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner: How Do We Solve A Problem Like…Mary?

Click here for a brochure (PDF) with full details.

Register Online.

---

Synod Assembly Registration and Hotel

As you are no doubt aware, our 2020 NT-NL Synod Assembly will be held April 24-25 at Paul Quinn College in Dallas. Registration is now open on our website! Please register soon to ensure you get the best rate. Since 2016, we have been able to reduce our synod assembly registration fees by 40%. This has been done so assembly registration fees are a decreased cost burden on our congregations and have been achieved by utilizing creative and new relationships with venues such as Paul Quinn.

Register for Assembly here.

Our assembly theme is “Crossing Borders | Cruzando Fronteras.” By hosting our assembly in South Dallas, we are crossing borders into an area of our synod we have not been before for assembly but in which we have congregations and ministries. In crossing borders, we honor these ministries and also encounter new realities. You will note our assembly hotel, The Lorenzo, is located 8 miles north of PQC closer to downtown. The reason for this selection is that The Lorenzo is the closest hotel to PQC that will work with us in structuring a room block. This is no accidental reality but is the systemic result of the historic neglect and lack of economic development in South Dallas that then create challenges for our hosts at PQC when hosting or sponsoring events.

Part of our assembly will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ordination of pastors who are women in the ELCA and predecessor bodies. PQC is a college of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and we are honored to have as our assembly preacher, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, who is the presiding prelate of the 10th District of the AME Church and the district in which our territory in NT-NL resides. In 2000, Bishop McKenzie was the first women elected to the episcopal office in the AME, and she is a coveted speaker and preacher. It will be our joy to have her with us Friday evening as we worship in the newly rededicated Richard Allen Chapel on the campus of PQC.

Another exciting part of our assembly will be holding the Briarwood Advisory Board meeting for the first time during our assembly. This advisory board meeting is to elect board members, and in the past, has been held in the fall. However, as we are all together as NT-NL synod at assembly, it makes sense that we would instead hold this meeting during our assembly. We are excited about this new way of including more of our NT-NL leaders in this vital ministry of our synod.

So please register as soon as possible for assembly. As you prepare for Ash Wednesday and the coming season of Lent, know that you and your congregations and ministries are in my prayers. God bless your work, and we will see you soon at Paul Quinn College, April 24-25.

Displayers / Vendors can register here.

Official Assembly Hotel: Lorenzo Hotel, 1011 S Akard St, Dallas, TX 75215

Register with the hotel here. (special Assembly rate valid through March 31)

A question often asked is… “Can we book at a different hotel or motel for a cheaper rate?”
Our answer: With the proliferation of online travel sites, indeed, it is possible you would be able to find a better rate at another hotel. Because of this, there has been conversation about the synod not offering a preferred hotel at all and allowing assembly members to find their own lodging.

But we are still having a preferred hotel. Why? First and foremost, at Assembly, we build a community. We know from experience that this happens best when we are all together, both formally and informally. Through connections and time together. Given how short our assembly is, this time is at a premium, and we encourage fellowship.

Secondly, many of our assembly voting members are coming from other parts of the state. As a result, they appreciate having a vetted hotel option so they don’t have to try to do so themselves in a city or location they do not know well.

Finally, it is a stewardship opportunity. We sign a contract with the hotel guaranteeing our group will book a minimum number of rooms. Because of this guarantee, the hotel gives us better rates, some complimentary rooms for staff/presenters (which lowers synod costs), and deals on meeting space. These elements all help make Synod Assembly possible and help us keep our rates lower (assembly registration rates are 40% lower than in 2016).

If you book elsewhere, it could jeopardize our ability to meet our contract obligations, and the cost of our annual Assembly would go up. So, if you are able, please book at the Lorenzo Hotel using our link to guarantee your reduced rate and help support Assembly for all!

---

Rostered/Authorized Minister Annual Reports Due April 1

It is a responsibility of each Rostered/Authorized Minister to submit annually a report to the office of the bishop. To simplify reporting, NT-NL has built a web response form that is now available online: https://www.ntnl.org/annual-rostered-authorized-leader-report/. These reports are due by April 1.

---

Vision and Expectations

A report and recommendations on Vision and Expectations for the Conference of Bishops and the Church Council is now available for consideration. The document is posted in the timeline at elca.org/rosteredlife. A direct link to the document is here.

---

ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering

Registration is now open for the 2020 Rostered Ministers Gathering, July 20-23 in Phoenix!

Gathering highlights:

100 workshops offered over four workshop blocks
85,000-square-foot interaction center with over 30 exhibits
Beer and hymns
Banquet celebrating women’s ordination

Featured guests and speakers, including:

The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church
Krish Vignarajah, CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
The Rev. Karoline Lewis, chair in biblical preaching at Luther Seminary

Early registration (Feb. 20-May 20) is $245. Booking travel and hotel is your responsibility. Once you register, you will be provided with links to the three gathering hotels, each with a room rate of $139/night plus tax. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Visit the website for more information. In addition to the main gathering, join us for one of three pre-event gatherings:

Young rostered ministers
Deacons
Women pastors, 50th anniversary of ordination