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Featured Blog Post

NT-NL Leaders:

Thank you for your generous support of our NT-NL Synod Disaster Appeal. Over the weekend just over $3,500 was received from you and from individuals across the country. Thank you. I am grateful for your generosity that enables us as synod to share support with individuals and congregations in this time. Already support for individuals who lost wages during the winter storm has been given, and we have assisted Community of Hope, Fort Worth with their deductible. If you wish to make a gift to this fund you can do so here.

The season of Lent is a penitential time that is intended to help prepare you for the events of the Triduum (the three great days). It is therefore a good time to continue to prepare yourselves for the changes to your lives that have come and are coming in 2021. In this I see four major challenges and opportunities for you in the coming months…

1) Vaccine Rollout: Currently 13% of Texans have received a first dose (NT-NL is more than Texas but bear with me for simplicity). This is encouraging but also means less than 1 in 10 Texans have received both doses. The challenge is in communities where many have been vaccinated, there is an intensifying push to “return to normal.” The logic is simple. If everyone you know has been vaccinated, why not? The opportunity is recognizing that if many people you know have been vaccinated, yet more than 8 out of 10 Texans (including every Texan under the age of 16) have not even gotten a first shot, there are many people you don’t engage with regularly. Your pastor has potentially not yet received a vaccine. So you continue to need to think through how you gather and consider individuals and communities you should protect and endeavor to connect with and serve.

2) Digital ministry: The way that you “do church” has changed forever. You have pivoted, gone online, made big changes. The challenge now is to connect and thrive, digital/online ministry must continue and expand. The opportunity is to prioritize these new ways of being. To reorient budgets and staffing to ensure adequate resources for online ministry. Examining how you structure worship potentially differently for in-person and online communities. To find ways to connect with more individuals proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3) Burnout: You are tired, in grief, and don’t know the extent of the change to your communities yet. Clergy and church leaders are not alone in this. 6,000 coaches are leaving the Texas High School ranks annually and Covid-19 is accelerating that among teachers, health care, and front-line workers. The opportunity is to take grief and loss seriously. To engage in the work of societal chaplaincy, speak Law and Gospel, support leaders through coaching, prioritize sabbath rest, and trim programing to what is truly effective to facilitate proclamation and equips you to serve your neighbor.

4) Leader Formation: NT-NL is a leader in the ELCA in lay leader formation. Our Parish Lay Ministry Academy and Escuela Secundaria de Educación Teológica (SSTE) are models for engaging lay people in multiple languages using the gifts of our own leaders. The opportunity of this time of Covid-19 is that both, along with many of our congregational Christian education programs, have moved online. Making them accessible to leaders across the country, and even the world. The challenge comes thinking about when we are able to gather again in person. How will we do hybrid learning? Will individuals want to gather in person? Are online and in-person cohorts separate? What are the implications of that for our congregations and Briarwood?

These are but four opportunities and challenges before you and your leaders in this time. You no doubt could add even more, and I encourage you to do so. To think critically about how to make these coming months and year productive and adaptive times of learning. All centered on the task for which Lent prepares us. Proclaiming Christ crucified and raised for the life of the world.

In Christ,

Bishop Gronberg

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Annual Rostered / Authorized Leader Report

THANK YOU TO THE 38 OF YOU SO FAR WHO HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR REPORTS! If you are a rostered or authorized leader in our synod, please submit this report to the Bishop by March 31: https://www.ntnl.org/annual-rostered-authorized-leader-report/. We are aiming for 100% participation, and this report helps the Bishop and synod staff know how best to support you and the worshiping community you serve, as well as provides accurate reporting for Synod Assembly (April 24).

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Celebrate Rev. Doris Dupree-Harris’ Birthday

THIS Friday, March 5

The people of St. John, Oak Cliff, Dallas, and Bishop Gronberg invite you to shower Rev. Doris with cards on her birthday:

Pastor Doris Dupree Harris
c/o Windsor Gardens
2535 W Pleasant Run Rd
Lancaster, TX 75146

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Discovering Hope Conference: Building Vitality in Your Congregation

Discovering Hope Conference: Building Vitality in Your Congregation

A conference to explore the best practices for Vital Ministry

Saturday, March 13, 10am – 12noon

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

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2021 Synod Assembly Updates

Friendly reminder about the Early Bird registration date of March 14 for Voting Members:

Registration for Voting Members:

https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/3176027

Early Bird (through March 14) = $35

Regular (March 15 – April 11) = $50

Registered Voting Members will receive a Zoom Meeting login link the week of Assembly.

Registration for Sponsors:

https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/3176027

Through April 4 = $50

Sponsors will be featured at some point throughout Assembly and included here on our event page. After you have registered, please contact jason@ntnl.org with your official logo, your website, and a short video (no longer than 3 minutes) or a PPT presentation (no longer than 3 minutes) of messaging and/or high-quality photos. To be included in our Assembly, you must submit your media by 9am Central on Monday, April 5.

Visitors will be able to participate via Facebook (no account required). Registration not required.

Details will be updated on the event page here: https://www.ntnl.org/event/2021-synod-assembly/.

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Pulpit Supply Update Request

If you are interested in remaining on, or being added to, our Pulpit Supply list (no longer available on our website due to security concerns), please contact Rev. Kris Totzke (kris@ntnl.org) with the best email address and phone number where congregations might contact you.

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Chaplain Opening in Seagoville, TX

This serves as notification that the position, Chaplain, GS-0060-12, FCI Seagoville, TX, Federal Bureau of Prisons, has been posted to USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/593743200

Announcement Number: SCR-2021-0184
Position Title: Chaplain, GS-0060-12
Promotion Potential: 12
Duty Locations: 1 vacancy – FCI Seagoville, TX
Who May Apply: OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS
Salary: $83,523 to $108,584/Annually
Open: 3/1/2021
Closing: 3/15/2021

Please see this announcement for interested candidates. | A resource guide is linked here to ensure candidates compile required documents prior to applying. Failure to upload required documents by closing date will result in disqualification.

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Altar from Lord of Life, Glenn Heights

Please contact Becky Johnson (bjohn942@aol.com) if you are interested.

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Weekly Online Gatherings for ELCA Leaders

BEING CHURCH

Wednesdays, 1PM Central

Login information is shared here: https://www.elcacoaching.org/

This month’s schedule:

March 3 – The Sacred Work of Grief, Part 7: Honoring Grief and Gratitude One Year into the Pandemic – Rev. Solveig Nilsen-Goodin

March 10 – Suggested Guidelines for Returning to Church – Dr. Dave Daubert

March 17 – Growing Young: Jesus’ Message – Rachel Alley and others

March 24 – TBA – Giovana Oaxaca, Program Director for Migration Policy with ELCA Advocacy

March 31 – TBA

You are invited to join this weekly online gathering designed to provide encouragement and support for ELCA leaders across the church. Participants will hear topical presentations related to how we are called to be Church, as well as have an opportunity to be in small group discussions with an ELCA group coach facilitating the conversation. This is where the magic happens. All of this is designed to help us process our emotions and thus create a space where we can each name our next most faithful step forward in our unique context. You are welcome to share this invitation with any other ELCA leader, rostered or lay. #ELCAChurchTogether

How have we been church, with individuals and with communities? How are we being church? How are we called to be church with all people, with creation, and in an ever-changing world?

We understand a number of folks are unable to make this day and time each week. We record the main session and the wrap-up time. We share each recording with supporting documents here by the following week: https://www.elcacoaching.org/being-church.

You can find the login information and a list of upcoming topics and presenters on the home page of the ELCA Coaching website: https://www.elcacoaching.org/.