In This Edition
2023 NT-NL Mission Endowment Fund Grant Recipients
Synod Assembly March 1 Registration Deadline
Synod Assembly Keynote Speakers
Annual Rostered / Authorized Leader Report Due March 31
Free Webinar for Leaders in a Small Town or Rural Context
Update from Laura Slezak
Courageous Leadership Series
Seed of a Seed: Free Adaptive Leadership Series
Cross Trails Ministry Summer Camping Programs
Upcoming Events
2023 NT-NL Mission Endowment Fund Grant Recipients
Today, on behalf of the Mission Endowment Fund, I awarded grants which will be applied to outreach ministries as requested by NT-NL congregations. Ministries ranged from Food Pantries to Organizing Retreats, from Feeding the Homeless to expanding online worship and from upgrading audio/visual equipment to refugee initiatives.
The Mission Endowment Fund, as part of the NT-NL Synod of the ELCA, offers this annual monetary award to provide congregations means to begin or to continue important ministries that may not receive funding otherwise.
By God’s grace and blessing, we provided funding to these amazing congregations and prepare to watch their ministries grow in the next year.
The 2023 Grant Award Recipients are:
Grace (Carrollton)
Advent (Arlington)
Grace Evangelical (Abilene)
Hope (Springtown)
St. Paul (Levelland)
Four Mile (Mabank)
St. Luke’s (Richardson)
St. John (Wilson)
Zion (McGregor)
Lutheran Campus Ministry (Denton)
Holy Trinity (Shreveport)
Emanuel (Dallas)
Calvary (Richland Hills)
Gloria Dei (Garland)
First Sagrada (Garland)
Community of Hope (Fort Worth)
Good Shepherd (Irving)
Iglesia Luterana Adviento (Arlington)
Kin-dom community (McKinney)
Lantinx Conference (Alvarado)
Latino PMLA (Alvarado)
I appreciate their diligent efforts to build upon God’s work in their communities and to maintain a strong foundation as each speaks the Gospel daily.
With Gratitude,
Jennifer Hachmeister
Executive Director
Mission Endowment Fund
NT-NL Synod, ELCA
Synod Assembly March 1 Registration Deadline
Additional updates have been added to the event page for our 2023 Assembly: https://www.ntnl.org/event/2023-nt-nl-synod-assembly/
Early bird registration pricing closes TODAY, March 1, at 11:59pm Central. We highly recommend registering as early as possible today so that if you need any support from synod staff with that process, there is time for us to respond.
Friendly reminder: Registration for Assembly and the hotel room block both close on April 16 (there will be NO on-site registration)
Synod Assembly Keynote Speakers
Introducing our 2023 NT-NL Synod Assembly keynote speakers, Deacon Jess and Pastor Joe Liles:
Annual Rostered / Authorized Leader Report Due March 31
If you are a Rostered Minister or Synodically Authorized Worship Leader, please complete this report to the bishop by March 31:
https://www.ntnl.org/annual-rostered-authorized-leader-report/
Free Webinar for Leaders in a Small Town or Rural Context
From our partners at Luther Seminary‘s Faith+Lead:
At Luther Seminary, we are working on preparing both free training experiences and accessible-priced courses to support small town and rural communities of faith. These offerings will seek to deepen the capacity of rural congregation leaders and everyday disciples.
The first of these online learning experiences is a FREE webinar we are offering on March 4 at 10:30 AM Central. It will be recorded, so anyone who registers who can’t attend live can still use the material.
Getting Curious: Entering and Serving in a Small Town or Rural Context
Register for this free workshop here.
If you have questions, let me know at janderson008@lutheresem.edu.
In Christ,
Pastor Jon Anderson – Rural Ministry Director
Update from Laura Slezak
Laura Slezak is the current ELCA missionary to Japan, in partnership with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. Here is her combined update from December and January.
Courageous Leadership Series
Dear Faith Leaders,
We are inviting you to bring a spirit of curiosity to these gatherings and to all aspects your life. What are you noticing? Where is Spirit moving? How might you be a part?
ELCA Coaching is experimenting and learning as we continue with our theme of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP. Join us WEEKLY on Wednesdays at 1pm Central. There will be time for small groups in breakout rooms so that leaders across the church can learn from each other and leave each gathering with at least one action step.
For March 2023:
Week One (March 1) – Coaching – Choose Your Own Adventure (breakout rooms by topic)
Week Two (March 8) – Presenter(s) and Topic TBA
Week Three (March 15) – Tim Brown – Where Your Heart Is
Week Four (March 22) – Jeff Linman – Living and Leading with Resurrection Faith
Week Five (March 29) – Bishop Mike Girlinghouse – Embracing God’s Future, Part 2
The login information can be found on the ELCA Coaching website: https://www.elcacoaching.org/events/courageous-leadership
Recordings from prior gatherings can be found here: https://www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/media/series/courageous-leadership
Seed of a Seed: Free Adaptive Leadership Series
Seed of a Seed: A FREE, Online Theological Experience Designed to Explore Adaptive Leadership, hosted by the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, is a study that re-interprets ministerial setting as “soil”. It uses an African centered concept of our inheritance from God. This inheritance focuses upon the skill of adaptability as a function of effective leadership. How does one draw upon past successes in what appeared to be challenging contexts to produce responsive and productive development for those directly affected. More specifically, this study will benefit ELCA leaders (as well as others) as they strive towards becoming radically relevant, authentically welcoming, and intentionally engaging to new, young, and diverse people. This study will be foundational for the “metanoia movement” that the ELCA Task Force for Strategic Authentic Diversity calls our attention to.
This study takes the parable of seeds and Jesus’ admonition regarding “mustard seed” faith and cultivates meaning in every soil that seeds land in. It uses the legacy of African Americans who developed and flourished in different geographic locations. This phenomenon has participants to pay closer attention to the ‘divinity in the seed”—God in our own being more so than the context. Indeed, the level of our productivity and responsiveness is not determined by our social location—it is determined by our commitment to access the power of the Creator inside of each of us.
Five (5) Sessions: April 18, April 20, May 11, June 1, June 22
Cross Trails Ministry Summer Camping Programs
Cross Trails Ministry is the year-round camp and retreat ministry operated by the congregations of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the ELCA.
Two sites are at the heart of this ministry: Lutheran Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville and Ebert Ranch Camp in Harper.
This year’s summer theme is Saints & Superheroes. Campers will explore their role in God’s mission using superhero imagery. They will discover they do not need to be superheroes because God loves them perfectly and empowers them to be an everyday saint. Click here to find out more about 2023 summer camp.
Don’t let anyone miss out on camp because of the cost! Click here for more information about our campership program.
Cross Trails is hiring great role models for the coming summer. There are a variety of opportunities for young adults to step into leadership. Encourage them to apply today.
Upcoming Events
With the ever-changing guidelines and recommendations in our world right now, as we maintain physical distance in social solidarity, please keep in mind these events may be moved online, postponed, or cancelled:
- Mar. 1: Courageous Leadership – Coaching – Choose Your Own Adventure (breakout rooms by topic), Zoom
- Mar. 1: DEADLINE to register for Synod Assembly at Early Bird Pricing, Online
- Mar. 2: Transitional Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
- Mar. 8: Courageous Leadership – Presenter(s) and Topic TBA, Zoom
- Mar. 11: Parish Lay Ministry Academy (PLMA), Spring 2023, Course 1, Hybrid
- Mar. 11: Public Witness Team meeting, Hybrid
- Mar. 15: Courageous Leadership – Tim Brown – Where Your Heart Is, Zoom
- Mar. 22: Courageous Leadership – Jeff Linman – Living and Leading with Resurrection Faith, Zoom
- Mar. 23: Cultivating Compassion Session 3: Practice – Disproportionality, Online
- Mar. 28: First Call Pastors Check-in, Online
- Mar. 29: Courageous Leadership – Bishop Mike Girlinghouse – Embracing God’s Future, Part 2, Zoom
For a complete list of upcoming events, you can access our Calendar of Events online.