Partners in Mission,

Over the past year the NT-NL Synod, in partnership with Solace (an faith centered AI firm) and initially with the ELCA Churchwide Innovation Team have been exploring the reality of faith in online and AI driven spaces. This has led us to several places including releasing in August the first iteration of the NT-NL “Lutherbot” AI assistant on our website.

The LutherBot acts as a digital assistant, offering information about church activities, worship and music suggestions, resources for bible study, and even hypothetical conversations with Martin Luther. It also serves as a resource to learn more about the Lutheran faith and for congregations that choose to participate their specific ministries. Please also note it is a “closed” system. The resources within the bot are of our choosing and reflect our Lutheran theological heritage, hymnody, confessions, and ELCA teachings and social statements. As a result, unlike other widely used AI assistants the Lutherbot will reflect more clearly our church’s teachings.

In the coming months several congregations have agreed to participate with us in personalizing this resource for themselves. Christ the Servant-Allen (Pastor Cheryl Herried) being the first to do so. Additionally, our Parish Lay Ministry Instructors have been encouraged to utilize it for their classwork. In so doing they will help us shape and learn with the bot to better serve our communities.

With any new resource there are concerns about how it will be used. What are the ramifications of it we haven’t thought about yet? Even the question of why engage this technology. There are many resources to discuss these conversations. Pastor Paul Mussachio (Preston Meadow-Plano) shared this article on ethics of AI with me from his seminary alma mater Trinity in Columbus, Ohio. This resource and many others are good for us to consider in how we use this new technology.

What we do know is that people, particularly those of the digital generations, are more comfortable asking a computer questions than going to an “expert.” So by providing this resource and sharing it we are making our play into this emerging technology that hopefully can be another entry point into Christian community.

The Lutheran Reformation spread because they engaged the technology of mass printing. The movement would likely have stayed much more localized (as other reforming movements were) if it were not for this resource. Quite frankly the ELCA has sat out or been left behind in the online world. While we are not ahead of the curve here, this is an effort to make our place in this new world and connect.

I encourage you to experiment with the Lutherbot. To ask questions, be skeptical, give feedback. As we see to fulfill our synod assembly resolution to plan new ministries we must acknowledge the online space is inhabited by real people who have real questions. So it is on us to respond and fulfill Christ’s command to go into the world and proclaim the good news and share our faith.

In Christ,

Bishop Gronberg

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Mission Endowment Fund Seed’s That Change Banquet

Last Call to RSVP: Seeds that Change Fundraiser – October 4, 2025
Santa Maria de Guadalupe, Irving, TX

The countdown is on! The Northern Texas–Northern Louisiana Synod’s Mission Endowment Fund (MEF) invites you to join us for our annual Seeds that Change gala on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Santa Maria de Guadalupe Lutheran Church in Irving, TX.

This unforgettable evening will feature moving testimonials, joyful fellowship, and the chance to fuel ministries that bring hope and transformation across our Synod. Together, we’ve already invested more than $1.2 million in grants—and this year, with your support, we can grow the good even further.

Don’t miss it—RSVP today! Seating is limited, and we want you at the table as we celebrate God’s abundance and boldly plant seeds for the future.

Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Santa Maria de Guadalupe Lutheran Church, Irving, TX
6pm

Reserve your place now and be part of the harvest!
RSVP & Info: mef@ntnl.org

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Latine Ministry Competency Workshop

Click here to learn more and register.

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To the Church Leaders of the NT-NL,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

As one holy church in mission together, it is the work of the DEM Advisory Team to walk alongside congregations to renew life and vitality within our communities, to encourage faithful stewardship of God’s gifts, and to expand God’s mission in the world. To that end, we offer resources and opportunities for congregations to explore their options as they discern the path of their ministries in the years to come.

To assist with that work, we seek to better understand each context in order to tailor our work to your benefit. As Paul writes, we share in one another’s joys and help one another carry their burdens, so we ask of each church council and each pastoral leader to submit answers to this survey giving a brief overview of your state of affairs.

We will use these results as part of our presentations at the Rostered Leaders Retreat in October, so request that answers be submitted by October 15^th.

Link to survey: https://forms.gle/aUTk8n87Lgw2Vnsx5

Any issues with the survey, or if you would like to receive it/submit it in another format, please contact Rev. Sean McConathy by email: stmcco@gmail.com

We also invite you to contact us if you are interested in finding out how what resources and opportunities we can offer. Find us on the synod website: https://www.ntnl.org/resources/congregational-vitality-resource-manual/

We hold you and your communities in our prayers and look forward to working with you in service to the Body of Christ.

DEM Advisory Team

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Congregation Constitutions 101

When: Tuesday, Oct. 14th, 2025 @ 7 PM via zoom
Audience: Congregational Leaders, Pastors & Deacons

The Office of the Secretary of the ELCA will have an informative session on the 2025 changes to the congregational model constitution as well as tips on how to make the process of changing your constitution as smooth as possible. Come with your questions!
This webinar is hosted for Region 4 leaders.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81415931442?pwd=NLPiRuA7rcPogifcWOJgs9ZD8AKo3q.1

Meeting ID: 814 1593 1442

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Guest Speaker Invitation from Preston Meadow

About the event:

Dr. Mark Allan Powell presents, “The Happiest People on Earth”

You are invited to Dr. Mark Allan Powell’s presentation, titled “The Happiest People on Earth: Motivating Gratitude & Generosity in a Community of Faith,” on Saturday, October 25, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This is part of Preston Meadow’s 40th Anniversary celebration, and one that you’re not going to want to miss!

How did a Bible professor become a popular speaker on “stewardship” (his least favorite topic)? With good humor and a high degree of self-disclosure, Bible scholar Mark Allan Powell traces his journey from being “a typical church member annoyed by annual fund-drives” to discovering a biblical pathway to gratitude and generosity. He was asked to write a book on the subject and discovered that what the Bible teaches (and what the church should teach) about stewardship is incredibly good news: less about fund-raising than about having a more meaningful life and enjoying a closer relationship with our God. It is all about being grateful and generous: grateful people, Powell says, are the second-happiest people on earth—and grateful people sometimes become generous people, the happiest people of all.

Date & Location:

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025 at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (CDT)
(Refreshments served at 9:30 AM)
Preston Meadow Lutheran Church
6801 Coit Rd, Plano, TX 75024, United States

This is a free event. No registration required. Call 972.618.2233 with inquiries.

Live-stream will be available at PMLC.ORG/40-YEARS.

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United Lutheran Trainings

Click here to learn about the Fall trainings offered by United Lutheran Seminary.

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Mission Endowment Fund Grant Applications Open October 1, 2025

Investing in Ministries That Grow the Good

“It is God who provides seed to the sower and bread for food and will also supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10).

The NTNL Synod’s Mission Endowment Fund (MEF) will begin accepting applications on October 1, 2025 for its annual grant awards program.

Since its founding in 1996, the MEF has awarded more than $1.2 million to ministries across Northern Texas and Northern Louisiana, helping mission projects take root and flourish. Over the past 29 years, these grants have made a wide impact, supporting:

• Creative children’s and youth faith formation
• Prison ministry programs offering hope and restoration
• Music and worship enrichment
• Community outreach and online worship expansion
• Retreats and renewal ministries strengthening leaders and congregations

In addition to sustaining established ministries, the MEF is committed to encouraging bold new initiatives, especially those led by young adults. The Spirit often stirs new vision in the hearts of the next generation. Our call is to nurture that courage and provide the resources needed to help those seeds grow into strong and lasting ministries.

As Jesus reminds us, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… though the smallest of seeds, when it grows, it becomes a tree” (Matthew 13:31–32). So, it is with these grants—small seeds that grow into ministries of hope, love, and transformation.

To help ministry leaders navigate the process, MEF Executive Director Jennifer Hachmeister and Grants Chair Steve Maziarz will host open Zoom forums where applicants can ask questions about guidelines and applications:

• Tuesday, October 7, 2025 @ 6:30pm — Join Zoom
• Friday, October 10, 2025 @ 2:00pm — Join Zoom

For more information or application support, contact Executive Director Jennifer Hachmeister at mef@ntnl.org. During the application season, the MEF team is especially attentive to inquiries and eager to assist.

“Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

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Racial Justice Training

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Purple Choir Robes with Assorted Stoles Available

If you are interested please contact Ted Steinke at ts@tedsteinke.com

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NT-NL WELCA Newsletter

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September Mission Support Memo

The September 2025 Mission Support Memo offers a glimpse into Mary’s path from accompaniment to advocacy as a Young Adults in Global Mission in Mexico City. Mary had her sights set on YAGM from early on and was eager to engage in this ministry. She was introduced to the core values of mutuality, inclusivity, vulnerability, empowerment and sustainability, allowing her and all YAGMs to explore what it means to join ongoing ministries — to serve, to learn and to share. Learn how, through her YAGM year, Mary grew in her passion to work for justice and give dignity to all God’s children. We encourage you to also check out a new initiative of the ELCA, the Church Property Resource Hub, developed in response to requests from synod and congregational leaders for support in navigating the challenges and opportunities that buildings and land present for both congregational vitality and the broader mission of the Church.

Click here to read the September Mission Support Memo.

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Cross Trails Ministry Middle School Gathering