In This Issue
Leader News for August
NT-NL Leadership Convocation
Model Constitution for Congregations
“We Are Church, We Are Called”
Rev. April Larson
Gathering of Ordained Women
Portico 2020 Health Plan & Benefit Changes
Mental Health and Faith
Ninth Annual Herbener Lecture
Ministerial Flourishing: Exploring the Meaning, Means and Practices
MEF “Seeds That Change” FUNdraiser and Celebration
Upcoming Ordinations
Upcoming Installations
Upcoming Events
Prayer Requests
Roster Changes
Leader News for August
Last month’s edition of Leader News, scheduled for August 7, did not get emailed out as scheduled, though it was posted to our website that day. You can access that here: https://www.ntnl.org/leader-news-august-2019/. There are a number of important things in that edition: 2020 Synod Assembly Location, Freed to Serve, Congregational Survey on Growing Stewards, Resources from Gathering First Fruits, Healthy Boundaries Training, MEF Save the Date Flyer & Bulletin Insert, Congratulations to Kristin Klade, and FREE Women’s Clergy Shirts!
NT-NL Leadership Convocation
Registration is now open. ALL ARE WELCOME!
Engaging Anti-Racism for the Wholeness of the Church: 2019 NT-NL Leadership Convocation
October 7-9
Briarwood Leadership Center, Argyle, TX
Racism (conscious and unconscious, explicit and implied) is a deep problem in American society. We are called to stand against racism. But how? This three-day workshop will help you and your congregations build stronger coalitions for affecting change in your communities and more effectively sharing the Good News of God’s love for the entire world. Click here to learn more about what is planned for our time together.
Our speaker will be Taurean Webb!
Model Constitution for Congregations
The English version of the newly amended Model Constitution for Congregations is now available at https://www.elca.org/About/Churchwide/Office-of-the-Secretary/Constitutions. (It’s expected to be on the Office of the Secretary Resources pages this week.) These amendments can be adopted at one meeting with a majority vote of those present and voting if they are in conformity with the model.
“We Are Church, We Are Called”
With gratitude for those who have gone before and hope for the future, the ELCA gives thanks to God for the ministry of women. In 2019 and 2020, we celebrate 50 years of Lutheran women being ordained in the United States, 40 years of women of color being ordained, and 10 years of LGBTQIA+ individuals being able to serve freely.
Congregations are encouraged to hold commemorative events throughout the year! Found here are three resources to help congregations observe these anniversaries, including a five-session adult forum, a four-session Bible study, and a liturgy with Scripture and hymn suggestions.
Rev. April Larson
Rev. April Larson, the first woman bishop in the ELCA, spoke at the plenary on Friday at Churchwide Assembly!
Gathering of Ordained Women
There will be a gathering of ordained women on the Sunday-Monday, July 19-20, between the WELCA Triennial and the Rostered Ministers Gathering in Phoenix. This is an opportunity for women to gather to share stories and strategies. Our theme—the theme of the whole celebration—is “We are Church, We are Called: 50-40-10: Proclaiming, Reforming, Celebrating.” Join us to celebrate 50 years of professional ministry, to lament the hardships that women in particular have had to face as pastors, and to work together to build a better future. For more information, go to elca.org/rmg.
Portico 2020 Health Plan & Benefit Changes
Portico’s Board of Trustees has approved health plan and benefit changes for 2020, featuring new ways for ELCA-Primary members to save on out-of-pocket costs and strengthen their emotional well-being. You can read more at PorticoBenefits.org/2020rates.
Last month, Custom Comparison Reports became available to congregations, which will make their selections in October. Plan members will complete benefits enrollment in November.
Mental Health and Faith
Saturday, September 28, 9:30am-3:00pm
The NT-NL Panhandle Conference is hosting their Fall gathering, which is open to all. Sessions by NAMI Texas, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life of all individuals living with mental illness and their families.
Ninth Annual Herbener Lecture
Reading Romans in the Face of Economic Injustice
Thursday, October 3, 11:00am-1:30pm
Dallas, TX
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Katherine A. Shaner
Throughout her teaching, her ministry, and her scholarship she examines the intersections of race, class, and gender as well as the ethics of contemporary interpretation. She is also an ELCA pastor, having served congregations in Detroit, Boston, and New York City in addition to old-fashioned circuit-riding in New England and North Carolina. Shaner is the author of Enslaved Leadership in Early Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2018), as well as several articles on Paul’s letters. She also writes for Working Preacher. Originally from Nebraska, she still misses the horizon for the trees.
FREE ADMISSION: Free-will donation will cover lunch
Please register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reading-romans-in-the-face-of-economic-injustice-registration-64978935746?ref=ebtn
Ministerial Flourishing: Exploring the Meaning, Means and Practices
Feeling tired and disconnected from what called you to ministry? Are you struggling to improve the quality of your daily life? Or are you seeking a time for personal reflection on what comes next?
Brite Divinity School is pleased to offer Ministerial Flourishing: Exploring the Meaning, Means and Practices
This week-long, residential workshop in a retreat setting employs a values assessment tool and a close reading of our life stories to lay a foundation for understanding the connection between our values, our stories, and the ways they support/inhibit our flourishing. We will learn practices of flourishing, including re-storying, practicing love, self-compassion, and honoring the body as steps toward creating a sustaining story of life and ministry that moves us toward flourishing. The workshop begins Sunday evening with dinner and ends mid-afternoon on Friday. Sessions consisting of instruction, small-group work, journaling, and personal reflections will be interspersed with open time for relaxation.
Two opportunities –
Fall – October 13-18, 2019 at The Cliffs Resort on Possum Kingdom Lake, TX
Spring – April 19-24, 2020 at Camp Allen Conference and Retreat Center, Navasota, TX
Application deadlines are:
October Workshop – September 6, 2019
April Workshop – March 13, 2020
Click here for full details, including workshop leaders, who should apply, cost, and how to apply.
MEF “Seeds That Change” FUNdraiser and Celebration
You are cordially invited to the 2019 NT-NL Mission Endowment Fund’s “Seeds That Change” FUNdraiser and Celebration on October 19, 5:00-7:30pm!
The theme is “Share the Harvest.”
➢ You’re guaranteed a fun evening, complete with a meal of heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages of your choice, including beer, wine, and soft drinks.
➢ Meet grant recipients and see the good the MEF does!
➢ Participate in live and silent auctions!
➢ Win drawings, gift cards, and prizes throughout the night!
➢ Be entertained by the exciting ethnic dance company Mexico Lindo!
All this for a single admission of $35, or a table for 8 for only $250! For tickets or to donate: https://www.ntnl.org/ministries/mef/seeds-fundraiser/.
Download a Save the Date bulletin insert.
Download a Save the Date flyer.
Upcoming Installations
The Rev. Kristina Truhan, called to serve Central, Dallas, will be installed on September 14.
The Rev. Sarah Derrick, called to serve Faith, Flower Mound, will be installed on September 22.
Upcoming Events
Here are leadership highlights:
Sep. 7: Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Your Congregation, Abilene, TX
Sep. 8: “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday
Sep. 9: Boundary Training: Healthy Relationships in Ministry, Fort Worth, TX
Sep. 9: The Church of the Damascus Road Golf Outing, Fort Worth, TX
Sep. 13: Briarwood Golf Outing, Flower Mound, TX
Sep. 14: Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Fall 2019, Course 1, Argyle, TX
Sep. 14: Public Witness Team monthly meeting, Arlington, TX
Sep. 19-21: 2019 Synod Council and Conference Deans Retreat and MEF Board meeting, Argyle, TX
Sep. 20-21: The Art of Resilience: Latinx Public Witness for Troubled Times, Dallas, TX
Sep. 20-22: Middle School Retreat, Argyle, TX
Sep. 20-22: 2019 Addiction and Faith Conference, Bloomington, MN
Sep. 27: 2019 Symposium: Suicide Prevention in Faith Communities, Dallas, TX
Sep. 28: Panhandle Conference: Mental Health and Faith, Lubbock, TX
Sep. 30-Oct. 2: 2019 Stewardship Kaleidoscope, San Diego, CA
Oct. 3: The Ninth Annual Herbener Lecture: Reading Romans in the Face of Economic Injustice, Dallas, TX
Oct. 7-9: Engaging Anti-Racism for the Wholeness of the Church: 2019 NT-NL Leadership Convocation, Argyle, TX
Oct. 11-13: 2019 W-ELCA NT-NL SWO Retreat, Merkel, TX
Oct. 12: Public Witness Team monthly meeting, Arlington, TX
Oct. 13: Festival of Church Music, Dallas, TX
Oct. 13-16: National Council of Churches Christian Unity Gathering, Hampton, VA
Oct. 13-18: Ministerial Flourishing: Exploring the Meaning, Means and Practices, Possum Kingdom Lake, TX
Oct. 19: PLMA, Fall 2019, Course 2, Argyle, TX
Oct. 19: MEF “Seeds That Change” FUNdraiser and Celebration, Arlington, TX
Oct. 28: Upbring Golf benefiting Foster in Texas, Irving, TX
Oct. 28-30: Region 4 Deacon Gathering, New Braunfels, TX
For a complete list of upcoming events in, and important to, our Synod, you can access our Calendar of Events online.