Message from Bishop Gronberg

Dear Partners in Mission:

One of my goals as bishop has been to prioritize youth and young adult ministry. We have done that in a number of ways including hosting the first ever “Bishop’s Group” for the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering, holding young adult retreats over Christmas break, bringing youth together for Confirmation Fest, and in many other ways. One way I know for sure we can impact young people is through supporting and encouraging them to participate in Lutheran Campus Ministry. This includes supporting our campus ministry here in NT-NL in Denton as well as encouraging young people to connect with campus ministry or a local congregation wherever they might go to college.

Each year the ELCA invites pastors and youth leaders to submit the names of their graduating seniors to connect them with campus ministry. This has worked to an extent however, in 2021 NT-NL partnered with LuMin-Austin to support a summer internship that would be more intentional and accountable in connecting to congregations across Texas. This internship was funded by a special grant from our 2021 budget made possible due to the tremendous stewardship of our Synod Executive leadership in 2020 that made additional funds available this year for special mission projects. In the video here I interview Intern Cecie Suknaic Saulnier who conducted the project and got some insights from her as well as highlights.

I would encourage you to watch the video to get the full picture of the project. However, some highlights were that she:

• Connected with 276 ELCA Congregations in Texas,
• 34% response rate (96 congregations),
• 49 cong. reported having High School Seniors (51%),
• Doubled number of names submitted to Texas ELCA Campus Ministries in comparison to 2020.

What this demonstrates to me is that this sort of intentional, accountable, name-gathering can and does pay dividends and was a good investment by our synod. We will look for ways to support this sort of project again in 2022.

As of today our plans for gathering for worship and fun at Briarwood on September 11th are still on. Again, this event will be outside, masks encouraged at all times and required for any indoor activities. So please plan to join us, particularly at noon for worship. Please also consider your own Covid-19 protocols as we are in a significant fourth wave surge of cases. What we know for sure is that masks work to prevent people from spreading the virus, distancing and having events outside is safer, and the vaccine significantly reduces the severity of the virus. For all who are sick we pray including Jan Lund,  the spouse of SAWL Dan Lund, who has contracted the virus and who requests our prayers.

God bless you in your work this week. Know you are daily in my prayers.

Bishop Gronberg

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Excellence in Leadership

Here is an opportunity for rostered or lay leaders who might be looking for some continuing education or some tools for healthier leadership – both in the church and in the rest of life.

Two years ago, the Rocky Mountain Synod began an initiative called Excellence in Leadership with the hope to build and support courageous, resilient, and faithful leaders. It is a two year program which, thanks in large part to the pandemic, they have been able to now offer online to people around the ELCA who are looking for ways to be healthier leaders. They are extending an invitation to our synod!

Excellence in Leadership spends two years digging deeply into five theories of leadership and living: Adaptive Leadership, Vulnerability, Family Systems Theory, Emotional Intelligence, and TheoryU. All of these theories are also surrounded and steeped in several spiritual practices to feed the spirit as well as the mind.

They are beginning a new cohort this September. Find out more and register here. In case the links do not work for you in the document: https://vimeo.com/582292569 | https://www.rmselca.org/leaders/excellence-in-leadership (The August 22 deadline noted on the site is flexible, and they will still process registrations beyond that date.)

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Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) Updates

We are sharing the LMM July Ambassador-Gram with you, as it contains information about September-November events. Click on this link to open the document in order to see the opportunities that are available to you through Lutheran Men in Mission.

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Where in the world is?

Across a context as wide and different as NT-NL, the reality of Covid-19 is very different. As such, NT-NL synod staff are doing more in-person Sunday visits for worship and occasional meetings. However, as good stewards of time and travel dollars, we will be utilizing online meeting formats into our new hybrid future. Until we can assure everyone in attendance at a meeting are vaccinated, in order to protect those gathered, the synod staff will continue to wear masks unless preaching or presiding and sufficient social distancing can be provided.

Bishop Gronberg:

Aug. 29: Mt. Olive, Dallas
Sep. 10-11: Synod Council meetings, Zoom and Briarwood
Sep. 11: Re-gathering worship at Briarwood
Sep. 12: Holy Trinity, Irving
Sep. 19: Festival Worship at Santa Maria, Irving
Sep. 26: Trinity, Fort Worth, with TLU President Debbie Cottrell
Sep. 29-Oct. 2: Conference of Bishops, Chicago, IL

Pastor Totzke:

Aug. 23-25: Leadership for Faithful Innovation (LFI) conference, Stillwater, MN
Aug. 26-30: Vacation
Sep. 2: Transitional pastors meeting, Zoom
Sep. 10-11: Synod Council meetings, Zoom and Briarwood
Sep. 11: Synod Re-gathering worship at Briarwood
Sep.12: Resurrection, Plano
Sep. 18: Faithful Innovation training, Abilene
Sep. 19: Redeemer, Greenville
Sep. 26: Holy Trinity, Irving
Sep. 27-30: Tri-synodical First Call Pastors retreat, Briarwood

Pastora Bañales:

Aug. 24: DEM’s meeting, Class the Book of Ephesians, and Latinx Conference
Aug. 25: Santa Maria, McArthur Irving
Aug. 26: Kin-dom Community team meeting
Aug. 28: Council Retreat, Christ Lutheran Church, Dallas
Aug. 29: Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Granbury
Aug. 31: Meetings with NTNL Stewardship Team and DEM’s
Sep. 1: First Sagrada Familia, rehearsal XV, and 50th wedding anniversary
Sep. 2: “Closing Congregations” with Bishop Sue Briner
Sep. 3-4: Latina Women Retreat, Monserrat Retreat Center, and First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Sep. 7: DEM’s meeting, Online
Sep. 10-11: Synod Council meetings, Zoom and Briarwood
Sep. 11: Synod Worship at Briarwood
Sep. 12: Steering Committee Adviento, Arlington
Sep. 13-15: NTNL Stewardship team and Kaleidoscope Conference
Sep. 19: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Sep. 21: DEM’s meeting, Online
Sep. 22: NTNL Mission Developer & Redevelopers Gathering, Synod office
Sep. 23: ELCA Generosity Project Spanish team