New Website for ELCA Colleges and Universities
The Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities works to connect students with a college that shares their values of academic excellence, experiential learning, campus involvement, service, and stewardship. Go to imaginecolleges.org to learn more about the ELCA colleges and universities.
TechSoup for Congregations
Become a TechSoup member and your congregation can get access to donations and discounts from more than 60 donor partners, including Intuit, Microsoft, and Adobe (eligibility requirements apply). For example, QuickBooks Online is available for $50/year compared to the regular price of $600/year. You’ll also get access to their community forums, blog, and free learning resources.
Featured MEF Grant Recipient in 2019
The Mission Endowment Fund of NT-NL granted $80,000 in 2019 to underfunded or start up ministries in our Synod. New grants in the amount of $82,000 will be awarded in February 2020. Contact Linda Ness, mef@ntnl.org with questions.
This is the story of one of the ministries funded in 2019:
2019 MEF Grant Recipient – To Hell with the Hot Dish!
This podcast is sometimes whacky, sometimes whimsical, sometimes deeply moving, but always entertaining as our younger leaders and pastors keep lively conversations going between hilarious gasps of laughter and good humor. The Mission Endowment Fund has supported this new, modern ministry with grants for two years, helping to get the podcast established as a resource for the church and to purchase state of the art equipment. Pastor Kyle Rouze and his cohorts have created a unique ministry that serves all who are ready to take this leap. Continue reading.
Featured Resources for December
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust expresses ELCA teaching on human sexuality. The statement is grounded in the biblical witness to the relationship God establishes with creation as a model for relationships between human beings. God is absolutely trustworthy and faithful, and, therefore, with regard to sexuality, both human behavior and social structures are considered in relation to how they foster trust, commitment and protection for the flourishing and well-being of all people. In light of human sexuality as a gift and a trust, the statement considers the ways social structures and institutions shelter, sustain and protect personal, family and social relationships of love and trustworthiness.
With that as our context, we want to make you aware of these helpful resources from our full communion partners with the United Church of Christ (UCC):
Our Whole Lives, together with Sexuality and Our Faith, helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, health and behavior in the context of their faith. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. It provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills and understand the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of sexuality.
Our Whole Lives is a series of sexuality education programs for six age groups: grades K-1, grades 4-6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12, Young Adults and Adults. The resources are written by professional sexuality educators and provide accurate information for parents, teachers and pastors to be used in the affirming and supportive setting of our churches.
Sexuality and our Faith is written by United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist Association members and is the accompanying resource used for each of the grade groups: grades K-1, grades 4-6, grades 7-9 and grades 10-12, Young Adults and Adults in the church setting.
Recent Blog Posts
Bishop Gronberg:
(https://www.ntnl.org/christmas-proclamation-from-the-children/ – published Dec. 18)
(https://www.ntnl.org/2020-assembly-site-in-the-news-paul-quinn-college-dallas/ – published Dec. 23)
Where in the world is?
Bishop Gronberg:
- Dec. 25-Jan. 1: Synod Office Closed
Pastor Totzke:
- Jan. 2-4: Trinity Seminary students visit to NT-NL
- Jan. 5: Bethany, Dallas
Pastora Bañales:
- Dec. 23-Jan. 3: Vacation
Upcoming Events
- Jan. 11: Public Witness Team meeting, Arlington, TX
- Jan. 18-19: NT-NL High School Gathering, Dallas, TX
- Jan. 18-19: 2020 Briarwood Men’s Service Retreat, Argyle, TX
- Jan. 19: Dr. Martin Luther King commemoration, Dallas, TX
- Jan. 25: ESET (SSTE) Módulo 6 (Día 1 de 5), Argyle, TX
- Jan. 25: PLMA Graduation, Arlington, TX
- Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Synod Council meeting, including Deans, Assistant Deans, MEF Board, Argyle, TX
- Feb. 8: ESET (SSTE) Módulo 6 (Día 2 de 5), Argyle, TX
- Feb. 11-13: Ignite the Church Conference, Orlando, FL
- Feb. 15: ESET (SSTE) Módulo 6 (Día 3 de 5), Argyle, TX
- Feb. 16-18: Texas Interfaith Advocacy Days, Austin, TX
- Feb. 22: ESET (SSTE) Módulo 6 (Día 4 de 5), Argyle, TX
- Feb. 22: Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Your Congregation, Lubbock, TX
- Feb. 22: Public Witness Team meeting, Arlington, TX
- Feb. 28-Mar. 1: NT-NL Peer Ministry Leadership Training, TBA
- Feb. 29: ESET (SSTE) Módulo 6 (Día 5 de 5), Argyle, TX
Access our full online Calendar here. Updates made regularly.
Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit to Jason (jason@ntnl.org) for consideration for upcoming NT-NL News.