2020 Synod Assembly Preacher

We are honored to have African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie as our preacher for this year’s Assembly! Bishop McKenzie is the presiding Bishop of the 10th Episcopal District AME church and serves as the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the AME Church. Her election in 2000 was historic as she became the first woman, in the more than 200-year history of the church, to be elected to that office. Watch this local news interview with her: First Woman Bishop Talks Life Lessons for All Faiths.

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Backpacks to the Border: Learning about AMMPARO

   

From The Rev. Violeta Siguenza-Del Aguila (Walnut Hill, Farmers Branch): “This initiative started before I went into Sabbatical, I have a good relationship with some of the members at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, they are receiving families from the border and providing shelter, hygiene supplies, clothing and bus passes, Walnut Hill was going to partner with them.  But, when I came back from sabbatical and one Anglo member approached me about a article she read about this Lutheran Church on Eagle Pass, San Lucas Lutheran, they were receiving migrant families and were in need of donations.  We also are making blankets and collecting stuff animals for kids victims of family violence so during one of our “making blankets session” we decided to organize and collect 50 back packs for the migrant families of San Lucas Lutheran. Our members were very generous.  Then I went to the Latino Conference and San Gabriel and Sagrada Familia brought some donations.  Santa Maria really got fired up and helped us with 25 back packs!  The original plan was for Gus, Frank and Carlos (my husband) to deliver the backpacks but at the end Frank Salvador was the only one able to make the trip.  The Pastor down there was very grateful and the day Frank got there San Lucas received 25 migrant families and they got their backpacks. The Spirit is moving in our midst.  Walnut Hill already sent the application to become an AMMPARO congregation.  To God all the glory!”

 

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MEF 2019 Grant Recipient

The Mission Endowment Fund of NT-NL granted $80,000 in 2019 to underfunded or start up ministries in our Synod. New grants 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 – Four Mile, Mabank

What if you live in a small Texas city and feel your congregation cannot make an impact in your community? If you are thinking that, you should ask the members of Four Mile Lutheran Church in Mabank. It takes the idea of only one person who enlists the help of others to put a successful outreach ministry in place. Continue reading.

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.

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Save the Date

Pastor Smith:

Christ the King Sunday

(https://www.ntnl.org/christ-the-king-sunday/ – published Nov. 26)

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Where in the world is?

Bishop Gronberg:

• Dec. 2: UpBring Annual Judicatory Leader Gathering
• Dec. 3-5: Region 4 Bishops Gathering, Houston, TX
• Dec. 6-7: Candidacy Retreat, Briarwood

Pastor Totzke:

• Dec. 5: Interim Pastors meeting, Briarwood & Zoom
• Dec. 6-7: Candidacy Retreat, Briarwood

Pastora Bañales:

• Dec. 3: Conversation with four East Dallas churches
• Dec. 4: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
• Dec. 5: Meeting with Stewardship Chairperson, Sandra Gass
• Dec. 7: Generosity Project Workshop with Candidacy Committee
• Dec. 8: Umoja, Fort Worth