Journi: Explore Leadership in the ELCA
Understanding who you are and where your strengths and passions lie is the first step. We all have our own traits, interests, and personal gifts that shape our leadership potential. Learning about this potential can help you figure out the next steps on your faith journey within the ELCA. Get started with Journi.
What’s Your Personal Peace Index?
From our partners at faith+lead: A five-part framework to conquer chaos and find fulfillment.
Inner peace; peace of mind; the peace that passes all understanding — in a world that’s longing for it, how do we become people of peace, and how do we share that peace with the people we encounter? That work begins on Thursday, February 2, at 11 AM CST. For full details and to register: https://faithlead.org/workshop/whats-your-personal-peace-index/
Join Pastor Jeff Dorman to discover practical tools and assessments that will allow you to transform key components of your world — giving clarity to your purpose and excitement to your future.
National Lutheran Choir “Lament of the Earth” Concert Recording
The National Lutheran Choir (NLC) performed the world premiere of Lament of the Earth, an award-winning commission by composer Steve Heitzeg and poet Susan Palo Cherwien, last season at the 2022 Spring concert, The Earth Sings Beauty. Lament of the Earth speaks to the beauty and complexity of our home on Earth, as well as our struggle as humans to honor and care for that home. The work is rooted in the premise that people of many different faiths share a common reverence for creation. Susan Palo Cherwien drew inspiration for the work’s texts from Christian, Jewish, and Native American sources, and Heitzeg designed the music with multi-generational impact in mind, including not just adult vocalists and instrumentalists, but a children’s choir as well. You may access the recording of the concert here:
Featured Resources for January
The ELCA offers a place of welcome for all seeking a congregational home. Your congregations can extend an invitation to neighbors and the surrounding community through the use of these customizable communications tools. Download and use these FREE tools today.
Here is a direct link to Easter communication tools in English.
Aquí hay un enlace directo a las herramientas de comunicación de Semana Santa en español.
Save the Date
The Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association (LFCNA) is sponsoring the educational event Trauma & Its Healing on Tuesday, February 21, 6-8pm Central via Zoom. Non-members and non-nurses are welcome to attend.
Description: Although we might think only of major crises when we hear the word “trauma,” trauma includes any disturbing experience that elicits a highly negative emotional response. Trauma is characterized in three ways: acute, chronic, and complex. This presentation will offer information as to the types of trauma (and examples thereof); how they present/how they can be recognized; what damage they can do to those experiencing them; strategies for beginning the healing process; and vicarious trauma (the trauma suffered by those witnessing trauma suffered by others, including caregivers).
Presenter: Dr. Pat Fosarelli, M.D., D.Min. received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her doctoral degree in ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She has served on both the full-time and (currently) part-time faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Department of Pediatrics); serves as the Chair of the oversight committee of the Johns Hopkins CPE Program; and has served as a dean at St. Mary’s Seminary & University’s Ecumenical Institute (EI) in Baltimore, where she now is the Director of the M.A. in Christian Ministries. She has been on the EI faculty and staff for nearly 30 years, and has taught “Healing Trauma” at both the master’s and doctoral levels. She is the author of 12 books in the areas of medicine and theology.
Register online here: https://www.elpna.org/event-5115478. | Click here for a flyer with full details.
Recent Blog Posts
Bishop Gronberg:
(https://www.ntnl.org/plma-graduation-2023/ – published Jan. 24)
(https://www.ntnl.org/king-of-glory-dallas-january-2023/ – published Jan. 24)
(https://www.ntnl.org/hybrid-church-lives-on/ – published Jan. 25)
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. Given the rise of breakthrough infections and in order to protect those gathered, the synod staff will choose to wear masks as is deemed appropriate unless preaching or presiding and sufficient social distancing can be provided.
Bishop Gronberg:
Feb. 4: Synod Council, Online
Feb. 10-12: NT-NL Junior High & Senior High Youth Gathering, Preston Meadow, Plano
Feb. 18: First Communions and Confirmations, First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Feb. 19: Preston Meadow, Plano, and then Call Committee Orientation, Our Savior’s, Durant
Feb. 28-Mar. 3: Conference of Bishops
Mar. 11: Parish Lay Ministry Academy (PLMA)
Pastor Totzke:
Dec. 1-Feb. 28: On Sabbatical
Pastora Bañales:
Feb. 4: Synod Council, Online
Upcoming Events
With the ever-changing guidelines and recommendations in our world right now, as we maintain physical distance in social solidarity, please keep in mind these events may be moved online, postponed, or cancelled:
- Feb. 1: Courageous Leadership – Coaching – Choose Your Own Adventure (breakout rooms by topic), Zoom
- Feb. 4: Synod Council and MEF Board meetings, Online
- Feb. 8: Courageous Leadership – James Henricks – Conflict, Zoom
- Feb. 10-12: NT-NL Junior High & Senior High Youth Gathering, Plano
- Feb. 11: Public Witness Team meeting, Hybrid
- Feb. 15: Courageous Leadership – Danielle Groth and Vicky Lovell – Topic TBA, Zoom
- Feb. 22: Courageous Leadership – Larry Clark – Black Lutheran Women Making History, Zoom
- Feb. 23: Cultivating Compassion Session 2: Nonviolent Communication, Online
- Mar. 1: DEADLINE to register for Synod Assembly at Early Bird Pricing, Online
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 editions of our weekly news.