Prepare for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday
On Sunday, September 12, congregations of the ELCA will come together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, a dedicated day of service. As church, we are guided by our life in Christ to share the love of Jesus and serve our neighbors — even if these acts of service take place from our homes, outdoors, or from a safe distance because of ongoing pandemic concerns. As you explore opportunities to participate, visit ELCA.org/DayOfService for planning resources including a tool kit, videos, posters, social media graphics, and a special hymn for the day. Plan your day of service.
Addiction & Faith Conference
The Center of Addiction & Faith will hold its third Addiction & Faith Conference, October 7-9, in Bloomington, MN, to give faith communities tools for responding to the addiction crisis. Registration is open for in-person and virtual attendance at addictionandfaithconference.com. Register by July 31 for early bird pricing. The center grew out of the Fellowship of Recovering Lutheran Clergy. The Rev. Ed Treat was an active Lutheran pastor in 2018, when he held the first Addiction & Faith Conference. The success encouraged him to leave parish ministry after 25 years and dedicate himself full-time to the Center of Addiction & Faith, which became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2020.
Faith Over Fear
Educators and congregational leaders are invited to participate in a free, four-part virtual training course specifically designed for educators and community leaders who are committed to countering anti-Muslim discrimination and Islamophobia in their communities. The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign is excited to offer this unique opportunity to ELCA members and other partners. Register today — sessions will be held July 27 and August 3, 10, and 17.
Featured Resources for July
Resources from ELCA Racial Justice
Explore and download a variety of resources designed to help congregations confront racism and move toward justice in church and society.
Save the Date
Hunger at the Crossroads: New Webinar Series
August 12, 6pm Central
We know that hunger is about more than food. Understanding hunger – and working to end it – means seeing the many ways hunger and poverty intersect with so many other issues, including climate change, food production, access to housing, racial justice, gender justice and more. In “Hunger at the Crossroads,” a new webinar series hosted by ELCA World Hunger, we will explore these intersections and the ways we can be part of God’s promise of a just world where all are fed.
The webinars are open to anyone passionate about ending hunger and eager to learn more. In each session, we will dive deeply into the topic, with presentations from ELCA World Hunger staff and partners and time for questions and conversation.
“Sexuality, Gender Identity and Hunger” with Rev. Heidi Neumark (Trinity Lutheran Church, New York, New York) and Rev. Joe Larson (Fargo, North Dakota) – August 12, 2021
“Climate Change and Hunger” – October 2021
“Hunger and Poverty by the Numbers: Where Are We at Now?” – November 2021
Registration for “Sexuality, Gender Identity and Hunger” is now open! Visit https://forms.office.com/r/JzxsiDwfdx to register. Registration for future “Hunger at the Crossroads” sessions will be available soon.
Recent Blog Posts
Bishop Gronberg:
(https://www.ntnl.org/milesandmiles-but-not-by-me/ – published Jul. 25)
Pastor Totzke:
(https://www.ntnl.org/welcome-sawl-emelie-and-pastor-rachel/ – published Jul. 26)
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: King of Glory, Dallas
Pastor Totzke:
Jul. 31: Joint Council Retreat for Central & Bethany at Central, Dallas
Aug. 5: Transitional/Interim Pastors meeting via Zoom
Aug. 7: Installation of Pr. Leah Lawson, Beautiful Savior, Amarillo
Aug. 8: Gloria Dei, Lubbock
Aug. 21: Candidacy Committee, Briarwood
Aug. 23-25: Leadership for Faithful Innovation (LFI) conference, Stillwater, MN
Aug. 26-30: Vacation
Pastora Bañales:
Jul. 28: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Jul. 29: Money Matters/Asuntos de Dinero workshop (Thrivent)
Jul. 31: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
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:
- Aug. 3: White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility – Enrique Dussel, “Eurocentrism and Modernity,” Zoom
- Aug. 5: Transitional (Interim) Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
- Aug. 14: Public Witness Team meeting, Zoom
- Aug. 17: White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility – Vine Deloria, Jr., “A Better Day for Indians,” Zoom
- Aug. 31: White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility – Ian F. Haney López, “White by Law,” Zoom
- Sep. 2: Transitional (Interim) Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
- Sep. 11: Synod Council meeting, Briarwood
- Sep. 11: Gathering Together, Briarwood
- Sep. 12: “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday
- Sep. 14: White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility – Karen Brodkin Sacks, “How Did Jews Become White Folks?”, Zoom
- Sep. 18: Parish Lay Ministry Academy, Fall 2021, Course 1, Zoom
- Sep. 28: White Supremacy & Racism: Facing Reality, Taking Responsibility – Susannah Heschel, “The Slippery Yet Tenacious Nature of Racism”, Zoom
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.