Urgent Need for Foster Families in DFW Area
Upbring is in urgent need of foster families to provide safe and nurturing foster homes for unaccompanied refugee children and youth living in the DFW area. Through a partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), the Upbring Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program provides essential services, and we hope you’ll partner with us to provide the love and support unaccompanied refugee minors need to heal and thrive! Upbring welcomes foster parents from all backgrounds to apply. For more information about becoming a refugee foster parent with Upbring, please visit the LIRS Foster Care intake page: https://www.lirs.org/foster-care/become-a-foster-parent
Click here for a flyer with more details.
Congregational Asylum Seeker Sponsorship Training
Is your congregation interested in exploring the welcoming and sponsorship of asylum seekers? It is our great pleasure to invite you to congregational asylum seeker sponsorship training being offered virtually as part of the ELCA Becoming Conference hosted by the ELCA Service and Justice home area. Enter your information into the online registration form and check yes on the last two boxes for the asylum seeker sponsorship training to be held online on Saturday, August 27. If you have any questions regarding this invitation, please email Mary.Campbell@elca.org. Hope to see you there! Register by July 31.
Invitation to 100th Anniversary Celebration
Central, Dallas turns 100 on July 22. All are invited to worship on July 24 at 10:30am as they celebrate, followed by lunch at 12 noon. Please RSVP by TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 20, to the church office for lunch: 214-327-2222.
Featured Resources for July
Being Church | Courageous Leadership
Nearly 100 Recordings with Faith Leaders from Across the Church
When most of us became aware of COVID-19 in March of 2020, ELCA Coaching (including our very own synod communicator, Jason O’Neill) began hosting weekly gatherings with faith leaders (rostered and lay) from around the nation to discuss ways we could envision (and take action toward) BEING CHURCH more like Christ taught and modeled. After taking part of the summer of 2021 off to rest and listen, they began hosting these weekly gatherings again around COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP. These gatherings continue to meet weekly on Wednesdays at 1pm Central, and anyone may participate. (Login information can be found here: https://www.elcacoaching.org/events/courageous-leadership) Recordings are typically posted by the next day and often include links to additional resources: https://www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/elca-coaching-media/series
Save the Date
Lutheran Men in Mission is hosting a “One Year to Live” Men’s Retreat this fall (October 21-23) at Camp Chrysalis (near Kerrville, TX). Early registration ends July 22.
Download a two-page brochure here. | Download a one-page flyer here.
Recent Blog Posts
Bishop Gronberg:
(https://www.ntnl.org/president-biden-to-visit-augusta-victoria-hospital/ – published Jul. 13)
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:
Jul. 21-23: MYJ2 Multicultural Youth Gathering 2022, Briarwood
Jul. 24: 100th Celebration, Central, Dallas
Jul. 31: Installation of Rev. Erin Swenson-Reinhold, Preston Meadow, Plano
Aug. 5-6: ELCA Latinx Young Adult Gathering, Briarwood
Aug. 7-12: ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Columbus, OH
Pastor Totzke:
Jul. 24: Central/Bethany Anniversary & New Beginnings celebration, Dallas
Aug. 4: Transitional/Interim pastors meeting, Zoom/Briarwood Aug. 6: ELCA Latinx Young Adults Gathering, Briarwood
Aug. 7: New Hope, Keller Aug. 10-17: Vacation Aug. 19-20: Candidacy Meeting and retreat, Briarwood Aug. 23: First Call pastors, Zoom Aug. 27-28: Permian Basin ministry conversations, Midland/Odessa
Jul. 31: Installation of Pr. Erin Swenson-Reinhold, Preston Meadow, Plano
Pastora Bañales:
Jul. 21: ELCA CCL Staff Meeting, Online
Jul. 23: Grace, Abilene
Jul. 24: Mount Olive, Dallas
Jul. 27: VBS at Central, Dallas
Jul. 28: Meetings with Ecumenical Group and NT-NL Renewal Team
Jul. 30: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Jul. 31: New Hope, Keller
Aug. 2: Walnut Hill, Farmers Branch
Aug. 4: Meeting with Rev. Héctor Carrasquillo, ELCA Latino Ministries Director
Aug. 5-7: ELCA Latinx Young Adults Gathering, Briarwood
Aug. 9: Denton Jury Duty
Aug. 10: Executive Committee meeting, Santa Maria, Irving
Aug. 14: New Hope, Keller
Aug. 15-17: DEM’s Region 4 Retreat, Galveston
Aug. 18: Ecumenical Panel
Aug. 20: Visioning Retreat, Central, Dallas
Aug. 21-24: ELCA Becoming Service & Justice conference
Aug. 26-27: NT-NL Latina Women Retreat
Aug. 28: Ecumenical meeting, West Texas
Aug. 30: Meeting with Mission Developer
Aug. 31: Meeting with Mission Developer
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:
- Jul. 20: Courageous Leadership – Kelly Marciales – Organizing for Mission
- Jul. 21-23: MYJ2 Multicultural Youth Gathering 2022, Briarwood
- Jul. 27: Courageous Leadership – Nathan Swenson-Reinhold – Team Facilitation
- Aug. 3: Courageous Leadership – Coaching Real and Current Topics for Attendees
- Aug. 4: Transitional Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
- Aug. 5-7: ELCA Latinx Young Adults Gathering, Briarwood
- Aug. 10: Courageous Leadership – Coaching Real and Current Topics for Attendees
- Aug. 13: Public Witness Team meeting, Zoom
- Aug. 17: Courageous Leadership – Coaching Real and Current Topics for Attendees
- Aug. 24: Courageous Leadership – Coaching Real and Current Topics for Attendees
- Aug. 31: Courageous Leadership – Coaching Real and Current Topics for Attendees
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.