Message from Bishop Gronberg

Dear Partners in Mission:

On April 24th from 9am-3pm voting members from your congregations are invited to the Thirty Fourth annual assembly of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA. This assembly will be an online event and your voting members need to register here by April 11. There is a small fee for registration to cover contracting for audio/visual cameras and sound along with other upgrades based on our learning from our fall 2020 assembly. Also our education portion of the assembly will feature Bishop Mike Girlinghouse speaking about his book Embracing God’s Future Without Forgetting the Past. This book has gained attention across denominational lines as it resonates with the tasks you have been entrusted with. Tasks that have and continue to change in our current context.

Our assembly theme, Entrusted: Servants of Christ and Stewards of God’s Mysteries, is drawn from 1 Cor. 4:1-2, “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” Connecting to the promises given and made in baptism this theme reminds you that you have been entrusted not only with the message of the gospel, the most precious gift of all, but also with care for your neighbor and stewardship of God’s abundance in this world. In our assembly we will reflect on ways we have been faithful over the past year in our life together as synod as well as how together we will seek to be found trustworthy moving into the future.

As NT-NL you live into this theme Entrusted when…

• Congregational leaders prioritize health and safety of neighbors, moving online, wearing masks, sacrificing what you know, to ensure you are found trustworthy with your neighbors health.
• Pastors and lay leaders work to find creative ways to observe a second Lent and Easter in pandemic.
• Youth and family leaders seek new ways to connect, to serve and equip families to continue Christian Education in their homes.
• Lay leader education continues online through the Parish Lay Ministry Academy and Secondary School of Theological Education.
• When our full communion partners of the former Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth call, our congregations open doors and offer immediate sanctuary.
• You continue to give faithfully to your congregation’s financial needs and in turn pass along a portion of those gifts for our life together as synod.
• In the midst of a historic winter storm you call on one another, check on those who have been entrusted to you, and offer generous support to your synod’s disaster fund.
• When thousand of migrant young men are brought to the Dallas Convention center by FEMA, your Conferencia Latina responds to provide pastoral care.

We have been entrusted with a great many things. And as we give thanks for increasing numbers of vaccinations, hope on the horizon for fully coming back together in person, you also know that your lives, our lives, have been forever changed. And so this is a time for us to come together to reflect more deeply on how we can learn from this crisis and be found faithful in coming years. This is part of what Bishop Girlinghouse will invite us to explore together. Remembering the past, aware of all we have been Entrusted with, and recognizing that we are promised a hopeful future with God.

As you raise your palms this week and proclaim Hosanna! And begin the Holy Week that leads to the reason for our hope, God bless you as you participate in this old, old story that we have been Entrusted to share.

In Hope,

Bishop Gronberg

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NT- NL Responds: Caring for Migrant Children in Our Midst

Late last week it was announced a FEMA “decompression” center to temporarily house approximately 2,300 migrant young men (15-17 years old) would be set up at the Dallas Convention Center. Our ecumenical community responded quickly to offer support and pastoral care for these young men, most from Central America, who will stay at the shelter 3-4 days for processing. On Sunday March 21 DEM Irma Banales and Conferencia Latina Dean Jesus Escamilla led a protestant communion liturgy that was well received. At this time over 1,900 individuals have signed up to volunteer for the various chaperone/monitoring roles needed so those needs are well met. However, Pastors or Deacons who are bilingual and would be willing to serve as chaplains during the day would be appreciated. To do so please contact Bishop Gronberg (bpgronberg@ntnl.org) and he can coordinate getting you on the list. There will be an additional background check required. We will continue to be in communication with Catholic Charities and FEMA on ways we can serve these young men in our midst.

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As Part of Texas Refugee Advocacy Week (March 22-26)

Women In Refugee Resettlement

Wednesday, March 24, 1:00 – 2:00 PM CT

Join us for a panel discussion with refugee and SIV women as we discuss what it means to be a refugee or Special Immigrant Visa holder and what it is like to work in refugee resettlement. Our speakers will include Aisha Koroma, Dina Al Bayati, and Geeta Farahmand.

Register for this virtual event here: http://bit.ly/WomenInResettlement

FB Event link HERE

Hosted by Church World Service (CWS)

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Where in the world is?

As we continue to navigate the changing realities of Covid-19 and guidelines regarding masking and other restrictions, synod staff will be resuming some in-person events. For those, synod staff will wear masks, and we encourage all in attendance to do so as well.