We recently received notice of a few important events coming up soon, and we wanted to give you as much notice as possible. For additional events (both before and after these dates), please see our Upcoming Events section below and our online synod calendar: https://www.ntnl.org/events/.
United States of Love Over Hate: A Ramadan Supper Series
From our friends at Shoulder to Shoulder:
We all know that relationships with others can be transformational. In a world that seems to be dividing at alarming rates, we need to sit down with real, living, breathing human beings more often. Thankfully, many of our religious traditions have spaces built into the regular rhythms of life to make this even more possible.
During the month of Ramadan (May 16 – June 15, 2018), many Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, then gather together – in mosques, homes, restaurants, and elsewhere – to break their fast each evening of the month. Sometimes these dinners (called Iftars) are small family affairs, while others are more festive gatherings of larger groups.
This year, Shoulder to Shoulder has teamed up with Se7enFast, the Islamic Society of North America, and The People’s Supper for The United States of Love over Hate: A Ramadan Supper Series. The primary goal of this effort is to identify, support, and connect people to Iftars open to interfaith guests across the United States, in order to help facilitate local relationship building among Muslim and non-Muslim communities. We will offer guidance to those already planning Iftars, as well as guidance and support to those looking to put together Iftars (including both larger community dinners, as well as home-based dinners).
Additionally, houses of worship are invited to display “Love – Your Neighbors” signs outside their buildings during the month of Ramadan, to show their commitment to standing with and getting to know their neighbors. (There are FIVE different sign designs to choose from!)
If you plan to display a “Love – Your Neighbor” banner at your religious center (house of worship, community center, school) this Ramadan, let us know so we can share that your congregation is part of the United States of Love Over Hate! Use #LoveOverHate when posting images of your banners on social media.
The Vigil of Pentecost
Bethany Lutheran Church, Community of Hope Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, and St. John’s Lutheran Church
Invite you to
Bishop Erik Gronberg, NT-NL Synod, ELCA, Preaching
Saturday, May 19, 2018
2:00 pm Gathering, Music and Fellowship
3:00 pm Worship Service with Meal following
at
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2939 Sunnyvale Street, Dallas, TX 75216
Come for Worship, Singing, Drumming, Fellowship
Click here to download a flyer with full details.
Questions – Pastor Doris Dupree Harris 214.649.8601
Lutheran Campus Ministry Golf Outing
2018 Lutheran Campus Ministry Golf Outing
May 20
The Trails of Frisco Golf Club, 10411 Teel Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034
1:00pm Shotgun Start
$90 per player
Come join us for an afternoon of fun, benefiting Lutheran Campus Ministry at Denton, serving students at the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University.
Enjoy:
- Green fee and cart
- Range balls
- Buffet dinner
- Replay certificate at the Trails
- 2 Mulligans per player
- 1 Raffle ticket per player
- Hole 10 par 5 (150 out)
- Awards
- Prizes
Entry Deadline and full payment due on or before May 13, 2018. Make checks payable to LCM Denton. Write “golf” on memo line.
Questions or comments should be directed to Mike Minard (940-783-8529 | michaelminardlt@gmail.com) or Dave Grieser (214-437-9591 | davegrieser@yahoo.com).
Return your registration form with payment in person to Mike or Dave, or mail to: Mike Minard, 2625 Calmwater Dr, Little Elm, TX 75068
Raffle prizes include a Calloway XR driver, other quality golf accessories, gift baskets, gift certificates to great restaurants, and other terrific items.
Don’t play golf? Provide a hole sign with your personal or business message for $100. You will get the sign to keep.
Click here to download the tri-fold brochure to register.
Support this vital ELCA outreach to young adults on campus. For more information about campus ministry, contact Pastor Celene Welch (817-269-1229 | pastor@lcmdenton.org).
Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Training
Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Training
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Haltom City, TX
Friday, June 1
5:30 p.m. Registration
6 – 9 p.m. Training
Saturday, June 2
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Training
“What if extending a specific welcome to LGBTQIA+ people sparked a renewal of your community’s faith life?”
A Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) training helps you design and implement a journey for your faith community to publicly and intentionally welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. Building an Inclusive Church equips you with ways to create dialogue, deepening relationships throughout your faith community rather than sparking debate and division.
You will have opportunities to engage through a mix of presentation, hands-on practice, and small group discussion. Many of the tools you will learn come from faith-based relational organizing. Grounded in scripture and discipleship, this training allows you to explore your own Christian call to hospitality and evangelism. The training is centered on the Building an Inclusive Church Toolkit and includes the tools of Graceful Engagement, the One-to-One Visit, Setting the Frame, Strategic Storytelling, Scriptural Engagement, and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression.
The registration fee of $100 includes training, materials, refreshments, and lunch. Registration, cancellation, and refund deadline is two weeks before the training. Reduced income registrations are available.
Here is the direct link for registration.
Click here to download event flyer.
* Drawing upon over thirty years of experience within a variety of Christian denominations, the Building an Inclusive Church toolkit is a step-by-step guide to help facilitate a welcoming journey in your faith community and extend a specific welcome to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. *
If you and your ministry setting would like to host a Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) training, the following dates are the remaining available weekends for the 2018 ReconcilingWorks Calendar: October 12-13, November 16-17.
Hosting a Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Training is easy. Here is what ReconcilingWorks required of BIC hosts:
- Provide a room equipped with a projector or TV screen where 15-20 people can meet around a table or tables. A BIC training runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
- Provide hospitality for Friday evening (Coffee, water, a snack) and then hospitality on Saturday including a soup and/or sandwich lunch for training attendees.
- Advertise the training to community members and Lutherans in your Synod. ReconcilingWorks requires at least 15 registrants one month from the training date. An advertisement flyer is provided by ReconcilingWorks.
For more information or to schedule a BIC training, contact ReconcilingWorks at (651) 665-0861.
2018 Synod Assembly Summary
If you missed the summary of our 2018 Synod Assembly, including the results of our elections, you can access that information in our NT-NL News for Monday, April 30.
Featured Resources for May
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month (also called Mental Health Month) has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, started by the Mental Health America organization (then known as the National Association for Mental Health), reaching millions of people in the United States through the media, local events, and screenings.
“The Body of Christ and Mental Illness” seeks to raise awareness of the challenges of mental illness, offer reflection and direction, and inspire action. This social message notes how mental illness makes the most basic aspects of everyday life daunting and sketches some of the challenges. These include the challenges to human dignity and difficulties in gaining access to treatment, problems that worsen existing social inequalities and lapses in the U.S. health care system.
The message puts to rest the notions that mental illness is an indicator of special sin in the family or the person suffering from it. It emphasizes the church’s role in encouraging companionship and healing, via restoration of relationships — heeding Galatians 6:2. What people with mental illness most need is time to pursue and engage in treatment, and to maintain or create relationships where they can exercise their abilities. Throughout the many forms of ministry the church provides, the church is called to confront practices that do not uphold human dignity and to offer hope and companionship, and attend to its own practices around health, its public voice, and the sensitive and thoughtful preparation of church leaders.
You can read or download the full social message on “The Body of Christ and Mental Illness.” This social message was adopted in 2012 by the Church Council of the ELCA.
You can also access A Leader’s Guide for Congregational Study: ELCA Message on Mental Illness.
Choose a theme below that resonates with you and your community and click on the bolded text for more resources:
Each year in mid-March, Mental Health America releases a toolkit of materials to guide preparation for outreach activities during Mental Health Awareness Month. During the month of May, Mental Health America, its affiliates, and other organizations host a number of activities, which are based on a different theme each year. The theme for 2018 is Fitness #4Mind4Body.
Bring Change 2 Mind, in partnership with Brandon Marshall’s Project 375, launched #StrongerThanStigma to raise awareness around the unique challenges that men face when discussing mental health, to encourage open dialogue, and to promote help seeking behavior.
#StrongerThanStigma features four inspirational male figures from professional sports leagues, television, and the music industry who have each made mental health advocacy a part of their platform. These headliners are Brandon Marshall, NFL All-Pro wide receiver for the New York Jets; Ben Scrivens, NHL goalie for the Montreal Canadiens; Michael Angelakos, lead singer of indietronica band Passion Pit; and Wayne Brady, comedian and actor. Each man either lives with a mental health diagnosis or has chosen to serve as an empathetic advocate, and shares his story and encourages men to start the conversation and end the stigma.
In 2018, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will promote the theme of “CureStigma” throughout all awareness events, including Mental Health Month. One in 5 Americans is affected by mental health conditions. Stigma is toxic to their mental health because it creates an environment of shame, fear, and silence that prevents many people from seeking help and treatment. The perception of mental illness won’t change unless we act to change it. There is good news. Stigma is 100% curable. Compassion, empathy, and understanding are the antidote. Your voice can spread the cure. Together we can #CureStigma.
Recent Blog Posts
Bishop Gronberg:
(https://www.ntnl.org/assembly-2018-under-construction-transformed-in-christ/ – published May 2)
(https://www.ntnl.org/st-matthew-san-mateo-waco/ – published May 2)
Where in the world is?
Bishop Gronberg:
- May 4 – Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly, San Marcos
- May 5 – Briarwood Gala is going… Fiesta, Euless
- May 6 – Abiding Grace, Southlake
- May 12 – TCU Graduation
- May 13 – Family Sunday (Mothers Day), Trinity, Fort Worth
Pr. Totzke:
- May 10-15 – Vacation
Pra. Bañales:
- May 1 – King of Glory, Dallas, TX
- May 3 – St. Luke’s, Richardson, TX
- May 4 – Indonesian Ministry meeting, Allen, TX
- May 5 – Briarwood Gala is going… Fiesta, Euless, TX
- May 6 – Worship with Indonesian Ministry, Allen, TX
- May 10 – NT-NL Stewardship Team meeting, Synod office
Upcoming Events
- May 14: Dr. Michael W. Waters to discuss Stakes Is High: Race, Faith, and Hope for America, Dallas, TX
- May 15: Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber: “Stop saying the church is dying!”, Fort Worth, TX
- May 19: MEF Board meeting, Grand Prairie, TX
- May 19: PLMA Spring 2018, Course 3, Briarwood
- May 19: NT-NL Eastern Conference W-ELCA 2018 Spring Gathering, Shreveport, LA
- May 19: The Vigil of Pentecost, Dallas, TX
- May 20: 2018 Lutheran Campus Ministry (Denton) Golf Outing, Frisco, TX
- May 27-Jun. 1: Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive, Austin, TX
- Jun. 1-2: Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Training, Haltom City, TX
- Jun. 10-15: Building Congregational Capacity for Hispanic Ministry, Austin, TX
- Jun. 24-27: the tAble: an ELCA gathering of youth with disabilities, Houston, TX
- Jun. 24-27: The ELCA Multicultural Youth Leadership Event, Houston, TX
- Jun. 27-Jul. 1: ELCA Youth Gathering, Houston, TX
Access our full online Calendar here. Updates made regularly.
Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit to the Synod office (office@ntnl.org) for consideration for upcoming NT-NL News.