Message from Bishop Gronberg
Dear Partners in Ministry:
On May 6th members of the Eastern Conference and myself are holding a closing/decommissioning service at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Marshall. This is a service a long time in coming. Over the past decade+ the congregation at Good Shepherd became evermore dispersed and unable to maintain ministry. Covid only made things more challenging. So it has become time to say goodbye to this chapter of our ministry in Marshall.
Closing congregations is never done without great prayer and thought. Trusting that the Holy Spirit guides us and the church we remember that congregations have life cycles and this is expressed in scripture. The congregations that the Apostle Paul addressed his letters to do not exist today. The congregations John on Patmos addressed in Revelation no longer exist. But the church, the baptized, remains.
And so it is that we are committed to continue to being the church in the world. At our recent assembly a resolution was put forth charging the synod council to come with a plan at our next assembly to plant and fund 4 new congregations in NT-NL. It is a bold and challenging resolution. Many have asked how this is going to be done. The reality is, we don’t know. But we certainly can and will learn as we engage this process. And in doing so we will listen deeply to the Holy Spirits guidance.
Death and life. This is the gospel message. Happy Easter!!!
Bishop Gronberg
NT-NL Synod Online Spanish Liturgy; ! BIENVENIDOS A LA MESA DE GRACIA!
We will learn & have Fun together by practicing Spanish language, praying, group practice, and assignments to put your learnings into action.
Theme: !Welcome all to the Table of Grace! Bienvenidos a la Mesa de gracia
Target Audience: Adults (Non-Spanish Speakers) Pastors, Deacons, SAWL and Lay members
Focus: Spanish Language Skills, Liturgy Vocabulary, Hispanic Culture awareness; Religious Traditions.
Objectives:
- Introduce key liturgical vocabulary in Spanish
- Explore some of the Hispanic Religious tradition during the liturgical year.
- Practice Spanish grammar and Vocabulary
- Familiarize students with the ELCA Spanish-language liturgies.
Click here to learn more about the Spanish Liturgy program and to register.
Please send resumes to Kari Voight at K.Voight@faithce.com
Featured Resources for May
Upbring is a Texas-wide organization implementing generational innovation to advance child wellbeing. They are a faith-based organization with deep Lutheran roots and have served children and families in Texas for over 140 years.
For more than a century – from the service-minded Lutherans who dreamed of building an orphanage in the 1860s to the vital programs in place today throughout Texas – Upbring has proudly grown and adapted to the changing needs of society. Their story is marked by the continual practice of generational innovation, each moment in history building upon the next to impact the next generation of children, families and communities.
Learn more about Upbring and their mission by reading “9 Thing You May Not Know About Upbring“.
Where in the world is?
NT-NL synod staff are excited to engage in-person on Sundays for worship. As good stewards of time and travel dollars, we will be utilizing online meeting formats in our new hybrid reality when possible. If you would like to schedule a meeting with the bishop or Synod staff please contact them directly.
Bishop Gronberg:
May 18: Messiah, Weatherford
May 18: Trinity, Sherman
May 24: Ordination of Trenton Ormsbee-Hale, St. Matthew’s, Fort Worth
Pastora Bañales:
May 6: First Sagrada, Garland
May 7: Online Spanish Liturgy Course
May 14: Online Spanish Liturgy Course
May 15-18: Lutheran Seminary of Theology, Chicago
May 19: ELCA Latino DEMs Online Meeting
May 21: Online Spanish Liturgy Course
May 22: ELCA DEMs Online Meeting
May 24: St. Matthew’s, Fort Worth
May 28: Online Spanish Liturgy Course
June 1: Emanuel, Dallas
June 1: Adviento, Arlington
June 2: Spanish Coaching Team
Pastor Fitting-Snyder:
May 5-9: Vacation
May 11: Emmanuel, Dallas
May 18: First Lutheran, Waco
May 18: Installation of Pastor Adam Stockton, Trinity, Sherman
May 25: Emmanuel, Dallas
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:
- May 7: Spanish Liturgy Course, Zoom
- May 10: Parish Lay Ministry Academy
- May 10: Public Witness Team Meeting
- May 14: Spanish Liturgy Course, Zoom
- May 21: Spanish Liturgy Course, Zoom
- May 24: Ordination of Trenton Ormsbee-Hale, St. Matthew’s, Fort Worth
- May 27: First Call Pastors Check-In, Zoom
- May 28: Spanish Liturgy Course, Zoom
- June 1: Ordination and Installation of Connie Ortega, Adviento, Arlington
- June 8: Ordination and Installation of Christine Cracchiolo, Abiding Grace, Southlake
Access our full online Calendar here. Updates made regularly.
Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit to office@ntnl.org for consideration for upcoming editions of our weekly news.