Disaster Response: Support hurricane survivors and more!

From our partners at Lutheran Disaster Response:

Along with our partners in the region, we are prepared to respond to Hurricane Ian with immediate relief, including water, clothing, gift cards, tarps and more. Your dollars are also hard at work in communities around the world through Lutheran Disaster Response, including responses to Hurricane Fiona, the drought in the Horn of Africa, the severe storm in Alaska, the war in Ukraine – to name a few.

Such gifts make short- and long-term responses to these crises possible. Will you give now in support of Lutheran Disaster Response to accompany disaster survivors on the long road to recovery?

We pray that God’s presence will be felt in the midst of suffering and bring comfort to those who are hurting. Together, we can show our neighbors around the world that they are not alone. Thank you.

In Christ’s service,
The Rev. Daniel Rift
Director, ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response Fund
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

You may also donate to / through our synod Disaster Relief fund. (Select Disaster Relief in the dropdown menu.) Thanks to your generosity, our synod has already been able to send $2,500 each to the Caribbean and Florida-Bahamas synods!

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Implicit Bias Training

For people who strive to see others as God sees them.

“We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of identity. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Research on “implicit bias” suggests that people can act on the basis of prejudice and stereotypes without intending to do so. While psychologists in the field of “implicit social cognition” study consumer products, self-esteem, food, alcohol, political values, and more, the most striking and well-known research has focused on implicit biases toward members of socially stigmatized groups, such as African-Americans, women, and the LGBTQIA2S+ community. For example, imagine Frank, who explicitly believes that women and men are equally suited for careers outside the home. Despite his explicitly egalitarian belief, Frank might nevertheless behave in any number of biased ways, from distrusting feedback from female co-workers to hiring equally qualified men over women. Part of the reason for Frank’s discriminatory behavior might be an implicit gender bias. Psychological research on implicit bias has grown steadily, raising metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions. – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Training is FREE and open to the public.

Available online two dates and times: Monday, October 17, 2pm Eastern, OR Tuesday, October 18, 7pm Eastern

Offered by Kindling Faith: Center for Sabbath Rest and Formation (United Lutheran Seminary) and Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

Register here.

Click here for a flyer with full details.

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Celebration of Life: Bishop Philip L. Wahlberg

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
is scheduled for
Reverend Philip L. Wahlberg
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022
2:00 p.m.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
200 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, Texas 78752

A reception with light snacks will be provided following the Celebration event.

Those unable to attend or who are unavailable are encouraged to live-stream the service.
Live-streaming information will be on the Gethsemane website the day of the service: http://gethsemaneaustin.org

The following email address is provided for two purposes:

1. To notify the family and Gethsemane Lutheran that you are planning to attend and how many will be with you.
(If your plans change, it would be appreciated if you would use the email address to notify the family and congregation.)

2. To share a special memory of Pastor/Bishop Wahlberg for the family’s understanding of your connection with him.

Email: PLWAHL2022@gmail.com

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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:

Oct. 6: Lutheran Men in Mission annual board meeting, Online
Oct. 16: 75th Anniversary festivities, Calvary, San Angelo
Oct. 20: RE:formation – Reimagining New Ministries, Zoom
Oct. 22: Memorial service for Dr. Peter Hendrickson, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 5: Memorial service for former Bishop Phil Wahlberg, Gethsemane, Austin
Nov. 13: Abiding Grace, Southlake

Pastor Totzke:

Oct. 6: Transitional Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
Oct. 9: Worship and call committee orientation, Christ the Servant, Allen
Oct. 13: Lutheran Campus Ministry cookout, UNT, Denton
Oct. 22: Shreveport Ministry Task Force, Shreveport, LA
Oct. 23: Shreveport combined worship service, St. Stephen, Shreveport, LA
Oct. 25: First call pastors, Zoom
Oct. 30: New Life in Christ, Duncanville
Nov. 3: Transitional Pastors monthly meeting, Zoom
Nov. 6: Zion, McGregor, for 100^th anniversary of the building
Nov. 15: Synods and Seminaries summit, Zoom
Nov. 19: Candidacy Committee, Briarwood
Nov. 22: First call pastors, Zoom

Pastora Bañales:

Oct. 1-8: Spanish Coaching and Emerging Community Organizing, Mexico City, Mexico
Oct. 10-13: Directors for Evangelical Mission (DEMs) Gathering, Chicago, IL
Oct. 14: Spiritual Retreat, Santa Maria, Irving
Oct. 17: ELCA Implicit Bias training
Oct. 18: Walnut Hill, Farmers Branch
Oct. 19: ELCA Candidacy Working Group
Oct. 20: RE:formation – Reimagining New Ministries, Zoom
Oct. 21: ELCA Latine Young Adult Network
Oct. 22: Visioning Retreat, St. Matthew’s, Fort Worth
Oct. 23: St. Matthew’s, Waco
Oct. 27: Oregon Synod: Learning Garden Holy Innovation, online
Oct. 27: NT-NL Renewal Team
Oct. 29: Central, Dallas
Oct. 29: Three Shared Ministry Review: Community of Hope, King of Glory, and Umoja, Fort Worth