Message from Bishop Gronberg

Thanks to all who made our “re-gathering” time together such a success.

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Early Registration Deadline for Leadership Convo

At this time, we are planning for this to be a hybrid event, offered both in person (Briarwood Leadership Center, Argyle, TX) and online.

We will be focusing on how to capitalize on the new things you have been doing. How to turn our reactions and fast learnings in pandemic into more long term parts of our life. To live into the hybrid in person/online future that is a reality for us all.

To assist us in this work we will be led by Dr. Alicia Granholm. Dr. Granholm has two decades of experience in church leadership in mainline and non-denominational settings in the United States and abroad. Most recently she has been coaching four of our NT-NL congregations who are involved in the Leadership for Faithful Innovation Cohort that Bishop Gronberg highlighted in his 2021 synod assembly report. She will work with us on a theology of innovation as well as how to make new things become part of our life. Joining her will also be, living into our hybrid culture, online conversation partners that will enrich our time including Mikka McCracken, Executive Director for innovation with the ELCA Churchwide office.

Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes is a professor of liturgy and worship at Union Seminary in New York. He will be joining us online to facilitate conversation about worship and life in our new reality. Carvalhaes, a native of Brazil, has both studied and is a cross cultural scholar. He will help us think theologically about our praxis of worship in person and online. To consider practices that engage all participants as much as possible in the liturgy, the “work of the people.” Dr. Carvalhaes is featured in this August 26 article: Ten Theology Books to Watch For.

It will be a good time for us to gather, think together, and learn. Click here for a tentative detailed schedule. (as of September 2)

Please register here: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/4182327. Early registration (half price = $25) ends TOMORROW, September 15. Regular registration = $50.

If you need overnight lodging (additional fee), please email jason@ntnl.org with your request, and we’ll be in touch closer to the event date.

Disclaimer: In the interest of safety and public health due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we reserve the right to enforce public health and safety measures, depending on the conditions at the time, at our discretion.

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FEMA Expanded Eligibility

The FEMA Funeral Assistance program covers COVID-19 fatalities that occurred on or after January 20, 2020.

💻 Find eligibility information here: fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq

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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. Until we can assure everyone in attendance at a meeting are vaccinated, in order to protect those gathered, the synod staff will continue to wear masks unless preaching or presiding and sufficient social distancing can be provided.

Bishop Gronberg:

Sep. 19: Festival Worship at Santa Maria, Irving
Sep. 26: Trinity, Fort Worth, with TLU President Debbie Cottrell
Sep. 26: Mt. Olive, Dallas
Sep. 28: Churchwide Strategy Leadership Team, Online
Sep. 29-Oct. 2: Conference of Bishops, Online
Oct. 3: St. Paul, Crawford, 100th anniversary
Oct. 17: Immanuel, Killeen
Oct. 18-20: Leadership Convo (Briarwood and Online)
Oct. 24: PLMA and SSTE Graduation (@ Santa Maria, Irving)

Pastor Totzke:

Sep. 18: Faithful Innovation training, Abilene
Sep. 19: Redeemer, Greenville
Sep. 26: Holy Trinity, Irving
Sep. 27-30: Tri-synodical First Call Pastors retreat, Briarwood
Oct. 3: Advent, Arlington
Oct. 14-20: Vacation

Pastora Bañales:

Sep. 13-15: NTNL Stewardship team and Kaleidoscope Conference
Sep. 19: First Sagrada Familia, Garland
Sep. 21: DEM’s meeting, Online
Sep. 22: NTNL Mission Developer & Redevelopers Gathering, Synod office
Sep. 23: ELCA Generosity Project Spanish team
Oct. 18-20: Leadership Convo (Briarwood and Online)