In This Edition
Message from Bishop Gronberg
NT-NL’s Mission Endowment Fund Announces 2026 Grant Award Recipients
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest “How to Make an IRA Gift to Charity”
Drawing Water: Leadership Reflections from Pastor Nathan Swenson-Reinhold
Upcoming Ordinations and Installations
Upcoming Events
Prayer Requests
Message from Bishop Gronberg
Partners in Ministry:
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
The Easter festival continues as we hear of the works of God through Christ and the way the church is called to respond in service and proclamation. As you continue to celebrate Easter I encourage you to reflect on how God has overcome death and all the ways the world seeks to convince us it has the power. Easter proclaims God has ultimate power and that nothing can separate us from that love in Christ Jesus.
So continue to celebrate the feast. Taking encouragement and strength to serve those in our midst, to see the marginalized and the outcast, and to proclaim in our words and deeds that God is present and has come to bring abundant life.
In Christ,
Bishop Gronberg
NT-NL’s Mission Endowment Fund Announces 2026 Grant Award Recipients
The Mission Endowment Fund is proud to announce its 2026 grant award recipients, continuing a three-decade legacy of supporting transformative mission work and community outreach initiatives around the world.
This year’s grant recipients represent a diverse group of ministries and organizations dedicated to creating meaningful, lasting change. Through these awards, the Mission Endowment Fund reaffirms its commitment to empowering innovative projects that address spiritual, social, and humanitarian needs.
The NTNL Mission Endowment Fund also announces that applications for the 2027 MEF Grant Awards will be open from October 1 through October 31, 2026, inviting ministries and organizations to apply for funding to support impactful mission initiatives in the coming year.
In addition to recognizing the 2026 recipients, NTNL will celebrate a significant milestone, 30 years of grantmaking impact, at its upcoming Seeds that Change fundraising banquet, to be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026. This special evening will honor past and present partners, highlight stories of transformed lives, and look ahead to the future of mission-driven generosity.
“Over the past 30 years, we have witnessed the incredible ways these grants have supported ministries and communities,” said Jennifer Hachmeister, MEF’s Executive Director. “This year’s recipients continue that legacy with inspiring vision and dedication. We are excited to celebrate this milestone together at Seeds that Change.”
The Seeds that Change banquet will feature:
- Recognition of the 2026 grant recipients
- Reflections on 30 years of mission impact
- Testimonials from grant partners
- Opportunities to invest in future initiatives
Supporters, partners, and community members are invited to join in this celebration of generosity and transformation.
More information about the 2026 grant recipients, about the 2027 application process, or about purchasing tables for the Seeds that Change banquet will be announced at the Synod Assembly.
Each year, the IRS reminds traditional IRA owners over the age of 70 that they can make charitable gifts directly from their accounts. This type of gift is known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). For those who have reached age 73, a QCD offers the added benefit of fulfilling part or all of your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for the year.
Learn more about this process here or reach out to NT-NL Synod’s Gift Planner, Kirk Barrett at kbarrett@lfsw.org
Drawing Water: Leadership Reflections from Pastor Nathan Swenson-Reinhold
Drawing Water is a short monthly reflection for congregational leaders across the Northern Texas–Northern Louisiana Synod. These reflections attend to the lived realities of leadership—clarity, fatigue, conflict, discernment, and resilience. Like windmills on the plains that quietly draw life from below the surface, this series invites leaders to slow down, reflect, and remember that leadership was never meant to be carried alone.
May’s article is “When Everything Feels Urgent, Nothing Is Discerned”. You can read the reflections in English and Spanish here.
NT-NL WELCA May Newsletter
You can read about the happenings of our Synodical Women’s Organization here.
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 9: Parish Lay Ministry Academy Spring 2026, Spanish and English
- May 9: Public Witness Team Meeting
- May 21: NT-NL Youth Leader Lunch, Rejoice, Coppell
For a complete list of upcoming events, you can access our Calendar of Events online.