Message from Pastor Kelsey Fitting-Snyder

Tri-Synodical First Call Retreat – Mustang Island

The first few years of ministry are filled with excitement, discovery, challenges, and plenty of questions. Seminary, CPE, and internship provide an important foundation, but there is something different about actually living into a call. Suddenly, the questions are no longer hypothetical, the relationships are real, and the decisions have an impact on the communities we serve. This is why First Call Theological Education is such an important part of our church’s commitment to rostered ministers. It creates intentional space for continued learning, reflection, and support as pastors and deacons grow into their calls. I am grateful that I get to help lead our first call ministers with my colleagues in the Southwestern Texas Synod, and the Gulf Coast Synod. 

We were grateful for our guest speaker this year, Pr. Nathan Swenson-Reinhold. The first night we spent learning about equipping and empowering leaders within our congregations and ministry settings. While these words are often used interchangeably, there is an important distinction. Equipping means providing people with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to serve. Empowering goes a step further. It means trusting people to use those gifts, giving them the freedom to lead, and creating space for their own ideas and initiatives. As rostered ministers, we are not called to do all the ministry ourselves. We are called to help others recognize and live into the gifts God has already given them. Affirming that ministry belongs to the whole people of God.

We also explored coaching as a model for leadership. At its heart, coaching invites us to approach conversations with curiosity rather than immediately offering answers or solutions. This is often a difficult mindset for leaders who want to fix things. Through asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully, and resisting the temptation to fix, we can help others discover their own insights and possibilities. This coaching mindset extends far beyond one-on-one interactions. Curiosity and good questions can transform the way we lead council meetings, navigate conflict, engage in congregational discernment, and accompany communities through change. 

Some of the most meaningful moments happened outside our scheduled sessions. Conversations over meals, walks along the beach, laughter, and shared stories reminded us why these gatherings matter so much. Ministry can sometimes be lonely, especially in those early years. It is important to have colleagues who understand the joys and challenges of this work. These relationships remind us that we are part of something larger than our individual congregations or ministry settings. 

I am grateful for the pastors and deacons who gathered at Mustang Island, for the gifts they bring to their communities, and for the ways they continue to grow as leaders in our church. My hope is that they returned home with new tools for ministry, renewed relationships, and the reminder that they do not walk this road alone.

 

In the joys of ministry,

Pastor Kelsey 

---

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:

October 13: Conference of Bishops Theological and Ethical Concerns Committee
October 17: Family Friend Funeral in Austin
October 18: First United, Dallas
October 24: COW Conference Meeting, Grace, Abilene
October 25: 50th Anniversary Celebration, Advent, Arlington
October 27: ELCA Journal of Lutheran Ethics Advisory Team Meeting
October 29-31: Conferenica Latina Couples Retreat
November 1: 70th Anniversary, Calvary, Richland Hills
November 8: First Communion and Confirmations, Santisima Trinidad, Irving
November 10-11: ELCA Churchwide Resource Development Committee Meeting, Chicago
November 14: Parish Lay Ministry Academy
November 15: King of Glory, Dallas
November 16-18: Region 4 Bishop’s Retreat, Galveston

Pastora Bañales:

October 14: Bethel, Avoca and Christ, Stamford
October 15: DEM Advisory Team
October 18: Zion, McGregor
October 19: PLMA 25th Anniversary Planning Team
October 19: San Gabriel, Alvarado
October 20: First Sagrada Familia
October 21: Rev Neddy & Jennifer DeLeon: Planning: Climate Justice and Faith
October 21: Latina Conference Conversation Lutherbot
October 22: ELCA DEMs Gathering
October 23-24: NT-NL Synod Women’s Organization Fall Retreat, Waco
October 26: ELCA Evangelism Network
October 30-November 1: Latinx Couples Retreat, Cedar Hill

Pastor Fitting-Snyder:

October 18: St. John’s, Gatesville
October 20: Discernment Cohort, Zoom
October 25: Emmanuel, Dallas
October 29: Theological Review Panel, Zoom