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NT-NL News: Week of Nov. 16, 2015

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This week we pray for:

St. Andrew in Hurst (Pr. Willard McKiver)
Bethel in Avoca (Pr. Teresa Davis )
ELCA Malaria Initiative

The 2015 NT-NL Prayer Partners can be found at ntnl.org/2015PrayerPartners or you can download the PDF here.

Living our DiscipleLife

[Image description: A large group of junior high youth participate in an activity. They are lying on the floor of a large room with a colorful mosaic painted on the back wall. There is one adult leader standing, directing the youth in the activity.]Divergent: Junior High Gathering

This past weekend, youth from across the mission area gathered at Calvary Lutheran Church (Richland Hills) for Divergent, their annual Junior High Gathering.

Friday night, November 13, was the night of the attacks in Paris. While the City of Lights might have had its light dimmed that night, the God of Light was still shining strong through your youth. Anna Ernst, Intern at Calvary, wrote on her Facebook page:

Was present at the NT-NL Jr High Youth Gathering tonight. Aside from being with family, there was no one I would rather have spent time tonight with than the 7th and 8th grade confirmation students I led devotions with an hour ago. I could tell them that what happened tonight in Paris was scary and there wasn’t anything I could say to make it better. I could also tell them that watching them be together and look out for each other and put on silly skits and giggle was my high of the day.

When I was feeling hopeless, they were the hope I saw tonight.

Prayers up.

Thank you to the parents who trusted their children to our youth leaders during this devastating time, thank you to the leaders who walked with the youth as the events unfolded, and thank you to the youth for being the present of our Church and helping the adults through this time, as well.

Thank you to all of the youth leaders who made this event happen, especially Janelle Miller (Calvary, Richland Hills) and Jonathan Lys (Shepherd of Life, Arlington), the NT-NL Youth Leaders and masterminds behind the event!

Check out Trinity Lutheran Church’s (Clifton) Facebook page for more great photos of the weekend!

Read how others across the ELCA are doing God’s work with their hands in Stories of Faith in Action. Have a story to share about how your congregation or ministry is living their DiscipleLife? Let me know! criss@ntnl.org.

NT-NL News heading News & Opportunities

Mosaic partners with people to pursue their dreams.Help for Mosaic in Corsicana

The Corsicana agency is in desperate need of a spruce up of their Day Hab. So much so, an agency that serves as a guardian to multiple people has discussed moving their people from their facility. They needing painting done, new ballasts and lights installed, big dry erase boards, pictures, hanging of pictures and dry erase boards, and other things that will help brighten up their Day Hab.

They are anticipating on this costing $2,500—or, if volunteers from the Waco and Dallas agencies would like to help, that would reduce that cost!

Here’s the thing, they only have this month to get it done.

If your congregation would be willing to help with a major Thanksgiving project, please contact Lisa Jacobs, Associate Director of Mosaic in Corsicana at 903-654-7904 or call their office at 903-874-3364.

Grace Gathering August 10-13, New Orleans2016 Grace Gathering

August 10-13, 2016 • New Orleans, LA

The Grace Gathering will take place during the four days of Churchwide Assembly, August 10-13, 2016. This event will give you an opportunity to experience the ELCA when it is gathered as the Churchwide Assembly and to learn about the breadth and depth of our ministries.

Find more information and register at elca.org/GraceGathering.

Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service: Refugee Sunday 2015Refugee Sunday: November 22, 2015

Read more about Refugee Sunday here.

Download the ELCA Refugee Sunday Toolkit and more at refugeesunday.lirs.org.

2016 Bishop Election NT-NL Mission AreaBishop Election Committee Updates

Please visit BpElection.ntnl.org for information about the bishop election process, and for discernment materials such as Bible studies and prayers to help guide congregations through the process.

If you would like to contact the Bishop Election Committee, please email BpElection@ntnl.org.

Mark Your Calendars:

Sunday Brunch, Aug. 23 [Image description: photo of a plate with an omeletstuffed with red and green peppers, and a side of hash browns. Text reads :Sunday Brunch" over the plate of food in green text, and "August 23" in green text on the top right corner. There is a solid white circle overlay with the text "Email RSVP for brunch!" in red text on the middle right side of the image.]Briarwood Holiday Brunch

Sunday, Dec. 6 • 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Briarwood Retreat Center

Reservations are encouraged but not required. For reservations, call 940-241-2099 or e-mail bw@briarwoodretreat.org.

[Image description: headshots of Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and William B.Horne III]Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 • 8:00 CST

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton and William B. Horne II, an ELCA member from Clearwater, Fla., will continue their conversation on racism in another live webcast on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at 8 p.m. (CDT).

Please go to elca.org/webcast for more information.

[Image description: Stained glass window with images of angels.]Texas Lutheran University Christmas Vespers 2015

Dec, 4 & 5 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 6 at 4:00 p.m.
Jackson Auditorium, TLU

Tickets available now! Visit tlu.edu/christmas-vespers-2015 for more information.

Upcoming Events in the NT-NL Mission Area and Beyond:

Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit them to Criss Forshay (criss@ntnl.org) for consideration for our next NT-NL News. Don’t forget to include a picture or logo! p