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.
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.
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.
2016 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.
Refugee Sunday: November 22, 2015
Read more about Refugee Sunday here.
Download the ELCA Refugee Sunday Toolkit and more at refugeesunday.lirs.org.
Bishop 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.
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.
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.
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:
- Nov. 20-22: Region 4 Global Mission/World Hunger Leaders Consultation
- Nov. 22: Refugee Sunday
- Dec. 1: Weapons in Worship? New Gun Laws in Texas and Religious Properties
- Dec. 5-6: Advent Retreat
- Dec. 4-6, 13: TLU Christmas Vespers
- Dec. 6: Briarwood Sunday Brunch
- Jan. 9-10, 2016: Women’s Family Retreat
- Jan. 14, 2016: Wrestling with the Gospel: Preparing for Lent & Easter
- Jan. 14, 2016: Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning
- Jan. 15-17, 2016: NT-NL High School Service Weekend
- Jan. 23-24, 2016: Lumberjack Retreat
- Jan. 25-27, 2016: Tri-Synodical Theological Leadership Conference
- Feb. 19-21, 2016: Peer Ministry Leadership Event
- Feb. 26-27, 2016: Congregational Council Retreat
- Apr. 22-24, 2016: NT-NL Mission Assembly
- May 29-Jun. 3, 2016: LSPS Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Level I Intensive
- Jun. 12-17, 2016: LSPS Building Congregational Capacity for Hispanic Ministry Level II Intensive
- Jun. 20-30, 2016: Lands of Luther Tour
- Sept. 17, 2016: Installation of the new NT-NL Bishop
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