Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
From Bishop Gronberg: “One role of the office of Bishop is to speak and advocate on behalf of our social service organizations. When Texas Gov. Abbott announced a change to a 40-year program, I was concerned. In conversation with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), I learned more about this change and its impact on our work in Texas.
Then in conversation with ecumenical colleagues, I discerned to add my name to this statement. I believe we speak more clearly and with greater impact when we speak together as leaders of Christian communities engaged in this work. I encourage you to educate yourself about what this change in policy will and won’t do and speak your conscious as well.”
Editorial in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Take action. Call the Governor’s office. Sign the petition. Host a Refugee Sunday. LIRS has created a bulletin insert and petition for your use. Please incorporate these SOON into a worship service.
Table Talk Updates
Our next Table Talk is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4. We are happy to host Nathan Kirkpatrick, managing director of Alban at Duke Divinity School.
The topic for this Table Talk has been expanded: Congregational Leadership in Changing Times for Changing Churches.
Click here for more details (these have been updated) and to register.
If you are unable to make it in person and are interested in watching via livestream, you can access that via our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/DiscipleLifeMission. A suggested donation of $5 or more would be appreciated to help us cover costs. You can donate directly to Briarwood.
FREE Webinar: October 18
Fair Labor Standards: New Overtime Rules
Register directly here: https://community.elca.org/FLSAwebinar (must register by Oct 14)
The U.S. Department of Labor has adopted new overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which go into effect on December 1, 2016. Among other changes, these regulations increase the minimum salary for exempt employees from $23,000 to $47,476. Many congregations, synods, and other ministries of the church have questions about how this impacts their employees and ministries. Does it apply to churches? What about pastors? Youth workers? Sextons? How about schools? Or camps? Join us for a free webinar on how the new regulations will affect religious institutions, and get answers to your questions.
Featured Resource
LUTHERAN IDENTITY IN A LATIN AMERICAN CONTEXT
REFORMATION WITH A TWIST
Visit marginalized Mexican communities and Central American refugee shelters to hear about the challenges Lutherans in Latin America face when trying to follow Jesus’ footsteps.
Join Lutherans from around the country to seek answers about what our faith looks like in a different context.
Meet Mexican and Central American pastors, learn about challenges that churches face in Latin America, and how ecumenism is playing an important role in carving out the social mission of the church.
October 28 – November 2
$650 per person
All inclusive (except airfare)
“Seeds of Transformation is an immersion trip program which seeks to build relationships between cultures in search of mutual transformation. ELCA Global Missions has been a key partner in promoting and participating in trips to central and southern Mexico.
We are a branch of Amextra (Mexican Association for Rural and Urban Transformation), a non-profit organization that has been working with marginalized communities for over 30 years. Amextra currently has projects in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, and the State of Mexico (outskirts of Mexico City).”
For more information, sample itineraries, and to sign up,
email semillas@amextra.org
Save the Date
The Region 4 ELCA World Hunger and Global Mission Consultation is a great opportunity for synod leaders in world hunger and global mission to meet with one another. This gathering will also feature a focus on AMMPARO, developing ways to strengthen congregational and synodical participation.
This annual gathering, November 18 – 20 in Leavenworth, Kansas, creates a space to share in the mission of our work together throughout our region.
Where in the world is?
Bishop Gronberg:
- Oct. 7 – Preaching at NT-NL SWO Convention
- Oct. 8 – Installation of the Rev. Paul Zwarich to Calvary, San Angelo
- Oct. 9 – Installation of SAWL Nicholaus Chove to Umoja, Fort Worth
Pr. Kris Totzke:
- Oct. 4 – NT-NL Table Talk
- Oct. 8 – Briarwood Fall Festival & Thrivent Cook-off
- Oct. 9-10 – 125th anniversary of Trinity, Pottsville; visits in the HOT Conference
Upcoming Events
- Oct. 4: Table Talk: Congregational Leadership in Changing Times for Changing Churches
- Oct. 7-9: NT-NL Synodical Women’s Organization (SWO) Convention
- Oct. 8: Briarwood Fall Festival & Thrivent Cook-off
- Oct. 8: Service of Installation for the Rev. Paul Zwarich
- Oct. 9: Service of Installation for SAWL Nicholaus Chove
- Oct. 15: Parish Lay Mission Academy
- Oct. 15: “Seeds That Change” Dinner / Fundraiser (Mission Endowment Fund)
- Oct. 16: Lutheran Hymn Festival
- Oct. 17-19: 2016 Bishop’s Convocation
- Oct. 18: FREE Webinar – New Overtime Rules (ELCA)
- Oct. 24: Get Ready for Wright (SMU/Perkins)
- Oct 27: Live Webcast with ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
- Oct. 28: Now What? A Symposium on Repurposing (ELCA Mission Investment Fund)
- Oct. 29: Briarwood Invitational Golf Outing
- Oct. 31: LiveStream: Joint Ecumenical Commemoration of the Reformation (Lutheran World Federation)
- Nov. 15-17: Simply Wright: N. T. Wright @ Perkins/SMU
- Nov. 18-20: Region 4 Global Mission / World Hunger Synod Leaders Consultation (ELCA)
- Nov. 19: Parish Lay Mission Academy
- Nov. 20: Lutheran Campus Ministry Trivia Challenge
- Dec. 2-4: NT-NL High School Service Weekend
- Dec. 2-4: NT-NL Advent Retreat for 4th, 5th, 6th graders
- Dec. 4: Sunday Brunch at Briarwood
Access our full online Calendar here. Updates made regularly.
Do you have news or announcements to share? Please submit them to the Mission Area office (MissionOffice@ntnl.org) for consideration for our next NT-NL News. Remember to include a picture or logo.
Looking for information in past NT-NL News? Find NT-NL News archives here!