In This Issue
Church Constitution Updates
Candidacy and Leadership Manager for Regions 3 & 4
Annual Reports
Portico Care Coordinators
Called Forward Together in Christ
Junior High Gathering
Lutheran Legislative Event
Upcoming Events
Reminders (including 2017 Prayer Partners)
Church Constitution Updates
Partners in Mission,
With the Advent and Christmas seasons behind you, I am sure many of you are looking towards annual meetings. Given that, I believe it might be wise for you and your leadership to consider looking at your constitution and how it compares to the changes that have been made in previous years and in particular the 2016 ELCA Churchwide assembly.
You might be asking… and I would understand you asking… Seriously, update a constitution? Don’t we have real ministry to do? People to serve and reach with the Gospel? Why bother?
I know all those responses. I have said them myself, and you could probably add to them. That said, in this New Year, I encourage you to consider spending some time on this work. Making sure your constitutions are up to date and reflect the changes made by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The reasons I have for this are…
1) The constitution is your legal leadership formation document. It guides you and your congregation. In addition, the constitution establishes the non-negotiables both legally and theologically (for example, the paragraph on the doctrine of the Trinity is required), and if you are not working within it, there can be significant consequences. Good leadership requires good governance.
2) You will not always be the leader of this congregation. What legacy are you leaving for the next leader? How are you assisting those who come after you and building in appropriate accountability? What do you wish your predecessor had put in place for you?
3) Oftentimes, leaders chaff at the words, “We have never done it that way before.” Well, examining your constitution and comparing it to the model constitutions can assist you in looking at how perhaps others have been doing it. You feel called to lead change? Well, the constitution can be your friend or your enemy.
4) You are legally part of the ELCA. As such, required provisions (those with asterisks, *) are legally in effect for your congregation, whether you acknowledge them or not, so it’s better to be aware. If you’re working from a 1990 constitution (or even perhaps previous versions), you might be making decisions based on requirements that are no longer in effect or missing new ones that are. With the changes in the Word and Service roster starting this year, constitutional changes are needed.
5) If legal matters arise, having outdated information in your constitution will only confuse you and others. How your congregation relates to each other and the rest of this church is in part determined by your constitution.
The model constitution (available in both English and Spanish) offers lots of options and freedom. This isn’t legalism; it is good leadership. If you have questions, be sure to check ntnl.org for information, or call the synod office. We would be happy to help.
In Christ’s Service,
Bishop Erik K.J. Gronberg
Candidacy and Leadership Manager for Regions 3 & 4
Job Context Information
The Domestic Mission unit works with Lutheran and ecumenical partners to accompany synods, institutions, agencies, and congregations to bring people to a richer understanding of their baptismal vocational call to serve God’s mission in their setting and in the world. This position is an integral part of the Domestic Mission Leadership team whose focus is to accompany, support and oversee the formation of both lay leaders and rostered minister. The work of leadership formation is done in collaboration with the Conference of Bishops and the various partners in the theological education network.
Job Purpose
The Candidacy and Leadership Manager is a member of the Domestic Mission Candidacy Team working collaboratively with bishops to mentor, resource and train synod candidacy committees. Their work will be in collaboration with other leadership team members, and may include leadership formation, Assignments, mobility, vocations and recruitment, relate to the Lifelong learning and campus pastor networks to identify and resource the formation processes for people responding to their call to rostered ministry. This full-time position will be based in the Region 3 or 4 area.
The close date for this listing is January 13, 2017.
Annual Reports
Friendly reminder: Your Mission Support and Parochial report forms are due this month! These can be found on our Annual Reports page. New this year: You may now submit your Rostered / Authorized Leader Report online! (found at the same link)
Also, please let your Treasurers know the 2017 Congregational Remittance Forms for Mission Support and other donations to the Synod and ELCA will be arriving soon.
Portico Care Coordinators
Starting January 1, 2017, there is a new way we’re asking ELCA-Primary health plan members to use their benefits. Care Coordinators will help guide members through today’s increasingly complex health care system. Click here for an introduction to Care Coordinators. We are excited and hopeful for the potential of this new approach to help us limit the growth of health care cost increases and help members receive the best possible care at the right price.
Called Forward Together in Christ
The ELCA Strategic Directions 2025 document, Called Forward Together in Christ, has been completed and released. We strongly encourage conversations within your congregation around our shared calling. Please submit stories to jason@ntnl.org that show how your congregation is living into these strategic directions and goals. We will be lifting these up on our website, in our NT-NL news, and in our synod’s quarterly insert in Living Lutheran.
Junior High Gathering
January 27-29
The NT-NL Junior High Gathering is for ANY Junior High / Middle School student (for most churches, this event is for your Confirmation Group). The event includes small group activities, church fellowship time, songs, games, meaningful worship experiences, a dance, and more!
Locations: Faith Lutheran, Flower Mound, AND Holiday Inn Express, Irving (North of the airport)
Full details here:
Complete these registration forms and mail in to the address on the forms.
For more information, contact NTNLYouthLeaders@yahoo.com.
Lutheran Legislative Event
The 2017 Lutheran Legislative Event, sponsored by the NT-NL Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice, the Southwestern Texas Synod‘s Poverty and Justice Task Force, and Texas Impact, will be held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Austin, starting the afternoon of Sunday, February 12, and will conclude about 1:00 pm on Tuesday, February 14.
We strongly encourage your participation!
Upcoming Events
Here are leadership highlights:
- Jan. 14: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Jan. 14: BRIDGES Book Club: Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
- Jan. 16: Tarrant Churches Together MLK Day of Service
- Jan. 23-25: Tri-Synodical Theological Conference
- Jan. 27-29: NT-NL Junior High Gathering
- Feb. 10-11: Mission / Synod Council Meeting
- Feb. 10-11: Tri-Synodical Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering
- Feb. 11: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Feb. 12-14: 2017 Lutheran Legislative Event
- Feb. 19-21: LSTC Seminary Sampler
- Feb. 25: North Texas Senior Fest 2017 (ALOA)
- Feb. 25: Creation Care and Climate Change (PWT)
- Mar. 3-5: NT-NL Peer Ministry Leadership Training (grades 9-12)
- Mar. 3-5: NT-NL Lenten Retreat (grades 4-6)
- Mar. 11: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Mar. 25: Dallas Area Metro North SWO Retreat
- Apr. 8: Public Witness Team for Peace and Justice monthly meeting
- Apr. 27-28: Mission / Synod Council Meeting
- Apr. 28-30: 2017 Mission / Synod Assembly
For a complete list of upcoming events in, and important to, our Synod, you can access our Calendar of Events online.
Reminders
- The 2017 Prayer Partners list can be found at ntnl.org/2017prayerpartners.
- Please update the contact info for the person (or people) who manage your congregation’s communications!
Looking for information in past Leader News emails? Find our Leader News archives here!