CONNECTIONS

LIRS is becoming Global Refuge

by Bishop Michael Rinehart

If you don’t know what the initials “LIRS” stand for, you have already stumbled across one of the good reasons for this name change.

I had the privilege of serving on the Global Refuge/LIRS board of directors from 2013-2016, the latter half of that time as chair. During that time, we hired an incredible leader in Krish Vignarajah as our President and CEO. The organization did good work, though few in the public knew who we were. We wanted to raise awareness about the organization. We also knew we could be a thought leader. Krish has made both of these things happen. The organization did phenomenal outward work, but we had to deal with some long-standing internal staff struggles. Today, Global Refuge is a young, nimble, modern organization that is growing and expanding its work.

During my time on the board, I heard the organization referred to by a host of names, few of which were accurate. Some of those names, by those who opposed the important work of refugee resettlement, were intentionally unflattering, like “LIARS.” We knew we had a name problem. It was something that had been discussed by many boards over the years.

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Why A Doctor of Ministry?

by Pastor Mindy Roll, Zion-Houston

In the fall of 2017, I began work on a Doctor of Ministry degree through Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, a seminary of the Disciples of Christ. I was drawn to a DMin for a number of reasons, but mostly because I missed being in a classroom. Much had changed in the world during my first ten years after seminary, and I felt behind when it came to questions around theology and social issues. Brite has a reputation for being ahead of the curve on such issues, and after touring, I knew it was the place for me.

As part of a DMin, a student creates a final project. Unlike PhD work, which adds original research to an academic field, DMin works takes research and puts it in a practical setting, questioning and then tracing how the two inform each other. When I began my DMin, I did not know what question I wanted to explore.

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Rebuilding Your School Post-Pandemic

by Bishop Michael Rinehart

The pandemic was hard on families, businesses, and the economy. Churches and their schools were no exception. Many of our schools had to shut down completely for a time due to COVID spreading through the school during the height of the pandemic. When things settled down, many schools found themselves with fewer teachers and fewer students.

Now that the smoke has cleared, how do our schools get back on their feet? Before we go there: Why do Lutheran churches have schools?

Why Lutheran schools?

The Lutheran church began in a university setting. Education has always been a high value in the Lutheran community. Lutheran schools can provide high-quality instruction and grace-filled care that creates a nurturing Christian community for learning and faith. Children and youth in Lutheran schools receive more faith formation than those who may attend Sunday school or confirmation for only an hour a week.

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Listen! God Is Calling: Lisa Rives

by Tracey Breashears Schultz, Bishop’s Associate for Leadership

The theme for the 2024 Synod Assembly is Listen! God Is Calling. We will focus on the theme of vocation and talk about the distinct gifts each of us has to offer the church and the world. Often, when we think about callings, we tend to call to mind those who are called to ordained ministry, but I have been privileged to meet and work with incredible lay people in our synod who faithfully answer their callings every day. I will use this newsletter space, throughout the year, to highlight some of those people.

Meet Lisa Rives! Lisa is the parish administrator at Peace Lutheran in College Station, TX. She has worked for six pastors in her seventeen years on staff.

Recently, I was the guest preacher for the installation of Pastor Rich McLeer, newly called to Peace. I noticed all the behind-the-scenes touches and the care taken to prepare for this event. Leaders’ guides were available for each worship leader, the bulletins included notes for those not familiar with the church, and there were bottles of water and mints in the robe room for visiting clergy. All of those details were Lisa’s doing. As I have worked the call process at Peace, I have gotten to know Lisa. She is the first person you see when you walk into the church office, and she is always ready to greet you and answer questions. She may be in the middle of multiple tasks, but I’ve seen her drop everything for the person standing in front of her at the reception desk.

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Lisa’s Pieces: Creation Care Tips from the Synod Lutherans Restoring Creation Team

by Lisa Brenskelle

The mission of Lutherans Restoring Creation is to promote incorporation of care for creation into the full life and mission of the church, working in five areas: worship, education, discipleship, building & grounds, and public ministry/advocacy.

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March and Early April Creation Care Events

• Drawdown Roadmap – Mondays thru March 18, 6pm, online
• Living the Change Weekly Discussion Group – Tuesdays thru April 2, 6pm, online
• Ecoactivist Testament Book Discussion Group – Wednesdays thru March 20, 6pm, online (Note: author to speak on 2/21)
• Cool Congregations Cohort – 3rd Mondays throughout 2024, 7pm, online
• Native Plant Pollinator Garden Refresh – Saturday, March 2, 10am, Christ the King, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston
• Pocket Prairies for Faith Communities – Sunday, March 3, 3pm, online
• Outdoor Guided Ecological Stations of the Cross – Saturday, March 9, 3pm, Holy Name Retreat Center, 430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston
• Justice Advocacy Event – Sunday, March 10, 9am-1pm, Christ the King, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston
• Lutherans Restoring Creation runs Run for Your Wildlife – Saturday, March 16, 9am, Baytown Nature Center, Baytown
• Lutherans Restoring Creation runs Hatchling Hustle – Saturday, March 23, 7:45am, Babe’s Beach, Galveston
• Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation: From Dependence to Abundance: Reimagining Farmland Access – Sunday, March 24, 6pm, online
• Faithful Resilience: A Study on Climate Resilience for Faith Communities – Mondays, March 25 – April 29, 6pm, online
• Outdoor Guided Ecological Stations of the Cross – Saturday, March 30, 1pm, Holy Name Retreat Center, 430 Bunker Hill Rd., Houston
• Composting for Faith Communities – Sunday, April 7, 2pm, online
• Justice Advocacy Event – Sunday, April 14, 9am – 1pm, Christ the King, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston

Contact gcs.lrc@gmail.com for details on any of these events.