|
|
|
A
Network of Christ-Centered, Outwardly-Focused, Faith-Growing
Communities for the Sake of the World
|
|
|
|
|
Bishop
as Pastor
by Bishop Michael Rinehart
In
May, we will be electing our next bishop. My next bishop!
During
this time leading up to our assembly, we’ll be reflecting on the
church’s proclamation of the gospel and what kind of leadership we
need in this rapidly evolving context. We’ll be praying and giving
thought to the role of bishop.
Most
of the provisions for the bishop in the Gulf Coast Synod Constitution are
copied below for your convenience. The dagger (†) indicates a
required provision, like the asterisk (*) in a congregational
constitution. The duty list is long and daunting, I know, but the
bishop does not do this alone. There is a staff, a Synod Council,
Deans, and many other leaders who help carry the load.
It
says in S8.14.01 that the new bishop’s term begins January 1, but
the new bishop will begin in the summer. The provision allows for
an earlier date with a Synod Council vote. September 1 is fairly
standard. We’ll arrange it once we have a bishop elect.
I’d
like to draw your attention this month to †S8.12:
“As this synod’s pastor, the bishop shall…”
Read more...
|
|
|
|
The
Freedom of a Christian, the Freedom of a Deacon
by Deacon David Hope-Tringali
While
I was living abroad in Guatemala as a part of my call as the
director of Tree 4 Hope, I made a lot of friends in the greater
Antigua community. One of them was an acupuncturist who had moved
to the area a few years back from the Northeastern region of the
United States after coming on a volunteer trip to help provide
medical care to indigenous people in rural Guatemala. He fell in
love with the country and ended up putting down roots there and
opening up his own practice. I got to know him because, as one
might imagine, living in a foreign country, managing an
organization, traveling a lot for fundraising, navigating a
pandemic, and raising a small child can cause a lot of stress, and
often the most immediate way for me to alleviate that stress was to
get stuck full of acupuncture needles for an hour.
During these sessions, as my friend turned me into a human
pincushion, we had plenty of time to talk about life, purpose,
calling, and faith. My friend definitely falls into the category of
the “religious nones,” a self-described “spiritual but not
religious” individual, yet one who was constantly searching for the
Truth. He told me, one day, a story about a client he was working
with who asked him what the best spiritual practice was. His client
assumed it would be some meditation technique or some form of
prayer; however, my friend answered that, in his experience, the
best spiritual practice was serving others. This answer resonated
with me deeply, especially as a deacon, called to the roster of
Word and Service, and immediately made me think of Martin Luther’s
famous treatise “The Freedom of a Christian.”
Read more...
|
|
|
|
Pray
Ground Zoom & Youth Ministry Resources
by Pastor Ivy Schultz, Trinity Frelsburg and
St. John New Ulm
NOBODY
KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING, AND YOU CAN’T TELL ME ANY DIFFERENT.
Okay, that may be an exaggeration. And yet, if you can relate to
this statement even a little, what can help? Where can we go to get
ideas, brainstorm, and hear what others are trying? Where can we go
to listen to others who may not know what they’re doing, but
they’re doing something? Keep reading!
As people of faith, particularly Lutheran people of faith, we have
rituals and traditions that are tried and true and have often
served us well in the past. We now find that we are living in a
time where many things don’t work the way they once did. There are
many shifts in our culture that are challenging us and forcing us
to reinvent and innovate. Some of us enjoy the challenge and trying
new things, some of us absolutely despise change, and some of us
are tired and just don’t have the capacity to come up with ideas on
our own. Even Moses, who led the cantankerous Israelites for a few
decades, needed help and ideas from peers. Sometimes they worked
great, and sometimes their experiments failed. (Remember the golden
calf?) Moses demonstrated adaptation and innovation (and
occasionally exasperation) just like we are being called to do.
What if there was an opportunity to come together and hear about
things others are trying or have tried? What if there was a group
of people who are working to coordinate something like this? Well,
have we got a deal for you!
Read more...
|
|
|
|
October
is CAR Month
by CAR Team
October is CAR month! As in the past few years, the synod’s
companion synod team for the Central African Republic (CAR) asks
that congregations, on one or more Sundays of the month, have
special prayers and a mission offering for the church in CAR. If
October does not suit your church calendar, please choose any other
time that works for your congregation.
As part of our CAR emphasis month,
our committee will host two presentations to raise awareness about
the situation in CAR and the work we are doing in partnership with
the Evangelical Lutheran Church there. You are invited to attend
these presentations: October 13 at 9:45 am at Christ the King
Lutheran Church in Houston, and October 27 at Zion Lutheran Church
in Brenham (details to be confirmed). If you’re interested in
hosting a presentation in your congregation in the future, please
reach out to us through the synod office.
From November 5-15, 2023, a small delegation from the three U.S.
partner synods visited CAR to celebrate the 100th anniversary of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic
(EELRCA). Representing the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod were
Bishop Mike and Véronique Eberhart, co-chair of the CAR Committee.
Read more...
|
|
|
|
New to
the Synod: Meet Pastor Katherine Tuttle
by Pastor Tracey Breashears Schultz,
Bishop’s Associate for Leadership
Pastor Katherine Tuttle and her family have been in Houston since
early July. They were just getting settled in when, a couple of
days after their arrival, they were “welcomed” by Tropical Storm
Beryl. What a way to be introduced to a new synod!
Pastor Katherine is married to Jake. They have two daughters, ages
7 and 5. Jake’s position at the University of St Thomas as a
professor of medieval philosophy and a specialist in Thomastic studies
brought them to Houston, but Pastor Katherine says they are excited
about living here. In particular, they are happy about and ready to
experience the active arts and food scenes, the metro area with a
variety of Lutheran congregations, and the opportunities for
quality of life, education, and museums for themselves and their
children.
So far, Pastor Katherine’s impressions of our synod are all
positive (even though she was welcomed by a storm). When they first
came to the city, before their apartment was ready or their
belongings had made it by truck, they arrived by airplane. Pastor
Morgan Gates picked them up from the airport, took them to their
hotel, and helped them get acclimated. Pastor Katherine says that
was just the beginning of the welcoming, warm Texas hospitality she
has received. She experiences Houstonians, and particularly her
colleagues in the Central Houston Conference as “generous,
congenial, and willing to lend a hand.”
Read more...
|
|
|
|
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.
Read more...
October
Creation Care Events
- People’s Ecochallenge –
October 1–31, online – Join the Lutherans Restoring Creation –
Gulf Coast Team!
- Living the Change Weekly Discussion
Group – Tuesdays, thru November 19, 6 p.m., online
- Faithful Resilience: A Study on Climate
Resilience for Faith Communities – Wednesdays,
October 2-November 6, 6 p.m., online
- Climate Solutions 101 –
Thursdays thru October 10, 6 p.m., online
- Justice Advocacy Event –
Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Christ the King
Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston, TX
77005
- Native Plant Pollinator Garden Expansion
Project – Sunday, October 6, 12:15 p.m., Christ the King
Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston, TX
77005
- Faithful Voter Reflective Discussion
Group – Mondays thru October 28, 6 p.m., online
- Guided Prayer Walk in the Park
– Saturday, October 12, 9 a.m., Hermann Park, Houston, TX
77030
- Carbon Storage and Hydrogen: Public
Safety Concerns and Advocacy Timeline – Sunday,
October 13, 4 p.m., online
- Drawdown Roadmap – Thursdays,
October 17-November 7, 6 p.m., online
- Fall 2024 Interfaith Environmental
Stewardship Event – Sunday, October 20, 1:30-4:30
p.m., Willow Waterhole Greenspace, Houston
- Cool Congregations Cohort –
3rd Mondays throughout 2024, 7 p.m., online
- Park to Port Ride – Saturday,
October 26, 8 a.m., Hermann Park, Houston - Join other
Lutherans for the ride!
- Sunday Evening
Conversations on Creation: Workers and Heat Stress – An
increasingly dangerous problem – Sunday, October
27, 6 p.m., online
Contact gcs.lrc@gmail.com for details on
any of these events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
