By Deacon Aimee Elles During candidacy I was asked repeatedly what it meant to me to be a deacon, what Word and Service meant, why it was different from Word and Sacrament ministry, or why I didn’t want to be a pastor. When I told one retired pastor who was very excited that I had entered seminary that I was pursing Word and Service ministry, his response was “oh” and a look of disappointment. Not to be deterred, I have spent the last few years articulating my own understanding of this...

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...

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. Download a Bulletin Insert (pdf) As part of our CAR emphasis month, our committee will host two presentations to raise...

By Lisa Brenskelle For more information on any of the below, or for creation care assistance/information, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com or see our new website! The team is seeking additional members. If you would be willing to serve, please contact us. 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...

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...

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...

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...

By Pastor Tracey Breashears Schultz, Bishop’s Associate for Leadership Paul Mikula is council president at St Paul Lutheran in La Grange, TX. He has been to Synod Assembly numerous times - and he was at this year’s, too - but this time was different. This time, Paul heard a story that inspired him, and he was stirred to respond. The second day of Synod Assembly, Paul reminded me, as we spoke by phone, that, especially as the afternoon comes, things can drag a little bit, and “people can become...

By Bishop Michael Rinehart I recently met with some of our deacons. They are a talented and diverse group. Some are musicians, some youth workers, some administrators, some chaplains. Right now we have a growing number of theologically-trained deacons. People are still getting used to the idea. Deacons often get asked a lot of questions about their role. Sometimes they get asked, “When are you gonna complete your education, go all the way, and be a pastor?” The question assumes a hierarchy and...

By Bishop Michael Rinehart A lot has transpired since the days of the pandemic, when the President of the Lutheran Church of Peru, Pastor Adita Torres, died of COVID. Many know that Peru had the most COVID deaths per capita than any other country in the world: 6,000 per 1 million Peruvians. In Ecuador, it was 1,800 per million. In the U.S., 2,400 per million. The church was devastated. When it became safe to travel again, we considered a synod visit. The church asked if only the bishops would...