On August 5-9, Pastor Maki and two delegates—Nancy Collier and Rita Scheidt attended the NALC Convocation. The theme for the week was Walking by the Spirit with the Fruit of the Spirit. More than 800 delegates gathered for the Convocation and Mission Festival. The Rev. Dan Selbo was elected Bishop.  

The week began with the Youth Symposium which Nancy attended and gathered inspiration and resources for Parish Education.  Pastor and Rita attended the Braaten-Benne Lectures in Theology that offered lectures about the work of the Holy Spirit under the Lutheran Week theme, “Walking by the Spirit with the Fruit of the Spirit.” 

All three enjoyed the Mission Festival. There were a multitude of speakers including Yonas Yigezu, the President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus which is the largest Lutheran church in the world with 8,3 million members and 8,500 congregations. We also heard from Alex Mkumbo, Bishop, Central Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.  Discipleship, specifically Life to Life Discipleship was a central aspect of Walking in the Spirit with the Fruit of the Spirit.  

On Thursday, a banquet was held to honor Bishop Bradosky. The featured speaker was the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite, a poet, priest and singer from Cambridge, England.

The North American Lutheran Church has offered many resources which we hope to access and many faithful with who we can consult and share our Christian walk and ministries. Here are two links that offer to you more detail and invitation to deepen our faith journey.