Tim Norton Installed at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church

IT IS WITH JOY IN OUR HEARTS TO THE LORD to share with you that on Sunday, Sept. 8, Tim Norton was installed to serve as missionary at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Navajo, N.M.

The service was well attended by the Navajo community, members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Gallup, N.M., as well as seven clergy from the circuit Tim is now part of.  Rev. Gary Bickner was the liturgist, Rev. Peter Spallek led the installation and Rev. Dr. Don Johnson offered the message.

Tim and his family settled in Gallup in late July. Aside from his ministry activities in Navajo, Tim also is enrolled in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC) program through Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., which leads to his ordination.

Tim Norton attended Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., earned his Director of Christian Education (DCE) 
degree at Concordia University, Portland, Ore., and his Master of Arts in 
Mission and Evangelism from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South 
Hamilton, Mass. Prior to coming to Shepherd of the Valley in Navajo, N.M., Tim and his wife, Heidi, served LCMS congregations in Portland, Ore.,
and Fresno, Calif. They served as church planter/leadership developer to
 the Maninka people in West Africa through LCMS World Mission.

We welcome Tim, Heidi, and their children, Philip and Leslie, to Lutheran Indian Ministries in Navajo.