About Us

First Light Mission is a non-denominational outreach, originally established in partnership with the Tribal Christian Prayer Circle Ministry of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. The site provides resources for Christian worship, witness, and spiritual formation in addition to guidance for non-Natives on interacting with American Indian people, groups, and governments. 


Primary Contributors: 

The Rev. JR Norwood, PhD (Nanticoke-Lenape) served the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation as an elected Tribal Councilman (2004-2019) and the first Principal Justice of the Tribal Supreme Court (2013-2019). For over fifteen years, he also served as the senior minister to the Nanticoke-Lenape Tribal Christian Prayer Circle Ministry. He is the Co-Chair of the Task Force on Federal Acknowledgement of the National Congress of American Indians and the General Secretary of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes. Dr. Norwood is the director of the Christian Mission School of Theology and is also the pastor of the Ujima Village Christian Church of Ewing, New Jersey, which is an independent Reformed urban congregation and member of the World Reformed Fellowship.

Chief Mark Gould (Nanticoke-Lenape) is the Principle Chief of Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.   He has been a tribal leader for over forty years and has represented his own tribal nation and related indigenous nations regionally, nationally, and internationally.  He serves on the Chiefs Council of the Confederation of Sovereign Nanticoke-Lenape Tribes, is a founding board member of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes, and  He is a member of the  Committee on Native American Ministry of the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church. Chief Gould provides his reflections and testimonies to this site as a Christian tribal chief who also observes traditional tribal spiritual practices.

Trinity Norwood (Nanticoke-Lenape) served for many years as the president of the New Dawn Tribal Youth Council and was twice selected by tribal elders as the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation’s “princess” (tribal youth good-will ambassador). She has been an alternate tribal delegate to the National Congress of American Indians and has represented her tribe at regional, national, and international events. Trinity is the director of "Native New Jersey," consulting on Indigenous issues, cultural education, and programs.  She is a member of the Ujima Village Christian Church of Ewing, New Jersey, where she teaches the teen Bible Study, regularly delivers the Sunday children’s messages, and serves as a trustee.

The Late Rev. Roy E Bundy, MDiv (Nanticoke), prior to his passing, served as the pastor of the Saint John United Methodist Church of Fordville, New Jersey, which is a recognized historic American Indian tribal church affiliated with the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.  He was a member of the  Committee on Native American Ministry of the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Rev. Bundy also served in the leadership of the Powhatan-Renape Nation. 



Use of the Resources on this Site:
This site is a witness to the world about Jesus Christ.  It is meant to inform, inspire, and educate, all to the glory of God.  The free resources may be used, reproduced, or quoted with proper citation credit.  All rights are reserved on those items offered in gratitude for a donation, which may be quoted with proper citation credit, but not reproduced for distribution without the written permission of 1st Light Mission. Out of respect for indigenous heritage and cultural patrimony, it should be noted that some of the resources, especially some for worship or ceremony, are appropriate for use when an American Indian Christian can lead them; when this is the case, the resource will be noted as such.