Over 375 meals served in July!  The evening hours at the Urban have been welcomed by the community families.  Winnipeg Harvest helped us out a lot with biweekly bonus runs of fresh vegetables and fruits. Most of the cooking has been done by Sandy, along with her husband and a couple of volunteers. Here’s an opportunity for anyone who enjoys making soup or stew to lend a hand.  Sandy has suggested that if each congregation would donate four ice cream pails of soup or stew once or twice per month, it would go a long way.  We received a donation of a 22 cu ft freezer, so any extras will not go to waste.  Also accepting frozen vegetables, fruits as well as the usual pantry items. 

We now have a new guitar to use during worship times. The kind lady who donated the guitar to the Urban is Joan Sawyer.

Board members needed: we are looking for individuals who are passionate about serving and working with Lutheran Urban Ministry and have broad based business and grant writing experience.  LUM is a ministry in formation; growing and developing right alongside the people in the West End community in which we are located.  Email Judy, Lisa or Marlene – addresses on website.

AGM October 26, 3:00, 743 Ellice – all are invited – designated delegates from each congregation are eligible to vote.

School Supply Drive:  Runners, backpacks, lunch packs, and gym shorts are usually in short supply.  All school supplies collected will be distributed to the students on the last family night Thursday August 28.  You can drop off your donated school supplies at the Urban, 743 Ellice between 12:30 and 9:00 Mon – Thurs or on Sunday 1:30 – 3:00.  Call first to make sure Sandy will be available to receive them.  (774-3143)

Sleeping Bag Drive:
If you have sleeping bags you no longer use, consider donating them.  They will provide a much needed buffer against the cold to those who may not line up soon enough to get a bed at the various shelters around Winnipeg

August 23, 2008 Carnival at John M King school 1:00-5:00pm - volunteers needed to help set up 10:00 – 1:00 and take down 5:00 – 8:00

Coming up Fall Tea and Craft sale  November 8, 2008, more details to follow.

Community Involvement:
Sandy was invited by Jim Bear, political advisor to the Southeast Assembly of First Nations, to the University of Winnipeg to provide assistance to the residential school survivors as they gathered to listen to the Canadian Government Apology to Residential School Survivors delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on June 11, 2008.  This type of event can sometimes cause a great deal of emotional stress.  Lutheran Urban Ministry is listed on the official handout given to residential school survivors for health support and counselling.  In Sandy’s words: “ I truly felt God’s presence and could feel the healing happening.  I know that it helped to heal a part of my own heart.”

Sandy also attended a forum, "From Knowledge to Action", addressing the housing crisis facing low income people with mental health issues living in Winnipeg.  It was attended by lawyers, professors and representatives from the mental health community.  She was the only attendee from a mission setting and had lots of opportunity to bring forward the plight of many of the people that attend the Urban.

Sandy is the process of planning an Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Workshop, slated for September 29, 2008 6:00 pm and inviting all the community organizations.  If you would like to attend, give Sandy a call or email for further information.

Check urbanministry.ca for updates.

Eco-Challenge - August 23-24
Bring out your bicycles, running shoes, paddles and swimsuits. The second annual Luther Village eco-challenge is just around the corner. There is still room for last minute registrations (due by August 20th). If you're unable to compete yourself, consider pledging a competitor in your congregation!

Mother/Daughter Retreat - October 3-5
'Stepping Stones: From the Ideal to the Real' - Mothers and daughters ages 15 and up, come and join us for a relaxing weekend of renewal and reconnection. Our mother/daughter resource leaders will take us on a journey to discover the how to step from the ideal and how to embrace the real relationships we have as moms and daughters.

Golf Tournament - September 13
Fall is quickly approaching, which means it's almost time for the Luther Village Golf Tournament. This year's tournament is at The Meadows Golf Course. $65 gets you lunch, a round of golf, a donation receipt, and a chance to winning some great prizes. If you have any questions if or wish to register, please call Don - 204.669.4321.

Phoneathon - October 19-21, 27
The end of the camping season marks our annual phoneathon. There will soon be a friendly voice calling and asking for you to contribute to the ministry that takes place at Luther Village. If you wish to make your contribution earlier, or would not like to be contacted, please let us know. This is also a great opportunity to help LV out by lending a hand at the event itself. If you are good at conversation call the office to offer your help.

Entertainment Books
This year's Entertainment Books are on their way, and they are full of amazing savings. If you would like to purchase an Entertainment book, please call you congregational ambassador or the camp office.
Please call Tanya for more info: 204.889.6353

Stewardship Conference
Nov 14-15, 2008
Canadian Mennonite University

Could your Stewardship Committee use a boost? Are you new to your congregation' s Stewardship Committee and could use some training? Have you been asked to be on the Stewardship Committee, and wonder whether this is for you? Then this is a conference you should plan to attend. WISL (Winnipeg Inter-church Stewardship Link), an ecumenical group of stewardship leaders, invite you to attend ABUNDANT LIVING - from doing stewardship to living stewardship, November 14-15. Dr. Mark Vincent will be addressing this conference from the faith understanding of living life from the perspective of "enough rather than not enough, gratitude rather than entitlement".

There will also be a number of breakout sessions that will include: The Young and the Restless - seeing young people as a resource to the church
-After the Tithe - what about the other 90%
-The Apostle Paul's Stewardship Manual
-It's Tough to be Green - stewardship of creation
-I've Been Called to be on the Stewardship Committee - now what?
-The Ecumenical Face of Stewardship - a conversation with denominational leaders

Mark you calendars now and be watching for the publicity to come to your church in early September.

Our first season of campus peer ministry is now complete, and we want to say thank you to the young adults who have committed themselves to bring leadership on our campuses this past year. At the University of Manitoba, we say thank you to Jeremy Langner, Anita Oswald, Lindsay Buhr, Jeff Buhse, and Shelby Wilton. At the University of Winnipeg, we say thanks to Thomas Jordan and Rachel Borkowsky. At Brandon University, we say thanks to Lisa Lauritsen, and at Lakehead University, we say thanks to Alexis Albrecht. Thanks also to Kelly Speak and Alanna Borkowsky who assist Pastor Larry in overseeing this ministry. This past May, we met to do an evaluation, and made plans to continue the peer ministry model of campus ministry. Congratulations to those of our peer ministers who have graduated this year. Some of our peer ministers will be continuing for 2008-2009. And of course, we are still in the process of identifying and calling some additional new campus peer ministers.

How is God inviting you to help in this ministry? If you, or your son or daughter will be at university this next season, whether on our Synod territory or in another Synod, please email contact information (student name, congregation, email address and telephone number,university, faculty and year of study) to lulrich@elcic.ca. This will assist our campus peer ministers immensely as they attempt to make contact with all of the students that we know about on a particular campus. For those attending university outside of our Synod territory, the information will be passed along to the campus ministries in other Synods.

Was it Order or Chaos? Those amazing three days in Montreal at the end of June!  Was it world-renowned liturgical theologian Gordon Lathrop’s talk of the mischief that happens in our Order?  Or other keynote speaker Karen Ward’s mention of letting the worship emerge from the assembly that was Order & Chaos?  Or, waking up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning to the People’s Gospel Choir of Montreal proclaiming Resurrection from out of the tombstones on Mount Royal?  Chaos when your tired bones lift up to go tell it on the mountain in a power prayer breakfast.  Or is prayer Order?  What about getting out of one city and traveling to 400 year old Quebec City?  In Quebec it was the chaos of language and the order of the Word.  Perhaps the surest thing was participants sharing images and words around the font at the closing worship. And where in the heat of summer, did snow cones at registration fit the Order of Anglicans and Lutherans gathering to experience new dimensions in worship?

Stewardship Resources
ELCIC congregations will soon receive a sample package of the 2008-2009 stewardship resources from the National Office to assist with your congregation's stewardship ministry. This year's thematic materials are based on Luke 1:68, "Blessed be the Lord God".Included in the mailing is: a copy of Giving magazine (containing helpful articles on estate planning, the power of story and a pull-out resource with a four-week stewardship emphasis plan), a poster highlighting this year's theme, sample bulletin covers, and more. To order further copies for your congregation, please contact the orders desk at orders@elcic.ca.

Contest Seeks ELCIC Artists
The National Office announces a design competition for gifts that will be presented on behalf of the ELCIC to global and ecumenical guests. The gifts may be of any kind but must be easy to replicate inexpensively. Since they may be packaged for overseas distribution, artists are encouraged to be mindful of weight and fragility. Options include, but are not limited to: crosses, calligraphy, icons and lithographs.

Specifications: Designs may not be larger than 12 inches in height or width, or one inch in thickness.
Eligibility: Artists must be members of the ELCIC.
Deadline: October 1, 2008 to submit a photo or slide of the entry.
Originals will be requested of the finalists. Submit entries to: ELCIC, Attn: Design Contest, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 or email info@elcic.ca.

ELCIC Online Resources
It's amazing what you can find at your finger tips - you don't even have to google these resources. Did you know the ELCIC website contains information on:
GHDA resources: www.elcic.ca/ghda
Resources for young adults: www.elcic.ca/youth
Employment opportunities: www.elcic.ca/leadership/employment-opportunities/job-postings
2009 National Convention: www.elcic.ca/in-convention/2009-vancouver

Laila Bernice was born to John Walseth and Klara Strom on January 25, 1940, in Vancouver, B.C. She was baptised, confirmed and married in First Lutheran Church in Vancouver. The child of Norwegian immigrants, she was a member of the Sons of Norway from childhood and held weekends at their cabin at the Hatzic Sons of Norway Park among her fondest memories. Laila is survived by her mother, Klara, her sister, Joan, her nephew, Jon, her niece, Janice and her grandnieces Ariana, Kirsten and Lily.

Laila married Raymond Lon Schultz (Ray) on September 2, 1961, and together they raised three children: Lorin (married to Kathy), Michael (married to Josée), and Joan. They have four granddaughters: Jennifer, Emily, Lola and Maya.

In addition to her primary and secondary education in Vancouver, Laila attended Camrose Lutheran College in Alberta for Grades 11 and 12, and the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI), also in Camrose, for the two-year parish workers’ program. There she met Ray. Later, in Edmonton, she attended the University of Alberta for two years.

Laila picked fruit in the berry fields of Richmond as a school girl. After graduating from CLBI she worked for the Co-op newspaper in Saskatoon, then as a parish worker in Zion Lutheran Church.

The couple lived in Saskatoon during Ray’s studies for ministry in the Lutheran Church, then in Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg and finally, Nanaimo, where they retired. Laila worked first as a secretary at Lutheran Theological Seminary, then, after Ray’s ordination, for the Edmonton Catholic school board teaching ESL and helping settle immigrants and refugees. In Vancouver she worked at Vancouver School of Theology, first in distance education, then in housing and facilities management. In Winnipeg she was the initial organizer and first manager of Four Corners, the Alternative Trade Organization of Canadian Lutheran World Relief. She has travelled to Europe, Asia, and Latin America in support of the justice and peace ministry of the Lutheran church. She is a warmly-remembered friend to hundreds of people both in Canada and abroad.

Even though she could be a gifted presenter, Laila preferred to avoid the main stage. Instead, she built hundreds of relationships, one person at a time, through personal sharing. She loved working in the Four Corners travelling stores that CLWR provided to conventions and other gatherings. Minding the store provided her with an opportunity to educate Canadians about life for their sisters and brothers in the global South.

Laila sang with a beautiful, mellow alto voice, loved live theatre, and embraced the spiritual disciplines of Ignatian contemplation and silent retreats. She was a member of the Richard Eaton Singers in Edmonton for several years.

Health issues haunted Laila for 25 years. She narrowly escaped dying from a ruptured kidney tumour in 1983. She developed osteoarthritis and diabetes during the Vancouver years. Her kidneys began to falter after the couple moved to Winnipeg, where she underwent breast cancer treatment in 2006. In 2007 she was diagnosed with a congestive heart condition. She lived with constant chronic pain the last 10 years of her life.

In contrast to her husband, Laila loved to travel. In order to accompany Ray on a trip to Palestine, Laila doubled up on some of her breast cancer radiation so that the last one would end the day before she departed for Jerusalem. She was irked that her health did not permit her to accompany Ray to Tanzania in June. Her travels did take her to Norway, Peru, Mexico, Sweden, Brazil, Switzerland, France and India.

Life with Laila could be complicated. She was a puzzling mix of assertiveness and self doubt; kindness and confrontation. Her sister describes her as a generous person with a capacity for unconditional acceptance. Laila had a passion for fairness and often took the side of the underdog. She learned many of her values from her father’s Christian social democratic ideals and taught them to her children who now embrace a pluralistic world with their own openness and acceptance.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will welcome five young people (aged 18-30 years) to serve as interns in its Geneva offices from February 2009 to January 2010. Interns bring valuable experiences to the WCC at the same time as they undertake several modules of ecumenical learning.
 
The next 12 months' internship period begins in February 2009. In Geneva, the interns will be assigned to one of the WCC working areas. They will carry out their tasks in co-operation with programme staff and under individualized supervision. During their stay in Geneva each intern is expected to plan an ecumenical project to implement in his or her home context when they return in February 2010.
 
The next generation of interns’ areas of work will be 1. accompanying churches in situations of conflict; 2. youth and ecumenical relationships; 3. visitors programme and media relations; 4. faith, science, technology and ethics; and 5. the WCC Commission on Faith and Order.
 
Successful candidates are people committed to the ideals of the ecumenical movement, who will bring their energy, commitment and a fresh vision to their specific work assignment. Applicants must send, along with their application, background information about their church or Christian youth network that will help them in implementing their proposed ecumenical project.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church at 637 Buckingham Road is hosting the Vacation Bible School. Everyone from 4 years of age to Grade 6 is welcome to attend. The theme is "A People on the Move" and will explore the amazing journey of Moses and his Exodus out of Egypt. It runs from August 18th to 22nd from 9 a.m. to noon at a cost of $25 per child or $50 per family. Contact Karen at 832-4564 or gdeiwpg@mts.net for more information.