The Holy Spirit is on the Loose in the MNO Synod!
Renewal Event - at the 2008 Synod Convention in Dauphin
Saturday, April 26, 2008

How do we know?

• Within the past 2 years, the synod council has articulated an exciting vision and mission.
• Our Bishop brings passion for God’s mission, a desire for congregational renewal across the synod, and a commitment to lay ministry.
• There is a growing sense among church leaders that “something new” is possible in their congregations, communities, and across the synod. 

We have contracted Kelly Fryer, author of Reclaiming the “L” Word and Reclaiming the “C” Word, to help build on this momentum for the sake of creating missional change in the people and congregations across the MNO Synod.  The one-day Renewal Event will lead participants in worship, prayer, Bible study and focused conversation around some key missional questions:  Who are we?  What is our purpose?  How has God gifted us to fulfill that purpose?  What are we going to do now? 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Council members and other leaders in your congregation
• Young adults
• People in your congregation who have read or studied Kelly Fryer’s books.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

• You will go home with a “purpose statement” and a list of “next steps” that you can take to your congregation for the sake of renewal.
• You will receive an outline to help you lead a similar event back home that will be designed to engage the whole congregation in this process of reconnecting with God’s purpose for them and God’s vision for their communities.

Space may be limited so please register early!

Cameroon Companions - Thank you to congregations and individuals who responded to the invitation to send articles to the Cameroon with the container that is going from Global Health Ministries, ELCA. Thank you to Jack and Val Fredrick for making a trip to Minneapolis to deliver these articles to put on the container. For a list of the articles click here. Pastor Jack & Val will be in N’gaoundéré, Cameroon by April 1, 2008 to receive these articles. Tentative arrival for container – early to mid May.

March 14-16, 2008
Attention all 18 to 30 something-ish! If you are looking for a great time to relax, wind-down, meditate, and reconnect with your spirituality and other young adults, this is the weekend for you! We will be going out the Wilderness Edge retreat centre in Pinawa for our annual Young Adults Retreat with the focus on slowing down, and rebuilding relationships with God and yourself. Cost is $65. For registration forms click here. For further or fast-tracked information, contact Jeff Buhse at jeffbuhse@hotmail.com or 791-9803.

Index

This is the time of year during which stewardship committees are often appointed. For many people being on the stewardship committee is a real challenge and it is hard to know where to start. This edition of the The Steward is intended to be a starting point and it attempts to answer a few of the questions that people ask. Stewardship ministry is one of the most important ministries of our church, so thank you for being a part of this work. I hope that this will be of assistance as you begin your work in this important ministry. As always feel free to pass this newsletter around, and let us know if you or anyone you know would like to receive The Steward regularly.

Rev. Ryan Andersen
randersen@elcic.ca

"Grace Idolo"
Fourth Annual Dinner Theatre
March 6,7,8, 2008
Tickets go on sale February 17
$25 ($15 charitable receipt)
doors open 6:15pm, dinner 6:30pm, show 7:30pm

At Grace Lutheran Church, 211 Kimberley
Guaranteed great Italian Food
Great Fun

Contact Karen Colquohoun 661-2562

The St. Margaret's Consultation on Doctrine, Liturgy, and Preaching

Human Sexuality and The Nuptial Mystery

At this consultation church leaders will have the opportunity to interact with two internationally respected Anglican theologians: Dr. Oliver O'Donovan, Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh and Dr. Ephraim Radner, Professor of Historical Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.

Our goal is to look for creative alternatives to polarized options in the debate about human sexuality. Residing in the rich and liberating constraints of Scripture, we hope to explore the imaginative options and tensions within the classical Christian tradition.

Participants will be encouraged and refreshed by the rediscovery of the joy of theological study in the context of worship, and within the bonds of Christian affection.

The consultation will have two concurrent tracks in which papers will be presented by several Anglican theologians: "The Nuptial Mystery: The Sacrament of Marriage" and "Desire, Vocation and Friendship: The Mysteries of Human Sexuality."

Dates: April 20th to 22nd, 2008

Location: St. Margaret's Anglican Church, 160 Ethelbert Street, Winnipeg, MB R3G 1V7

Contact: Christina Holmes at c.holmes22@gmail.com or Kirsten Pinto Gfroerer at kpg@saintmargarets.ca or phone 204-774-9533

Full Consultation Details available at: http://saintmargaretswebsite.ca/consultation/

What's Your Mission?
Does your congregation or organization have a mission moment? Share your story with CrossWord readers. Tell MNO Synod members what you are doing in your community and around the world when it comes to mission. Email stories to rscherger@elcic.ca.

Jacques Rocks the LV Ice Cream Social
What does pizza, trains and ice cream have in common with Luther Village? The 200 + people who attended our annual family Ice Cream social know! Jacques Chenier sung about pizza and trains in his engaging musical way. He had children on their feet throughout most of the concert (one child referred to him as a "Rock Star"!!) and everyone enjoyed ice cream!

On an extremely cold day in January, over 60 people attended an area strategy meeting of ten ELCIC congregational councils and three ecumenical partners at Zion Lutheran Church Beausejour. The Northeastern Manitoba congregations and communities met to build on steps they have already taken to strengthen ministry and mission in their area of the synod. They were looking at potential new models for ministry and empowering people to do ministry. These included:

• two internships that will model rural ministry, cooperative ministries and mission development and will be a gift to the wider church in its efforts to provide ongoing training for rostered ministry candidates
• a tentative preaching workshop for laypeople in early May 2008
• an exploration of the mission possibilities in the Garson and Tyndall area
• the redevelopment of some parishes

There is a changing face to the Lutheran presence in their neighbourhoods and communities. There are some changes to pastoral leadership and in fact two congregations will be without pastoral leadership soon. During this time of changes the congregations and synod office are partnering and providing leadership in discerning what the mission is in their neighbourhoods and communities and how the congregations and their partners might meet the changing needs.

The meeting was an opportunity to discern a long term vision for ministry in the Northeastern Manitoba area, what present and future pastoral needs might be required and to report on further initiatives with the Anglican Church of Canada dioceses in partnership with them. It was a time to have honest dialogue about our communities and to find ways to partner with others so that rural ministry can be strengthened.  Each council was asked to report back to their communities and to bring further discussion to a future meeting in April 2008. Working together, working cooperatively has made a difference in understanding mission in Northeastern Manitoba and each council is commended for their vision and their spirit of creativity in allowing God to lead and being available to help when God calls for mission in the world.

The URBAN, 743 Ellice Ave., has many wonderful opportunities to
serve. Click on the link below for a Volunteer Gifts/Skills/Interest Inventory, as well as a list of the present programs that could use your gifts, and consider whether God may be calling you to become involved.

Please return ASAP to Tannys Strand - tannys_strand@hotmail.com as future programs are in the planning stages.

There will be a meeting for all volunteers on Feb. 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
at 743 Ellice Ave.

Some immediate opportunities include:
1) 2-3 volunteers to help out with the biweekly Wednesday evening
Winnipeg Harvest/the Urban food bank. The distribution location is
First Lutheran Church at 580 Victor.
2) Someone to phone kids for the Thursday evening program. We also need someone willing to prepare a flyer listing our weekly activities and a team of people to distribute these flyers to homes in the area surrounding 743 Ellice.

Food donations needed:
1) Cookies or granola bars for the Thursday evening adult drop-in.
2) We are running low on the following supplies in our emergency food cupboard:
teabags
peanut butter
cereal (unsweetened)
canned meat or tuna (no salmon please)
evaporated milk
margarine
3) $25.00 Superstore or Safeway gift cards - these are used to purchase supplies for or to supplement the hot portion of the lunch on Sunday afternoons, or purchase snack items for the kids program.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made a commitment to this ministry.

Feb. 17 at Advent, Thompson
Mar. 16, Faith, Winnipeg
Apr. 20, Trinity, Starbuck
All services begin at 7 p.m.