To Rostered and Professional Leaders in the church
All rostered and professional church leaders are invited to attend the MNO Study Conference, held annually at Luther Village, Dogtooth Lake, ON. The information attached includes a registration form. The Study Conference is the only time each year (other than at synod conventions in alternate years) that ALL leaders gather together for study, renewal and relationship building with each other.  We encourage congregations who have lay persons on staff to also send their leadership to this event.

The Study Conference is considered an official meeting for rostered ministers and you are expected to attend, as directed in your letter of call:

“that we (the congregation) reimburse you for expenses not otherwise provided for, incurred in attending conventions and other official meetings at which your attendance is required”, and that rostered leaders seek permission to be excused if unable to attend.

Rostered leaders attend not only for their own benefit but for the benefit of their colleagues. This is an event in which we uphold and walk with our colleagues in ministry. It might be one of those times in which it is not about us but about others. Those unable to be in attendance are to request an excuse from the Bishop in advance of the study conference dates.

A New Hope – The Gospel According to Luke (Skywalker)
October 9-12, 2009 (Thanksgiving Weekend) at Luther Village.

Our presenter, Troy Miller, is a major fan of Star Wars episodes and will use clips from these movies to illustrate faith and life concepts from Luke’s Gospel. Junior and Senior High discussion groups will be formed to help the discussions to be age appropriate.

Add opportunities to play in God’s creation, make new friends, and sing with Prairie Fire, our Synod youth band, and you know this is an event that should not be missed.

Registration deadline is September 30.

This event will be held July 6-10, 1 to 4pm.
Activities will include singing, indoor and outdoor games, crafts, bible lesson, and a snack.
Ages 4 to 12 welcome.
FREE!
Contact Kelly to register, 204.339.8119
Christ Lutheran Church, 815 Inkster Blvd

10th Anniversary Events– Abundant Life Lutheran Church
3486 Raleigh St. Birds Hill, MB

Sept 11/09 – Villages Here and Beyond – Family Carnival
5:00 pm to Dusk –
Bake Sale and Coffee, BBQ Supper, Car-Trunk Sale, Bonfire

Sept 20/09 – 10:30 am Festive Service – Bishop Elaine Sauer
12:00 Noon -- Light Lunch and Conversation

September 27 – 10:30 am Festive Service – Guest Speaker
Special music by Congregational Groups
12:30 pm –Pig Roast and Fellowship

For more information please call 204.255.5433

We celebrate and rejoice with our Pastor, Lanny Knutson, his retirement after forty years of faithful service.

The Church Council of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is hosting a banquet to honour Pastor Lanny and his family on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at 6:00 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 637 Buckingham Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Tickets are $15.00 each. Contact Gloria Dei Lutheran Church at 204.832.4564 or gdeiwpg@mts.net for tickets or more information.

Created and Led by the Spirit: Planting Missional Congregations

Nov. 6-7, 2009

The Spirit of God is creating a new future through the planting of missional congregations! The Spirit is also inspiring missional leaders, scholars and church planters around the world for a creative new apostolic era.

This exciting frontier for the missional church invites new partnerships and new imagination. Bring your voice to a conversation that integrates theological vision and practical wisdom around the work of the Spirit in planting missional congregations!

Plenary Presenters
Leith Anderson, Senior Pastor, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Mary Sue Dreier , Associate Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary
Lois Malcolm, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary
Miroslav Volf, Director, Yale Center for Faith and Culture; Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn.
At the fifth annual Missional Church Consultation, you'll find:
Biblical Frameworks
Theological Reflection
Practical Insights
Worship with Emerging Church Leaders
Save when you register early!
$195 on or before Sept. 15
$225 from Sept. 16 to Oct. 16.
Register today at: www.luthersem.edu/missional_consult

For more information contact:
John Ogren, Consultation Administrator, jogren001@luthersem.edu
Mary Sue Dreier, mdreier001@luthersem.edu

LAMP Ministry
LAMP is pleased to offer two exciting new resources!

the harvest—LAMP Devotions
and
LAMP ‘09 Fueling the Mission

Both of these new offerings are available now to download at www.lampministry.org

the harvest
LAMP Devotions was written for LAMP by Rev. Michael R. Ruhl, Executive Director at the Center for United States Missions. This 39-page, easy-to-print booklet contains seven days of devotions about missions. It's an ideal tool for mission teams and prayer partners. To download the harvest, go to www.lampministry.org/Devotions.

Fueling the Mission
A unique program, designed to foster children’s interest in mission work. It offers them the opportunity to learn about and support LAMP’s work in remote areas of northern Canada. The materials are suitable for children in Sunday Schools, Christian Day Schools, Vacation Bible Schools, and home schools. To download Fueling the Mission, log on to www.lampministry.org/Fueling.

Click here to view the most recent changes within the synod.

Thank you to the councils and congregations of MNO Synod for championing this appeal in your faith communities. As of May 31, twenty six of our congregations have submitted funds toward the Mission as Hope Appeal in the amount of $21, 590.

How this will assist mission in our Synod? For a full list of projects, both ongoing and new, click here.

Each congregation will be receiving shortly a "Stewardship Package" from the National Church. In this package is the "Giving" magazine with stewardship articles, posters, as well as a fall stewardship plan that is entitled "New Love, New Mercy". Be on the lookout for this resource that has ideas for "growing joyful stewards in your congregation."

For additional assistance to work on your fall stewardship emphasis, don't hesitate to contact Larry at the Synod office, lulrich@elcic.ca or at 204.889.3760.

Consider holding a"Planned Giving" information session on how to include the church and its ministry in your will.

Contact Larry at the Synod office, lulrich@elcic.ca or at 204. 889.3760 for information that may help you to set this up.

From the 2009 Year Round Stewardship Plan
June
Church Picnic, Sunday School ends, final Arrangements for Vacation Bible School, Summer mode, School grads
Stewardship thoughts/actions
Emphasis on Pre-Authorized giving
Promote Outdoor Ministry (Luther Village)
Celebrate teachers and students in your church and community
Fall Stewardship Program is mostly arranged
Raise awareness of the Synod’s “Mission as Hope” emphasis in the congregation.

July
Holiday mode, Vacation Bible School, Camp
Stewardship thoughts/actions
Re-creation of body and spirit
Second quarter reports distributed

August
Holiday mode, Vacation Bible School, Publicizing Fall Programming, People church shopping
Stewardship Thoughts/actions
Narthex Ministry (hospitality)
Congregational Visibility in the Community (door knocking, inviting, distributing brochures in your community about your congregation’s ministry)

To Congregational Treasurers and Chairs
JUNE 30 is the deadline to file your congregation’s Annual Information Return, Form T3010 (commonly known as Charities Return) with Revenue Canada (if your fiscal year end is December 31).

All congregations must file their Annual Information Return within six months after the end of its fiscal period, otherwise its registration could be revoked.

The consequences of revocation of your congregation’s registration as a charity are:
it would be no longer exempt from tax;
it cannot issue official donation receipts; and
it may be subject to a tax equivalent to the full value of its remaining assets (revocation tax).

Information and forms are available on Revenue Canada’s website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca

Hello everyone!

Here is a reflection, with photos, on the last few months here in Lima. Things are moving forward slowly but surely! Thank you for all of your support and prayers!!!

Que Dios se bendiga ahora y siempre (May God bless you now and always!)

With peace and blessings~
Fran.

Keeping up with Convention highlights
Not able to make this year's National Convention? (Although there is still time to register as a visitor!) The following are some of the ways you can keep informed with all things convention related:
ELCIC website: will contain highlights and photos from Convention.
ELCIC INFO: email info@elcic.ca with subscribe in the subject line to receive press releases and highlights from the National Convention and the National Office
Facebook: become a fan of the 2009 ELCIC National Convention, share your thoughts and read updates
Twitter: mini-highlights will be posted by @ELCICinfo
Read More

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 370 McKenzie (Northend), is looking for an organist.

One of our two organists has resigned, and we're looking for a person who is willing to:
- play our organ or piano on a regular basis
- play every second Sunday, 2 services per Sunday: German 9.30 am, English 11 am (speaking German is not required)

If you're interested please contact Pastor Sabine Milewski or Church Secretary Shelley Smith.
Thank you.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church/Evangelisch-Lutherische St. Johannesgemeinde
370 McKenzie Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2W 5B2
Pastor's Office/Voice Mail: 204.589.0357
Church Office/Voice Mail: 204.586.2207
Pastor's Email: pastorsabinestjohnswinnipeg@yahoo.ca
Church Office's Email: stjohns1@mts.net

Hello Dear Friends,
I am writing to say that on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon (EELC), I was elected Assistant National Bishop of the EELC for a four-year term. Rev Dr Thomas Nyiewe was elected National Bishop of the EELC for a four-year term.

As Assistant Bishop, I stand in for the Bishop when he is absent and I am in charge of the Evangelism and Christian Education Departments and at the same time I am the Director of Evangelism. It is a big task that I am entrusted with, I hope for your support and prayers.

Thank you and may God bless us all.

Cordially,
Rev Etienne Fomgbami
Vice-President and Coordinaor of Evangelism
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon

Note:
The elected leaders of the EELC have been the President and Vice-President until now. The installation of the EELC Bishop and Assistant Bishop will occur in November.

In the class "Money and the Mission of the Church" students are asked to write a paper that indicates how they would attempt to transform a congregation that is dysfunctional in their financial stewardship practices.

Attached is a portion of a paper written by M.Div. graduate Aaron Werner ('09). In this paper Werner identifies 15 examples of how a congregation can transform its stewardship practices to better serve God's mission.

Grace & Peace,
Jerry Hoffman
Director of the Center for Stewardship Leaders
Luther Seminar

Robert Granke, executive director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), has received the Paul LeJeune Volunteer Service Award from the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC). The award was presented at the 35th MCIC annual meeting held Tuesday evening in the rotunda of the Manitoba legislature building.

In presenting the award, MCIC’s board president, Susan Roe Finley, cited Granke’s involvement with MCIC that has spanned four decades. In that time, he has served three terms on the board of directors and two terms as president.

Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is looking for volunteers to help us out of a “sticky” situation. On July 2, CLWR is moving to Portage Place to share space with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada national office. We’re excited about the move but not so much by the fact that we have thousands (72,000 to be exact) of donation envelopes pre-printed with our old address.

New address labels have been printed but they need to be put on the envelopes by the beginning of August. If you or a group in your congregation would be able to help us out by picking up just a few boxes of envelopes and labels, we would be ecstatic.

For more information, contact CLWR at 204.694.5602.

A variety of resources are now available to assist congregations in planning for CLWR Sunday this fall. CLWR Sunday is an annual celebration of the work of Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR). Resources available include a worship package with hymn suggestions, reflection on the lectionary texts for the day, intercessory prayers and bulletin inserts.

The theme for this year, “Helping make life better,” lifts up CLWR’s vision for a world where people live in justice, peace and dignity, are united in diversity, and empowered to achieve their universal rights to basic needs and quality of life. The theme also acknowledges that as Christians we do not undertake this work alone but rather as human instruments active in God’s divine plan for a redeemed creation.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada congregations are being encouraged to join together on September 27 and Lutheran Church–Canada congregations on October 18. Alternate dates may be chosen to better suit a congregation’s worship schedule.

Resources may be downloaded from www.clwr.org.