CrossWord

Tickle your funny bone
A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, he looked at the old pages as he turned them. Then something fell out of the Bible and he picked up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that has been pressed in between pages.
    "Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.
    "What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.
    With astonishment in the young boy's voice he answered: "It's Adam's suit!!!

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked.
     "He died and went to Heaven," the dad replied.
     The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"

CLWR News

Photos from the field and at home: CLWR online gallery
Visit our newly expanded image gallery, including new images from Zambia and Mozambique. Many images now include captions that help connect for you the people and the issues that CLWR works with. The gallery is updated regularly.

Also in the image gallery are pictures from the CLWR warehouse in Winnipeg, where your donated goods and We Care kits and quilts are processed. Discover how CLWR processes your donated goods from across Canada.

Do you have pictures from a local CLWR fundraising event? Do you have travel experience in one of our focus countries? If so, we would love to see your snapshots. You could be published in our material! Send photographs to clwr@clwr.mb.ca or to 1080 Kingsbury Ave, Winnipeg MB R2P 1W5. Please note that submissions will not be returned.

We Care in Cameroon
Across the world there is a need for basic humanitarian supplies – things like a blanket or some bandages. In some cases the need is acute, like after a natural disaster. Elsewhere the demand is long-standing, such as in refugee camps. CLWR sends standardized kits and quilts through the We Care program. These goods are all donated by supporters of CLWR across Canada, and are shipped in the most economically feasible and effective way possible.

Last August two Lutheran missionaries, Rev. Jack and Valerie Frederick, set off for Cameroon with We Care kits, clothing and quilts. Writing from N’gaoundéré in Cameroon, the couple sent word this week on how things are going.

“Today we will distribute all the items we had sent via the container (CLWR school kits, children’s kits) for the AIDS orphans. A very lovely young lady called Fanta, a social worker, at the hospital will be overseeing that all will be properly handed out to those most in need.”

For more information on the We Care program, please view our online brochure, available from our home page at www.clwr.org.

Peru faces looming water crisis
The people of Peru, which is located on the Pacific side of the Andes Mountains, depend on a glacial water source that will greatly be diminished by 2050 and possibly as early as 2030, according to researchers in that country. Seventy percent of Peruvians live along the west coast, including those in the capital city of Lima. The Andean glaciers shared between Peru and Bolivia have already lost a third of their surface area since the 1970s.

Both Bolivia and Peru are countries in which CLWR actively promotes sustainable agriculture and industrial practices, including water management. Multi-national mining companies, including Canadian mining interests, consume a large part of the available water supply. There is also significant contamination of surface water from mining.

CLWR strives to give farmers the skills and tools they require to succeed in this challenging environment. This includes training in water conservation and erosion prevention techniques. CLWR also teaches children as well as adults about water safety, and how to monitor and report environmental damage.

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Small Sunday School Workshop

Greetings to leaders of Small Sunday Schools from the MNO Synod Christian Education Committee!

We are pleased to announce an upcoming workshop for leaders of Small Sunday Schools on Saturday, April 14, 2007. We will be assessing the blessings and challenges of Small Sunday Schools, sharing resources and ideas, and providing leaders with a chance to "network" with one another. The CEC will also be developing an electronically available Handbook for Small Sunday Schools, partially based on ideas generated at the event.

Please help us to promote this event by posting the attached poster in your home church, and/or printing the following announcement in your church bulletin:

Come on out to "Spicing Up Your Small Sunday School!", a free workshop for Small Sunday School leaders designed to inspire creativity and generate ideas. The workshop will be held at Christ Lutheran Church (Winnipeg), Saturday, April 14, 2007, 10am-2pm (lunch will be provided).

Register *for free *by contacting Margie Kvern at (204) 487-7659 or MKvern@wrha.mb.ca by April 5, 2007.

Thank you for your support. We hope to see you on April 14!
Yours in Christ,
The Christian Education Committee

To download and print the poster click here.

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Mutual Ministry takes off

A Mutual Ministry Committee has been created for the Synod Office staff. The purpose of the committee is to evaluate and strengthen the ministry, improve our mutual understanding of God’s mission and to strengthen our ministries together and individually, and to provide for ongoing dialogue. The Mutual Ministry Handbook has been updated and is available on our MNO website and we look forward to using it as synod staff and synod Mutual Ministry Committee. The Handbook includes structure, purpose, function and models for Mutual Ministry Committees. Congregations are encouraged to develop a Mutual Ministry Committee for your professional leadership on staff and begin this kind of dialogue, especially in terms of being proactive in identifying concerns and ministry changes and assisting congregations in working through mission and visions for ministry.

To view the Mutual Ministry Handbook, click here.

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Youth Worker needed at Abundant Life

A challenging part time opportunity as the Coordinator of Youth Ministry is being offered at Abundant Life Lutheran Church, East St. Paul, MB. The successful candidate would work with the pastor, Youth Committee, youth & their parents to develop a unique youth ministry in the East St Paul community. There is a vista of opportunity to reach out to youth in the area.

Interested applicants please call Abundant Life Lutheran Church, 3486 Raleigh Street, East St. Paul, R2E 1B9 at (204) 255-5433 or write or email allifepastor@mts.net (Pastor Annemarie MacIntosh) to request a job description. Ideally, we would like to staff this position June 1, 2007; however this date is negotiable. Closing date to receive resumes is April 30, 2007.

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ELCA Bible Study on stewardship of creation

The ELCA has put together an excellent bible study/retreat guide focusing on our stewardship of creation. It is a great resource for small groups, adults, older youth, Christian education classes, women’s circles or men’s groups. You can down load it for free from the ELCA web site at: www.elca.org/stewardship/teaching

Also to let you know the ELCIC is having someone work on our own resource as well.

While we are at it, another great resources, this one on the millennium development goals can be found at: http://www.elca.org/advocacy/one/mdgguide.pdf

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National / Synod Officers Consultation

Bishop Elaine along with Synod Vice-Chair Brian Lorch, Secretary Carol Janke and Treasurer Don Martin represented the MNO at a National / Synodical Consultation held at St. Benedict’s Retreat Centre March 17-18. The consultation brought together executive officers from all five synods as well as officers from the National church, some National Office staff and the other four synodical Bishops. The agenda allowed for a useful interchange of ideas on existing programs and policies as well as opportunity to learn about the Green Church initiative that will be presented to the National Convention this summer (Watch for more details about this in the coming months – it’s going to be exciting). Time was also set aside for Peer to Peer discussion where vice-chairs / chairs, secretaries and treasurers gathered separately to share their synodical experiences and to quiz other synod representatives about their approaches to commonly shared issues. Tentative agreement was reached for the group to meet again in two years time.

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Reflections from the LWF Celebration in Sweden
The Lutheran World Federation will be celebrating 60 years of global ministry. A celebration will be held in Lund, Sweden on the weekend of March 24-25th, 2007. In conjunction with the celebration, various committees and special pre-gatherings have been planned. One of the events will be a gathering of women bishops and presidents of the LWF. This will be an opportunity for women in leadership to network, be educated about the ministries around the world and celebrate the ministry of women leaders in the LWF. The ELCIC national church is providing funding so that our church will be represented by myself and Bishop Cindy (SK Synod). While it is exciting to participate, it is overwhelming to think of being part of a group of thirty three women around the world who represent a small percentage of leadership but have major leadership responsibilities. The question also in my mind is “How is that leadership being perceived in our global community and denominations?” What does it mean to the wider church to have women in judicatory levels of the church?
I feel insulated in our own small faith community (synod) in the ELCIC. There is a warmth and acceptance for this leadership and I take for granted my role and acceptance in this church. I wonder what it means for other women leaders around the world? I hope my experience in Lund will give me a new perspective and new insights about the role of women in the church around the world. I look forward to representing our ELCIC and sharing our perspective with the LWF communion. I am proud of the fact that our leadership in the church fostered a community that welcomes and encourages women leadership in the church.
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Foundation Grant Applications
Below is a memo from Bishop Elaine Sauer inviting congregations to apply for a grant from the MNO Synod Foundation. Also attached is the grant application. The deadline to apply for a grant is Thursday, May 31, 2007.
Memo from the Bishop	Synod Foundation Grant Application
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Paterson's bulletin covers on display
James Paterson is the artist who designed the ELCIC Bulletin Covers for Series B, just past. He is also designing the coming Bulletin Covers for Series A. Paterson's Series B will be on display at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery, 600 Shaftsbury Blvd., Winnipeg, March 9 - April 21.

Print the colour poster	Print the B&W poster
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March 20 , 2007 Volume 1, Issue 5 Editor: Rick Scherger

Epiphany hosts youth worship service