An inspirational event for all the family, all ages, modeled on our national youth gathering- with music, art, drama, scripture study and key note speaker. In this time of uncertainty and economic unrest, it is good to gather as a faith community, to support and strengthen one another and build up our faith. We hope that congregations will come as whole group participants. Begin encouraging friends, family, congregational members and others to gather with us as a community of Christians.  The event is open to anyone.

Set aside Friday, OCTOBER 23 and Saturday, OCTOBER 24. More information will follow each month in Crossword.

MNO CTEL invites you to a "meet the interns" event. If anyone in your congregation has felt the least little urge to enter ordained or professional lay ministry, this evening will offer some more input into the discernment process. All are welcome.

Faith Lutheran Church
1311 Dakota Street
Winnipeg, MB
Fri, Apr 17, 2009
7:00-8:30 pm

SOME TWENTY- FIVE YOUNG ADULTS met for discussion and fellowship on March 14 with Pastor Chad Moir (emerging church mission developer in Saskatoon) around the topic "Churched, De-Churched, Un-churched – Where are U in the picture?' While the setting for the retreat needed to be changed from what was originally planned, the discussions and participation was excellent.

Please register with Sandy, 204.774.3143, if you plan to attend the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Workshop being held March 30, at 7:00 at the Urban. The last one was well attended and is back by popular request. 

Thank you to all who continue to provide food to our pantry. Every Sunday, Sandy prepares emergency food bags for the neediest of families. We try to accommodate as many as we can and as most people have access to Winnipeg Harvest, we limit this service to once per month, except in extreme circumstances. We recently received a huge load of pasta which has been divided for family use.

Pantry Items: most needed this month:
- easy access canned food – the kind with the pull tab on top
- breakfast cereal – non-sugar types, both ready to eat and cooked types
- pork and beans – any variety
- Frozen 4 liter pails of home made soup for use for community meals.
- Granola or energy bars
- Pasta sauce
- Canned meat or tuna

Odd Sock Giving Campaign: Hopefully everyone has found an odd sock and is scooping up loose change from wherever you can find it. In case you haven’t heard the details of our Lenten fundraising campaign, see the poster on the bulletin board or come talk to me. Starting Sunday March 22 and continuing to  April 12, 2009, there will be one green and one gold basket circulating during taking of the offering. We’re passing them around for all four weeks in case you will be away over Spring Break. All  donations of $15.00 or more will receive a tax receipt, but only if you include your name, address. Please also include the name of your home congregation so that we can inform each congregation of their contributions.

The Urban runs almost entirely with volunteers. In fact, Sandy is our only paid staff person. We are very encouraged that we are seeing renewed interest in volunteering at the Urban. If you have a couple of hours during the week, give Sandy a call. 204.774.3143. We are in the process of re-vamping our volunteer scheduling to give more flexibility to the volunteers who may not be able to commit to a weekly commitment.  (Think job-sharing)

God Speaks
The past week at The Urban was quite a difficult one. It was as if there was a concerted effort to undo a lot of the good work that happens. There was the incident of people coming in to “use the phone” that were found to be using solvent in the hospitality room. There was the incident of minor vandalism, and then just people not being in good moods. (This may be attributed to the cold, long winter.) There was an increase in the incidence of theft at The Urban. I was actually feeling quite sad about all of this and I asked God if

The Urban is where He truly wanted me to be. I have always been able to take things in stride, but this past week felt like too much to continue to struggle with. These were not only the events at The Urban. I was also able to be with a mother and child who were going through a very rough time.  The woman’s husband had been missing and so she had joined us for Wednesday night meal and we later prayed. This very kind lady prayed that God would give her some closure to where her husband was. We had talked earlier and she had said that she felt that he had passed away. The very next day his body was discovered.

Sunday came and we were blessed by the meal being prepared by the youth group from Abundant Life.  They not only prepared a delicious stew, but they also came to serve. This was such a blessing for our regular volunteers and it even allowed some to have some unexpected time off. Pastor Annemarie was also with the youth and sat in the service. I spoke with her about the many events of the week and I asked “Why would people do these things?” She quietly stated, what the focus of the day’s reading was, “there are those who prefer to live in darkness”. 

When I arrived at The Urban Monday, I received a telephone call from a woman who was looking for emergency food. I informed her that we typically only give it out on Sunday, and I suggested that she contact Winnipeg Harvest. There was something in her voice that made me tell her to come on down and I would see what we could do to help. This lovely young lady arrived and she looked absolutely “beaten down” spiritually. I found out that she had fled from her own community due to an abusive relationship and had just found a place here in the city. She had three young children who needed to be fed. I thought of how beaten down I had felt the week before and so I began to get her some emergency food while thinking about what a courageous young woman she was.

I gave her cereal for the children and I noted that there was very little cereal left in our food room. I gave her some of what we call “easy prepared food” that I knew that the children would eat. It was the last can. I also gave her cookies and again noted that there was not much of a selection left. I provided her with information about the programs available at The Urban and she said that she has been raised a Christian and that she will come to The Urban with her children in the very near future. I was walking her to the door when a very nice gentleman arrived with donations from Epiphany Lutheran Church.

It was hard for me not to laugh out loud as I removed items from the bag and basket that he had carried in. The items that I took out were pretty well the same items that had gone into the young mother’s emergency food, except there were three items to each of the one given to her.

It is when these things happen that I realize that God is answering my question if this is where I am supposed to be. Where else would I be able to see the “give and you shall receive” so beautifully played out? I would not have met such a courageous young woman and been reminded that there are far worse things happening than what had occurred over the past week at The Urban. I was reminded to wear the protective armor of faith and trust in God. God has spoken through these many events and I know that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Sandy Belisle
Lutheran Urban Ministry

Jesse Tree is going to be having another service on April 26. Details will be forthcoming. Watch here for more info.

The Faculty of Theology of the University of Winnipeg   is considering establishing a Doctor of Ministry Program with “Christian Leadership and the Public Square” as a focus.  Over the next month, we will explore the feasibility of this project with four focus groups across the city.  They are scheduled to take place as follows:

March 26 1:30 –  3:00 Charleswood United Church
March 31 1:30 –  3:00 John Black United Church
April 2 1:30 –  3:00 Meadowood United Church            
April 15 1:30 –  3:00 to be announced

While all of these focus groups are being held in United Churches we would very much like to have ecumenical involvement in responding to and shaping the vision for this doctoral program. We would request that you pass this information on to any clergy in your diocese that might be interested in participating in a focus group. Our hope is to gather 10 people per group (people who have been in ministry for 5 years or more and would be eligible for the program).  

All focus group sessions will be taped and a summary of the information gathered will be used in a final report to the Faculty of Theology. The names of participants will remain confidential.

Refreshments and delightful company will be provided! Please RSVP to Lynda Trono by emailing  ltrono@hotmail.com or  by phoning me at 284-7425.

Church Administrator
40 hours per week – 13 month term. Faith Lutheran Church in St. Vital is seeking a Church Administrator to manage the human resources, financial and business administration of the church. Start date is June 8, 2009. A full job description is available online at www.faithlc.ca.

Please submit resumes by e-mail to faithjobs@mts.net or by mail to Faith Lutheran Church, 1311 Dakota Street, R2N 1V8 before April 16, 2009.

Web Developer/ Recruitment Officer - Booth College
Job Description
Reporting to the Director of Admissions, the Web Developer / Recruitment Officer is responsible for developing the College website and the recruitment of new College students.
Read complete job description here

Booth College invites applications for the following position to begin 4 May 2009.
Registrar - Booth College
The Registrar will help the College meet its enrollment objectives through the provision of high quality and efficient enrollment services to students and the College community, accurate record keeping and effective statistical analysis and reporting. The Registrar will work under the supervision of the Academic Dean and in close collaboration with Recruitment, Finance and Faculty members to create the optimum student experience.

Qualifications:
Experience in post-secondary administration/enrollment administration required
Knowledge of/experience working with a database
Ability to change and create registration policies and procedures in a post-secondary environment
Experience in student billing, degree audit, academic policy and transcript management is desirable
Strong interpersonal and communication skills are a must.

Booth College is a Christian College rooted in The Salvation Army’s Wesleyan theological tradition and devoted to excellence in higher education. Successful applicants must have beliefs and a lifestyle compatible with the mission, statement of faith and lifestyle standards of the College. Visit our Website at www.boothcollege.ca for details.

Please submit a cover letter and resume, in confidence, by noon, 10 April 2009 to:
Human Resources Coordinator
Booth College
447 Webb Place
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2P2
Email: dhosey@boothcollege.ca
Fax: 204-942-3856

www.boothcollege.ca

Saying Thanks in April
As suggested in the MNO 2009 Year Long Stewardship resource, (click here) Sunday, April 19 or 25 may be a good time to recognize congregational servants (volunteers) for their ministry in this past year, since the active part of the ministry year usually takes us from the September long weekend to the May long weekend, and also because April 19-25 is designated as National Volunteer Week in Canada. If these dates do not work in your congregation, plan for another time before the May long weekend.

This thank you event need not be complex. What about a thank you cake for coffee time following service, and the inclusion of a prayer petition in the Prayers of the People. Or perhaps a Temple Talk would do it, or thank you cards from your Stewardship committee. The important thing is to say thanks. April is also a good time to put out your Time and Talent Survey. Let your people know that you will take the results in May and June to help you plan and staff the fall programming.

Click here for a sample Time and Talent survey that you can adapt.

Pastor Ken and Marie Kuhn to Host Tour to Germany
Have you ever wanted to go to the places like Wittenberg, where Luther taught and preached, or the Wartburg castle, where he translated the Bible? If so, decide now to set aside August 6 - 19 in 2010 to join Pastor Ken and Marie Kuhn on this exciting and enlightening tour organized by Craig Travel.

This 14-day tour features first class hotels, 25 meals, all gratuities, two-or three day stopovers in key cities, and the magnificent Oberammergau Passion Play, performed in a picturesque Bavarian village only every ten years.

The tour will visit Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, Wartburg, Buchenwald, Nuremburg and other beautiful and historic sites. It will relive the lives of Luther, Bach and Bonhoeffer while enjoying the wunderbar! experience of German culture.

For more information or a brochure, please contact Pastor Ken or Marie at 1.204.885.2821 or kenkuhn@mts.net or the travel agent at www.craigtravel.com or tours@craigtravel.com. These tours fill up quickly so don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Pastor Ken and Marie are holding an open house on Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 pm to share additional information about this enjoyable and faith-building travel experience. Please join them for coffee and refreshments at their home at 515 Headmaster Row in North Kildonan. Give them a call if you wish additional information.

The markets have turned down and LTS, like many institutions of higher learning in Canada, has taken a significant loss.  Like those same institutions, we look at ways to save and think creatively.  Amidst the panic in the financial world, however, this text reminds us that it is Jesus who fills our baskets.  With Jesus there is always enough and with Jesus we will always succeed at what God purposes.  So, not the least disheartened, we are happy to report to you the following.

For Friends of Kelly Fryer and Her Work
At A.R.E. we are learning what it means to be who we are and see what we have for the sake of doing what matters...in our own lives, in the organizations we care about, and in the world we all share. And we are excited about being on this journey with you.

Have a look at our faces. We all come from different places but we have this in common: We've all done time in organizations, corporations, schools, agencies, and even faith communities that sucked the life out of us. We know what it's like to give everything - and we mean EVERYTHING - to a place we cared about only to feel sucker punched by processes and systems and rules that seemed designed to squash any ounce of creativity and passion we once had. A couple of us even know what it's like to get kicked to the curb when who we are, how we think, and what we offer became too much for the system to bear.

And we know we're not alone.

Our vision at A.R.E. is a world in which people are respected and honored as this planet's most precious natural resource; where they are set free to bring every ounce of creativity, passion, intelligence, and energy they have to making a difference at home, in their neighborhoods and faith communities, in their school and workplaces, and in the world.

Dear Colleagues,

How are you at remembering anniversaries? Do you hope that they are already marked on the calendar, so they won’t be forgotten? Here’s one that may not be on your calendar, so please consider this your invitation to do so!

We’re coming up to the 10th signing anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Some of you may remember the joyful worship service that marked the 5th anniversary. There have been some interesting spin-offs and cross-pollination in Lutheran and Catholic circles as a result. Attend worship at St. Mary’s Cathedral, and you may find a Lutheran musician holding forth on the keys.

For the 10th anniversary, a joint Lutheran-Catholic study day is planned with Margaret O’Gara as keynote speaker and facilitator (go ahead, Google). This has been designed to become the “tri-diocesan day” for our Catholic counterparts, which means it’s a “shall attend” rubric, so to speak. Certainly, we hope all Rostered Leaders of MNO (including retired and internship students) will attend. Some Lutheran national staff will also participate (Bishop Susan). 

The Date is Wednesday, May 20th. Please mark your calendar now and plan to attend. There will also be an evening hymn sing event for local Lutheran and Catholic parishes.

Full details will be coming in approximately two weeks, with times, locations, and suggested reading material. 

Bishop Elaine
Sr. Val Sander

Greetings, peace and blessings to all of you, the Sponsoring Congregations, Church Members, Family, Friends and Supporters of ELCIC Missions in Peru! The following attachment is a newsletter to be shared and distributed to all who are interested in the Amazon Missions in Iquitos and my work as the ELCIC Long-Term Missionary in Peru.

Thank you for your continued interest, support and especially prayers!!
In Christ~
Pastor Fran

On March 17 and 18, senior management from the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) met at Church House in Toronto, to discuss cooperation between their churches. Since 2001, the two churches have been in a full communion relationship, which means that confirmations are mutually recognized and clergy can serve at a church of the other denomination.

Thirteen leaders attended, including the national leaders - Archbishop Fred Hiltz (ACC) and National Bishop Susan Johnson (ELCIC) and directors of communications, finance, and other departments. They shared their current work, challenges, strategic plans, and mapped out their relationships with partners.

The group agreed that although the churches have deepened relations since 2001 (by establishing joint congregations, cooperative local ministries, etc.) there is a need for dramatic and visible next steps. Among many possibilities, they discussed the idea of a joint national office. A small staff and volunteer group will be created to explore this further.

One future cooperation is a joint national gathering planned for 2013, when the Lutheran National Convention and the Anglican General Synod will meet together in Ottawa. Several smaller, joint meetings have already been held and will gather again before 2013. The leaders agreed that this particular meeting of Anglican and Lutheran management teams should happen yearly, alternating between the Winnipeg ELCIC offices and the Toronto ACC offices.