Continuing Education Plan - Application for Short Term Study funds

The Continuing Education Plan is now being administered by ELCIC Group Services Inc.
When applying for Short Term Study funding, please use the form available on the Group Services website:
www.elcicgsi.ca (click on Forms and then CEP Short Term Study Payment Authorization).

Abundant Life Lutheran Youth are having a Garage Sale
Fri, May 09, 4:30 - 7 pm and Sat, May 10, 9 am-2 pm.
at 415 Knowles Avenue

and a Car Wash and Hot Dog Sale
Sat, June 21, 9:30 am-4 pm
at East St Paul, Sobey's

St. Mark’s Lutheran Youth group is having a huge yard & bake sale on Saturday, May 24th from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the church, 600 Cambridge at Corydon. Rain or shine, there will be lots of treasures inside and out. Proceeds are in support of their trip to the Whitehorse gathering.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Selkirk is having a huge garage sale
Saturday, 31 May 2008, 9am to 3pm at the church, 6088 Main Street,
just south of Selkirk. Drinks will be available alongside a bake sale.
Support our youth as we fundraiser for the Whitehorse trip!

Help St. Peter’s continue our efforts to go green

Come and participate in our Great Green Grocery Exchange

WHERE:  ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
65 WALNUT STREET
WHEN:  SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1:30PM – 3:30PM and
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Bring non perishable food items in exchange for a
100% cotton reusable grocery bag. 

All food collected will be donated to a local food bank.

From Art Leichnitz
Pastor Art Leichnitz had required some additional surgery this past week, and while he is now doing better and getting stronger, he is still too weak to be able to respond individually to emails and cards. His plans at this point are that when he is strong enough to travel, he will return to Winnipeg to undergo chemotherapy and further treatment. He wishes to thank his many friends in MNO for their continued prayers, emails, and cards, and he invites us to continue to uphold him in our prayers.

April 19, 1947 to April 23, 2008

Dear Synod Family:

Our beloved sister and colleague, Sister Linda Wedman entered into eternal life on Wednesday April 23, 2008 in Bridgewater, NS at the age of 61.

Sister Wedman is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She served as Deaconess Parish Worker at First Lutheran, Winnipeg, MB from 1971 – 1974, as the Deaconess Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministry at St. Paul’s, Bridgewater, NS and Zion, Lunenburg, NS from 1975 -1977, as Deaconess at St John’s, Alberta Beach, AB and Advent, Evansburg, AB from 1977 – 1979, as Deaconess at Lutheran Church of the Cross, Calgary, AB from 1979 – 1987, as Director of Christian Education at Grace, Winnipeg, MB for 1988 – 1999 and as Pastoral Assistant at St Paul’s, Bridgewater, NS from 2000 until her retirement.

Born in Edmonton Alberta, she was one of eight sisters and three brothers.

A disposition of her ashes and a gathering of family and friends will be made at a later date.
“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation.”
Luke 2:29
Faithfully yours,
+Bishop Michael J Pryse

~ reprinted from the Salem Herald ~

"I declare this congregation closed." and with those words, after one hundred and one years of service, Zion Lutheran Church in Thunder Bay held its last service on Sunday, March 17, 2008. What a difficult thing to witness. There were several of us in attendance from Salem, to offer our support to the members of Zion, but none of us were really prepared for what we were about to see and feel.

Near the beginning of the service, a Healing Service was conducted. Bishop Elaine Sauer's message spoke of healing and where do we go from here? She encouraged everyone to carry on with their faith lives.

Then the closing of the congregation began. The secretary from Zion presented the Church Record book to the Bishop, and the Bishop explained that the Record Book would be taken to the archives at the Synod Office in Winnipeg. Bishop Elaine accepted the book and then declared the congregation of Zion Lutheran Church closed. Those words just resonated in my heart .Shortly after, the congregation began to sing a hymn and the Zion Altar Guild and the Lutheran clergy in attendance each took their turn in removing all the items that adorned the altar: candles, the cross, the Bible, the communion ware, linens, flowers, the baptismal candle... leaving the front of the sanctuary stripped bare and leaving you feeling numb and cold! As empty inside as your surroundings outside, a simply indescribable feeling.

The members had an opportunity to relate some of their memories of their faith life at Zion. Many tears were wiped away from many an eye.

If Salem closed, what would this mean to you personally? To us as a group? To our community? I think few really consider the big picture. It's not just the lack of a place for Sunday worship, but what about the place where many things begin and end? You're baptized, you're confirmed, you get married, have children of your own, they get baptized and finally you are laid to rest in the quaint little cemetery. All this within the walls of our little red and white church. Our pioneer ancestors built this church on solid footings so it would remain standing. But in today's world it takes more than a good footing to remain standing. After attending the closing of Zion, it drove home the finality of this action. Yes, churches do close, How did these poor people feel to see everything they had built over many generations come to an end? It had to be heartbreaking.

Think of our church without anything at the front... no candles, no Bible, no baptismal font, no picture. All that our pioneers worked so hard to provide for our church. Then the church building might be sold, along with the parsonage, for what final end? Where would we go to attend worship services, receive communion and all our other functions? All our records and Danish memorabilia, our heritage would become the property of the Synod Office in Winnipeg. This is a chapter I don't think we want to see close.

We have to remember that it is not the building that makes a church survive... it is the dedication and faith of the people within its walls that do that. So the next time you ponder if you can afford to support the church, think about all you get in return. A strong church makes a very strong community. Many small amounts given become huge in the end. We recently ran into a very serious financial crunch, caused in part by higher operating costs (i.e. hydro, fuel, insurance, etc.) and also the downturn in the local economy has to some degree affected the weekly offerings. It's not just a building but a source of support and inspiration for everyone. We need to remain strong so we can be there for many, many generations to come.

In closing, I would like to thank Bishop Elaine Sauer for all her help and advice when we really needed it. And thanks also to the Pass Lake Historical Society, the Pass Lake/Pearl Women's Institute and many other individuals who helped us out in our financial crunch.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to Zion Lutheran Church council, who while going through a most difficult ordeal, thought of how they might help us. At the suggestion of Bishop Sauer, their last offering during the closing service, was donated to Salem's internship program. Zion then came through with two substantial monetary donations. It is impossible to come up with words capable of extending our gratitude for their generosity. We, the Congregation of Salem, say thank you to these hands and hearts, which although aching from the loss of their own church, sought to help ours. We have been very blessed.

By the Grace of God Only,
Jim Jensen, Chairperson, Salem Evangelical Lutheran

Attached is a recent news release from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. I’m sure by now we know that the higher commodity prices are both a good news and a bad news story. Farmers have a chance to get a good return this year if God blesses with a good crop. At least if they managed to purchase a lot of inputs before the recent price increases.

The bad news is that people living on less than a dollar a day are facing increased hunger and starvation.

The question now is – how will we respond?

To our cash donors we are asking if you can increase your commitment. Please join the End Hunger Fast campaign. You can find information at www.endhungerfast.com .

To our grain donors and growing project committees we ask you to keep encouraging each other to respond to this growing need. A huge advantage is that if you maintain your donations in terms of Tonnes or bushels, the value of your donation will increase. And if you can plan to moderately increase the amount of grain you give we can help a few more people.

It’s reasonable to expect that these challenges will continue beyond this year, though we don’t know for how long. I encourage everyone to consider an expansion of growing projects for 2009.

“God's Miracle Gro” for the Church:
Cultivating Your Leadership for Growth
What is this? A workshop to inspire and cultivate leadership (clergy and lay) for growing the church in your context
Where? Epiphany Lutheran Church, 200 Dalhousie Drive, Winnipeg
When? Saturday, May 31, from 8:30 am–12 noon. Breakfast will be available.
Who? Dr. Craig Van Gelder, noted author and professor of Congregational Mission, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN will lead the workshop
Why? To make disciples and grow the church is what Jesus invites us to do
Cost: $25.00 per person, to a maximum of $100 per congregation (send more than four from your congregation for free)
To register: Click on link below.
Deadline: May 15, 2008. Make cheques payable to “Diocese of Rupert’s Land” and mail registrations and cheques to: Diocese of Rupert’s Land, 935 Nesbitt Bay, Winnipeg, MB , R3T 1W6.

Co-sponsored by the Diocese of Rupert’s Land (Anglican) and by the Committee for Mission of the MNO Synod (Lutheran)
Who should come?
Church Council Leadership
Clergy
Anyone with a passion for mission

Why should your congregation be represented? This conference is timely, since many of our congregations are facing challenges of diminishment. It can also act as a follow-up to the Renewal Event at the Synod Convention with Kelly Fryer. Your leadership can expect to be reminded of what God is up to and how we are called to help, to hear inspirational stories of possibilities and growth, and be trained and empowered to give missional leadership in your setting.

Sunday 27th April 2008

Sunday morning in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon… The sun’s bright rays beam over
the mountains nestled at our side paving the way for the rain clouds that will accumulate as the day progresses. Valerie and I walk the short walk to the Millennium Church: the new Lutheran church initiated and built primarily by the Norwegian Mission.

The sheer size in comparison to village churches is overwhelming. Built with an artistic flavour from red Cameroon stone, it stands majestically, and from a distance the cross attached to the higher wall reflects God’s worship space.

The entrance door to the church quickly reveals a bright altar with stained glass reflecting light from windows over a massive balcony that covers one of the two arched walls that encompass the worship area. A vaulted ceiling, supported by six massive decorative beams constructed in a unique fashion, is elevated over fifty feet and is very impressive.

The attractive wooden pews are a welcome comfort along with the morning coolness of the Adamoua Plateau As we enter, five or six musicians are singing and playing hymns that are mostly familiar to my Canadian ear. The service begins: accept for periods when announcements are made and the sermon preached, music, soft for prayers, joyous when giving thanks, and exuberant when praising God, is always present.

During the announcements we are welcomed back to Cameroon. Later a former neighbour will express dismay that we will be leaving at the end of May

A group of ladies move to the front and gather the offering in decorated half calabashes: the congregation stands, serenaded by choir voices, and moves to the front to deposit their gifts.

I struggle, as always, to soak in the French sermon words and find that my ears are begging for finer tuning, but I am deeply moved by God’s spirit, which is in fact the topic of the sermon. The service has progressed so smoothly that I am greatly impressed and am left with a feeling of contentment that is beyond description.

May God enrich your day as mine has been Jack

2nd May 2008 6 AM

Good morning…friends in the MNO Conference

Yesterday morning, very early, Val and I, and Phil Nelson (ELCA Rep) climbed the mountain that shelters our eastern side. This is our favourite hike, and our way of celebrating May Day /Labour Day (1st of May): a holiday here.

The climb and the view were extremely exhilarating, but what awaited us on our return home would deflate everything! E-mails from our daughter and Val’s brother informing us that Valerie’s sister’s youngest son Tim Richard was killed in a violent auto accident on Main Street in Winnipeg. The accident occurred around 8am Wednesday morning, and my daughter Jacqueline had been trying to contact us by phone, but to no avail. The wind was knocked out of us with this news – how difficult when one is so far away! Our mission friends Jim and Karen along with Phil have been very supportive as our Cameroonian friends. President Nyiwé also relayed his condolences this morning.

Valerie’s immediate response was to be with her sister, but it would take us a week to arrange transportation out of here. Therefore we are considering changing our time of departure and forego our intended visit with our son and family in England. We should be home by months end.

Wednesday was busy arranging funds and driving our Toyota Hilux with the church roof contractor Luonga Marc to a lumber yard, Quincaillerie and the church Construction Centre to purchase material for the church roof at Beka Hosére (correct spelling). The EELC church truck was fully loaded as was our vehicle as we departed for Beka Hosére over a terrible road and deposited all the church roof building material, much to the joy of the congregation. We have all of this recorded on video as well as many interviews.

My recommendation is that we endeavor to complete three roofs. The difficulty right now is that Mayo Djinga and Njitam churches are a long way from here (12 hour drive) and the road due to the excessive rain is virtually impassable. We will be meeting with the Catechist from Mayo Djinga today and will try and work something out. The church at Njitam is even further away, another 4 hours, and then you have to cross a river (no bridge). We have a guitar and a African piano (Miremba) for him also. We will take photos and video.

We will also go into town today and purchase a bicycle for a lady Evangelist in Tcholliere (4 hour drive north) and later I will see the Norwegian Rep to purchase a Moto (Mary Ruth). When we depart on the Evangelism Tour (May 7- 11th) up north we will deliver the Moto to a Pastor at a village near the Chad border (we ask for your prayers).

We are also supposed to be meeting with Fanta the Hospital Social worker to purchase goods for the Orphan Program which will be distributed on Sunday. Val is baking cookies by the dozen to have a party with the 60 plus orphans. I almost forgot... I also have to deliver two bags of cement to Beka Hosére sometime today.

Jack is still gone – to BH village – hope he gets back so we can buy the bicycle plus I have a bit of shopping before the rains come – we’d like to get this off, as its power off during the thunder!

Please pray for Susan & Hector Richard and their family (David, Dan & Cynthia).

God Strong (Eph 6:10-11) … Jack & Val

EELC Mission Station
N’gaoundéré, CAMEROON in West Central Africa
Telephone: 011-237-999-48721 (we are ‘Tim & Holly’ – unable to change this)
javafrcan@yahoo.ca

URGENT!
Luther Village is urgently looking for a Head Cook (starting immediately). Contact the camp office immediately at 807.543.4052.

Each year Canadian Church Press hands out awards in some thirty-one categories to church publications of all shapes and sizes. The publications vary from denominational newsletters to specialized magazines.

In determining winners in each category no distinctions are made based on budgets or circulation. For small publications like Esprit to win therefore, is a noteworthy accomplishment.

The following six 2007 winners bring the total number of awards won by Esprit over the past sixteen years to twenty.

1. Ollie Miller, "Holy Darkness," Winter---3rd place, Poetry
2. Elvira Wiebe, "The River is Too Deep," Winter--- 2nd place, Personal Experience
3. Bramwell Ryan, "Katie Reynolds:Loving Thy Neighbour One Person at a Time, "Spring---1st place, Black & White Photo
4. Catherine Pate, "Not a Spoonful of Sugar," Spring--2nd place, Editorial
5. Sharon Betcher, "Sanctuary," Fall--2nd place, Theological Reflection (Devotional/Inspirational)
6. Esprit magazine--2nd place, General Excellence (Specialized Magazine)

Congratulations to the authors, photographers, designers and the whole team behind the publication who work hard to make Esprit the quality magazine that it is! And, thank you to Catherine Pate, editor, for her expertise in pulling it all together!