Nov. 18, Sherwood Park, Winnipeg
Dec. 16, Christ Lutheran, Winnipeg
Jan. 20, St. Stephen's/St Bede's, Winnipeg
Feb. 17 at Advent, Thompson
Mar. 16, Faith, Winnipeg
Apr. 20, Trinity, Starbuck
All services begin at 7 p.m.

"Have you ever rented a car?" my friend asked.

"Sure I have, lots of times when I travel," I said.

"O.K." he said. "Do you ever rotate the tires of the car you rent? Have you ever washed the car? Have you ever changed the oil?"

I've never given it a thought.

"Have you done any of those things with the car that you own?" Sure I have, many times, I told him. Why the difference? Because one I'm just using, I realized, but the other I have an investment in.

My friend then asked. "Does your church have mostly 'renters' or 'owners'?" I looked at him real hard. I was trying to make the connection.

"You know, do you mostly have people who use the church for their convenience, or do you have mostly people who are committed to the church?"

Tough question to ask; harder question to answer.

So, are you a renter or an owner? A renter goes to church when it's convenient; an owner is the church always. A renter worships occasionally on Sunday mornings; an owner worships every day. A renter has ministry done to them; an owner does ministry for
others. A renter quits when they get tired; an owner never gives up. A renter complains when things aren't going their way; an owner prays to have God change their heart. A renter occasionally gives their money; an owner gives not only their money, but their life.

The point is, God is inviting us, through Jesus, to be owners; to own the faith that he gives us, and to own the ministry we have been created to do.

Are you a renter or an owner?

Fr: Stewardship for the 21 Century: Brian Malison,
Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCA

Hi everyone…Once again we will be hosting the 2 ½ day web cast from Trinity Church Wall St. NY.

Theme for this year is Religion & Violence…Untangling the roots of conflict. The speakers will approach the subject from the perspective of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

You can register by sending us an email. Attached is a poster outlining the web cast.

Bob Osborne

For more info: www.trinitywallstreet.org/institute
Register online: http://www.stjohnscathedral.ca/trinity08.html

Youth Worship Service
This is by way of reminder that our next MNO Youth Service will take place on Sunday, November 18 at Sherwood Park Lutheran, 7 Tudor Crescent, Winnipeg. at 7:00 pm.

Sherwood Park had graciously invited us to come ahead of time (5:30 pm) for supper and fellowship at a cost of $5.00 per person.

What a great opportunity to visit/get to better know other youth in our Synod.

Please RSVP to Lisa at vandijk16@shaw.ca by next Saturday, November 17 to let her know the numbers from your church.

Youth Leadership Training
January 11-12, 2008, Faith Lutheran Church, 1311 Dakota St.. Registrations will be available to be downloaded from the website this Friday, November 16

Faith and Font: Discipling for a New Church - catechumenate training for parish teams, leaders and students

WHO: Pastors and congregational teams, Bishops, Deacons, Elders, students

WHAT: A training event in the catechumenate process and rites

WHEN: Friday, January 18 through Sunday, January 20, 2008, registration begins at 5 PM on Friday; the event concludes at 4 PM Sunday

WHERE: All sessions and rites will take place at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 7500 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103.

Registrants are invited to secure their own accommodations. See www.catechumenate.org for housing suggestions.

COST: The registration fee for Faith and Font is $150 per person. Student rate for seminarians is $75 per person.

REGISTER: Print and mail the registration form available on-line www.catechumenate.org, along with payment (payable to NAAC) FAITH AND FONT, c/o Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 7500 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. Registration deadline is December 30, 2007.

QUESTIONS?: Contact Bev Piro at bpiro@prlc.org or call 206.783.2350.

Leadership for this event is provided by experienced catechumenate practitioners. Event leaders are Pastors Paul Hoffman and Beverly Piro of Seattle, Washington and Dr. Mark Oldenburg of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and experienced lay catechumenate leaders.

Sponsored by the North American Association for the Catechumenate (NAAC) - An ecumenical organization partnered with, Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Reformed Church in America, United Methodist Church

www.catechumenate.org

Pastors/Church Administrators

In the email survey conducted some weeks back, many of you indicated that you would appreciate a bulletin blurb as a way to continue to lift up to your congregations the Cameroon Companions initiative. Here is an update that can just be cut and pasted into your bulletins. Attached also is a longer article, prepared by Jack Fredrick that can be made into a bulletin insert, or can be placed into your next newsletter. Please note that this is also in this week's Crossword, so if you wish to invite members of your congregation to check Crossword, that is another way to get this message out to your people.

Bulletin Insert
Cameroon Companions update - THANK YOU for your support. Since launching our program in late September, we have over $34,000 already raised towards our goal.

Twenty six congregations in the MNO synod have to date reported financial support for the program. These funds position us to address some of our key projects. However, as we continue to raise financial support through to the end of December, we have as our goal completing all of the critical projects we have identified.

Cheques may be made payable to your congregation marked "Cameroon Companions", or online. Details are available at www.camerooncompanions.com. We would ask you to keep this initiative in your prayers, as we partner with our Lutheran "companions" in the Cameroon. (MNO Companion Synod Committee)

The MNO Synod website is now offering a page for congregational newsletters. Let CrossWord readers know what is happening in your congregation. For a sample of the newsletters that have already been shared, click the link below.

The Trinity Food Pantry hosts the annual Christmas Dinner for the forty client families on December 8. A full course turkey dinner is served and Santa visits to give every pre-teen child a Christmas gift.

This is often the only gift some of the children will receive.

Families and individuals receive their Christmas Cheer hamper with turkey. Donations towards the some forty toys that are purchased ($20-25 each) are gratefully received.

Checks may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church and sent to 265 Flora Avenue, Winnipeg, R2W 2R2, or to your congregation, such as Christ or Grace Lutheran Churches, if it has been so done in the past.

Help make the Trinity Food Pantry Christmas Party a great event for a child living in poverty in Winnipeg.

Messiah looking for youth leader

The ELCIC National Office is looking for a few churches and volunteers to assist in beta testing for our NEW web browser based Parish Database program.

The features to be tested at first are the Friends and Members, and Parish Register components.

We are looking for beta testers with the following characteristics:
1. Is NOT a current user of the Rasmus system.
2. Is willing to enter existing church membership data and Parish Register events within a secured website.
3. Is able to work with the developer over the next couple of weeks to provide useful feedback and suggestions to help improve and complete this phase of the project.
If you are interested, please contact Rick Natividad with your contact information.

Rick Natividad
Information Technology Coordinator
ELCIC National Office
204.984.9191
rnatividad@elcic.ca

After serving almost ten years as executive director of Lutheran Bible Translators of Canada (LBTC), Robert Schmitt has submitted his resignation to the organization’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Schmitt joined LBTC in 1981 and served as supervisor of the Limba (Sierra Leone) literacy program with the help of his wife Jean and their children from 1983-1988. He was appointed executive director of LBTC in November 1998. The Board is very grateful for the Schmitts’ long service and asks that Bob and Jean remain in your prayers as they pursue future endeavours.

While the Board has asked the current director of support services, Jane Ford, to serve as the Interim Executive Director, they will begin seeking qualified candidates for the position of Executive Director in the near future. Please keep the organization and its work in your prayers during this time of transition and growth.