BAPTISMS FOR JANUARY:  

Inspired by the congregational pledge made in the service of Holy Baptism (see page 228, EvLW),

we  will be including names of those baptized at St. Luke's Zion in our monthly newsletters. 

We hope this will be a reminder to lift them up in  prayer, wherever they may be in their faith-walk. 

The following were baptized in the month of January in previous years: 

David A. C.  

Mercedes R. W.

Destiny R. M.          

Mary B. M.

Sara A. M.

Elizabeth S. M.

Alison L. W.

Charlee J. P. C.    

Elle A. N.  

Kate E. M.

Garrett J. H.       

IN OUR PRAYERS:  

Please remember in your prayers our shut-in’s in long term care:                             

Phyllis A. - Concordia Place   

Laura G. - Red River Place, Selkirk  

Doreen S. - Luther Home  

Alfred T. - Red River Place, Selkirk   

Melita T. - Luther Home   

Alice V. - Middlechurch Home   

THANK YOU!

to all those who contributed to the St. Luke’s Zion Christmas Special!  It was great to see everybody and share a good Christmas story.  Thank you all for sharing your time and talent!  The link will continue to be available on our St. Luke’s Zion Facebook page.

THANK YOU!

Many of you have stepped up over the last six weeks of 2020 and have either sent or dropped off an offering.  While we don’t yet have the figures for the end of the year, we are in a much better position than we were in early November.  Thank you for your continued support of this ministry to which God has called us!

MAIL / EMAIL

If you are receiving this newsletter by mail, and actually have an email address, please let us know!  Simply email us at stluzi@mymts.net.  Thanks!

ANNUAL REPORTS

This year, our Annual Report will be emailed wherever possible and will be delivered as necessary.  Thus, we are re-thinking what needs to be reported.

If you were involved in some ministry during the year that you think the congregation needs to know about, please consider writing a report.  Reports can be emailed to the church office or to Joanne Johnson at joanne.johnson@adm.com   

While no exact deadline has been set, please aim for the end of January.  Thank you!

ONLINE WORSHIP:

For those who would like to join in our online worship, here's how to do it:

1. If you have a Facebook account, sign in to Facebook and search for @stlukeszion.  The video will not appear until the live stream begins, which is usually a few minutes before 10:30 am.  You can also view it any time after that.

2. With no Facebook account, go to Facebook.com/stlukeszion.  Click on "Not now" when it asks you to sign in or to sign up.  You should be able to view the service any time after 10:30 on the same day as it is recorded.

SUNDAY SCHOOL:

We are continuing our weekly lessons through Google Classroom until we can meet together.

We will keep you informed of updates as they come up. We miss our time with you on Sunday mornings and look forward to when we can gather again.

God Bless You All

YOUTH:

Grades 3-6 youth group  (SLAWG.jr)

Epiphany celebration on Sunday January 17th 2:00 p.m. via Zoom

Get your CROWN ready to wear to the party!

send Lisa photos of your WISE MEN - be creative include the Star or camel too

If you know someone who should be included in this group, please speak to Lisa

You can follow us (we love new followers)

Instagram: slawg.jr .youth 

Facebook: slawg.jr. youth 

OPTIONS FOR OFFERINGS DURING COVID:

1. Sign up for PAR.  This is an automatic debit on the 20th of each month.  It costs 50 cents a month.

2. Give through the MNO synod website (mentioned above).  However, Canada Helps receives 4% of each donation.

3. E-transfers are now available by contacting Sharon Appler.

4. Send in the mail.

5. Drop them off at the church.  Thank you!

LUTHER VILLAGE:

Thank-you to everyone who has donated to Luther Village this year and we look forward to seeing you in 2021.

MNO SYNOD:

COVID-19 Updates  
The Government of Manitoba has developed a more detailed set of guides for various gatherings--including faith-based gatherings.  Rather than continuing to update the synod guidelines, we recommend these to you as you consider the needs in your context.  We are available to help you and your congregation translate these guides to your specific situation.

Update regarding the code red restrictions for Manitoba (effective 11/12).

If you are a registered charity or Non-Profit organization you may be eligible for the newly announced Manitoba bridge grant of $5000.00 to those places ordered to close during this time. 

The information can be found at https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=49738.

ELCIC Update from National and Synod Treasurers (Dec. 8, 2020)

The guidelines for Ontario can be found at

COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario

LUM (Lutheran Urban Ministry)

December 2020 News from your Ministry Manager Merry Christmas – in the Time of the Pandemic!!

· The Board of Directors and I wish a Merry Christmas as well as a safe and healthy New Year for our Urban community and their extended families and friends.

· Merry Christmas and heartfelt thanks to our volunteers, meal teams, church congregations, and individuals who have a warm spot for the Urban. Thanks so much also to those     who donate toward Urban operating expenses as well as those who donate grocery items and other needed items.

225 Christmas gift bags were distributed with the Christmas bagged lunch on Sunday, December 20th . Seventyfive (75) children/youth from twenty-five families received personalized gift bags. Gift bags were also given to adults (75 women’s and 75 men’s gift bags). This was made possible from donated items and we are so grateful. The Sobeys reusable shopping bags were sold to the Urban at cost and became part of the gift!

Every week I see the strength and resilience of our Urban community in these days of pandemic worries, financial stress, housing insecurity, loneliness, physical/mental health issues - along with the regular struggles of life.

Pandemic Notes: Until Further Notice: the Urban is continuing the suspension of all regular programming (sit-down community meals, coffee hours, sharing circles, men’s group, worship services, etc.) in the lower level of Lutheran Church of the Cross, due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Struggling and vulnerable single people and families (in the same numbers as pre-pandemic times when we were open downstairs) are continuing to come to the Urban - but now for bagged lunches 4x/week distributed outside (Wednesday men’s lunch, Wednesday and Thursday supper times and Sunday lunch). Our meal teams are happy to help us in this way and we are so very grateful for this. Our website calendar shows available dates for meal teams. Fellowship is happening briefly in the parking lot as long as weather permits!

· Mid-week devotionals and Sunday devotionals, emailed to me from Pastor Barry Bence, are tucked into lunch bags.

· We have changed our pre-pandemic emergency food bags to an equitable “one food item” (if enough in our pantry) per person (two items if a family) on a chosen random day each week during the distribution of bagged lunches. Toques, mitts, etc. (and bi-weekly bread/pastries) are also distributed outside.

Mandatory Masks as of September 2, 2020: Masks (cloth or disposable) for everyone entering the church property (sidewalk and parking lot) to pick up bagged lunches. We provide a disposable mask if needed. 2 m social distancing is enforced. We are limiting the gathering size for bagged lunch distribution to five people at any time on the church sidewalk and parking lot (including Urban volunteers). Additional people arriving are forming a line on the city sidewalk.

Bagged Lunches (sandwich, dessert, juice box, etc.) to take home are given outside the door in place of sit-down meals at our four regularly scheduled weekly mealtimes (Wednesday men’s lunches, Wednesday and Thursday suppers, and Sunday lunches). The Lutheran Urban Ministry has so much gratitude for our volunteers and the meal teams; for the pantry donations, for the mitt/toque knitters/quilt makers; for the prayers; and for all those who donate financial support toward our operating expenses.

Our website will be updated (by month end) with photos from Sunday, December 20th (www.theurban.ca). Please keep our vulnerable Lutheran Urban Ministry community in your prayers. Please contact me: rhonda@theurban.ca for additional information, or to have your meal team added to the calendar.

Kind regards, Rhonda Gorham,

Ministry Manager, Lutheran Urban Ministry

WKHS (West Kildonan Horticultural Society)

Good day!

We are asking for your help in letting all Manitobans that have any interest in gardening and planting know of this FREE course to help people have interesting things to do while they stay at home and stay safe.  Please see the announcement below and the flyer, attached, that we are using to promote this FREE course.

Thanks for your help in keeping people at home, and studying to grow a brighter, more edible future in manitoba!

Announcement regarding FREE online course!

The Manitoba Edible Property Challenge and Online Design Course

The Manitoba Government has provided us with support to offer a FREE online course to all interested Manitobans, as part of the Manitoba Safe at Home Program.  We would like to ask you to share this information with your email list and members, broadly, to help Manitoban's stay safe this holiday season and into the winter and spring.  Since the course material directly helps people design their dream edible spots on their properties, it will be beneficial for you to send to your customer and members base -- this project will help inspire people to plant more this spring!

Our course offering is exciting and extensive.  

The Manitoba The Ecosystem Solution Institute is pleased to present this online course through our new online school, EcosystemU, with support from the Manitoba Stay Home Stay Safe Program.

Structure of the course: The course will have 13  weeks (December 28 to March 31) of material that includes: a weekly live lecture, 1-3pdf info sheets, and assignment to lead you weekly through the design of an edible spot on your own yard or land.  The course is offered online.

Course Content: How do you plant a fruit tree?  Where in your yard is the best place for a new garden or edible landscape?  What varieties of food plants are cold hardy and productive in Manitoba?  Learn the step-by-step process of turning your yard into an edible Eden starting with just a 5 x 5 micro-garden spot!  Stay home, stay safe and accept the challenge to return to the time-honoured tradition of winter garden planning!  This 3 month design course is led by master gardener, educator and designer Zach Loeks, author of The Edible Ecosystem Solution.

Take up the Edible Property Challenge and enjoy this Online Design Course FREE.

All Manitobans can sign up for FREE. Sign up for this complimentary online design course at

www.ecosystemsolutioninstitute.com

www.ecosystemU.com

 Encouraging Bible verses (NRSV) to read and share during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the wrath is past..

- Isaiah 26:20

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

- John 14:27

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

- Romans 8:18

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

- Psalm 91:2

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

- 1 Peter 5:6-7

He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.

- Psalm 147:3

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:38-39

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

- Psalm 27:1

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually.

- 1 Chronicles 16:11

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

- Joshua 1:9