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November
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BINGO BOWLING
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
At Rossmere Lanes
Tickets: Adults - $12.00
Ages 16 & under - $6.00
Please see Randy Iwanickior Craig Armstrong for tickets.
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Dinner & Dance:
Luther Village will be holding its Fundraising Dinner & Dance on Friday, November 26th at Holy Eucharist Parish Hall, 406 Munroe Avenue. A 3 course Gourmet Dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. Wine will be available from a cash bar. Following dinner there will be dancing with live music provided by Dakota!
Alternate meals available – 1 week notice request for special dietary needs. Tickets are $30.00 (includes a $15.00 tax receipt). Please see Betty Gunn for tickets.
NEWLETTER EDITOR NEEDED I have let Pastor Lynne know that December 2010 will be the last St. Luke’s Zion Newsletter I will be putting together. I have been the editor since 2004 and I will be retiring this year. I have really enjoyed working on the newsletter and would like to thank everyone for their input into making it successful.We will need a new editor in December to put together the January Newsletter. If you are interested in learning more about or editing the newsletter, please speak with Pastor Lynne. Items for the December newsletter can be given to Teresa Rumley or emailed totreerumley@shaw.ca by Sunday, November 21st.Thank you!
N.E.S.T.
At our October meeting we were informed that the two large sponsorship groups in Winnipeg have been affected by the move from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to halt or reduce the number of applications for refugees for a possible 4 years because of the large backups being processed at the foreign offices especially Nairobi.
This ruling does not apply to N.E.S.T. as we come well under their quota of 50 refugees as set by the CIC.
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N.E.S.T. General Meeting Tuesday, November 23rd
Grace Lutheran Church
211 Kimberly Avenue
7:00 p.m.
All are Welcome!
Refreshments Provided
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Please make a note for the upcoming Spirit’s Call Choir Concert on Sunday, December 12th, 3:30 p.m. at West Minster United Church, 745 Westminster Avenue.
Watch bulletin board for the Poster.
This has become an annual and very successful fundraising event for NEST.
PRAYER REQUEST
Obeth Haab has requested people to commit to pray for her and her team as they prepare to travel to Nepal in January. Obeth will be travelling with two classmates, Kimberly Heske and Larissa Wildfang. They are going to Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, and will be working with the Peace Rehabilitation Center (PRC), a home for girls who are at risk or have been rescued from sex trafficking. Among other things, PRC offers courses to teach women skills so they can survive in the male-dominated world, as well as taking care of them while preparing them for their new life. PRC also runs a child care program, an orphans home and a border monitoring program where they try to rescue girls before they are trafficked into India.
Though it’s still unsure what exactly they’ll be doing, part of it will definitely be leading Bible studies and most likely teaching English.
Obeth is currently attending Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI) where she is am Impact Team Leader and this is their mission trip.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Obeth at obethhaab@gmx.ch or drop her a note to: Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute, 4837 – 52A Street, Camrose, AB
T4V 1W5, (780) 672-4454
ABOUT NEPAL
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolis.
Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized.
When asked to identify with a religion, just under 90% of individuals in Nepal classify themselves as Hindu. 5% of Nepalese people classify themselves as part of the Buddhist religion and the remaining 5% is primarily split between the Islamic and Christian religion.
About half of the population live below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day.
SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES ON DEATH, DYING AND MOURNING
Spiritual health educational sessions sponsored by the Manitoba Interfaith Council together with St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Interfaith Reflections on Rituals Related to Death, Dying and Mourning - November 3rd, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
A panel of religious leaders, Rabbi Alan Green, Pundit Venkat Machinaju, Shaikh Hosni Azzabi and Sister Joan Mormul, OBS, will reflect on the spiritual wisdom in the various traditions/rituals at the time of death and mourning.
Making Decisions Around End of Life
November 10th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Presentations by Dr. Brent Kvern, Family Medicine Educator at St. Boniface Hospital and Amanda Fryatt, nurse practitioner, on the challenges of making health care decisions about the withdrawal of active treatment measures. Conversation with them regarding their experiences will follow.
Life After Loss
November 17th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
John Bond, retired professor from the University of Manitoba and Fr. Fred Olds, Priest of St. Bernadette’s parish, will reflect on the challenges experienced in the journey of grief.
A panel of religious leaders, Rabbi Alan Green, Pundit Venkat Machinaju, Shaikh Hosni Azzabi and Sister Joan Mormul, OBS, will reflect on the spiritual wisdom in the various traditions/rituals at the time of death and mourning.
Making Decisions Around End of Life
November 10th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Presentations by Dr. Brent Kvern, Family Medicine Educator at St. Boniface Hospital and Amanda Fryatt, nurse practitioner, on the challenges of making health care decisions about the withdrawal of active treatment measures. Conversation with them regarding their experiences will follow.
Life After Loss
November 17th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
John Bond, retired professor from the University of Manitoba and Fr. Fred Olds, Priest of St. Bernadette’s parish, will reflect on the challenges experienced in the journey of grief.
Value of Religious and Secular Rituals
November 24th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Conversation with funeral directors Richard Rosin and Eirik Bardal on religious and secular rituals to mark the end of a person’s life.
November 24th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Conversation with funeral directors Richard Rosin and Eirik Bardal on religious and secular rituals to mark the end of a person’s life.
ALL SESSIONS WILL BE HELD AT:
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 600 Cambridge Street
(Suggested donation is $5.00 per session)
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 600 Cambridge Street
(Suggested donation is $5.00 per session)
NEWS FROM KELLY
Luke 21: 6
“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
In looking ahead at the November texts, I have to admit that my life feels a bit like this verse from Luke right now. Since we are new friends, there is a lot to catch you up on!
I have one sister who is a year and a half younger than me. We have spent our whole lives living side by side. First in our parents’ house growing up, then in our first apartments where were lived in suites 5 and 7 in the same building, then in our first houses as adults...actually our first house – singular. We split a duplex in Wolseley; a beautiful hundred-year-old house with all sorts of “fun” problems with heat, mice, water, etc. In August, my sister moved to Manhattan and for the first time since she was born, we do not live in the same building. Let me confirm – this sucks! It is strange to have to work hard to talk to her and it is lonely to know that she is so far away. On top of that, our house is gone! We prepared to sell it when we found out my sister would be moving and on October 1st the time came for me to pack my boxes and get out. Let me confirm – this sucks! I do not like packing. I loved our house. And because I am in the midst of many transitions, most of my stuff is held being hostage in moving boxes while I live with friends. And on top of that…my job changed! While some of it is familiar, as I have worked in youth ministry for 5 years already, a lot of it is unfamiliar and all the old systems have been put aside to make way for a new 3-way partnership. Having given up my other half time work with a community agency downtown, I miss some of my colleagues and programs. Maybe you can see why I feel a bit like the passage from Luke applies to my life right now…
So here I am, stuff-less, sister-less, house-less and in a new job. To confirm – it is amazing! At my new home, we have found companionship with each other that we didn’t know would be so important to us, and I get to live close to all the congregations and families that I work with now. And my stuff…I don’t even miss it. And changing jobs, well I am exhausted every single day, yet at the end of every day I can’t wait for the next one to start. Being apart from my sister is the bumpiest part of this winding road. It still feels lonely sometimes, but I am comforted knowing that we have a foundation of more than 25 years and even though all the stones have been knocked down, they are still there. They are just assembled differently now. In fact, we get to re-assemble them so that we can make the most out of all that history and support each other through the future.
What about St. Luke’s Zion? If everything was knocked down and no stone was left unturned, how would you rebuild it? What would the congregation be like? The truth is, though the structures of our lives often remain the same, each day is a new chance to try again. Each day is a new chance to respond to God’s love for us by sharing it with the world around us. What happens next? I can’t wait to find out together.
May you be filled with God’s peace, even in times of change or uncertainty.
Kelly
Director of Youth Ministry
The ELW at Lutheran Church of the Cross will continue to meet for Bible Study and Fellowship. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. If the ELW in your congregation has disbanded, we would welcome you to join us at Cross. Please consider joining us on December 14, 2010. Pastor Don Engel will do a power point presentation on his journey to Germany in August 2010. The Bible Studies for 2011 will be determined before year end.
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IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. By John McCrae
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John began writing poetry while attending Guelph Collegiate Institute. He graduated at age 16, and was the first Guelph Student to win a scholarship to the University of Toronto. After studying there for three years, John was forced to take a year off due to severe asthma. Bouts of this illnessIn 1893, John returned to university. He graduated in 1894, with a Bachelor’s Arts degree plagued him throughout his life.
. He then attended the University of Toronto Medical School. John received his Bachelor of
Medicine degree and three gold medals from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1898.
In 1915, John was in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium. This area is traditionally known as Flanders. Some of the heaviest fighting of the war took place during the Second Battle of Ypres.
John McCrae tended hundreds of Soldiers and was surrounded by dead and dying men. His close friend Alexis Helmer of Ottawa was killed and in the absence of a Chaplain, John performed the service. A rough, wooden cross marked Helmer’s grave. Hundreds of crosses marked graves in the field. Already poppies were beginning to bloom between them. The morning of May 22nd, while under heavy fire, John wrote In Flanders Fields, as dawn crept over the eastern sky.
Because of the poem’s popularity, the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead in Britain, France, U.S.A. and Canada as well as other Commonwealth countries. May his work forever be remembered!
http://www.essortment.com/all/johnmccraebiog_rhxb.htm (Excerpts taken from this site)
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The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
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METRO CONFERENCE
October 16. 2010
9:30 a.m. The morning began with several songs by the Faith Lutheran Church Worship Group. The highlight of the Conference for me was the first speaker, Andrew Swan. He is the Attorney General of Manitoba and a member of First Lutheran Church. He is married, and has a 12 year old daughter in confirmation and a 10 year old daughter in Sunday School. Andrew practised family law relating to separation and divorce. He represents the riding from Balmoral Street to St. James and spoke on the Urban Perspective: Inner-city needs and services. Four main areas of needs are: refugees, First Nations people, Mental illness, and alcohol and drug abuse. He stated that people in these four groups often don't have good connections to a community and feel as if they don't belong. Therefore, they can easily be exploited and indoctrinated into gang and criminal activities. In his riding one out of three people were born outside of Canada and the average age of the people is the second youngest in Canada.
Many immigrants are nominated by family or friends or employers. They usually arrive with luggage and have someone meet them at the airport. Therefore, they soon develop a relationship with a community here. The difficult cases come as refugees from troubled hot spots. They often come with “no luggage but lots of baggage”. It is more difficult for them to develop the feeling of belonging and the involvement in the community. People with mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addictions and some First Nations people experience similar difficulties.
He listed the following Manitoba Government programs to try to address some of these needs through involvement in community:
Lighthouse There are about 57 sites throughout Manitoba in schools, recreation centers and other existing facilities to help youth get involved in arts, music, recreation and other pro-social activities as a positive alternative to gangs and criminal activities.
Spotlight is working at getting young offenders out of gangs through enforcement and intervention for youth and their families.
Turnabout involves working with families of young offenders too young to be charged for their acts.
Turning the Tides is a community mentorship project designed to prevent at-risk youth 15 – 19 from joining and participating in gang activity.
Safety Aid provides safety audits and free installation of deadbolts, peepholes, etc. for seniors on a limited income.
Community Place Program provides funding and planning assistance to non-profit groups for building, upgrading and expanding facilities and to involve people in their communities.
Neighbourhoods Alive provides communities with support to rebuild neighbourhoods e.g. housing, education and training, recreation, safety.
Safer Neighbourhoods Act allows people to make a confidential report about illegal activities in your community. So far 450 houses and apartments have been closed.
In dealing with these needs he believes that public safety is important and that there should be meaningful consequences for criminal behaviour.
He encouraged us to think about how the church and the government can work together to provide solutions.
11:00 a.m. Ruth Magnuson spoke about volunteers as Ministry Supporters and asked several thought provoking questions.
Is what we're doing what we're called to do? Are we locked into certain roles or can we break out of roles? We can't do it all. It is important that when people become involved that they feel nourished and that they are part of the community.
1:00 p.m. The worship Group from St. Mark's opened with singing and Bible readings. Youth Delegate, K.T. Weboweski reported on her experience as a youth delegate at the 2010 MNO Synod Convention. She felt that this participation gave her a broader perspective of church – her own congregation, the Synod and the national church. She had learned much about the workings and decision-making of the church.
Dean Don Engel challenged pastors/congregations to invite youth to the next convention as delegates or guests.
Lutheran Volunteer Ministries Phyllis Dueck and Leona Meisner highlighted that there has been a reduction in volunteers over the years and so there is a great need for volunteers to visit Lutherans in hospitals and personal care homes. A brochure is on the bulletin board and training is available for interested volunteers.
2:15 p.m. A presentation on the Cameroon Companion Mission Exposure Trip (CCMET) which occurred in February and March 2010.
Evangelism in Cameroon – Pastor Tom Lurvey, Caroline Wintoniw and Pastor Sabine Milewski – We do evangelism not to fill empty pews but because it is Jesus' Great Commission.
-Know and understand your faith. You cannot share what you do not have.
-Practise putting your faith into words and sharing it with family and friends or in a Bible Study. When Cameroon Christians help others they literally say “I'm doing this in the name of Jesus”. They are full of joy, eager to share their faith, and pray constantly because they know the source of their strength.
Orphans in Cameroon/Kids Helping Kids program – Rebecca Schultz, Lindsay Byron, and Melissa Colquhoun. This program was started in 2006 by Rev. Jack and Val Frederick. It is funded solely by the MNO Synod and run by two social workers. They met with the social workers to learn about the program.
They were involved in home visits, as well as assembling and handing out food packages for the children. With the growth of this program there is a new Education Fund which will give $1,000 to help a child go to school.
Women in Ministry – According to the report by Lisa and Carol Janke it seemed to them that the women focussed on a judging God with a few words of grace. With the many difficulties in their lives their hope comes from Jesus. There are many requests for money.
Elections
Eleven rostered pastors and four alternates were elected as delegates to the ELCIC Convention.
Pastor Lynne was elected and installed as Dean of Metro Council and Pastor Bruce Gelhorn was elected and installed as Vice-Dean. The Dean organizes monthly Metro Ministerial Meetings, chairs Metro Council, distributes information, installs rostered ministers, meets with the Bishop, arranges retirements, and plans Advent and spring luncheons for retired ministers, church workers and spouses.
Respectfully Submitted,
Betty Gunn
Follow-Up Report
Union Gospel Mission
Charis House
271 Archibald Avenue
As you may or may not know, the congregation of St. Luke’s Zion adopted a room in Charis House. For those who aren’t familiar with this program it is a Women’s Addiction Recovery Program. It is a Christ-centered recovery from addictions and what makes this so special is if the woman has children they are able to stay there with her.
I called Union Gospel Mission to follow up on the project and spoke with Jeff who is the Operations Manager. I asked him how the Adopt-A-Room was coming along and was informed that all 60 rooms were adopted. They praise God for all their supporters.
The first floor which holds 27 rooms is completely finished and at this time there are 19 women and 3 pre-school children in the program. In the summer they finished off the dining room and the kitchen will be finished shortly.
Right now they are concentrating on the basement. The basement houses the children’s playroom, laundry room, workout room, classroom, computer room and storage.
The 2nd floor houses 33 rooms. After Christmas, during January and February, the final touches will be done. They will be putting in carpeting and toilets and hopefully it will be opened by the end of February 2011.
When I asked about the classroom and if they would be teaching children there Jeff told me that they had a partnership with Faith Academy and school age children of long term patients would attend classes at Faith Academy. If the time came when they had a lot of children staying there they would look at the possibility of having an instructor from Faith Academy come in to teach.
The windows are in need of replacing. They are now in the process of raising funds to replace all the windows in the building to cut down on drafts and be more energy efficient. They are also putting in new insulation and siding.
I then looked up Union Gospel Mission on the internet at www.gospelmission.ca/
The program is called the H.E.A.R.T. Women’s Addiction Recovery Program. H.E.A.R.T. stands for Healing, Equipping, Accountability, Responsibility and Transition.
Union Gospel Mission provides a safe, clean environment, 24/7 staff and individualized case management. The program consists of the following elements:
1) Spiritual Development
2) Recovery / Counselling
3) Life Skills
4) Individualized Case Management
5) Educational Development and Employment
Women must also meet certain requirements to enter the program. I have printed off the pamphlet regarding Charis House and have posted it on the bulletin board.
In closing I would like to ask the congregation to pray for the staff at Charis House, the volunteers, the women and children who are currently living there and for the women who have yet to recognize that they need to be there.
Respectfully Submitted,
Teresa Rumley
October 5, 2010