BAPTISMS FOR FEBRUARY:                           

     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 February in previous years: 

Madison T.

Tyson C.

Brendyn K.

Madison S.

Ben S.

Neveah T.

IN OUR PRAYERS:

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

Helen – Holy Family Nursing Home

Irene  - River Park Gardens

Elfrieda  - Luther Home 

Anna  – Fred Douglas Lodge

Laura  - Red River Place, Selkirk

Mary – Luther Home

Albert – Middlechurch Home

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER:

Mark your calendars and plan to attend this year's World Day of Pray Prayer. The country this year to prepare the program is Cuba. 

Friday March 4th at 7:00 p.m. at St John's Cathedral.  See you there.                          

SLZ - HELP WANTED:

The following opportunities for service continue to be available.  Can you help?

*Ministers of Transportation (People need rides to church!)  

*Banner steward (changes the banners as the church seasons change – must be able to climb a ladder – minor banner repairs as needed)  

*NEST Board Member  

*Choir Members  

*Sunday Servants

NEWS FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: 

Please hand in any Items for the March newsletter by February 25th to Joanne Janzen or email to the church @ stluzi@mymts.net or to joannejanzen007@mymts.net Thank You!

CAMBRIDGE COFFEEHOUSE:

   It’s official. The Cambridge Coffeehouse St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 600 Cambridge Ave. (Cambridge & Corydon) will be returning to St. Mark’s on Saturday evening, February 6th - Music begins at 7:30 p.m.  PVR the game if necessary and head on over to St. Mark’s for an evening of popular musical entertainment featuring pop, folk, bluegrass tunes performed by local artists and also enjoy the complimentary coffee & desserts.
   This is a great opportunity to invite your friends and neighbours to an event at St. Mark’s and to have them join you in supporting a worthy cause.     

   Free will donations in support of our Refugee Family Sponsorship program.

   Come early for a good seat. Unlike a church service, you may want to sit closer to the action.

 ‘Coffee with a Cause’

--More info @ facebook.com/stmarkswinnipeg

URBAN UPDATE:

The main things CURRENTLY NEEDED besides emergency food is products for men:

Razors, Shaving Cream, Deodorant, work socks and underwear (briefs, t-shirts and long-johns XL).

We have blankets and towels and mittens and hats and scarves.

Current inventory is as follows:

-Kits-Ten gift kits remaining at $15.00 which includes one 28 oz. can of tomatoes, 1 package of bannock mix and 1 bag of soup.

-Chili-Bean Soup-$10.00 each--we have 274 bags of soup left

**We are sold out of individual packages of Hemp seed bannock.

    Pick up times are Sundays: 1:00 to 3:30

Wednesday from 12:30 to 8:30

Thursday from 1:00 to 8:30.

Please contact us to place your order.

Rev. Deborah V Kerr BTh     Ministry Manager

Lutheran Urban Ministry

#25-560 Arlington St.   Winnipeg, MB R3G 1Z5

www.theurban.ca    Phone: 204-774-3143 

DID YOU KNOW?

According to the Lutheran World Federation, there are nearly 66 million Lutherans worldwide.

Of these, 36 million live in Europe, 13 million in Africa, 8.4 million in North America, 7.3 million in Asia, and 1.1 million in Latin America.

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS: 

ST. LUKE’S GOT TALENT  2016 & LUNCHEON

March 6, 2016 - following Lunch – All are Welcome!

There will be a free will offering to help cover the cost of the food  

Everyone is Welcome to attend!!!

Come on out and cheer or. . . Sign-up and share your talent with us…

Singing, playing a musical instrument, writing/reciting poetry or even your own stories, crafts, cooking, baking, photography etc.  Possibilities are endless!!!

We all have a talent…what’s YOUR’S

We Would LOVE to see YOU!!!

Great Food, Great Fellowship, Silent Auction,  Door Prizes,

Great FUN for everyone…help us make this event successful…join us!!!!

DONATIONS WELCOME: Food, beverages, appetizers, desserts, silent auction & door prizes, monetary donations to purchase necessary items.

Please see Joanne Janzen, Sharon Appler or Betty Gunn for more information and to answer any questions you may have.

All extra funds raised from this event will be donated to the Food Bank. Thank You! SLZ Sunday School

‘Toddler’s Knowing God’:  St. Luke’s Sunday School will be launching an 8 week session for toddlers 18 months to 3 years of age.  We have a teacher in place and 5 children so far.  We are very excited about this and are planning to launch this in September of 2016. Please speak to Joanne Janzen, Sharon Appler or Betty Gunn to have your child/children registered and sign up as a helper if you like.

We are hoping to run this program 2–3 times a year

The program currently is being tweaked.

Stay tuned for more information!!!   Thank You!

 ‘Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray’     ~Proverbs 22:6                               

YOUTH: ‘Quiz Night’

Fundraiser in Support of youth ministry at Abundant Life, Sherwood Park and St. Luke's Zion including helping the youth attending the CLAY gathering in PEI this August.  Event will be Held on Friday, March 11th  at Abundant Life Lutheran Church; 3486 Raleigh St, East St. Paul, MB  *Doors Open at 7:00 p.m.

Quiz night starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp
*Teams of maximum 8 will compete against each other in trivia questions ages 10 and up recommended. There will be prizes for winners, silent auction and great food. Bring extra loonies and toonies for extra games that will be played during the night.
*Tickets:  team of 8 players $100.00 / group of 4 players $50.00 / single tickets $15.00

*Contact: Lisa van Dijk at splc-youth@live.ca or 204.293.6357 text or call 204.668.1779 to reserve tickets

LUTHER VILLAGE NEWS 

‘Reservations’:

It's almost time to make your reservation and create your own experience for your time out at Luther Village for 2016. Here's how it works: Reservations begin for EVERYONE on Mon. Jan. 25th.  Calls will begin being answered at 9:00 am CST, on this line ONLY: 204.783.3337. No email reservations on this day.  Please be patient as many are phoning.  ***One call = one booking for family camps (maximum 3 weeks at a time). You can book for another occasion in that same phone call. You cannot book for someone else in addition to your reservation. Credit card (VISA or MasterCard) is required for deposit.

**LV Summer Employment Opportunities:

It’s time to start thinking about what you want to do for the spring and summer this year. Hmmmm...best job ever, that gives incredible life experience, is hard work, is extremely meaningful, has you meeting many people and probably life-long friends and epic experiences? Luther Village is the place. You will be educated and learn more than you ever expected. You will be working in the great outdoors, having opportunity to canoe, kayak, go fishing and hiking, to be involved in the programs of Luther Village and work among other Christians sharing God’s love with everyone. It’s pretty much a dream job really.
We are accepting applications now for all areas: Kitchen, Program, Maintenance, Lifeguard, Office, with an application deadline of February 29th. Please head over to www.luthervillage.ca for a complete list of positions, job descriptions, and an application form.    Interviews will take place early March with hiring completed by March 20th. 

LV Annual Meeting

will be held on Thursday February 18th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Cross, 560 Arlington St, Winnipeg. It’s a time for information sharing about the past year and what’s coming up, including opportunities for businesses or organizations to offer their services or programs at LV.  The annual report book will be available on-line (www.luthervillage.ca) before the meeting. A representative from your church is welcome to attend.

ELCIC – Education Sessions:

Treasurers & Church Administrators: Group Services is pleased to provide an educational session for treasurers of the ELCIC. To be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 211 Kimberly Ave. Wpg. MB on Monday, February 22nd, 2016 - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  All treasurers and church administrators who assist treasurers are invited to gather, share and learn about the roles and responsibilities of this position. We understand that this volunteer job can sometimes be challenging and we hope that we can answer your questions and give you tips and insights to make things a little easier.  Register now: info@elcicgsi.ca

N.E.S.T. NEWS: 

Good News!

On November 30th, 2015, NEST welcomed a family, originally from IRAQ, but who had found refuge in LEBANON for several years and at risk. Messiah Lutheran, in Thanksgiving for their 50th Anniversary offered to be the caregivers. This is a Blended Visa Office Referral, where Canada Immigration and NEST share the financial upkeep for the first year. The Christian family have been comfortably settled in their new home, a fully furnished apartment in the Westwood area (address available!) and kitchen well stocked. At our meeting on January 26th we were happy to meet the ISSI family, Mom (SLAVANA) and Dad (HANI), daughters 11 and 4 years, and 8 year old son. Hugs all around!

Through an interpreter (OMAR), himself part of an Iraqi refugee family, 10 or 12 years ago, quoted the father as saying how happy and safe they felt to be here, and it was ‘heaven’. The METRO issue on Jan.13, 2016 featured the family – including a color picture.

There has been no further news on family sponsorship (dating back 2008/09) for the families from the Congo (now in camps in Zambia and Kenya), although some interviews were held last October. The relatives of 2 (related) families were told, via the internet that the interviews went well. NEST will need ‘Caregivers’ when they arrive. Please consider lending a helping hand. Help and guidelines are available: phone Jim Mair at 204.632.4757 or email jimmair@shaw.ca or myself Dorothy at 204.633.1494. Much appreciated!

NEST General Meeting will be on Tues., Feb. 23rd

at Grace Lutheran Church. All are Welcome!

Refreshments following the business meeting.

Upcoming Fundraisers:

*NEST POTLUCK DINNER – Sunday, February 21st 2016 5:00 p.m. at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Narol, 5635 Henderson Hwy. Limited seating (75)

Tickets $5.00 adults, plus a supper dish to share and children are $2.00

*NEST FLAPJACK FUNDRAISER - Applebee’s on Regent Ave. on Saturday, March 26th, 2016 from 8:00 8:00–10:00 a.m. Tickets are $10.00

Please see me for tickets to both Fundraising events.

Always, Thank You for your prayers and support.

         -Blessings!  Dorothy Handkamer

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN BROADCAST:

Tune in each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (CST) to:
CKBI 900 AM  MAX TV 824 www.lutheranbroadcast.ca   Our website makes us heard around the world. Please take time to check us out.  Mailing Address: Box 1717, Prince Albert, SK S6V 5T3    All donations, large and small, are most gratefully and prayerfully received and acknowledged with receipt at Year End.
 

MNO YOUTH RETREAT (Grade 7-12)
“Tervetuloa: Welcome in!”

Preparations are well underway for this year’s February Youth Retreat, February 12 – 15, 2016 to be hosted at Hilldale Lutheran Church, in Thunder Bay, ON. An information page & registration form are available online at the MNO Crossword website at

www.mnosynod.org/crossword.html

Deadline to register is February 4th

*About the Theme and the Weekend:  Our presenters for the weekend will be Andraea Sartison and Caroline Wintoniw. 
They are from Winnipeg, and have been involved in CLAY drama teams, and are creative in live theatre and photography and videography in the arts community. We’re also delighted to have Intern Pastor Lisa Janke providing leadership on the retreat.
*Our weekend will include time for worship, prayer, and learning. And of course, lots of time for visiting and playing. We will enjoy the beauty of God’s creation at sites in and around Thunder Bay, as well as time at the Canada Games complex (hint: includes a Thunder Slide).

MNO – ‘Youth and Campus Service’
The next Youth and Campus Service will be 6:30pm March 6th at St Luke's-Zion Lutheran Church.
Youth Service Schedule
March 6th - St. Luke's Zion, Winnipeg
April 3rd - Grace, Winnipeg
May 1st - Trinity, Thalberg

LEAP YEAR FACTS

Julius Caesar is said to be the "father of leap year." Ancient Egyptians created the basis for the modern-day calendar. But by Julius Caesar's time, it had slipped out of sync with Earth's seasons. The 355-day Roman calendar called for an extra 22- or 23-day month every two years to keep the seasons on track. So he decided to create a 365-day calendar, but the actual calculations were made by Caesar's astronomer, Sosigenes. Sosigenes added one extra day to every fourth February. Why February? It was the last month of the year in Roman times.

Anthony, Texas, is the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the World. In 1988, the chamber of commerce in the little town on the border between New Mexico and Texas voted to sponsor the Worldwide Leap Year Festival and Worldwide Leap Year Birthday Club. Partiers celebrate with a parade, hot-air-balloon rides, a carnival and a gathering of people born on Feb. 29. To learn more about the festival go to www.leapyearcapital.com.

Greek superstition claims that bad luck will come to couples that marry during a leap year. Allegedly one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year.

Leap day is also when women were once officially allowed to step outside of tradition and propose to their beaus. According to legend, St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick in fifth-century Ireland about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. St. Patrick's solution was to allow women one chance that only came around every four years to take the initiative. In 1288 Scotland supposedly made the tradition a law and any man who declined a proposal in a leap year had to pay a fine ranging from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves. Today North Americans call this tradition Sadie Hawkins Day, invented by Al Capp in his cartoon strip Li'l Abner, but there is debate over whether it's Feb. 29 or Nov. 15 -- the date the cartoon was first published.

CALENDAR EXPLAINER:

     A leap year is a year in the Gregorian calendar with one extra day added to the end of February, making the month 29 days long. The day was established to keep the seasons and the calendar in sync. A year is measured by the amount of time it takes the sun to return to the spot directly above the Earth's equator.

Although it actually takes 365.2422 days, we round it to 365. But this results in an error of 0.2422 days, or almost six hours, per year. After 100 years this calendar would be more than 24 days ahead of the seasons, but leap day makes up for the inaccuracy. Years that end in 00 would only be a leap year if they are divisible by 400. So 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was.

 BY THE NUMBERS:

The chances of a leap birthday are one in 1,461 -- long odds for getting the short end of the stick. Imagine waiting four years for your real birthday and hearing endless jokes about being three when you're really 12.

The longest time between two leap years is eight years. The last time this happened was between 1896 and 1904 and it won't happen again until 2096 to 2104.

There were five Fridays in February 2008 -- the month begins and ends on a Friday. Between 1904 and 2096, leap day occurs on the same day of the week every 28 years, so the last time February had five Fridays was in 1980 and next time will be in 2036.

According to global statistics, there are about 4.1 million people worldwide born on Feb. 29.

Norway's Henriksen siblings are recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. The three siblings were born on three consecutive leap days. Heidi Henriksen, 1960; Olav Henriksen, 1964; and Leif-Martin Henriksen, 1968.

The Keogh family has three consecutive generations born on Feb. 29. Peter Anthony was born in Ireland in 1940; his son Peter Eric was born in the United Kingdom in 1964; and his granddaughter Bethany Wealth was born in the United Kingdom in 1996.

LEAPLINGS:

Someone born on leap day may be called a leapling. They usually celebrate their birthdays on Feb. 28 or March 1 in common years.

Other Facts:
-Every four years in the Gregorian calendar, an extra day is added to the calendar in order to synchronize it with the solar year.

-Occurs in every year that is divisible by four and only in century years that are evenly divided by 400.
Ex. 800, 1200, 2000 were leap years...BUT 1700 and 1900 were not because they are not divisible by 400, even though they are divisible by four.

-In a leap year, the extra day is added at the end of February, giving it 29 days instead of 28.

The extra day is called a leap day, or an intercalary day.

-It takes the earth a little bit less than 365 ¼ days (365.242 days) to orbit the Sun (solar year). For this reason, the full day is only added once every four years. In the Julian calendar, there is still an 11-minute, 14-second discrepancy each year.

46 B.C. - The practice of adding the extra day begins with the creation of the Julian calendar and a decree by Julius Caesar. The Julian calendar creates an extra day every four years, and does not follow the century-divisible-by-400 rule.

1582 A.D. - The 11-minute discrepancy in the Julian calendar adds up to ten days by this point. Pope Gregory XIII creates the Gregorian calendar and drops ten days from the month of October. He also establishes February 29th as the official date to add during a leap year, coins the term leap year, and creates the rules for adding the leap year.

Currently the solar year is approximately 26 seconds shorter than the Gregorian year.

Within a century, the fourth year is the first leap year.

In the U.S., leap year coincides with presidential election years.