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.         Ben S.           

Tyson C.            Neveah T.           

Brendyn K.        Elliette G. 

Madison S.       Nevaeh V.

Ashley S.

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    

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!

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.

FINANCIAL UPDATE

We ended 2020 very well, showing a surplus of over $7,000.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First, many of you stepped up in the last six weeks of the year in order to help erase the deficit that we had in November.  Thank you!  The second reason is that part of our youth director’s salary was paid through the federal wage subsidy program.  In 2021, as in most years, our expenses will increase over last year.  Hence, the ministry that we do together through St. Luke’s Zion will continue to need your support.  Thank you!

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!

ANNUAL REPORTS

This year, our Annual Report will be emailed to as many people as possible.  If you will need a paper copy of the report, please let us know!  Paper copies can be mailed, dropped off, or picked up as necessary prior to our meeting on Feb. 28th at 1:00 p.m.   We will only have a copy available for you if we know that you need one!  Thank you.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE

   At our Annual Meeting on February 28th, we will be electing members of church council and a delegate to the MNO Synod Convention.  The MNO Convention will be held via Zoom on April 23-24, 2021.  We are also entitled to nominate a lay delegate for the 2022 ELCIC National Convention.

   If you would consider serving on church council or have an interest in being a delegate to either the Synod or National Convention, please speak to Pastor Lynne or to a member of council!

SUNDAY SCHOOL:

We are continuing our weekly lessons through  email & 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

Movie day on Sunday Feb 21st at 1:00 pm on Zoom

Movie "Inside out"   Contact Lisa for more details

Save the date: 

Next event Sunday March 21st Zoom meeting 1:00 p.m.  Watch for details

You can follow us (we love new followers)

Instagram: slawg.jr .youth 

Facebook: slawg.jr. youth 

MITTEN BASKET:

The mitten basket dropped off hand knit mittens, toques at the Urban , King Edward, Champlain, Machray , William Whyte , and Strathcona Schools. Your generous donations of wool & knitting is welcomed .   

Thankyou, Happy New Year!   Linda

LUTHER VILLAGE:

Registration is now OPEN!

2021Program

DATE                  PROGRAM TITLE

May 21-24............Spring Clean-up weekend

                             Work weekend/May Long

May 28-30............LIT Training weekend

June 4-6...............Bikeathon

June 11-13...........Women’s Retreat

June 25-27...........Small Fry Camp (Grades 2-3)

July 4-9................Teen Canoe Trip

July 4-9................LIT Training week

July 11-16............Grades 4-6 Camp

July 18-24............Family Camp 1

July 25–31......,,... Family Camp 2

Aug. 1–7..........,... Family Camp 3

Aug. 8-14.......,..... Family Camp 4

Aug. 15-21......,.... Family Camp 5

Aug. 22-27.......,...7-10 Camp

Aug. 27-29……,...Family Camp Retreat

Sept. 3–6……,…..Labour Day Long Weekend

Sept. 10-30.....,... Personal Retreat

New This Year!

Register Online at Luthervillage.ca

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION **SAVE $25 on week long youth camps if registered by May 1, 2021

S’MORE DISCOUNT * Bring some more people! SAVE $50 for Youth week long camps! If you are a returning camper and refer a NEW friend to join you for your week at camp, you and your friend receive $50 off if registered by May 1, 2021.

LUM (Lutheran Urban Ministry)

January 2021 News from your Ministry Manager  Happy New Year!! 

The weather reports are predicting a polar vortex on  the way. This unseasonably warm weather respite is almost over!!  

· Good news that vaccines are being rolled out in MB

· Winnipeg’s homeless population is especially  vulnerable to this virus. Also, many people who struggle in poverty have underlying health conditions that increase the possibility of more severe illness from Covid-19.

· We are grateful to the health care professionals,  grocery store workers and truckers, as well as all of the other essential workers who are caring for the daily needs of Manitobans during this pandemic time.

It is our commitment to ensure that health and safety  at the Urban remains the primary focus. We all long for the day when it is safe for our worship services, coffee hours and sharing circles to resume. I hear so many comments about missing the fellowship and conversation in the circles. We’ll sure all have a lot to talk about when we are sitting together once again.

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 for now bagged lunches 4x/week are 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 has been updated 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