BAPTISMS FOR MAY:  

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 May in previous years:

Brittney E. M.                        Thompson M. W.
Driano D. S.                          Jordan A. A.
Molly M. S.                            Jaxon T. L.
Brooke D. A. W.                     Sharon E. A.
Chloe A. M.                           Tayla D. A. 
Slater C. S.                           Nicholas W. E. S.
Austin C. S.                          Madelyn M. K.

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    

2021 GRADS:

Please let Pastor Lynne or Lisa know before the end of May if anybody in your family will be graduating from high school or post-secondary education this year.  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.

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!

COVID AND WORSHIP:

At this point in time, we are still not able to gather together for worship.  Hopefully, once regulations allow it, we will be able to have some outdoor services.  While it has been a long time, hang in there!  We will certainly let everybody know when you are able to come to worship again!

SUNDAY SCHOOL:

Thank you to Sharon Appler for delivering a cheque for $145.00 and the two bags of Rubber Boots to the Immaculate Conception Drop-in Center. Sharon met with Steve Chipman and was given a mini tour and information on their meal programs. Steve was very thankful and appreciative for the donations raised by the Sunday School.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances of Covid we did not meet our goal…however we are very thankful for the donated boots and monetary gifts we did receive. Thank You to everyone who donated to this cause.

As for Google Classroom Sunday School…we have cancelled this service as it did not serve the purpose for our needs. The same Children’s message information is emailed weekly so you won’t be missing out.

We are working on different ways we can connect and we welcome any ideas you may have.

Please email your ideas to: joannejanzen007@mymts.net

Thank You

SLZ Sunday School

YOUTH:

As we are not able to yet meet in person with current restrictions our May event will be a pick-up.

We will be painting clay pots and planting succulent plants in them (at home)

Pick up supplies: 

Grades 3-6 youth on Saturday May 8th at Sherwood Park Lutheran Church between 11:00 - 11:30 am 

SLAW youth will also be doing the same pick-up event on Saturday May 8th 11:30-12:15 pm

Reminder if you know someone who is graduating this spring (high school or post-secondary)

please let me know so we can include them in our Blessing of our Graduates Video.

CLAY 2021 0n line event Auguust 20-22 2021- plans are in progress - watch for updates 

You can follow us (we love new followers)

Instagram: slawg.jr .youth 

Facebook: slawg.jr. youth 

Lisa van Dijk
Youth Ministry Coordinator 
Abundant Life -Sherwood Park -St. Luke's Zion
splc-youth@live.ca

THANK YOU SLAW YOUTH GROUP:

Good morning Lisa,

I hope you’re doing well and everyone is staying healthy. Please extend a big Thank You to all of the SLAW Youth Group for the generous donation to Siloam Mission.

Thank you for sharing the gift of hope at a time when it is needed the most. The global pandemic has exposed challenges for the most vulnerable and revealed how all of our well-being is interconnected; working with and for the those experiencing homelessness is more critical now than ever. Your compassion for the health and wellness of the Siloam Mission community is truly a blessing.

The actions that we take today will determine the outcome of our community’s tomorrow. Your gift will help provide the necessary supports for individuals to overcome homelessness and poverty in Winnipeg. It is because of people like your group, that Siloam Mission can continue to deliver mental health programming, employment readiness supports, primary healthcare, and much more during this time.

On behalf of everyone at Siloam Mission, thank you for making a positive difference in our community.

Wishing you happiness and health!

Shannon Shushkewich

Community Relations Coordinator

Siloam Mission

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Thank you from the Urban to the SPLC Youth and Young Adults

Hi SPLC Youth and Young Adults from Abundant Life, St. Luke Zion and Sherwood Park Lutheran Churches,

Thank you so much for all of the groceries and toiletries for the Urban from your MNO Synod Advent in Action Calendar project!

Lisa Van Dijk dropped everything off on Wednesday and the items will be welcomed by many people in our Urban community. It was really thoughtful of you.  I want to also say thanks again for everything that you did to make our Urban Christmas gift bags so special.

Kind regards,

Rhonda Gorham

Ministry Manager Lutheran Urban Ministry

LUM (Lutheran Urban Ministry)

April 2021 News from your Ministry Manager

The pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone in Manitoba and especially for those who had struggles in life before Covid-19. Now the looming worries of variants force all of us to remain vigilant in mask wearing and social distancing. The vaccine rollout is a bright spot of hope.

It’s been over 12 months since the Urban was forced to pivot to new ways of reaching out to marginalized and struggling individuals and families in the West End.

Since mid-March 2020 - four times per week at the Urban - over 900 bagged lunches are distributed monthly from the side door. Meal teams make this possible by filling in so many of these weekly calendar dates and we are so grateful.

Spiritual care at the Urban right now is limited.  However, this limitation is greater because many people who attend the Urban don’t have computers or phones and access to internet to Zoom into a worship service. Also, conversation outside is time limited during bagged meal distribution because of line-ups.

One example is this past Wednesday mid-afternoon. The doorbell rang by a man in spiritual distress who asked to speak to a pastor because he wanted confession. Church of the Cross is presently closed and I was alone downstairs at the Urban. I put my jacket on and we talked outside for about 15 minutes. He doesn’t have a phone, is homeless, and has lost his friends and his family. I did my best to listen and provide some spiritual care, counsel, reassurance, and encouragement in the parking lot. The evening supper lunch bags had already arrived but in his despair he refused the offer of a supper to take with him.

Present fellowship limitations at the Urban make requests like “Rhonda, can I talk to you for a minute?” not as possible, and won’t be optimum again until it is safe for our Urban community to gather downstairs 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 & 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! Worship services and sharing circles will resume when the pandemic is over.

· Mid-week and Sunday devotionals are emailed to me from Pastor Barry Bence, printed and 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) once or twice each week during the distribution of bagged lunches. Gloves, socks, seasonal jackets etc. (and bi-weekly bread/pastries) are also distributed outside.

· Masks and 2 m social distancing are mandatory on the church sidewalk and parking lot. The line sometimes overflows to the city sidewalk if necessary. The Urban provides a disposable mask if needed.

The Lutheran Urban Ministry has so much gratitude for our volunteers and the meal teams; for the pantry donations, for the prayers; and for all those who donate financial support toward our operating expenses.

Our website: 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

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!

TRINITY FOOD PANTRY:

Donations are still graciously received especially since no food items have been received from congregations during COVID 19.  Send checks made out to Grace Lutheran Church which is TFP sponsor.  Mark for Trinity Food Pantry.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/indigenous-parish-finds-new-home-573930442.html

For more information contact Don Engel 204-663-5932 or pastordonengel@gmail.com

LUTHER VILLAGE:

Registration is now OPEN for 2021 and the 2021 brochures are now available to pick up or you can view it online on the Luther Village website

www.luthervillage.ca  New This Year! Register Online

MNO SYNOD Convention:

I represented St. Luke’s Zion at the 2021 MNO SYNOD Convention, ”Newness of Life” April-23-24.  Using ZOOM the convention had just over 100 attendees from across the province. There were a few technical glitches throughout the meeting, both at the Synod level and with my computer. However, everything worked out well and all business was covered in less time than the agenda indicated. My technology glitches were during the report portion of the meeting. As the reports were provided in the convention’s Bulletin of Reports distributed weeks before the convention, I felt confident in voting even if I missed some of the commentary. The second glitch was during the closing worship which was a personal disappointment.

Throughout the proceedings it was interesting to view videos that captured the ministry provided by Luther Village, Lutheran Theological Seminary, CLWR, and the Urban. These videos supplemented their full reports contained in the Bulletin of Reports.

We were given an overview of our synod’s priorities: empowered discipleship; faithful transformation; and mutual support. Further details on these priorities can be found at http://mnosynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2019-MNO-MinistryPriorities.pdf

Bishop Susan’s report focused on our call to journey together, the need for courageous innovation, inclusivity, impact of poverty, CLWR mission and being empowered to discipleship. She also spoke about the impact of COVID on moving church work forward and struggles with mental health during the pandemic.

A reoccurring theme throughout the reports, greetings and discussions was the need to challenge injustices, how we meet our communities and the need to develop new ways for people to hear God’s message and be transformed by God’s gift of life and the impact of COVID19 on church and community life.

Friday’s meeting included administrative bylaw changes. Many of them involved a wording change from ordained ministers to rostered pastors. There were also changes to ELCIC convention delegate regulations.

Highlights from the Synod council report included: establishing a code of conduct; updating the call process manual; amalgamated various grant committees into one; procedures to assist congregational governance; and support of Luther Village during the Spring 2018 major flood. The inclusion of motions from the 2018-2021 meetings in the Bulletin of Reports provided an excellent overview of the work that has taken place during the last 3 years.

Saturday morning’s presentation by Andrew Root, ”Church in the Secular Age” was open to all.  There were other members of St. Luke’s Zion congregation present. He spoke of the challenges and possibilities of church presence in Secular 0(hard to find an atheist), 1(divide between the public and private life), 2(more intense competition between public and private) and 3(belief/unbelief becoming more fragilized) times. 

Saturday afternoon’s business meeting consisted of electing Synod Council Executive and Members.  With the exception of the position of treasurer, executive members were elected by acclimation.  There were no nominations for treasurer. The Synod Council has been given authority to appoint a treasurer. In the interim, Alan Francis will undertake the treasure duties. Delegates to the 2022 ELCIC Convention were also elected.  As there was not any paperwork for youth delegates Synod Council was given authority to fill these delegate positions at a later date.

The financial report showed a $28,000.00 surplus for 2020.  Both income and expenses were lower than budgeted mostly due to COVID conditions. The budgets for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 were approved.  Budgeted increases in income are projected as $4,000 for 2021 and $1,000 for both 2022 and 2023.The 2024 income was projected as same as 2023.  Budgeted deficits of $11,000 (2021); $25,180 (2022); $28,420 (2023); $34,495 (2024) were projected.

The meeting ended with a discussion on a motion regarding a letter of concern about conditions in not for profit care homes to be sent on behalf of the synod. This was referred to Synod Council for action.

I appreciated the opportunity to become more aware of the work of the MNO Synod.

Peace

Respectfully Submitted

Colleen 

Hi,

My name is Thera and this year I was a youth delegate at the MNO SYNOD Convention, so I will be talking a little bit about my experience.

The convention was a very good learning experience for me and I learned a lot about how things are done, and the roles of the council, and though it was a tad confusing, it definitely made things make a lot more sense to me about how everything worked.

During the convention there was a speaker named Andrew Root, and he was very interesting with what he was talking about and referenced 2 non-Christian songs but looked into a religious meaning of them, which I found to be quite interesting. I enjoyed being apart of the convention because it was very educational for me, and I definitely learned a lot, so I am very grateful for that opportunity I was given.

Thank You

Thera