Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has prepared a special message for the church inviting ELCIC members to take time this Christmas season and think of ways to deepen discipleship. The Bishop’s message emphasizes the seven areas of the Call to Spiritual Renewal, including: Pray, Read, Worship, Study, Serve, Give and Tell.

The text of the message follows. Bishop Johnson’s message can also be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhNOrhYXXM&feature=youtu.be

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, I want to encourage you in your Call to Spiritual Renewal. I invite you to take time this Christmas season to think of ways about how you can deepen your discipleship as you: Pray, Read, Worship, Study, Serve, Give and Tell.

Join with the angels and their song as you pray for peace in the world, and for those who are in need of food, shelter and safety.

Read the accounts of the birth of Jesus in the beginning chapters of Matthew and Luke. Read them with friends, or family, or your children.

Worship as often as you can over these twelve days of Christmas – and invite somebody to come and worship with you.

Study the differing accounts in those Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Find out what it is about the story of Christmas that is biblical and what you have learned from Christmas carols or tradition.

Serve. Find ways to serve over this holiday time – carol with a seniors home, or go and visit shut-ins, shovel the snow for neighbours, or help to feed the homeless.

Give an extra gift in honour of the birth of the child in Bethlehem – whether you give it to the church or to your charity of choice.

And tell, tell the story of Jesus as you have experienced him – whether you tell it on the mountain or wherever you are!

My hope and prayer for you is that this Christmas celebration will help you deepen your relationship with Jesus and help you grow in your spirited discipleship.

God bless you and merry Christmas!

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,276 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Senior management from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Mennonite Church Canada (MC Canada) met at the ELCIC National Office in Winnipeg on December 15.

Nine leaders attended, including national leaders—Willard Metzger (MC Canada) and National Bishop Susan C. Johnson (ELCIC)—as well as staff with oversight in the areas of witness, church engagement, communications, finance, justice and other departments. They shared their current work, challenges, strategic plans, and mapped out their relationships with partners.

Relations between the ELCIC and MC Canada have been renewed since July 2010, when The Lutheran World Federation offered a historic apology to Mennonites for past persecutions. The move to formally apologize comes out of a seven year dialogue between Lutherans and Mennonites, which resulted in a study document that presents a shared understanding of what happened during the Reformation.

The ELCIC and MC Canada have worked to apply this global statement of reconciliation in local churches and jointly prepared a congregational study guide, Healing Memories, Reconciling in Christ, which offers a study process primarily for groups of both Lutherans and Mennonites to understand the context of the apology and the new relationship between the churches.

The study guide was intended as a first step with the hope that there would be further places to foster dialogue and leadership. The December meeting of senior staff is another step in building relationships. Further areas of cooperation emerged from the discussions, particularly in the area of indigenous ministries.

The leaders agreed that bilateral conversations in specific work areas should take place in the coming months, with a follow up meeting planned in late 2012.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,276 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Dear members of the ELCIC,

We are writing to you today to clear up some misunderstandings about the balloting procedures that took place at the last National Convention. Many of you are unaware of these concerns, however, some misinformation has been crossing our church in the form of emails. National Church Council addressed these matters at their meeting in September but unfortunately the emails have continued.

The issue centers around confusion about who was responsible for counting ballots at the last National Convention and whether proper procedures were followed in the counting of yes/no ballots for approval of the Social Statement on Human Sexuality and the related motions. Here are some facts to address the questions that have been raised.

1.The ELCIC Constitution and Administrative Bylaws stipulate that the Committee on the Conduct of Elections is responsible for all balloting processes.

2.This year, for the first time, volunteer ballot counters were recruited to assist the Committee on the Conduct of Elections as needed. Unfortunately separate terms of reference were not created for the volunteer ballot counters and there was some confusion over their role. This is most unfortunate and will be addressed before the next convention. ( CC-2011-80 That officers of the church review the process of how elections and balloting are conducted at National Conventions, and report to NCC at the September 2012 meeting. CARRIED.)

3.The Committee on the Conduct of Elections chose to count the yes/no ballots on their own, since it was such a simple counting process. This decision was in order.

4.All of the committees of convention have a staff person assigned to them from the National Office. Assistant to the Bishop, The Rev. Carla Blakley, was assigned to assist the Committee on the Conduct of Elections. She is totally innocent of any suggestions of wrong-doing which have been circulating. These suggestions run counter to Matthew 18:15-17 and are libellous.

5.All of the votes that took place at the convention were conducted in a both legal and appropriate way. We understand that some people are disappointed and even angry with the results of the vote, but the conduct of the voting and counting of ballots is not in question.

We hope that this letter addresses these concerns. Any further communication should be sent directly to the National Bishop or the Secretary of this church.

In the Advent spirit of hope, love, and peace,

National Church Council

A PDF version of this letter is available here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/2011Dec-NCCLetter.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,276 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Lutheran-Anglican-Episcopal leadership of Canada and the United States met on December 8 at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City.

Attending were:

The Rev. Mark Hanson
Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The Rev. Don McCoid
Assistant to the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA

The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz
Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada
Archdeacon Paul Feheley
Principal Secretary to the Primate of Canada
The Ven. Dr. Michael Thompson
General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Susan Johnson
National Bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Rev. Andre Lavergne
Assistant to the National Bishop

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church
The Rev. Dr. Canon Charles Robertson
Canon to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

The members have issued the following report:

The Second Annual Gathering of Lutheran-Anglican-Episcopal leaders from the United States and Canada met in communion, collegiality and with the spirit of our Lord.

Our four churches have a common understanding and commitment to the Gospel. At this meeting, we explored a deepened commitment to the witness that we share together and looked at new possibilities working together.

We were in conversation on a series of topics of mutual interest and common concern. Among the topics discussed at the one-day meeting were:

·Immigration reform, environmental issues, poverty, First Nations, and refugees. From those issues, we are encouraging the senior staff of all our churches who have responsibility in these areas to work collaboratively as we believe these are important issues.

·Ecumenical and interfaith issues. We discussed ways in which to share our resources.

·Middle East: We support our partners, and we are respectful of addressing the realities of the Middle East policies of our countries while respecting dreams of our partners.

·We raised possibilities of areas of partnership, focusing on common experiences as well as things we do in different ways. For example, some of our ministry work is addressed on the national or churchwide level, while the same work is addressed on a diocesan or synodic level. We are looking at bi-lateral or tri-lateral partnerships in these areas.

·Relief and development work, global mission, United Nations advocacy: We are seeking a better alignment of these challenges.

·We reviewed the possibilities of producing materials, study guides and resources that parishes and congregations in all four churches could use in various seasons of the liturgical year.

·We addressed the challenges of church planting and how we need to strategize with our full communion partners

We decided to:

·Form a subcommittee to further consider how we can make our bi-lateral full communion relationships effective among the four churches.

·Plan for our 2012 meeting to be held in Chicago and 2013 in Winnipeg (2010 was held in Toronto). At those meetings, our staff will be asked to provide updates on the collaborative work.

·Discuss the upcoming February meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario where the co-chairs of the Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee (LECC) will attend the regular session of the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission (JALC).

We worshipped together at noon, with Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori celebrating and Archbishop Hiltz preaching. We met with Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer of the Episcopal Church, and with senior management members of Episcopal Relief & Development, Episcopal Church Foundation, and Episcopal Migration Ministries.

We believe that this meeting and our work together are hopeful signs for the church.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

In their 2011 joint Christmas video, National Bishop Susan C. Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), share the story of the birth of Jesus as told in Luke 2:4-14.

"We wish for you that peace and that joy as you celebrate the birth of our Lord," says Bishop Johnson in the video.

2011 marked the 10th anniversary of Full Communion between the ELCIC and ACC, and among Anglicans and Lutherans in the United States. In 2001, the ELCIC and ACC signed the Waterloo Declaration. The same year the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Episcopal Church (TEC) signed Called to Common Mission. A joint celebration of the 10th year anniversary took place on May 1 with parallel services in Fort Erie, Ont. and Buffalo, N.Y.

This year Anglican-Lutheran cooperation was also highlighted by joint ELCIC National Church Council and ACC Council of General Synod meetings at the beginning of April, signifying an important step in deepening the Full Communion relationship between the two churches.

In 2012, Lutherans and Anglicans will host a joint National Worship Conference (www.nationalworshipconference.org) and Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering (www.clay2012.ca).

Preparations are now underway for a July 2013 joint meeting of the ELCIC National Convention and the ACC General Synod in Ottawa, Ont.

View the Christmas video greeting here: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson wrote to The Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment, to express her "disappointment and concern" over the recent decision of the government to withdraw Canada from participating in the Kyoto Protocol.

In her letter, Bishop Johnson urges the government to set a national target to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, implement an effective national plan to reach this target, and help developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change.

"Climate change is very real," writes Bishop Johnson. "It is urgent that we reduce green house gas emissions in order to limit the effects of climate change."

The letter references a decision made by delegates at the 2009 ELCIC National Convention which affirmed, "that global warming is the greatest threat to life on earth–that entire populations and ecosystems are threatened by devastating impacts such as drought, heat waves, fires, floods, storms and rising sea levels."

Bishop Johnson urges the Canadian Government to match the commitment made by members of ELCIC congregations and reduce emissions by 25 per cent, and to support a national plan that helps reduce emissions.

Read the full text of the letter here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/documents/2012December14Lettertoenvironmentministerkyoto.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP) community is mourning the death of Rev. Steve Dreher, a pastor and pilot of the association. Rev. Dreher was killed when his plane crashed in Colorado, late Thursday afternoon.

Rev. Dreher was piloting LAMP’s Cessna Skymaster 337 when it went down shortly after take off Thursday in Alamosa, Colorado. Rev. Dreher was the only person on board and died in the crash.

"We at LAMP are all in a state of shock and disbelief. We are coping with the help of God’s word," said Rev. Bill Ney, a fellow pastor and pilot with the association. LAMP is asking for prayers for Rev. Dreher’s wife Sarah and daughter Katie, as well as extended family and LAMP staff.

LAMP is a non-profit organization located in Edmonton, Alberta, with a US office in New Haven, Michigan. The organization provides spiritual witness and nurture in communities in northern remote areas of Canada through the ministry of pastor/pilots, and short and long-term volunteers-in-mission. LAMP currently works in 60 communities. Each year over 6,000 children, youth and adults are positively impacted by the ministry of LAMP staff and volunteers.

More information on LAMP, as well as a link to a condolences page for Rev. Dreher, can be found on their website: www.lampministry.org

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 152,500 baptized members in 607 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, urging, "the Government of Canada to provide resources for the protection of victims of sexual exploitation."

The full text of Bishop Johnson’s letter to Prime Minister Harper can be viewed here.

ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has written to the Goverment of Canada, urging the government to "work collaboratively with indigenous peoples to fully and effectively implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

The full text of the letter can be viewed here.

Meeting on scenic Thetis Island, B.C., 24 Anglican and Lutheran regional youth coordinators planned the future of their joint ministry work at Stronger Together 2011, Sept. 13 to 16. The consultation emerged from grassroots energy to support and connect youth coordinators who work at the levels of dioceses (Anglican) or synods (Lutheran).

“This was a really great way to gather folks together to focus specifically on their role of equipping,” said Andrew Stephens-Rennie, director of youth ministries for the (Anglican) Diocese of Ottawa and event organizer. “We also dreamed big dreams for youth ministry in our church.”

Regional coordinators essential
Regional youth coordinators are an essential, but often invisible, part of the youth ministry universe. Serving either as staff or volunteers on committees, their job is to support local church programs while staying connected to national initiatives.

These jobs look different across Canada. Tasks may include planning regional gatherings, offering pastoral support to church youth leaders, or developing resources. Some serve in densely populated cities while others drive hours between churches.

Yet coordinators share a common passion. They work to nurture the spiritual lives of young people and to get others engaged in this good work, even as some regions face budget and communications challenges.

The Stronger Together participants shared these stories with the help of facilitators Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Taylor from Youth Ministry Architects of Nashville, Tenn. These men also helped direct the focus to the deeper purpose of youth ministry as well as future plans.

At one point all participants shared stories of leaders who had influenced their faith development at a young age. It was a moving exercise that helped refocus the group.

Anglican-Lutheran cooperation key
Several new initiatives are emerging from the Stronger Together gathering, and all include enhanced Anglican-Lutheran cooperation at a regional level.

This focus was a highlight for the Rev. Kristen Steele, a Lutheran pastor in Langley, B.C. and a member of the B.C. Synod Youth Ministry Committee.

“It was a great opportunity to meet with (Anglican) diocesan youth people to see how we can meet together,” she said. “It’s always nice to put a face to a name, to connect and to talk about what’s happening.”

She looks forward to working together on the Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering, which met for the first time in August 2010. This event, started by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, attracts approximately 1000 young adults every two years.

Similar cooperation has also been celebrated at Ask and Imagine, an Anglican-Lutheran youth leadership development program and Common Ground, an ecumenical youth ministry forum that met in May 2011.

Youth ministry belongs to whole church
In a statement released from Stronger Together, participants emphasize that youth ministry not only requires coordination between Anglicans and Lutherans, but among many elements of church communities.

“Youth ministry is the ministry of the whole church,” summarized Judy Steers, General Synod’s youth initiatives coordinator (Anglican).

“We’re understanding youth ministry as a thing the church does, not a thing that happens on the side, that it’s a central and core part of the ministry of the community.”

With this momentum still rolling, organizers are starting plans for Stronger Together 2012. For more information on how to support or get involved, email:

– Judy Steers, General Synod youth initiatives coordinator (Anglican Church of Canada)
– The Rev. Paul Gehrs, Assistant to the Bishop, justice and leadership (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada)

Links
– Read A Statement Reflecting the Visions and Conversations at Stronger Together (https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/StrongerTogether2011.pdf)

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,400 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.