You’ve heard of Martin Luther. Now let the people of Augsburg Lutheran Church in Brampton, Ontario introduce you to Martin Mooser.

In conjunction with the ELCIC Reformation Challenge, the congregation of Augsburg Lutheran – located in the GTA West Ministry Area in the Eastern Synod – got themselves a moose to help remind their members to stay involved giving-wise in the commemoration of the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Okay, it may not have been an actual living, breathing moose, but the brown, stuffed plush toy has done its part to help raise awareness within the church.

Rev. Nadine Nicholds, pastor of Augsburg Lutheran, and GTA West Area Dean is very supportive of the efforts made in her congregation that are reflective of the Reformation Challenge’s many goals.

“Our members are really happy that we are able to contribute, and it is just an added bonus that it can be a part of the Reformation Challenge,” Rev. Nicholds says. “For the most part, our congregation is really on board and excited with all of the things going on here as of late. To stay focused on the goal, the Sunday school decided to get a moose; they call him Martin Mooser! The Sunday School is also emphasizing that the reason we are raising this money is not only for funds going towards a scholarship, but also to commemorate the Reformation anniversary. That really helps the kids understand the big picture.”

Augsburg Lutheran is currently involved in three of the four Reformation Challenge areas.

“In addition to the Sunday school raising money for a scholarship for students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, we are also in the process of trying to get some trees planted,” says Rev. Nicholds. The congregation planted a memorial tree in honour of a longtime member who had had a love for gardening.  

In 2016, the congregations of Augsburg Lutheran and fellow GTA West member, St. Philip’s Lutheran decided to pair up to co-sponsor a refugee family of two. After confirming the details, the two congregations received quite the surprise.

“We basically just said to Canadian Lutheran World Relief that we would take the first available couple,” explains Rev. Nicholds. “So after applying for what we thought was a family of two, it turned out that it was a family of five!”

Following conversations with the two churches, it was clear that both congregations were “easily a hundred percent on board” and had the resources to support the family.

“Everybody’s top priority seemed to be sponsoring refugees, so when we very specifically said that we will be raising money to sponsor a refugee family, everyone was very excited to be a part of that” she reflects. “Our two churches are only about 25 kilometres apart, so it works. The family has been here for over half a year now and we are learning together. Obviously both congregations have different strengths, but we are working together to help the family get settled with English lessons and get the kids settled into school.”

Although spearheading all three Reformation Challenge involvements, Rev. Nicholds is quick to dodge the spotlight, suggesting that much like St. Philip’s Lutheran, it was really the members of the congregation that helped keep the ball rolling on all three endeavours.

“In all honesty, all I really did was suggest it and continue to pursue it,” she said. “Both churches got on board quickly with the refugee part, and even though the other missional work is for something so far down the road, I have been thoroughly impressed with how involved the congregations have been. We got lots of pledges and it was excellent how quickly we raised money. I think that helping this family is the priority, and the Reformation Challenge brought this option to our attention. It might not be why we are helping, but it’s just an added bonus that we get to help in both regards.”

The month of May is expected to be a very busy time for those with ties to the local Lutheran scene in Montreal. As Rev. Dr. Matthew Anderson tells, a well-known musical act will hit the stage in early May in a fundraising effort, while a reformation conference is scheduled for the following two days.

“We have ourselves an incredibly busy few days in May to help mark the reformation,” Anderson said. “On May 7th, Connie Kaldor – who is a Canadian folk singer that grew up singing in a Lutheran choir, but is now a folk singer – will be performing in Montreal’s West Island. Then the next two days we host our big Reformation in the City Conference, featuring scholars from Helsinki, the United States and all over. The conference will be a joint initiative of Concordia and McGill Universities – definitely something to be excited about.”

Later in the year, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will also be putting on a special event to commemorate the anniversary of the Reformation and the coming together of The Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church in Lund, October 2016 – an event that highlighted 50 years of continuous ecumenical dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics and the joint gifts of this collaboration.

“One of our local pastors is quite plugged in to the music scene in Montreal,” Rev. Dr. Anderson said. “He has helped to arrange for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra to play a reformation-themed concert, which will be introduced by the director of the MSO, Mr. Kent Nagano – an internationally known symphony director.”  

In focusing on the ELCIC Reformation Challenge, two of Rev. Dr. Anderson’s congregations – Montreal based St. Michael’s Finnish, and St. John’s Estonian – have already made significant donations towards tree planting in Palestine and to scholarships for students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).

“The way that the Reformation Challenge has worked out in Montreal has kind of taken several different tracks,” Anderson said. “Some churches are trying to raise money with events, while others are giving money directly to the national church through the synod. So for smaller congregations like St. Michael’s and St. John’s that aren’t able to actually host a big event, they have given a direct donation. Those two congregations have already donated seven thousand dollars to scholarships and the planting of olive trees.”

 “When I presented the Reformation Challenge to both congregations, they said that they were interested in being involved, so that got me very excited. Looking back, it probably seemed like I was pushing the scholarship idea, but they ended up liking that idea anyways,” he reflected. “It also helped that I informed them that Bishop Younan [of the ELCJHL] spent time studying theology in Helsinki. I know that they would have given their money anyway, but they were definitely appreciative to know of the Finnish connection. Also, one of the speakers from the Reformation in the City Conference just so happens to be a Finnish scholar and is going to be giving a talk to them along with a concert in May.”

Not only does the Reformation Challenge hit home for the Finnish and Estonian congregations of St. Michael’s and St. John’s in Montreal, but fittingly, it also strikes a chord in Rev. Dr. Anderson’s heart as well.

“As I also teach Biblical studies at Concordia University, I was in the Holy Land in 2009 on a study tour,” he said. “After spending a week in the West Bank with that study tour, when I saw the Reformation Challenge came out with the option for scholarships for Palestinian students, I just immediately thought that it was a great idea and I wanted to support it. I think that the Reformation Challenge is a really positive way of commemorating the reformation. The way that it has been set up has allowed us to mark this event in a very positive way. It helps us look forward to the future, and not just back to the past, which I think is just a wonderful thing.”

Further information on the events in Montreal can be found here: http://montreal-lutheran.org/2017Luther500/index.html

It didn’t a lot of convincing to get members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Dunbar, Ontario on board with the ELCIC Reformation Challenge, and specifically the initiative around tree planting.
 
Situated an hour south of Ottawa, and just north of the St. Lawrence River and the ever-populous 401 highway, the small 100-house community of Dunbar has experienced significant tree loss over the past few years.
 
“It is typically considered ‘dangerous’ when you get below 30 percent of land covered with trees,” said Rev. Jo Barkley-Probst, pastor of St. Luke’s. “Right now, our area is down to about 13 percent tree cover, and they are still cutting down trees. Farmers are cutting back trees from our area all the way to the 401; it’s like the pioneer days with everyone clearing land. Even the wildlife has nowhere to go.”
 
In early February of 2016, the Ontario congregation decided to participate in the ELCIC Reformation Challenge by raising at least $500 to go towards the Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR)-Lutheran World Federation project to plant 150,000 tree seedlings in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Fundraising began on Reformation Sunday, and by early December, the $500 goal was reached. With an average service attendance of 17, the rural congregation remarkably met its goal in less than two months. By Christmas Eve, $600 had been raised for the planting of trees in Africa.
 
Near the beginning of the new year, one of the church’s members gave an impassioned presentation about the rapid deforestation going on in the local region. This prompted the congregation to support a motion to get started on a local tree-planting initiative, working in partnership with the South Nation Conservation Authority.
 
“The Conservation Authority was created when the level of trees reached 30 percent,” Barkley-Probst said. “As our local issue become well-known, those in positions of power feared for the ecosystem, so they established the conservation authority. But unfortunately they haven’t been able to stop it from happening here, as we are currently down to below 15 percent. Just hearing those numbers really influenced our decision to get on board with this.”
 
In an effort to take a stand against the removal of trees locally, Barkley-Probst and his congregation have already taken the appropriate steps in dealing with the issues found at home. 
 
“We have some land here behind the church that we plan to use for planting, and there are other families in the congregation that also have available land,” he said. “Even if we can just buy some smaller deciduous trees, and have members take them home to plant, we would be making steps in the right direction. Obviously, this is still something that we are just beginning to work on and figure out the logistics of it all. This year has been a lot of planning, but next year we will be doing the implementation.”
 
Although showing much pleasure with his congregation’s donations and their willingness to help out with local planting, Barkley-Probst knew exactly what he was getting into with his “extremely generous bunch.”
 
“Just last year we gave away over a third of our yearly budget,” he said. “It is a very, very generous congregation; if you ask for anything, they will go over the top. Much like this initiative, in which we asked for $500 dollars in a year, and they raised $600 in less than two months. Over the years, we have raised close to $30,000 for CLWR through our yearly global hunger barbeques, and have more recently begun what we like to call a ‘hymn fest’ that helps raise money for the local foodbank.”
 
In typical St. Luke’s fashion, the congregation helped think up many creative ways to monitor and track their donations towards the tree planting fundraiser.
 
Upon the promise of Barkley-Probst to create a display to help with the fundraising efforts, one of the church’s younger members brought in a large bag of pine cones from her property and suggested that the pine cones could be used as a representation of trees for the display.
 
After a handful of ideas were considered, a two-dimensional wall display was created. Small tree stickers from a local craft store were used to represent the number of trees the congregation had provided through their donations. Each tree sticker represented 10 trees, and the bag of pine cones was left under the wall display. Those making donations towards the $500 goal were directed to either take one or more pine cones home as a token of appreciation, or to feed them to the squirrels who could in turn plant some trees of their own.
 
“I really appreciated the physical pine cone aspect, it brings real life into this concept” Barkley-Probst said. “A congregation of our size just didn’t have the resources to sponsor a family [another area of the ELCIC Reformation Challenge], so we just looked at the various ideas, and the planting of trees seemed to be the area that was easy enough to promote. I knew that our people would get behind it. Who knew that all it would take was some pine cones and little bit of construction paper!”

Leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada issue an Earth Day message inviting ELCIC and ACC members to join in prayer, "for the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly."

The full text of the letter follows.

Download a pdf version of the letter here.

April 19, 2017

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. —John 12:24

In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, 2017, we invite you to join us in praying for the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly.

Through our Lenten Journey to Easter we have been reminded once again that Jesus offered his whole life and death for the love of the world; and the story was completed with his resurrection. As we celebrate this great mystery we recall how he helped us understand death and resurrection using the image of a seed planted and coming out of the earth as a new growth—budding, bursting, blooming, bearing beautiful fruit.

As followers of Christ, we are also challenged to offer our lives for the love of the world. What do we have to offer and to plant? What in us needs to die so that we can bear much fruit? What happens when we touch the earth with faith?

Our churches are committed to responsible stewardship of the earth. As we celebrate Earth Day, we re-commit to our care for creation and commend the efforts of our congregations across the country to live out this call. We recommend that you or your congregation get involved with the Faith Commuter Challenge, a creative way to reduce your carbon footprint and raise awareness of the impact of our actions. Visit greeningsacredspaces.net/what-we-do/commuter-challenge/ to learn more about how you can participate.

On Earth Day let us pray together:

Creator, we give you thanks for the intricate balance of relationships that sustains life. Bless us with the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly.
Crucified and Risen Christ, we give you thanks for forgiveness, life and salvation that is the source of our hope for true community and abundant life. Help us, guide us and transform us so that we may walk in your ways of justice, equity and peace.
Holy Spirit, we give you thanks for fresh winds of renewal, that open our hearts to new possibilities and deeper insights. Grant us courage to act in diverse, creative and generous ways.
Creator, Christ and Spirit One: call us together for the love of the world, and send us to proclaim your gift of hope. Amen.

Yours in the spirit of Full Communion,

The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz
Primate, Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald
National Anglican Indigenous Bishop, Anglican Church of Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 114,592 baptized members in 525 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 Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

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

What began as a fundraising concert has turned into a year-long ELCIC Reformation Challenge project for a handful of Eastern Synod congregations this year. In September of 2016, the seven churches making up the Niagara Ministry Area hosted a free will offering at a concert featuring young local talent, a Niagara-based Lutheran choir, and Strong Water Women – hand drum singers from the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre.

Niagara Ministry Area Dean, Thomas Arth is thrilled with how much has come out of this September event, and just how far the local congregations have been able to go in support of the Reformation Challenge.

“After our seven small-ish congregations chose to raise funds for planting trees, we knew that we would have to hold some sort of event as a way to promote our efforts,” Arth said. “Following the success of our concert, we decided that we would divide the funds three ways. We gave some to Canadian Lutheran World Relief for planting trees in Ethiopia, another portion went to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) for their olive tree initiative, and the remaining money was given for the planting of trees in our local Heartland Forest.”

The Heartland Forest – situated near Niagara Falls, just southwest of Clifton Hill – will see those trees planted on Earth Day 2017, April 22.

According to Arth, there couldn’t be a better place for those trees to grow.

“It is just a beautiful place,” he said. “They have pathways through the forest, playgrounds for kids, and there is even a tree house. Also, everything is fully accessible for wheelchairs and those using walkers. One of their projects involves the planting of edible nut and fruit trees, so we decided that we would give to that aspect.”

On top of the nut and fruit trees, the Heartland Forest will also be planting another very important tree on Earth Day.

“Prior to our fundraising concert, the Strong Water Women requested that we include a white pine as one of our trees to be planted,” Arth said. The members of the Strong Water Women shared that the significance of the white pine is that it is often seen as a symbol of peace and a place to lay down weapons.

“Thankfully those at the Heartland Forest were able to fulfill our request,” Arth noted. The white pine will be planted along with the other trees later in April.

Currently, the Niagara Ministry Area is finalizing plans for a joint service in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation to be held this September.

“At first we figured that we would have to try to decide which of our seven churches we would use to host the commemorative event,” Arth said. “But after some thinking we determined that a neutral location would work quite well. And as it turned out, the Heartland Forest – where the trees will be planted – has a lovely building facility that we are able to use, so we will be holding it right there.”

The September joint service will include a free-will offering. For Arth, the plan for that money is quite simple.

“What we are looking into doing with the offering from this coming service is to put it towards another area of the Reformation Challenge, the ELCJHL scholarships.”

ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson shares an Easter message with the church. View the video here: https://youtu.be/RIMK7nnBan4

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson writes to the church, calling on members, "to stand up and speak out against all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and violence, and to stand in solidarity with anyone who is feeling unsafe, unwelcome or upset" following numerous attacks on Jewish community centres, synagogues and cemeteries in Canada.

The text of the letter follows. Access the pdf version here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/201703LettertotheChurch.pdf

March 15, 2017

Dear members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada,

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. — Ephesians 5:8–11

Grace and peace to you.

In recent weeks, I have heard about numerous attacks on Jewish community centres, synagogues and cemeteries in Canada. Many of these incidents have come in form of threats, including bomb threats, and/or damage to property. Such attacks generate fear, disrupt community and seek to divide people. They are a form of prejudice and promote prejudice.

Freedom of conscience and religion is named first among the fundamental rights of the people of this land in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Intimidation and threats against people of the Jewish faith—of any faith—is completely unacceptable. As Christians, we do not seek religious freedom that is denied to others. We support an inclusive society, open to all.

I call on the members of our church to stand up and speak out against all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and violence, and to stand in solidarity with anyone who is feeling unsafe, unwelcome or upset by these incidents.

In 2015, the ELCIC National Convention endorsed the document Welcome the Stranger (www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/Welcoming_the_Stranger.pdf). In this action, we affirm that our, “faith teaches that compassion, mercy, love and hospitality are for everyone: the native born and the foreign born, the member of my community and the newcomer.” We join with people of all faiths on a journey toward peace, respect and true community. We renew our commitment to seek greater understanding and cooperation between Lutheran Christians and the Jewish community in Canada.

Let us pray:

God of peace and God of hope, we pray for safety and respect for all people. Send your spirit of healing to all who feel violated and your spirit of courage to all who are afraid. Strengthen us to stand with the Jewish community across Canada and to speak out against all forms of anti-Semitism, intolerance and violence. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

 Yours in Christ,

Rev. Susan C. Johnson,
National Bishop,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

 

Leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church issue a joint Ash Wednesday message.

The text of the letter follows.

View a pdf of the letter here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/AshWednesdayStatement2017.pdf

Ash Wednesday, 2017

Remember the Refugees and Migrants

On this day many people will participate in a liturgy including the Imposition of Ashes.  Some presiders blot these ashes upon our foreheads and we are reminded that we are but dust and to dust shall we return. Others trace them upon our forehead in the sign of the cross, a reminder of the place to where the Lenten journey takes us.  Even at the outset of this holy season we are reminded that while for some the cross is a stumbling block and for others mere foolishness, it is for those who are being called, the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23). Remembering Christ crucified we are mindful not only of our personal need for repentance and renewal in doing the work of God, but indeed of the need of all humanity to repent of our indifference to the brokenness of our relationships, to the suffering of millions of people worldwide who are starving, oppressed, enslaved, or seeking sanctuary even if it be in a place far from their homeland.

This Lent we call our Churches to be continually mindful of the global refugee and migration crises, and the injustices and conflicts that have swelled the statistics to a number greater than ever in the history of the world. We acknowledge the good work done by so many of our synods and dioceses and parishes in sponsoring refugees, welcoming them, accompanying them and advocating for them as they settle in our countries. Similarly, we commend the compassionate work of our partner churches in other lands and intergovernmental bodies caring for migrants and refugees. We call on our Churches not to weary of this good work in the name of God.

Given the current political climate in the United States, it is important to say that while both our countries recognize the need for measures ensuring homeland security, we also stand up for the long established policies that welcome migrants and refugees. That is not to say any of them are not beyond reform. But it is to say that fair and generous policies strengthen the economy of our nations and enriches the economic, social and cultural fabric of our countries – a fabric woven by both the First Peoples of these lands and all those who have settled here through numerous waves of migration throughout our histories.  

Fair and generous action and deliberations are from our perspective, deeply grounded in the Law of Moses, in the teaching of the Prophets and in the Gospel of Jesus.  For some two millennia millions of people have found consolation in the suffering of Jesus upon the cross and in his holy name they have prayed for the compassion and justice of God in the midst of the terrible circumstances of their lives – circumstances that compel them to flee their homelands, making their way over dangerous treks of land. Sometimes they find refuge in new nations and frequently they make their way to ports where they can board vessels and make what are often treacherous voyages in the hope of reaching a land free of the oppression they have known.  Some make it.  Many don’t.

May this Season of Lent be especially marked by our prayers and advocacy for refugees and migrants – on the run, in United Nations camps, in waiting, in our communities… And let it be marked by a continuing resolve in welcoming the stranger in our midst, for such hospitality is in keeping with the faith we proclaim. (Matthew 25:31-40)

In Christ,

           
The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz Primate
Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry Presiding Bishop
Episcopal Church (United States

——————————————

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 114,592 baptized members in 525 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 Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
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) Eastern Synod is currently divided up into 17 different ministry areas – stretching from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Halifax, Nova Scotia. These ministry areas are select groupings of churches within a close proximity of one another. One of the many benefits of the ministry areas is that they can accommodate larger church group gatherings, much like the two seen in the Thames Ministry Area and the Ottawa Ministry Area in late 2016.

Churches and ministry groups alike have already been gathering across the country to show their support for the ELCIC’s Reformation Challenge. The Thames Ministry Area held a joint worship service with its congregations to begin the 500th anniversary year, with the offering set to go towards scholarships for students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), one of four areas of focus in the Reformation Challenge. The Ottawa Ministry Area held two services with the funds raised also going towards the Reformation Challenge.

Pastor Steve Johnston, of Trinity Lutheran Church in the Thames Ministry Area, spoke of how the event came to be.

“I am actually the Dean of the area, so I do know the eight collected congregations quite well,” he said. “Although belonging to the same Ministry Area, the geography actually works against us. We have about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from one corner to the other, so getting to the others is not the easiest thing. So after finding a date and planning the event with Eastern Synod Bishop, Michael Pryse, we all committed to it, and all of the pastors did what they could to get their churches involved.”

Planning a joint service, and carrying out with that service are two very different things. For Johnston, it was the time spent preparing the event that he believes really helped shape it into the gathering  that it became.

“The 500th anniversary of the Reformation only happens once,” Johnston said. “So we figured that we might as well have a great lead up to it with a 499th anniversary commemoration. The pastors got together and we planned out the service and talked it over with Bishop Michael. He preached on that day, and each of the pastors from the congregation added their own pieces to the service. It was our chance to get together and celebrate our Lutheran identity while observing some commemoration parts of it as well. It was a very traditional service, but we did have some contemporary music in there just for good fun; it was a good day.”

Although many of the Thames Ministry Area congregations had already contributed to the ELCIC’s Reformation Challenge, Johnston says that it “just made sense” for the money raised to go towards a scholarship for a student in the ELCJHL.

“For one, it was quite pragmatic, as it was easy to decide that the money made from our gathering could easily be given that fund,” Johnston said. “And two, we are all interested in education, so it just seemed like quite a natural fit.”

Meanwhile in the Ottawa Ministry Area, Miranda Gray – member of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Orleans, Ontario – provided some information surrounding a very similar setup by her local Ministry Area.

“We as the Ottawa Ministry Area wanted to do something with the group as opposed to individual projects,” Gray said. “So looking to the upcoming Reformation commemoration, we planned out what we could do as a part of the Reformation Challenge. It was determined that a worship event between the churches would be the best idea – we actually had two services. We were adamant that A.) we should have an offering, and B.) the money raised should be donated somewhere to a charity or a project related closely to the church, so that is how we chose a scholarship for the Reformation Challenge.”

On top of the worship services, it was also suggested to congregations in the Ottawa Ministry Area to consider working towards an area of choice within the Reformation Challenge. According to Gray, although some churches had already participated in the Reformation Challenge, others began shortly after that initial conversation.

For Gray, and countless others within the eight congregations of the Ottawa Ministry Area, the most exciting part of the worship services, was just that, the worship services.

“I think that what is so special about this time in our lives is that we’re now enjoying worshipping here together,” she said. “Although this gathering was focused on the Reformation Challenge, it was the only time that we all worshipped together this year. It also is the first time that we have decided to do an offering event with a goal for what we have collected. So the Reformation Challenge has helped restore new light in our communities.”

As we journey towards the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, ELCIC members and congregations have been sharing their stories of mission and hope through their involvement in the ELCIC Reformation Challenge.

One such missional story comes from Rev. Bruce Gelhorn and the congregation of Grace Lutheran Church in Winnipeg, of the Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Synod.

“When we first received the Reformation Challenge invite from the National Office, I felt as though this was something that our church would be able to really help support and embrace,” Gelhorn said. “I am pleased that in just a few months of time, we have been able to contribute towards three focal points: refugees, scholarships and trees.”

Contributing towards three areas of the Reformation Challenge is no easy task either. Under the guidance of Gelhorn, Grace Lutheran has already been able to sponsor three refugees, donate five scholarships and plant many trees in honour of the ELCIC’s latest project. One member – as Gelhorn pointed out – even took the initiative to dedicate the 24 saplings that he planted at his cottage towards the Reformation Challenge.

“I suggested to our members that they consider gathering together with family and friends and planting a tree,” Pastor Gelhorn said. “Then we would ask of them to take a picture beside it and we would post it up in an effort to raise awareness throughout the church. We actually had one member plant 24 saplings at his cottage. We popped his picture up on our slideshow before a service began back in late fall. It’s obviously winter now, so next spring we will encourage people again to gather family and friends together to plant more trees, and hopefully generate more in that regard as well.”

So how did all of this good work begin at Grace Lutheran Church?

“I lifted up the challenges to the congregation on Reformation Sunday through a pictoral sermon,” Gelhorn said. “We went to Europe a few years back, so I showed pictures and talked about where Luther was born and baptized. I ended up doing a bit of a Luther history in a sense. From there I continued on talking about the 500th anniversary and the Reformation Challenge, and then I lifted up the four areas to cover.”

But it wasn’t just in front of his congregation where Bruce urged action towards the ELCIC’s project. He made sure to stay adamantly involved behind the scenes as well.

“So after already agreeing to put money aside for a refugee family and talking about the importance of planting trees, I decided to look into how we might be able to support the other areas,” Gelhorn said. “I knew that we had some money sitting in our memorial fund, so at our November council meeting I proposed that we give 15 percent of that money to the Reformation Challenge. Originally I suggested that we split it evenly between the scholarships portion and the Lutheran World Federation. But we ultimately decided that we felt that the scholarships area could use the most help, so we decided to put all of our money into scholarships for five students.”

Although still waiting upon the arrival of their refugee family, Grace Lutheran Church can be joyful in the fact that they have already contributed five scholarships towards students in the ELCJHL, and are actively pursuing the planting of trees for the Reformation Challenge. And if Rev. Bruce Gelhorn gets his way about it, donating to the LWF isn’t as much of a longshot as it may have initially appeared.

“I still would like Grace to be able to contribute towards all four areas, but for now we are really pleased with what we have been able to accomplish so far.”