The leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have prepared "A Word to the Churches."

The letter is intended to be shared in congregations leading up to the 2013 Joint Assembly.

The joint declaration comes just a few days before first ever Joint Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada which will take place in Ottawa, July 3-7, 2013. This national meeting will gather more than 800 Lutherans and Anglicans for worship, fellowship and important ministry decisions.
 
"A Word to the Churches" celebrates the fruits of a dozen years of full communion between between Lutherans and Anglicans in Canada, and Lutherans and Episcopalians in the United States. It also points to a number of ways in which the churches could be working still more collaboratively in mission and ministry, both within their respective countries and across the international boundary.

Read the full text of the letter here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/AWordtotheChurches.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.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), through its partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), is appealing to its members for financial support to assist those affected by flooding in southern Alberta and across the province.

Up to 100,000 people living in low-lying areas in and around Calgary were evacuated overnight. Overland flooding was expected to continue today. Residents were being asked to avoid the downtown core. Schools throughout the city were closed.

The flooding spanned across southern Alberta. Flash floods hit the community of High River, south of Calgary. Canmore and Turner Valley were also significantly impacted.

Reports indicate water levels in Calgary are three times that of the floods that hit southern Alberta in 2005.

A domestic appeal has been issued to assist those affected by the floods in southern Alberta. Funds will be primarily used to: help relocate those affected to safe areas; provide emergency shelter; provide food; and support congregational programs that provide emergency service.

Donations to the Southern Alberta Flood Appeal 2013 made be made in the following ways:

1. ELCIC members are asked to donate to appeals by making a designated offering donation for “Southern Alberta Flood Appeal 2013” through their congregation.
2. Donations may also be made through CLWR.

• Online at www.clwr.org/donate.
• By calling CLWR at 1.800.661.2597 or 1.204.694.5602.
• By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR and mailed to: CLWR, 600-177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 0W5. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to the “Southern Alberta Flood Appeal 2013.”

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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.

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

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) national publication, Canada Lutheran, was the recipient of five awards at the recent Canadian Church Press (CCP) convention held May 16-17 in Toronto, Ontario.

The annual CCP awards program recognizes excellence in publications and allows participants the benefit of feedback provided by judges on all submissions.

ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson expressed her pleasure at hearing the news. "I am proud of the staff of Canada Lutheran. The awards confirm what I already know about their talent, creativity and commitment to our church."

Canada Lutheran magazine received a second place award in the category of Feature Layout and Design for A Lutheran Handbook to Lent, January/February issue 2012. "Clean-consistent presentation – an easy to read and use ‘handbook’" said the judge in their feedback.

In the category of magazine column, Justice Agenda received a second place award. The award is bittersweet as column editors Miranda Weingartner and Erich Weingartner announced at the end of 2012 they would be moving on to new opportunities. "These must have been tough pieces to write. Ending a 12-year run can’t be easy under any circumstances" noted the judge. "I felt like I was alongside them, looking back at a canon of work that will stand the test of time."

For Front Cover/Page, January/February 2012 issue, Canada Lutheran received a third place award. The judge for this category noted, "overall – simple, clear presentation that easily coveys the topic."

For Layout and Design of an Edition, January/February 2012, the magazine received a third place. "Overall a pleasant presentation – crisp, clean and clear," noted CCP judge.

And for Personal Experience, First Person Account, the article Songs Ancient and New, September 2012 was the recipient of a third place award. "Surprising; touching; well done" said the CCP judge for this category.

As the national magazine of the ELCIC, Canada Lutheran nurtures the Lutheran spirit by providing information and inspiration to help ELCIC members deepen their faith, follow church news, find the relevance of their Lutheran faith in today’s complex world, and create positive social change at home and abroad. Canada Lutheran magazine is a subscription based publication and has been in existence since 1986.

The CCP presents awards at its annual convention held in the spring of each year. Entry is open to all CCP members who have been active during the year.

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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.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, have issued a joint pastoral letter for Pentecost. This letter is designed to be read in congregations on Pentecost Sunday, May 19.

The two churches share a full communion agreement that includes joint mission work and a joint national meeting in July 2013.

View a pdf of the letter.

The text of the letter follows:

Beloved in Christ,

Almost two-thousand years ago an anxious group of disciples gathered in a room in Jerusalem. Although they had had a series of extraordinary encounters with their risen Lord, they were hesitant to share those experiences with others.

Then came a moment of liberation. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit that Jesus promised swept through the house where they were staying and the power of the Most High came upon them. Their fears were banished and their hopes renewed. Despite the ridicule and the opposition of others, the disciples began to share the good news of God in Christ.

Moving outwards from Jerusalem, the early Christian disciples quickly incorporated many others into this new movement. The Spirit began to speak through them in the many languages of the ancient world and, through the witness of Christians throughout the centuries, continues to speak in the many languages and diverse cultures of our world.

You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes,
from the bondage of sorrow the captives dream dreams;
our women see visions, our men clear their eyes,
with bold new decisions, your people arise.
("Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness" by James Manley)

As we prepare for the first Joint Assembly of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, we know that there are some who, like our ancestors in the faith, may be just a little dispirited as we face the challenges of our times. But just as surely as God’s Spirit inspired the fi rst generation of believers, that same Spirit is working in us to give us the words to speak to one another and to those who are seeking something-dare we say, "Someone"-to believe in.

Our coming "Together for the Love of the World" will be a visible sign of the Spirit working in and among us. It will be time to take counsel together for the common good of both our churches and for the common good of our world. It will be a time to set our fears aside and arise with "bold new decisions."

As we wish you blessings for Pentecost we ask your prayers for the Joint Assembly. May the Spirit preside in our midst and lead us in a yet deeper and broader common witness to the gospel of Christ.

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

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

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) Faith, Order and Doctrine Committee has been directed by National Church Council (NCC) to develop a churchwide study guide on Word and Sacrament ministry.

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On Monday April 29, staff at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Office will have to remember to show up at a new location when they arrive for work.

After 15 years on Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, the ELCIC’s National Office will move just north east of Portage and Main to new space on Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg.

The decision to move the National Office was no small undertaking, says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson.

"The move makes a lot of sense for us for a number of different reasons," Bishop Johnson notes. "Over the years we have reconfigured our current space as staffing has changed but we realize that it is now just more space than we require."

The National Office looked into subletting or releasing current space held at the Portage Avenue location, but a proposed rent increase encouraged the consideration of alternative options. The new office on Lombard Avenue is a smaller space and better configured to current staffing. The cost of renovations at the new office are being covered by the tenant’s improvement allowance provided in the new lease agreement.

ELCIC currently shares space with its partner in international relief and development – Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR). ELCIC and CLWR will be moving together and will continue to share space at the new location. ELCIC’s Group Services Inc., which was on the same floor as the National Office, will also move to the same building on Lombard Avenue.

The new address for the ELCIC National Office, effective April 29, is as follows:

ELCIC National Office
600-177 Lombard Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0W5

Phone, fax, email and website will all stay the same.

The office will begin moving to the new location on the afternoon of Thursday, April 25. It is hoped that there will be minimal disruption of email and website services, although the phones will be offline for some time during that period. Should any downtime of those services occur, details will be posted to the ELCIC Facebook page: www.elcic.ca/CanadianLutherans.

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More than 800 Anglicans, Lutherans, and partners will gather at the Ottawa Convention Centre July 3 to 7, 2013, for a historic joint national meeting.

Inspired by the theme “Together for the love of the world,” members of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada will gather for worship and decision-making on areas of shared work, including mission and development.

Several key events will highlight the churches’ commitment to God’s mission in the world. Anglicans and Lutherans will be invited to make statements on two priority social justice issues: affordable housing and responsible resource extraction. On July 6, Anglican and Lutheran youth from Ottawa are to lead people at the assembly to Parliament Hill where they will participate in an act of public witness and worship.

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada share a unique “full communion” relationship. In the 2001 Waterloo Declaration the churches recognized their shared heritage and future. They share in the Eucharist, use each other’s liturgies, and Anglican and Lutheran clergy may serve interchangeably in either church.

In a welcoming letter on the Joint Assembly website, www.jointassembly.ca, the co-chairs of the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission, the Very Rev. Peter Wall and Bishop Michael Pryse, celebrate the Anglican-Lutheran collaboration that has happened in the 12 years since the Waterloo Declaration:

“Our bishops meet together regularly; congregations, conferences, deaneries, dioceses, and synods all live out our Lord’s fervent wish ‘that they all may be one.’

“It is therefore with a real sense of excitement that we approach this first-ever joint national gathering.”

Select parts of Joint Assembly will be held separately, including elections and discussions about specific church business such as governance. Both churches will use electronic voting technology for on-the-floor elections and polls.

Guests at Joint Assembly include keynote speaker the Rev. Dr. Christopher Duraisingh, Episcopal Divinity School; the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; the Rev. Martin Junge, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation; the Rev. Canon Dr. Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director for Unity, Faith, and Order, Anglican Communion; the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion; Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

All are asked to remember Joint Assembly with this special prayer written for the occasion.

• Visit the Joint Assembly website
• Learn more about Full Communion
• Follow news about Joint Assembly
• Request media information
• Learn about sponsorship opportunities
• Read more about special guests

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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.

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

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Church Council (NCC) met in Winnipeg from March 7-9. Council members conduct the business of the church between National Conventions. The following is an overview of highlights from the meeting:

Synod Area Strategy implementation
ELCIC Synod Bishops are present at all NCC meetings and provide a synopsis for council on the landscape of their region. At this meeting, Synod Bishops shared the excitement they felt within their regions regarding the implementation of area strategy models – groupings of congregations based on geography or other mission-related criteria.

The model is unique to the context of each synod, but Synod Bishops were unanimous in identifying this area of ministry as a positive highlight in their reports to NCC.

“We are in this together because we need each other,” said Saskatchewan Synod Bishop Cindy Halmarson during her report. “But because we are together we can more faithfully respond to God’s call to mission and ministry.”

Mentor’s Handbook added to Candidacy Manual
National Church Council members passed a motion to endorse the Mentor’s Handbook as a recommended resource during candidacy. The handbook will be included in the Candidacy Manual as an appendix and is intended to be a valuable resource for both diaconal and ordained ministry.

As outlined in the manual, “mentoring is a one-to-one relationship, based on mutual trust, respect, openness, and confidentiality in which the mentor, drawing on a fund of experience, offers encouragement, counsel and guidance.”

The ELCIC Candidacy Manual recommends every candidate has a mentor, and outlines and establishes guidelines for both participants – mentor and mentee – along with goals, timelines and expectations.

Report on climate change
NCC members received a report by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) delegation at the 18^th Conference of Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The ELCIC had one youth delegate participant as part of the delegation at the request and expense of LWF.

In their report, LWF delegates emphasized the importance of every member church within the communion having a critical stake in addressing climate change. Delegate members believe, “that all can and should do more to work towards healing our creation and ensuring a future for generations to come.” A number of recommendations for the LWF and its member churches were cited in the report, including, engaging with civil society to continuously advocate and lobby governments towards increased action and exploring the issue of climate change through theological reflection in Lutheran, ecumenical and interfaith frameworks.

Jeff Bushe, ELCIC’s representative for the conference and a member of NCC, reported on the work of the delegation and his experience at COP18. The LWF delegation was extensively involved in the educational side of the gathering. From the event, all LWF delegates are charged with coming up with a project to be implemented within their own context.

Strategic plan reviewed
Following up on a one-day visioning session from 2012, NCC members reviewed a new National Church Strategic Plan. In a process led by National Church Vice-President Sheila Hamilton, ELCIC National Office senior staff and the National Bishop took the outcomes from the visioning session and worked extensively on articulating the activities that will enable the National Church to fulfil the goals set out in the strategy.

NCC typically sets a five-year strategic plan for the National Church and it was time for renewal.

The National Church Strategic Plan sets out the goals and directions for service. The new plan will see the ELCIC focus on four areas: Spirited Discipleship, Healthy Church, Compassionate Justice, and Effective Partnerships.  

The National Church Strategic Plan 2013-2017 will be presented at the 2013 Joint Assembly as part of National Convention business.

Update on the 2013 Joint Assembly
NCC members received an update on the planning for 2013 Joint Assembly. Staff at the ELCIC National Office and the Anglican Church of Canada General Synod have been hard at work coordinating the  joint event which will take place in Ottawa July 3-7, 2013.

Council members affirmed a motion to include electronic voting as part of Joint Assembly (and during official National Convention business sessions). Electronic voting will present a number of exciting new possibilities to planners and presenters. A significant advantage will be the opportunity for real-time results, increased accuracy, and different data output options (Excel, pie charts, etc…).

At the Joint Assembly there will be both joint and separate sessions for the two denominations. Further information on the event will be available on www.jointassembly.ca as it becomes available. Over 800 delegates from the two churches will be at the gathering.

Adjournment and next meetings
The March NCC meeting adjourned with a closing worship service led by Rev. Lyle McKenzie, assistant to the National Bishop for worship.

NCC members will meet prior to the 2013 Joint Assembly on Tuesday, July 2. The fall meeting of NCC will take place September 5-7, 2013.

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Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites members of the church pray for peace in the Middle East on the 24th of each month. The regular call to prayer is part of a global ecumenical prayer vigil initiated by ACT Alliance.

"You may wish to pray together as a family, as office/parish colleagues, or as a congregation on the 24th of each month as part of the vigil," says Bishop Johnson, noting that the first opportunity for ELCIC members to participate in the vigil will be on Palm Sunday, March 24. "During these most sacred days of prayer, I encourage you to also remember the people who live in the Holy Land today and their deep yearning for peace."

The full letter from the National Bishop follows. You can also view and print off a pdf version of the letter (www.elcic.ca/Documents/20130314PeaceVigilLetter.pdf).

March 14, 2013

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

Dear friends in Christ,

Grace to you and peace in the name of Christ our Saviour!

I am writing today to invite you to pray for peace in the Middle East on the 24th of each month.

This is part of a global ecumenical prayer vigil that invites people around the world to pray for the Christian communities in Palestine and Israel, for all those who are suffering in the Holy Land, for Palestinians and Israelis, and for peace in the Middle East and the world.

This vigil was initiated by ACT Alliance, of which Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is a member. Additional information about the prayer vigil for peace in the Middle East, including the opportunity to sign up your congregation or group as a participant, can be found at: www.actpalestineforum.org/vigil/

This invitation to prayer has come to the ELCIC through our membership in The Lutheran World Federation. It is in harmony with the 2009 ELCIC National Convention Resolution on Peace in the Holy Land that “commits this church to supporting and working for justice and peace in the Holy Land by praying for peace in the Holy Land.” (www.elcic.ca/Public-Policy/documents/600.52009- ELCICResolutiononPeaceintheHolyLand.pdf)

You may wish to pray together as a family, as office/parish colleagues, or as a congregation on the 24th of each month as part of this vigil. Participating in the vigil comes with an invitation to contribute prayers, sermons and other worship materials to the "Resources" section of the prayer vigil.

The global vigil began on December 24, 2012 and continues across the globe on the 24th of every month until the Israeli occupation is dismantled, violence in the Middle East ends, and all can celebrate a just and lasting negotiated resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The first opportunity for ELCIC members to participate in this vigil will be on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013. During Holy Week, scripture and worship move our attention and imaginations to the Holy Land as we ponder Christ’s Passion. During these most sacred days of prayer, I encourage you to also remember the people who live in the Holy Land today and their deep yearning for peace.

I thank you for all the prayers you offer, for the needs of the world and for the mission of the church. And I thank you for all the ways that you serve, give and tell every day as a church In Mission for Others.

Yours in Christ,

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

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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.