Lutherans from across the ELCIC will meet in Saskatoon for the 13th Biennial National Convention taking place July 14-17. As we count down the weeks to convention we will highlight what’s new, what to watch for, how to keep informed and news to know in the weekly newsletter Countdown to Convention.
Countdown to Convention #5 is now available online.
Lutherans from across the ELCIC will meet in Saskatoon for the 13th Biennial National Convention taking place July 14-17. As we count down the weeks to convention we will highlight what’s new, what to watch for, how to keep informed and news to know in the weekly newsletter Countdown to Convention.
Countdown to Convention is now available online.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), through its partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), is appealing to its members for financial support for humanitarian aid to assist those displaced by flooding in Saskatchewan.
Much of southern Saskatchewan is under severe stress due to flooding from rivers and dams, and also due to high water tables and ground water flooding. Reports from the affected region note that some areas are bracing for peaks that will rival flooding seen during the spring run-off. And in many places, people have been battling the flood since April. Recent re-flooding concerns are having a significant impact on people and morale.
CLWR is issuing an appeal for funds to support humanitarian efforts which could include: help relocating those affected to safe areas; providing emergency shelter; providing food; and supporting congregational programs that provide assistance which fills potential gaps already provided by governmental emergency services. Based on currently available funds, $5000 for Saskatchewan flooding is being committed to relief efforts. The ELCIC and CLWR work in effective partnership with lead agencies which are providing front line services.
On May 17, 2011, ELCIC and CLWR issued emergency appeals to assist those affected by wildfires in Alberta and flooding in Manitoba. Recovery from the wild fires and flooding in Manitoba remain an ongoing concern. Donations continue to be accepted for “2011 Alberta Wildfires” and “2011 Manitoba Flooding.”
ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson is also calling for members to pray for the people across the western provinces who have been affected by this year’s disasters, especially those who are immediately threatened by flooding. She has prepared the following suggested prayer:
God of the Universe, you have created this world in which we live and have called it good. And yet at times the forces of nature seem out of control. We pray for all those who are affected by the flooding and wildfires on the Prairies. Help them, and us, to put our trust in your love and care. Motivate and equip those who are reaching out with hands and hearts to serve those in need. In our faithful prayers, in our generous response, help us to be a church In Mission for Others. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Donations for the appeals may be made in the following ways:
- Online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come to a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose the “2011 Saskatchewan Flooding.”
- By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597 or locally at 204.694.5602.
- By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR and mailed to: CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to the “2011 Saskatchewan Flooding.”
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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.
Lutherans from across the ELCIC will meet in Saskatoon for the 13th Biennial National Convention taking place July 14-17. As we count down the weeks to convention we will highlight what’s new, what to watch for, how to keep informed and news to know in the weekly newsletter Countdown to Convention.
Countdown to Convention is now available online.
Lutherans from across the ELCIC will meet in Saskatoon for the 13th Biennial National Convention taking place July 14-17. As we count down the weeks to convention we will highlight what’s new, what to watch for, how to keep informed and news to know in the weekly newsletter Countdown to Convention.
Countdown to Convention #2 is now available online.
Lutherans from across the ELCIC will meet in Saskatoon for the 13th Biennial National Convention taking place July 14-17. As we count down the weeks to convention we will highlight what’s new, what to watch for, how to keep informed and news to know in the weekly newsletter Countdown to Convention.
Countdown to Convention is now available online.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), through its partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), is appealing to its members for financial support for humanitarian aid to assist Canadians displaced by wildfires in Alberta and flooding in Manitoba.
A wildfire, along with strong winds, forced the sudden mandatory evacuation of 7,000 residents of Slave Lake, Alberta, during the early morning hours of May 16, 2011. Similar fires are threatening other communities in the region.
In Manitoba, flooding on the Assiniboine River and in the Interlake region has led to critical situations in several communities. An unprecedented controlled breach of a dike near Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, put 150 homes at risk in the hopes of preventing an uncontrolled release that would have put hundreds more at risk.
CLWR is issuing an appeal for funds to support humanitarian efforts which could include: help relocating those affected to safe areas; providing emergency shelter; providing food; and supporting congregational programs that provide assistance which fills potential gaps already provided by governmental emergency services. Based on currently available funds, $5000 for the Alberta wildfires and $5000 for Manitoba flooding is being committed to relief for each of these domestic disasters. The ELCIC and CLWR work in effective partnership with lead agencies which are providing front line services.
ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson is also calling for members to pray for the people who are threatened by the wildfires and flooding. She has prepared the following suggested prayer: "God of the Universe, you have created this world in which we live and have called it good. And yet at times the forces of nature seem out of control. We pray for all those who are affected by the flooding in Manitoba and the wildfires in Alberta. Help them, and us, to put our trust in your love and care. Motivate and equip those who are reaching out with hands and hearts to serve those in need. In our faithful prayers, in our generous response, help us to be a church In Mission for Others. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen."
Donations for the appeals may be made in the following ways:
1. ELCIC members are asked to donate to the appeals by making a designated offering donation for “2011 Alberta Wildfires” or “2011 Manitoba Flooding” through their congregation.
2. Donations may also be made through CLWR:
After May 18, online at www.clwr.org/donate. In the process of completing the form, you will come to a pull-down menu that allows you to designate a specific project. Choose “2011 Alberta Wildfires” or “2011 Manitoba Flooding.”
By calling CLWR’s toll-free number: 1.800.661.2597 or locally at 204.694.5602.
By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR and mailed to: CLWR, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to the “2011 Alberta Wildfires” or “2011 Manitoba Flooding.”
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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.
Following two years of thoughtful analysis and church-wide consideration, the final report from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) Structural Renewal Task Force is now available. The report and an accompanying Frequently Asked Questions document can be downloaded from the ELCIC website at: https://elcic.ca/Structural-Renewal/default.cfm.
The report emphasizes a focus on mission and equipping the church to be In Mission for Others through a framework that is flexible, affordable and sustainable, and offers the following recommendations: that the ELCIC be re-organized into three synods; existing conferences be reconfigured into ‘areas’ (also known as groupings of congregations) and supported by leadership teams; conventions of the National Church be smaller in size; and that both National and Synod Conventions be held triennially.
National Church Council (NCC) received the Structural Renewal Task Force report and recommendations at its April 2011 meeting and adopted the motion: That the National Convention approve the recommendations of the Structural Renewal Task Force in principle and authorize the National Church Council to move forward with the implementation process.
"Delegates to National Convention this year will be asked to vote on approving the recommendations of the Structural Renewal Task Force in principle only," says Sheila Hamilton, chair of the task force. "There will be no changes to structures as a result of this vote but rather implementation teams for synods and the National Church will be formed to look at the details of how to best implement the recommendations." Hamilton explains that these details would need to be brought before Synod Conventions in 2012 and the 2013 ELCIC National Convention for approval before the actual restructuring process could begin.
The ELCIC Structural Renewal Task Force was appointed in 2009 by NCC. Through participation at Synod Council meetings, Synod Conventions and a church-wide survey, the task force has focused on obtaining as much input as possible as they considered what kind of structure best suits the changing demands of the ELCIC’s mission and ministry.
Further information on the work of the ELCIC Structural Renewal Task Force can be viewed online at https://elcic.ca/Structural-Renewal/default.cfm.
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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.
A new pastoral letter marks the 10th anniversary of full communion between Anglican and Lutherans in both Canada and the United States. In 2001, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (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.
The pastoral letter reflects on these full communion relationships and is signed by Bishop Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop of the ELCIC; Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the ACC; Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA; and Archbishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of TEC.
Simultaneous celebrations of full communion will be held on May 1 at 3:00 p.m. EST at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Fort Erie, Ont. and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, N.Y. National Bishop Johnson will preside at St. Paul’s Anglican and Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will preach. Presiding Bishop Hanson will preside and Archbishop Hiltz will preach at Holy Trinity Lutheran.
Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada and the United States are encouraged to mark this celebration in their own communities.
The full text of the letter follows. A PDF version is also available online: www.elcic.ca/Documents/ERPastoralLetterMay12011.pdf
Grace to you and peace.
Ten years ago, when Lutherans and Anglicans in Canada and in the United States embarked on journeys of full communion with one another, we pledged our commitment to unity in Christ for the sake of the mission of Christ’s church. On this anniversary, we rejoice and give thanks for those places of cooperation and ministry that our agreements have enabled. We are mindful that our commemorations in Buffalo and Fort Erie this day take place during the great Fifty Days of Easter. As the Resurrected Lord breathed his Spirit onto his disciples and commanded them to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, we continue to ask for God’s Holy Spirit to empower us continually to live together into that call.
We have chosen a place near the border between our countries to celebrate our historic agreements, to provide a unified witness to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, to share our commitment for renewal in Christ’s Church and God’s creation, and to serve our neighbor in need.
As we continue this journey, we call upon our pastors, bishops, and denominational and congregational leaders to active engagement in God’s mission and an increase in their capacity for multiplying ministry in the world.
We recognize God’s call to serve and protect Earth in the face of unprecedented global threats to our air, land, and water. Principles of justice call us to live more sustainably as individuals and in community, and to work for systemic changes that support care for God’s creation and for our neighbors. We acknowledge that our economy is based upon a worldview that sees creation as “resource” rather than sacred, of intrinsic worth, and “very good.” As a result we often plunder creation, and the well-being of low-income and minority communities, as well as other-than-human communities, suffer. We call upon our congregations and institutions to advocate for and embody a more sustainable, compassionate economy. We also challenge our congregations and institutions to make choices and support policies to reduce our collective consumption of energy, thereby reducing the pollution and climate change that stems from the burning of fossil fuels. We call upon our four churches to work together in matters of environmental justice.
As people of faith, we have a strong tradition of helping our neighbor in need. These acts of charity are an integral expression of our faith and help meet the immediate needs of people living in poverty and those hit by disaster. Now is the time to work for justice as well, to advocate for more substantial long-term solutions that will create an anti-poverty agenda which we can all support. We will continue to encourage members of our congregations to meet immediate needs but also ask them to join together and pressure our governments to focus seriously on reducing poverty. We must continue to advocate for decent employment and to enhance our social safety net — and to ensure that all have the opportunity to access both. Working together on matters of poverty and economic justice is an area where our four churches can forge an important common witness.
Meeting along the border of our countries, we are painfully aware of the issues of immigration and of people who lack lawful immigration status along other borders in the world. In our own context, we are mindful of those who have migrated to our countries to join their families, to work, or to seek refuge from persecution or violence. Countless families are separated by stringent immigration laws. As Christians, we are compelled by Christ’s life and teachings to welcome the stranger as neighbor, serving, as Christ did, those who are marginalized. In our national and international ministries with and for migrants and refugees, we continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.
We acknowledge that almost all of us are immigrants ourselves: we live in nations built on land taken from others. Our churches have long involvement in mission and evangelism among First Peoples. Sadly we have an equally long history of marginalization and oppression, often through church-run boarding schools, whose main goals were assimilation and the eradication of First Peoples’ culture and heritage. As we atone for the past, we call upon our churches to continue processes of dialogue, healing, and reconciliation. Today, the definition of Evangelism and Mission has transformed into partnerships with First Peoples and their ministries walking side by side with Christ.
We are also aware that our own full communion arrangements reflect this border between our two countries: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church in Canada are in full communion, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church are in full communion. We ask our four churches to explore ways to formalize our relationships and deepen the partnerships between all four of our churches. On the basis of Called to Common Mission and the Waterloo Declaration, we look forward to the development of fuller relationships that will lead to a common mission, ministry, and witness in the world.
We put our trust and hope in Christ, who has led us thus far in these relationships. With boldness we venture now with a time of breaking new ground, planting more seeds, and tending them in the spirit of authentic partnership in the Gospel. With humility we offer all our labors to the Lord, hoping they take us and all our brothers and sisters in Christ towards a fuller realization of that unity for which he prays.
In the words of the Waterloo Declaration, “We rejoice in our Declaration as an expression of the visible unity of our churches in the one Body of Christ. We are ready to be co-workers with God in whatever tasks of mission serve the Gospel. We give glory to God for the gift of unity already ours in Christ, and we pray for the fuller realization of this gift in the entire church.”
In the words of Called to Common Mission, “We do not know to what new, recovered, or continuing tasks of mission this Concordat will lead our churches, but we give thanks to God for leading us to this point. We entrust ourselves to that leading in the future, confident that our full communion will be a witness to the gift and goal already present in Christ, ‘so that God may be all in all.’”
Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Anglican Church of Canada
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, The Episcopal Church
National Bishop Susan Johnson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
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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.
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In a new online video, National Bishop Susan C. Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Archbishop Fred Hiltz of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), offer joint Easter greetings to their churches.
In the ninety-second video, the leaders acknowledge the recent suffering in Japan and the conflicts in North Africa.
"We place our hope and our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, rising from the grave, drawing near to his disciples, making himself known to them in the breaking of bread and the opening of the scriptures," said Archbishop Hiltz.
The leaders also reflect on the signing of the 2001 Waterloo Declaration. "We also want to acknowledge and celebrate the relationship between our two churches as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of our full communion agreement," said Bishop Johnson.
2011 also marks the tenth anniversary of full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church, USA.
On May 1, 2011, the four churches will celebrate this landmark year with parallel services in Fort Erie, Ont. and Buffalo, N.Y. Lutherans and Anglicans will gather to mark the anniversaries and honour the possibility for future collaboration.
In a March 9, 2011 letter, Bishop Johnson and Archbishop Hiltz invited, "the people of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to pray for each other and for this holy endeavour." Communities are encouraged to host their own celebrations, on the Second Sunday of Easter or sometime thereafter, in their own churches.
The video greeting can be viewed here: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm. It can also be downloaded to share with your congregation and community.
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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.
