The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge is calling Lutherans worldwide to prayer, support and advocacy concerning the humanitarian crisis developing from the swift political changes in North Africa.

In a March 3, 2011 letter to LWF member churches, Junge urges the churches’ prayers for people in North Africa and the Middle East so “that violence and repression will stop,” that people would “be treated with dignity and respect” and that leaders “will be chosen who are honest and accountable.”

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson added her voice to General Secretary Junge’s call for prayers. "We pray for peace that is so desperately needed in North Africa. We deplore the choice to use violence, and pray for people of courage and good will to emerge as leaders, so that people’s core human need for dignity, rights, safety and self-determination will be respected."  

In December a popular uprising began in Tunisia, forcing the Tunisian president to flee the country in January. Similar protests in Egypt in January forced the country’s president to step aside in February. Protests that began peacefully in Libya in February are resulting in a huge humanitarian crisis as the country’s leader fights to keep his hold on power.

Junge deplored the loss of life and expressed hope that those fleeing would be able to return home safely and that the refugees will find refuge. He expressed particular concern for Libya where the country’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi, “is trying to cling to power in the most cruel way, ordering his security forces to shoot and kill his own people. The death toll may already be in the thousands.” Most of those fleeing the country are foreign workers, predominantly from Egypt but also from other countries including Bangladesh and Nepal.

The general secretary welcomed the United Nations’ actions against Libya. The Security Council in February imposed sanctions against Libya. On March 1, 2011 the General Assembly suspended Libya from the Human Rights Council.

“The international community is unanimously condemning the indiscriminate use of violence and the violations of human rights,” Junge noted.

In view of the large-scale humanitarian crisis unfolding from Libya, Junge pointed out that an LWF-led humanitarian assessment team will arrive in neighboring Tunisia this weekend. The LWF-ACT Alliance rapid assessment team will elaborate a preliminary appeal and coordinate the shipment and distribution of immediate relief goods as well as the establishment of water supply infrastructure in close coordination with UN organizations on-site.

The LWF is a founding member of ACT Alliance, a global network of church-related organizations collaborating in humanitarian assistance and development.

Junge asked the churches for continued financial support as the LWF responds to the humanitarian crisis.

He urged Lutherans in Europe to advocate with their governments to show compassion toward those fleeing North Africa. “While the struggling countries bordering Libya are generously keeping their borders open, the European discussions seem to focus more on how to protect their borders” in a humanitarian situation that calls for a different approach, Junge added.

The general secretary expressed his hope that the political changes in North Africa would “pave the way for political governance that is accountable to the very people it represents.”

He added, “People want to have their dignity respected. People want to be treated fairly and honestly – they reject injustice and corruption.”

(Files from Lutheran World Information.)
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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.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson called for prayers following a severe earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on February 22, 2011.

"I encourage all ELCIC members to include those affected by this earthquake in their prayers," said Bishop Johnson. Shortly after hearing the news of the earthquake, Bishop Johnson sent a message to the Bishop of Christchurch, The Right Rev. Victoria Matthews. In her message, Bishop Johnson shared her prayers for the diocese and all the people affected by the earthquake.

A deadly 6.3 magnitude tremor wrecked a trail of destruction in the city, killing close to 100 people with over 200 persons still reported missing earlier today.

In a release from Lutheran World Information (LWI), Rev. David Lipsys, pastor of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Christchurch, reported that there were no known casualties among the congregation, though he emphasized the difficulty in reaching members. “Loss of power and telephones, combined with transport restrictions, is making contact with our church members and friends very difficult,” he said. Lipsys planned to motorcycle to areas that are still not accessible by automobile to find out how parishioners were faring.

New Zealand’s second major earthquake in five months had compromised the structural integrity of the church worship center, he noted, and seriously damaged the house in which he and his wife live. “We hope to be able to remain in our home, but I am afraid that we may have to tear it down,” he commented.

Many people are spending the nights in tents, without water or food, Lipsys said. Meanwhile, fear is running high because of the risk of aftershocks.

Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ) President Robert Erickson has declared this coming Sunday a “Sunday of Prayer for the people of Christchurch and surrounding areas.”

LCNZ is a district of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA), which joined the LWF as an associate member church in 1994 and has 70,000 members.

(With files from Lutheran World Information and Linda Macqueen, editor of LCA’s The Lutheran magazine.)

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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

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson wrote to The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, urging that KAIROS’ reapplication for CIDA funding "receive fair consideration so that the gifts of KAIROS are seen in the light of their potential to promote a safe, well-fed and just world."

The text of the letter follows:

Dear Prime Minister:

I continue to be concerned about the process by which KAIROS was defunded by CIDA.

The work of KAIROS is very valuable and important to our church, our country and our world. For over 35 years, KAIROS has worked faithfully in partnership with the government of Canada to promote development and human rights. CIDA’s own assessments indicate that this work has been effective, accountable and recommended. It remains unclear on what basis the government decided to end this partnership.

KAIROS has reapplied for funding. What is most important to us is that this new application receive fair consideration so that the gifts of KAIROS are seen in the light of their potential to promote a safe, well-fed and just world. Our church remains convinced that KAIROS has much to offer as a partner in promoting the values that Canadians cherish.

You, your ministers, and the whole of parliament are in our prayers as you seek to serve Canadians with good leadership.

Yours in Christ,

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

A pdf version of the letter is available online at: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/documents/20110217LettertoPrimeMinisterreKAIROSFINAL.pdf

The ELCIC is one of eleven members of KAIROS.

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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.

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 relief operations underway to assist the people of Colombia.

Over two million people in northern and central Colombia are affected by the country’s worst flooding in over 30 years. Heavy rains that began in April 2010 due to the La Nina weather phenomenon has left almost 300 people dead. Hundreds of thousands of Colombians are living in temporary shelters and relying on food aid. Approximately 680,000 hectares of farmland has been destroyed.

A release from ACT Alliance notes the rains in this region are expected to continue until the second quarter of 2011. "To date, more than half the municipalities are already affected," continues the release. "The main dam in the Atlantic Region is damaged and is contributing to the floods in the worst-affected area."

Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) has issued an appeal for financial support for relief operations underway to assist the people of Colombia. CLWR, through its membership in the ACT Alliance, a 100 member international ecumenical coalition, will take emergency and rehabilitation action in the regions most affected by the weather.

Since 2003, the ELCIC’s Synod of Alberta and the Territories has been in a Companion Synod relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana de Colombia).

Donations may be made in the following ways:

1. ELCIC members are asked to donate to the appeal by making a designated offering donation for “Colombia Flood 2011 Relief” through their ELCIC congregation.
2. Donations may also be made through CLWR.
   • Online at www.clwr.org/donate. Choose the “General Donation” option. On the form’s drop-down menu, chose "Colombia Flood 2011 Relief".
   • By credit card over the phone by calling toll-free: 1.800.661.2597. If you do not need to use a toll-free line or are calling locally from the Winnipeg area, call: 204.694.5602.
   • By sending a cheque made payable to CLWR to 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6. Please indicate in your correspondence that you wish to contribute to "Colombia Flood 2011 Relief".

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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.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) announces a new church-wide Praise Appeal. "To Everything There is a Time" is the theme of the inaugural ELCIC Praise Appeal which this year will give thanks for the ministry of women in the church, looking back on the ministry of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc. (ELW) and looking forward to the new forms this ministry may take.

The ELCIC has been, for many years, generously gifted with extra-mile giving through the ministry of ELW Praise Offering Services. ELW made the difficult decision to dissolve in 2010 but their legacy remains as these gifts have contributed millions of dollars over the history of the church.

"The women of the church, through their participation in the ELW Praise Offering Services, have shown us first hand the importance of stewardship and extra-mile giving," says ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson. "I’d like to encourage all ELCIC congregations to partner with us and support the ministry of the wider church by participating in the ELCIC Praise Appeal."

The Resource Generation Task Force of the National Church put forward a Financial Resource Generation Strategy for the ELCIC that was approved by National Church Council in 2009. This strategy included an annual appeal.

The ELCIC Praise Appeal is being launch as an opportunity to continue the church-wide spirit of extra-mile giving and will allow the opportunity to highlight different aspects of the ministry of the wider church. Congregations throughout the ELCIC are asked to designate one Sunday this year, and in coming years, at a time that works best within their own context to highlight the ELCIC Praise Appeal.

Resources are currently being prepared and will be available on the ELCIC website by April 1, 2011.

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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.

The Thirteen Biennial National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will take place July 14-17, 2011, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The call to be In Mission for Others articulates the mission and ministry for the ELCIC and is lifted up in this year’s convention theme which is Covenant People: In Mission for Others.

The convention theme is drawn from Isaiah 56:6–8 and focuses on our identity as God’s servants, and on the responsibility we bear toward each other and collectively toward others by virtue of this covenant. We are joined together in the covenant of baptism and called to live our lives as disciples of Jesus. ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson has been encouraging the ELCIC community to engage in a call to spiritual renewal and to be a more visible witness to our neighbours. At National Convention, we will explore aspects of this call to read, pray, worship, study, serve, give and tell.

The word “covenant” is also a synonym for “treaty,” so the theme Covenant People: In Mission for Others gives us the opportunity to explore how we as a church and as Canadians are treaty people, and challenge ourselves to renewed relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

The 2011 ELCIC National Convention logo is comprised of the visual elements of a pitcher and water, signs of the baptism that gathers and connects us. This life-giving water is ever weaving around and through God’s covenant people.

The logo and further information on the 2011 ELCIC National Convention can be viewed online at www.elcic.ca/In-Convention/2011-Saskatoon/default.cfm.

In their 2010 joint Christmas video, National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), celebrate and share the gift of Christmas music.

“The gift of music is that when we join our voices together in common song, we act out being the body of Christ,” says National Bishop Johnson in the video. She and Archbishop Hiltz then offer an a cappella rendition of the carol “Silent Night.”

The ACC and ELCIC have been full communion partners since the 2001 Waterloo Declaration, which acknowledged the churches’ historic similarities and encouraged more cooperative work. Led by the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission, the two churches have worked closely on many fronts, including action against homelessness, and campaigns in support of the Millennium Development Goals.

At a local level, many Anglican and Lutheran churches are joining together for worship and action across Canada. Resources are available to support this local work, including an Anglican-Lutheran prayer cycle [PDF] and guidelines for common worship.

In 2010, Anglican-Lutheran cooperation was highlighted at several national meetings. National Bishop Susan Johnson addressed the ACC’s General Synod in June 2010, and in August 2010, almost 1,000 youth gathered for the first-ever Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth Gathering in London, Ont. Preparations are now underway for a July 2013 joint meeting of the ACC General Synod and the ELCIC National Convention in Ottawa, Ont.

Both Archbishop Hiltz and National Bishop Johnson have made the full communion partnership a priority of their national church work. These annual joint Christmas videos highlight their friendship and remind Anglicans and Lutherans to seek opportunities for unity. Watch the Christmas video online, or download to share with your church family.

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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.

As the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) seeks to develop a framework for the church that is flexible, affordable and sustainable, a majority of participants who provided feedback on suggestions for structural renewal within the church feel it would be acceptable to reduce the number of synods and/or reduce the size of National Convention as a possible way of moving forward.

The feedback, which also includes detailed suggestions on ways to focus administrative costs in the church and areas where the National Church and Synods should be involved, comes following months of generating feedback from ELCIC members across the church.

Since spring of 2009, the ELCIC’s Structural Renewal Task Force has been engaging in dialogue with various expressions across the church about the need for structural renewal. Through participation at Synod Council meetings, Synod Conventions and an online survey, the task force has been obtaining information as they consider what kind of structure best suits the changing demands of the ELCIC’s ministry and outreach.

Since the close of the August 31,2010 deadline for the online survey component of their work, the Structural Renewal Task Force has been reviewing the feedback and compiling the data.

The survey provides a great deal of quantitative information, as well as many qualitative comments, says Sheila Hamilton, chair of the Structural Renewal Task Force. “Approximately 320 responses were received with good participation rates from all synods.”

“In the discussions at synod conventions and in the survey comments, it is clear that more support for ministry at the local/congregational expression of the church is strongly encouraged,” says Hamilton, who also notes that “Bishop Susan’s call for ‘Spirited Discipleship’ was enthusiastically embraced by many respondents.”

In a report from the Structural Renewal Task Force, suggestions to focus administrative costs include: Working cooperatively with other churches; Reducing the number of synods; Reducing the size of national convention; and Reducing the functions of the national office.

Survey feedback clearly identified that particular suggestions for focusing administrative costs would not be acceptable, including: Eliminating the national church; Eliminating all synods; Increasing functions of national church; and Reducing the size of synod conventions.

The survey summary identifies that a majority of respondents from every synod agree that reducing the number of synods and that reducing the size of national convention would be acceptable options.

The survey indicated eight areas where the National Church should be involved, including: Global mission; Pension and benefits; Ecumenical relationships; Relationships with international church bodies; Standards for rostered leaders; Canadian Lutheran World Relief; Public policy and advocacy; and Communication.

The task force is currently following up with Conference Deans, who will communicate the findings to their conferences. In March 2011, the Structural Renewal Task Force will present its recommendations to National Church Council (NCC). It is expected that NCC will present a proposal to National Convention in July 2011.

In February 2009, the officers of the National Church and all five synods met to look at the current challenges facing the ELCIC. They agreed that these challenges will become more severe in the next few years and that there is need for major changes to the organizational structure of the church. At the same time, the officers noted the need to increase work in the areas of evangelism, outreach and stewardship as the ELCIC lives out the call to be a church In Mission for Others. NCC heard these concerns and appointed a Structural Renewal Task Force.

Further information on the work of the Structural Renewal Task Force, along with a summary of the survey results, 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.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), together with the Church of Sweden, invites you to walk with them this Advent. Their online Advent Calendar, Fear Builds Walls – Hope Builds Bridges includes daily Advent YouTube greetings from young people in Palestine and Sweden.

In recognition of the “significant contribution of the women of the Evangelical Lutheran Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)”, a new ELCIC Women of Faith Fund has been established.

The ELCIC Women of Faith Fund will provide grants for the purpose of encouraging and facilitating, “the Christ-centred ministry of women within [the ELCIC] and In Mission for Others.”

“The ELCIC Women of Faith Fund will honour the work of women in our church in the areas of faith and spiritual growth, fostering supportive communities, developing leadership skills and working towards justice and peace,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson.

The initial contributions to the fund will come from the residual amount remaining after the dissolution of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc. (ELW). The contribution comes as per ELW bylaws. Individuals or groups may also make additional donations to the fund.

Grants for the ELCIC Women of Faith Fund will be available on an annual basis. Applicants will submit their proposals for review and consideration by an advisory committee appointed by the ELCIC’s National Church Council.

Further information on the fund is available on the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/Womens-Desk/default.cfm

Contributions to the ELCIC Women of Faith Fund can be made by sending a cheque made payable to the ELCIC (please indicate ELCIC Women of Faith Fund in the memo portion) to: ELCIC, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3N 3H6.

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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.