Communique Special – Lutheran Office for World Community Newsletter for Partners Provides Resources for Lent, Updates and News

E-Communique Special – – Lutheran Office for World Community, a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran World Federation at the United Nations has prepared the following information for its partners.

News

Lenten Reflection Series – Subscribe to a 40-day reflection on our relationship with God’s creation via email This 40-day Lenten reflection series will offer a holistic approach to how we live as earthly companions, combining God’s caring relationship with creation to our journey in the physical universe. Each e-mail emphasizes individual and communal solutions, resources for further learning and suggestions for how to act or become more educated. This is a limited subscription; the first e-mail will arrive on Ash Wednesday and the last e-mail will arrive Easter Sunday. Subscribe to the ELCA’s daily 2008 environmental Lenten reflections at: www.elca.org/advocacy 

Peace Building Commission adopts framework for Sierra Leone – The United Nations Peace Building Commission and the government of Sierra Leone have adopted a framework that will set the pattern for the work of the United Nations advisory body. The priorities are: youth employment and empowerment, justice and security sector reform, consolidation of democracy and good governance, capacity-building and the energy sector. Civil Society is seen as a key stakeholder in the Peacebuilding process and capacity building. The PBC and the government have committed themselves to facilitate and support capacity-building for civil society, especially women’s and youth organizations to foster reconciliation and community-based socio-economic recovery. Civil Society will contribute to a semi-annual review process. The PBC was set up in 2006 to address post conflict peace building – all that is needed to help a country move from war to peace. The first countries in the program were Sierra Leone and Burundi. Guinea-Bissau is now considered the third country.
More about the PBC: http://www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding/questions.htm
A blog on the PBC: http://www.pbcupdate.org/ For more information you can email: Christian.Albers@elca.org

Ecumenical Women launch website; submit statement on financing for gender equality – Ecumenical Women, a coalition of churches and ecumenical organizations in dialogue with the UN, have launched a new website featuring a blog on current issues related to gender equality as well as worship, academic and advocacy. To prepare for the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2008, the website has a focus on the theme financing for gender equality. Go to the website to read Ecumenical Women’s submission to the UN: “Justice for the poor and care for life and creation continue to be at the heart of the matter”. The statement lifts up the principles of the Beijing Platform for Action and connects gender justice to the six themes of the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development.
The website: http://ecumenicalwomen.org
The statement: http://ecumenicalwomen.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/ecumenical-womenresubmitted-statement.pdf

LWF members urged to act on human rights, illegitimate debt and climate change – In his New Year’s Message for 2008, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko cites human rights, illegitimate debt and protecting the earth as major challenges requiring churches’ reflection and action. The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Let this not be an empty celebration,” says Noko, asking churches to insist on accountability and universal practical implementation for human rights. Noko highlights illegitimate debt as an additional obstacle to the full enjoyment of human rights, urging churches to seek new ways of ensuring that “economic relations between states are informed by ethical principles, and no longer result in debt bondage for generations of poor people.” To mitigate climate change, Noko urges the churches to “promote new ways of relating to and living within creation that better reflect in practice our theological understandings of communion”.
Read the full message: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2150.EN.html

New Research and Reports

Climate change is focus for latest Human Development Report – While there has been some progress on development in recent years, it is threatened by climate change – especially among the poorest and most vulnerable populations and countries. Climate change affects agricultural production and water security, threatens public health and contributes to the collapsing of ecosystems, such as coral reefs. But according to the report it is not too late to forestall dangerous effects, if agreement can be reached to reduce 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from 1990 levels. The country with the highest carbon dioxide emissions is the United States (6,045.8 Mt CO2), followed by China (5,007.1) Russia (1,524.1), India (1,342.1) and Japan (1,257.2). The Human Development Report can be downloaded: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/

For God’s sake, do something! How religions can find unexpected unity around climate change – In this report published in conjunction with the Human Development Report, British sociologist and political scientist Roman Krznaric explores the common ground shared by the world’s major religions in their approaches to environmental issues, in particular climate change. While analyzing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and indigenous cosmologies, Krznaric finds a general agreement on four key points: human-induced climate change is real and needs to be tackled now; the problem of climate change has partly resulted from human greed and a culture of over-consumption; by damaging the environment humans have sinned or acted immorally in the eyes of God or the cosmic order; and religious believers have a religious responsibility to take action. He asks for more collaboration on the common ground of the claim that God is green. Read it at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/papers/krznaric_roman.pdf

Girls Count: A global investment & action agenda – Adolescent girls are frequently discriminated in terms of health, education, nutrition and labor force participation. Due to gender bias and cultural norms frequently they are not seen as worthy of equal investment as young boys by their families and in their society. This report from the Center for Global Development describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods. It outlines three key actions: count girls (disaggregate data to make girls more visible), invest in girls, give girls a fair chance. The authors have provided specific recommendations for civil society, governments, private-sector leaders, and donor agencies to create mechanisms for the meaningful participation of young women and adolescent girls in their programs and policy.
See: http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/15154

10-Year Strategic Review of “Impact of armed conflict on children” – Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, launched a ten-year strategic review following up the 1996 report “Impact of armed conflict on children” by Graça Machel. The review discusses the evolving and severe impact of conflicts on children and measures progress made since 1996. It pressure on all UN Member States to fulfill their responsibilities to children by giving them access to basic services like education, health, nutrition, water, and sanitation. Read it here: http://www.un.org/children/conflict/_documents/machel/MachelReviewReport.pdf

Will you listen? Children respond to armed conflict – A companion piece to the 10-year review of the impact of armed conflict on children, Will you listen? compiles the views and recommendations of over 1,700 children in 92 countries. Focus group discussions were conducted by in 18 countries, and involved over 1,385 participants in 125groups to inform this comprehensive report of children’s experiences. http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/720_filename_will_you_listen_090607.pdf

Education for all by 2015: Will we make it? – The 2008 edition of the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report is a mid-term review of progress towards the six EFA goals established in 2000. On the positive side, there is a rise in the number of children starting primary school, the number of girls in school, and spending on education and aid. However, poor quality, the cost of schooling and high levels of adult illiteracy rates need to be tackled in order to meet the EFA goals by 2015. For links and more information: http://tinyurl.com/ypuedw

New edition of guide for NGO participation at UN The UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service – (NGLS) has just released an updated version of their handbook on the UN: “Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the United Nations: A Guide.” It’s a really useful (and actually quite interesting) resource.
Go to: http://www.un-ngls.org/site/IMG/pdf/DMUN_Book_PAO_WEB.pdf.
If you would like a printed copy, contact Emily.Davila@elca.org

World Economic Forum’s measures global gender gap – This report measures the size of the gender gap in four critical areas of inequality in 115 countries. To do so, it examines: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment and health and survival. Sweden holds the top rank, with 81 percent of the gender gap closed. The United States rank 31st at 70 percent, and Yemen holds the title for the biggest gap, with only 45 percent of the gender gap closed. To read more about the Gender Gap Index go to: http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest Press Releases/Global_Gender_Gap_2007

Applying human rights principles to sexual orientation and gender identity – In response to well-documented patterns of abuse, a distinguished group of international human rights experts met in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2006 to outline a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The result was the Yogyakarta Principles: a universal guide to human rights which propose binding international legal standards with which all States must comply, based on previously agreed standards. Though not officially recognized by the United Nations, they promise a different future where all people born free and equal in dignity and rights can fulfill that precious birthright. The principles are presented here in all six United Nations languages: http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/principles_en.htm

Toolkits and resources

Free communications and planning toolkits offered to civil society organizations – This series of toolkits, aimed at organizations to improve their capacity in the areas of communication and planning, are provided by CIVICUS, an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society. The toolkits are provided in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. The useful toolkits cover themes such as “Writing Effectively & Powerfully”, “Developing a Financing Strategy” or “Writing a Funding Proposal” or “Strategic Planning”.
For further information: http://www.civicus.org/new/civicus_toolkit_project.asp

Guide to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Marking the 20th anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), Amnesty International has published this report in order to foster greater participation by civil society groups and human rights defenders in the work of the African Commission. For more information, http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGIOR630052007

Subscribe to new newsletter on disability rights convention – The Enable newsletter is a service of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to keep you informed about the work of the UN system on disability issues. To subscribe: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=312 

The preceding message was forwarded from the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) – a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at the United Nations. The ELCIC is a member of the LWF.

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E-Communique from the ELCIC – January/February 2008

Welcome to E-Communique – An electronic resource of instant information for Church Leaders from the National Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

E-Communique is:

  • An electronic toolbox of timely information and resources recommended by the ELCIC and sent to congregations, national committees, clergy and lay leaders throughout our church.
  • An easy to use collection of new ideas, resources and live links to helpful websites.
  • Easy to cut and paste from so that you can add information from this resource to your worship bulletins!

Subscribe to E-Communique by emailing communique@elcic.ca and indicate "subscribe" in the subject line.

Read past issues online.
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Inside This Issue of E-Communique:

1. DIACONAL MINISTRY January 27 Recognition
2. STEWARDSHIP Resources and Tips
3. GHDA Resources for your Lenten Journey
4. CANADA LUTHERAN Highlights from the Jan/Feb Issue
5. MISSION IN THE WORLD Training and Events
6. WORSHIP 2008 National Worship Conference
7. ELW Be Not Afraid
8. CLYG 2008 Travel Light
9. ACROSS THE SYNODS News for ELCIC Congregations All Across Canada
10. NUGGETS FROM THE ‘NET Online Resources
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1. LIFTING UP DIACONAL MINISTRY ON JANUARY 27

January 27 is the Commemoration day for Phoebe, Lydia and Dorcas on the Lutheran worship calendar. Phoebe was a deaconess (see Romans 16:1), and the other two were active in caring for the needs of people. Diaconal Ministry is a rostered, public ministry of the ELCIC. Diaconal Ministers offer a Ministry of Word and Service, with particular focus on equipping the baptized to bear witness through compassionate action. There are currently 25 Diaconal Ministers on the roster of the ELCIC. A Diaconal Ministry brochure is available on the ELCIC website: https://www.elcic.ca (click on resources, then documents, and scroll down to “Diaconal Ministry Brochure, 2006”)

On Sunday January 27, the ELCIC invites you remember Diaconal Ministry; pray for the diaconal members of the roster and pray that the whole church will recognize its call to be In Mission for Others by offering a witness of service and care to our neighbours.

2. STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES FROM THE NATIONAL OFFICE

Would you like to learn more about how our faith shapes our lives and the decisions we make about how we manage and care for our time, our talent, our money and creation? The Steward is a bimonthly newsletter which provides information about our church’s stewardship ministry and tips about deepening this work. To sign up to receive The Steward e-mail randersen@elcic.ca and indicate "Subscribe to The Steward" in the memo portion of your email.

3. PREPARING FOR YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY

The ELCIC’s Global Hunger and Development Appeal (GHDA) has collaborated with partner Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) to produce resources which may be used to guide your Lenten discipline of prayer and reflection. May they be signs of the renewal we look to in the Easter Resurrection. The following resources are available for downloading:
2008 Family Lenten Calendar (https://elcic.ca/GHDA/Resources/documents/Lent-Calendar-2008.pdf) – aims to involve Sunday school aged children in the Lenten journey through daily learning, prayer and action.
2008 Bulletin Inserts (https://elcic.ca/GHDA/Resources/documents/Lent-Inserts-GHDA-2008.pdf)

4. CANADA LUTHERAN

Do you subscribe to Canada Lutheran (CL), the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada? Here’s what CL subscribers will be reading about in the January/February 2008 issue :

Feeding the Soul: Could you feed your family on $11 a day? Learn how one Edmonton couple instituted a meager monthly food budget to teach their family to value their daily bread–and the many other blessings they share.
Finding Forgiveness: Martin Luther tell us that “Forgiveness is God’s Command,” but how do we begin this healing journey? Whether you’re stinging from a recent disappointment or languishing in life-long pain, these remarkable examples of forgiveness will inspire you to take the first step.
Bible Study 101: Too shy to join a study group? Too nervous to start one of your own? These expert tips will introduce you to the joys–and pitfalls–of small-group discussion.
Order and Chaos: This summer’s National Worship Conference will help liturgical leaders explore ways to combine orderly, time-honoured liturgies with creativity and innovation.

If you aren’t currently a subscriber to Canada Lutheran, find out how to become one at: https://www.elcic.ca/clweb/index.html.

Interested in just this particular issue? You can order individual copies of Canada Lutheran for $3.95 plus taxes and postage. Contact the National Office at orders@elcic.ca to order.

5. ELCIC’S MISSION IN THE WORLD

Mission Trip Leaders Training – Two to four-week mission exposure and work trips are currently very popular in the ELCIC. Some of these trips are associated with the Companion Synod Program while most are done by individual congregations. ELCIC Mission in the World (MW) is encouraging best practices so that mission trips can be beneficial to both participants and hosts. By working ecumenically with the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries, ELCIC MW is now able to offer the Mission Trip Leaders’ Training program and accompanying resource Sojourning, A Leader’s Guide for Short Term Mission Travel. The next training seminar is in Winnipeg, March 8-9, 2008 (register by February 10). For further details and to register go to the Forum’s web site http://www.ccforum.ca.

2008 Global Events – The events produced by ELCA Global Mission are endorsed by the ELCIC. The next Global Mission Event (GME) will be in La Crosse, Wisconsin, July 17-20, 2008. In addition to the main GME, the new ELCA Global Formation Events will be offered at three locations in 2008. Register as a congregational team for a Global Formation Event, build skills together and return energized to help your congregation be effective in God’s mission locally and in the global Lutheran community. For further details go to the GME web site http://www.elca.org/gme .

6. 2008 NATIONAL WORSHIP CONFERENCE

Fast becoming a tradition in partnership, the 2008 National Worship Conference – ‘Order and Chaos’ – is sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada. According to the conference website, "’Order’ and ‘Chaos’ may well describe the way many of us involved in the planning and executing of liturgies in the church feel about the whole endeavour. We are always working within an ‘order’ but it sure seems chaotic at times!" Order and Chaos will take place June 25 to 28, 2008 in Montreal, Quebec. Keynote presenters include Gordon Lathrop and Karen Ward. Further information and registration is available online at http://www.worshipconference2008.org/

7. EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN WOMEN’S 2008 CONVENTION

Is the 2008 Evangelical Lutheran Women (ELW) convention being promoted in your congregation? Has someone made an announcement to all women? Do you know where the poster is hanging in your church to promote this national event? (Posters were sent in August 2007 to all congregational ELW groups.) Have copies of the registration form been photocopies and distributed? Is fundraising taking place so that your congregation can send a group? For further information on our national women’s convention, visit the ELW website at: http://www.elw.ca

Speaking of the ELW website… it’s been completely redesigned!! Check it out at http://www.elw.ca

8. CANADIAN LUTHERAN YOUTH GATHERING

Travel Light, the theme for the 2008 Canadian Lutheran Youth Gathering was announced at the 2007 National Convention. Mark your calendars, this is trip is one you won’t want to miss! The 2008 Canadian Lutheran Youth Gathering (CLYG) will be taking place August 14 – 17, 2008 in Whitehorse. Further information is available online at http://youth.elcic.ca/travelLight/index.htm and posters have been sent out to all ELCIC congregations.

9. ACROSS THE SYNODS

KAIROS Sunday 2008—make your plans! The ELCIC encourages all churches to make some space for justice in your worship and study life by planning a KAIROS service of worship. A new liturgy, bulletin insert, children’s resources and more are available at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/network/sunday/index.asp If you want additional worship ideas, see our complete list at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/resources/worship/index.asp KAIROS is a partner of the ELCIC’s Global Hunger and Development Appeal (GHDA).

Calling of Mark Harris as Assistant to the Bishop in the Eastern Synod – Rev. Dr. Mark W. Harris, pastor of Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Waterloo will fill one of two vacant positions in the Eastern Synod office.The work of the Eastern Synod and the ELCIC is not new to Harris. Since his ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in June 1980, Harris has served the Synod, National Church and International and Ecumenical communities either by election or appointment to various committees and task forces. Harris is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Lutheran World Relief and is the ELCIC appointee to the Consultation on Common Texts. Read the full release at: http://www.easternsynod.org/docs/2007/07-11-20%20Harris%20Newsrelease.pdf

ELCIC Fleeces – we have been looking into the possibility of making fleeces with the ELCIC’s updated In Mission for Others logo available. These full-zippered fleeces are available in burgundy or black and have the full ELCIC logo embroidered in white thread on the left-hand front of the jacket. We would first like to gauge whether there is enough interest in this before we go ahead. If you may be interest in individual or group purchases, please email Trina Gallop, communications manager, at tgallop@elcic.ca and indicate the approximate quantity you would be interested in. Fleeces would be available for $39.50 each – this includes shipping.

10. NUGGETS FROM THE ‘NET

New website monitors Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The United Nations launched a new website powered by Google and network equipment maker Cisco that will show how and where the world is succeeding or failing in meeting the MDGs on ending poverty. The creators of the website said that better monitoring of progress should spur success. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said that the site would, for the first time, present all the information on the goals in one place, allowing closer monitoring and helping identify places in need of greater attention. The site gathers statistics from around the world to give a snapshot of how each country is doing in meeting the eight goals, from cutting infant mortality to reducing hunger. http://www.mdgmonitor.org (With files from AP and Lutheran Office for World Community).

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Some of the resources mentioned in E-Communique are available from the ELCIC National Office. If you prefer to order those materials in print, phone 1.888.786.6707 ext 177 or 204.984.9177; email orders@elcic.ca; or fax your order to 204.984.9185 "Attn Orders Desk". Be sure to fully describe the item and tell us the quantity you need. You will be invoiced when the order is filled.

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ELW Continues Search for Viable Path to Long-term Sustainability

Finding ways for the ELCIC’s Evangelical Lutheran Women (ELW) to, "continue to support an office which in turn supports the tremendous ELW ministries taking place in congregations across Canada" is paramount to the future of the ELW says Ruth Vince, executive director, ELW.

The National ELW has been in a redevelopment process for the last couple of years; recommendations from the process are expected to be presented to the National ELW board when it meets in March 2008.

Using surveys, focus groups and conversations with key stakeholders, the ELW has been seeking to develop an understanding of the current landscape within the organization. A strategic planning professional was brought in on-contract to assist with the assessment of the information collected and more recently an advisory group consisting of ELW National Board members, ELW staff and ELCIC National Church Council members, including the ELCIC National Bishop and national staff members met to begin a discussion on the findings.

The redevelopment process has been crucial to identifying viable ways to continue the operation of ELW. Income levels have not been matching expenses over the last couple of years and in order to continue the operation of ELW through 2008, significant measures were implemented to limit further financial spending. Included in the cuts were the reduction of office hours and staff salaries, along with cuts to programs and travel.

Vince notes that further cuts are likely a reality for the 2009 budget.

Those on the advisory committee will continue to work towards their goal of bringing a recommendation forward at the March 15-18 National ELW board meeting. At that time the National Board will explore whether convention delegates will need to vote on any redevelopment issues. Vince says all Congregational-ELW groups will be informed in April if there are major decisions that will be presented at the July National convention so that discussion can take place prior to it being voted on.

In a recent letter to Vince and Betty St. Onge, ELW President, ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson praised the work of St. Onge and Vince, as well as the Board and Staff of ELW. Bishop Johnson noted with appreciation the ongoing partnership in ministry provided by the ELW and their role in nurturing faith,developing leadership and supporting the work of the church through ELW Praise Offerings.

The ELW was incorporated in 1986 when the ELCIC was formed and is a national non-profit organization of the ELCIC. The ministry of the ELW is self-supported through direct offerings called Grace Gifts. Individuals who attend ELW events are encouraged to support ELW in the form of free-will offerings. Donations to Grace Gifts and other ELW directed funds are also received through ELW’s national office.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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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Praying Together for Christian Unity Throughout a Century of Changes

Although prayer is certainly at the heart of Christian life, praying together is not an easy exercise for churches within worldwide Christendom. Even today, common prayers are exceptional events rather than part of the daily life of the churches. But at least once a year it has become "normal" for many churches and congregations to pray together during the annual celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In 2008, the 100th anniversary of this most meaningful ecumenical initiative is being celebrated around the globe.

The roots of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. Initiatives involving praying for unity together with Christians from other denominations had been taking place here and there for over a century when, in 1908, a priest and a sister, both Episcopalians, publicly celebrated for the first time an Octave of Prayer for Church Unity from 18-25 January in Graymoor, Garrison, New York. The Rev. Paul Wattson and Mother Lurana White, co-founders of a small religious community in the Franciscan tradition known as the Society of the Atonement, chose for the octave the days spanning from what was at that time in the Roman Catholic calendar the "feast of the Chair of Peter", to the "feast of the conversion of Paul".

In celebrating its 100th anniversary, this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity points to that historical milestone as its foundational moment. But it is clear that a lot has changed in the ecumenical landscape over the last century.

The Octave of Prayer for Church Unity of those days was based on a concept of unity as re-union of Christendom under the Pope’s authority. For that reason, the octave was neither appealing nor theologically acceptable for Christians and churches outside the Roman Catholic Church, except for some Anglicans who were sympathetic to the idea of a reunion of Canterbury with Rome – like Wattson and White, who joined the Roman Catholic Church themselves. While it soon became widely observed in the Roman Catholic Church, the octave was by no means the only initiative of prayer for church unity at that time.

Well before 1908, the World Evangelical Alliance, the World Student Christian Federation, the Young Men’s Christian Association together with the Young Women’s Christian Association, had already all launched worldwide annual weeks or days of prayer in which the aspect of unity played an important role.

As early as 1907 the London-based Times published a letter signed by an impressive list of high-ranking church leaders from different denominations, who called on "all the Christian ministers of religion in England […] to prepare their congregations for a united effort of prayer on Whitsunday […] for the reunion of Christians". They underlined that those prayers should not compromise the beliefs of any confession but should focus on God’s will for the unity of all. The church leaders soberly declared that it was not yet the time for large schemes of corporate reunion but that churches should unite in penitence and prayer: penitence for their divisions and prayer for opening their minds to God’s will for unity.

"God’s will for the unity of all" became something like the leitmotif of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity through the years. Early writings of the Faith and Order movement on prayer and unity refer to that concept. Decades later, that formula made it possible to pray for unity within the Roman Catholic Church in a way that would not hurt denominational loyalties of other Christians. And even today it is a reminder to Christians and churches everywhere that the quest for the unity of all does not depend nor is it based on different doctrinal concepts of unity; it is rather God’s will for the entire creation.

Since the mid 1960’s, after the Second Vatican Council, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church [today’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity] have prepared the liturgical materials for the Week of Prayer together

Celebrating this year the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be an occasion to give thanks for the unity, however provisional it may be, that churches already do have and live, and in which the Week of Prayer certainly has its share.

In Jerusalem – one of the places where the divisions within Christianity have often become visible in the most distressing ways – the impact of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the life of the churches is confirmed by the fact that opportunities for common prayer multiply almost spontaneously. This is especially true for ecumenical prayers for peace, as Christian unity and peace are inseparable concerns for the Christians in the Middle East.

It was the tradition of preparing together for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which led churches in Slovakia to the idea of preparing a special ecumenical celebration when the country entered into the European Union in 2004. The Week of Prayer is observed nationwide in Slovakia, both at the top church level as well as at the grass-roots.

Examples from all over the world could be multiplied. This year’s theme – Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) – highlights the fact that Christians and churches cannot cease to pray for the unity of all. The divisions, which are still a reality between and within the churches, do not simply follow denominational lines. They are often – at least to some extent – rooted in ethnic or national identities, in issues of race, social status, gender or sexuality, exclusion of people with disabilities or of those living with HIV/AIDS.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity cannot provide a solution to all these problems. But its celebration every year is a victory over divisions because it expresses the unity which Christians do have in Christ.

(*) Written by Kersten Storch, a German Lutheran pastor who is executive staff of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission and has been involved in the preparation of the Week of Prayer’s liturgical materials over the last six years.

More information on the Week of prayer for Christian unity
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3193

Society of Atonement’s website
http://www.atonementfriars.org/week_of_prayer.htm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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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ELCIC/ELCA Long-term Missionary in Papua New Guinea, Bonnie Weppler, to Resign in 2008

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s missionary in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bonnie Weppler, announced she will resign after serving ten years in a variety of capacities with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in PNG (ELC-PNG). Following her departure from PNG in May 2008, Weppler will participate in a six-month re-orientation period in Canada during which she intends to return to university and begin graduate studies in international development.

In a letter to ELCIC’s Mission in the World (MW) and ELCA’s Global Mission, Weppler wrote,

“As Jesus told the disciples, when we leave our homes in order to follow God’s call, we find other homes. When we leave our families, we find other families. How true. I have felt very much ‘at home’ here in PNG. And I have been so blessed with more moms and dads and aunties and uncles and bubus and a whole slew of children – including six ‘Bonnies’ and one ‘Weppler’ named after me!!! All of these people are very dear to me and I hold them all very tightly in my heart.

But the time has come for me to return to the other ‘home’, Canada. The time has come for me to pursue further education and to renew the relationships with the other members of my family. I ask for your prayers as I head down this new path.”

Weppler first left Canada for PNG on Christmas day 1996 to start a one-year placement with the ELCIC’s Volunteers in Mission (VIM) program. That placement as an assistant trainer for home economics, hospitality, accounting and budgeting at the ELC-PNG’s Human Development Centre at Bundun was extended to eighteen months and was followed by a series of short-term missionary assignments funded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) including a two-year contract as English teacher at the Lutheran Church College in Banz, PNG. Weppler’s current placement is a joint position between the ELCIC and ELCA, and for the past five years she has worked in finance and interchurch relations in the ELC-PNG national office in Lae. Her status changed to Long-term Missionary in February 2004.

Kelvin Krieger, program coordinator for MW, notes Weppler remains an ELCIC employee until the end of her re-orientation period in November 2008.

“We are encouraging sponsors to maintain their financial support for her position throughout 2008,” says Krieger. “Later this year, sponsors will receive options and suggestions from ELCIC’s Mission in the World for continuing their support by establishing a new relationship with an ELCIC missionary or partner church mission.”

Information on the ELCIC’s MW program can be obtained by visiting the ELCIC website: www.elcic.ca/mission/world or by contacting Krieger at 204.984.9164 or kkrieger@elcic.ca 

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

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Theme for 2008 Meeting of LWF Council Announced

"Melting Snow on Mount Kilimanjaro: Christian Witness Amidst the Suffering Creation" is the theme of the 2008 meeting of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council to be hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT).

The Council meets from 25 June to 1 July 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania, dates agreed by the LWF governing body at its March 2007 meeting in Lund, Sweden. The theme is developed in consultation with the Council host church.

The LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko conveys the Council theme and venue in a December 2007 letter addressed to the member churches, and invites them to concerted action in view of the theme and current global environmental challenges. "This theme connects well with our concerns related to ecology and global warming, pointing to some stark realities and injustices," Noko writes. He invites the churches to observe 29 June 2008 as a "Sunday on Climate Change" reflecting and worshipping together as they focus on the theme. "I urge you … to sensitize the pastors and congregations on the urgent issues related to God’s suffering creation," he adds.

LWF Work in the Region
Noko says the meeting in Arusha will offer possibilities to experience some aspects of the life and work of the ELCT congregations in the northeastern dioceses of Meru and Arusha. The Council participants would have the chance to visit some of the LWF Departments for World Service (DWS) and Mission and Development (DMD) projects and programs implemented in collaboration with the ELCT and other member churches in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The general secretary notes the Arusha location of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) would serve as a reminder "of the ongoing search for justice on the continent and the continuing challenge of impunity."

In accepting the ELCT invitation to host the Council meeting, "we are deeply aware that this pilgrimage will expose us to and help us to understand the unique challenges faced by the LWF
communion and its expressions in the United Republic of Tanzania," he writes. Gathering in Arusha would be an opportunity to learn more about the "House of Africa," Noko says, and points
to the "House of Europe" focus at the 2007 Council meeting and LWF 60th anniversary celebrations in Lund, Sweden. (More about the ELCT at http://www.elct.or.tz/)

The Council, LWF’s governing body between Assemblies, meets once every 12 to 18 months. It consists of the President, who is elected by the Assembly, the Treasurer, who can be elected from
among the membership or from outside, and 48 persons elected by the Assembly.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is represented by two members on the LWF’s Council, National Bishop Susan C. Johnson and David Pfrimmer, principle dean, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.

11th Assembly
The general secretary’s letter also informs the churches about the second meeting of the 11th Assembly Planning Committee (APC) to be held 28-30 January 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany. The APC will, in addition to its deliberations, have orientation to the conference center facilities, and to opportunities for worship and interaction with the Assembly host church – the Evangelical Church in Wuerttemberg. The APC comprises 14 persons drawn from the LWF member churches worldwide, and is chaired by Ms Angelene Swart, president of the Moravian Church in South Africa.

The Assembly is the LWF’s highest governing body, meeting every six years. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada hosted the July 2003 Tenth Assembly, held in Winnipeg, Canada. The 11th Assembly will be held 20-27 July 2010 in Stuttgart, Germany.

The general secretary’s letter highlights the LWF Executive Committee meeting, 30 November-2 December near Geneva, during which the Strategic Plan implementation was discussed among other issues. Members of the committee also provided information regarding the life of the churches in the regions, while paying particular attention to efforts for reconciliation in internal
church conflicts, he notes.

Noko invites the LWF churches to join in the 18-25 January 2008 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, also marking the 100th anniversary of the ecumenical week of prayer.

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of nearly 66.7 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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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A Joint Christmas Greeting from ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson and ACC Primate Archbishop Fred Hiltz

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Bishop Susan C. Johnson and Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)’s Primate Archbishop Fred Hiltz issued a joint 2007 Christmas Greeting, rejoicing in the richness of the ELCIC’s and ACC’s Full Communion relationship. A copy of the full text follows.

Grace to you and peace in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It gives us great pleasure to write to you together as the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in order to send you our best wishes for a blessed Advent and a joyous celebration of Christmas.
In a world where there is much conflict, we give thanks for the birth of the Prince of Peace.
In a world where there is much division, we celebrate the unity we have in Christ.
In a world where many are in need, we ask to be given generous hearts and willing hands.
In a world where many are alone, we rejoice in the richness of our relationship of Full Communion.
Our hope and prayer for each one of you is that you will be able to join us in proclaiming with the hymnist:
"Oh, join with me, in gladness sing, to keep our Christmas with our king, until our song, from loving souls, like rushing mighty water rolls.”

The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church of Canada and The Rev. Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

A pdf version if the 2007 Christmas Message is available at: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/documents/Christmasgreeting2007.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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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Important Information Regarding the ELCIC’s Continuing Education Plan

Along with member accounts for short-term study, the ELCIC’s CEP provides opportunity for members of the plan to apply for long-term study grants. Please note that the deadline to submit your applications for long-term study grants is January 15 and May 15th annually. The application form, which has been revised for 2008, is available online at https://elcic.ca/Documents/documents/CEPLongTermStudyLeaveForms.pdf

To be eligible to apply for long-term benefits, the member must have been an active contributor to CEP for at least one full year and have been in an approved ministry for at least five years in Canada. After having secured permission for an extended leave of absence (3 months or more) from the parish/employer and synodical bishop, a member may apply through the ELCIC’s National Office, to the Program Committee for Leadership for Ministry for a grant from this fund. Normally for long-term study, a member will be involved in a degree program (academic or clinical) requiring full-time residency.

The size of grants awarded in a given year will depend on availability of funds and number of applicants and consideration will be given to need. The maximum grant awarded per individual for any one year will be $5,000.

Additional information regarding CEP long-term grants can be found in the CEP Brochure, at
https://elcic.ca/Leadership/For-Ministers/documents/CEPBrochure2006.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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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ELCIC Congregations Urged to Mark World AIDS DAY; Appeal Issued to Support HIV/AIDS Prevention Work

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s Global Hunger and Development Appeal (GHDA) has issued an appeal to help support HIV/AIDS prevention work.

Congregations within the ELCIC are urged to mark World AIDS Day during worship services on December 2. Worship and advocacy resources are available on the GHDA website at www.elcic.ca/GHDA .

HIV/AIDS can be stopped and it can be prevented. GHDA is working to address this crisis with its partners, Canadian Lutheran World Relief and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. Together we can "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise."

To support HIV/AIDS prevention work, donations can be made to GHDA as follows:
Via the ELCIC website: www.elcic.ca (click on the "Donate Now" link)
By mail: GHDA, 302-393 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 (please indicate "GHDA-HIV/AIDS Appeal" in the memo portion of the cheque)
Through all ELCIC congregations

GHDA has developed a bulletin insert (www.elcic.ca/GHDA/documents/WorldAIDSDay.pdf) that can be downloaded and copied to assist congregations in sharing this information during worship.

The ELCIC’s Global Hunger and Development Appeal works in partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief to carry out development and emergency response work internationally along with refugee resettlement in Canada.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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 article, replace this text with your own content and images and press submit.

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Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission Meets in Toronto; Much to Rejoice as Churches Work Collaboratively in Mission and Ministry

From Nov. 22 to 25, the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission met in Toronto to review the Full Communion relationship between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The two churches have shared this unique relationship since the Waterloo Declaration of 2001, and now, six years later, they are assessing what they’ve accomplished and where they can go.

The recent communiqué (available below) gives the broad strokes of a new, exciting vision, which includes shared congregational ministries and training for lay and ordained ministry.

Communiqué from the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission

The Joint Commission of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada meeting at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Bloor Street, Toronto, greets the members of our two churches and sends this message to all.

We have spent three days reviewing the work of the past six years of full communion and planning the work that lies before us during the next six years. We have heard from the Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, and the National Bishop, Bishop Susan Johnson, of their hopes for the future as our two churches continue to grow into the full communion established in Waterloo in 2001. From all these conversations has emerged the realization that we are living into ‘the hope set before us’ when we embarked on this journey in faith. At a time when much of our attention is focused on divisions within the Christian communions we represent, we share with Anglicans and Lutherans in Canada that there is much in which to rejoice and many reasons to look forward to our churches working collaboratively in many areas of mission and ministry:

the public face of our churches, especially in addressing together matters of human need and global concerns
shared congregational ministries
growth in our understanding of diaconal ministry
formation for ministry, lay and ordained

We encourage the congregations of our churches to be imaginative in discovering ways to celebrate and work together. As a Joint Commission we look forward to working with the Primate and National Bishop, the Bishops of both churches, our national councils and with the people of our churches as we ‘build one another up into the fullness of the stature of Christ’ and into the unity for which our Lord prayed.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager 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.

Read more