Congregational Newsletter

Transcription

1 Congregational Newsletter August September 2018 Fresh Conversations In This Issue: Summer Camp Spots Still Available! From Gray Asphalt to a Green Oasis Our New Intern New to Canada Info Night Confirmation Class Schedule Eastern Synod Assembly Intern for the Canadian Council of Churches Terry Fox Run ECULINKS Etobicoke Shaheed says Auf Wiedersehen Office churchoffice@martinluther.ca 2379 Lake Shore Blvd West Toronto, Ontario M8V 1B7 Member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and Partnered with the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) Pray, read, worship, study, serve, give, tell Already in 2011, our National Bishop, Susan Johnson, called for spiritual renewal with these seven words. Beyond all program planning and building renovations, spiritual renewal is what really refreshes and invigorates a church, as individuals and as a community. Spiritual renewal and refreshment is exactly what I myself am hoping to achieve during the summer. I suspect this isn t any different for you. Leisure hours in the sun or in all kinds of weather, A great being out in nature or travelling, finally finding the opportunity to time to enjoy a book that one has been meaning inspire your prayer life to read all these are activities that help us this summer: recharge our batteries. For me, this also involves Stonegate Ministry is hosting moments of quiet meditation, which sometimes a prayer walk on the morning of happen when I visit a church and other times each Tuesday in July & August when I least expect it. from 10:30-11:30 am. The 1st For Bishop Susan prayer is of primary importance in achieving spiritual renewal. In his first and the 2nd and 4th Tuesday and 3rd Tuesday is in Mimico letter to the Thessalonians 5:17, St. Paul writes is in Stonegate. succinctly: Pray without ceasing! At first this sounds like a clearly excessive demand of average people like you and me but it quickly becomes reasonable if you see praying not just as the recitation of certain memorized prayers. Praying, rather, is an attitude. Simply replace the word prayer with to be in conversation with God. Think of life as a dialogue with God, not just before meals or at bedtime but also anytime in between. It s just like how we stay connected through conversation with those we are close to our children, our partners, our friends. I value these dialogues because they bring a new perspective and new ideas into my life. It is through conversations that the people around me play a role in my life and help to shape it. Through my conversation with God, new space is created for God to help fashion my life. I see my life in his light during short moments of thanksgiving, of complaint, of questioning. God, what a beautiful day. I thank you. Or, Lord, what should I do now? Do you have any ideas for me? In the summer we have a lot of time and leisure for things that we have lost sight of during the year. It is the perfect time to be refreshed through a conversation with God. Bring this freshness and liveliness with you into our congregation and let it rub off on others. Wishing you a summer full of good conversations, Your Pastor, 1

2 News and Information from Our Congregation President s Message Dear congregation and friends of Martin Luther Church, Summer is usually not a very busy time for churches it s a time for vacation, travel, time at cottages, camping and spending time at home on Sunday mornings. Despite it being summer, Martin Luther Church continues to have good attendance. People are still gathering to hear God s word and they are still gathering in the basement for coffee and cake. We have been enjoying some small changes this summer: Pastor Mark Kalavatis played piano during a few services to give our organist, Linda, a summer break and we definitely enjoyed his playing. Pastor Simone Geyda has been covering for our Pastor Ceconi, while her husband Michael Schlenker also stepped in for Linda. We had our summer student Shaheed in the office working on various projects. Our lay preachers will be present, helping with liturgy and preaching this summer as well. Thank you to all who are keeping Martin Luther full of life this summer. Please don t forget about the important work we do that makes us an important part of our community. We pride ourselves in sharing God s word and lending a helping hand to those who need it more than us. We are present in the community and offer a place for people to gather and share experiences. All of this is possible through the donations made by the congregation and its many friends and supporters. Thank you for what you re able to contribute. I am asking everyone to think about the summer collection this year. Included with this is an envelope for your summer donation. Please bring it to church, or send it to the office. It is also possible to a donation. Contact our treasuer, Martin Haefele, for more information at mhafele@rogers.com. Your generous donations are what keep this church running. We need the support of our members to Summer Schedule While Pastor Ceconi is attending Summer Camp our supply is: August 12 19, Pastor Katharina Moeller, Tel: or August 20 24, Pastor Rasma Caune, Tel: , Cell: continue being a vibrant and supportive church in our local, and also global community. Every single dollar supports your congregation to make it a vibrant and welcoming place to be. Wishing you a safe, enjoyable and blessed summer. Tanya Zielke, Church Council President Summer Camp Spots Still Available! August 18 24, 2018 Register now for this year s summer camp on the shores of beautiful Golden Lake. This year s theme Adventures along the Nile: Joseph and his brother promises interesting stories and funfilled activities. The program also includes our traditional morning canoe trips; daily bible studies for children, youth, and adults; a day at the beach; building a zipline; campfire at night and much more. Our teens will test their courage, canoeing and camp skills on an overnight island trip. If you are interested in joining this year s camp, don t hesitate, and sign up today to reserve your spot! Registration forms are available in the church and can be downloaded from our website. Sign up by contacting the church office: churchoffice@martinluther.ca, Tel: If you have any questions please contact: Anna Lisa at Tel: or campdirector@martinluther.ca You are not coming to camp this year but you remember all the fun you had and all the memories you made and would like to support summer camp? Please make a special donation to summer camp, your support helps to fund teen camp counsellors who work hard to make camp fun for kids and adults alike. We welcome, and are thankful for, any financial assistance you can provide to make Camp Lutherlyn 2018 a success! 2

3 From Gray Asphalt to a Green Oasis Our backyard gets an upgrade! In September, the backyard of our church will transform into a beautiful oasis. With new equipment and more green spaces, new playing areas will be created for the daycare, children, youth and the whole church community. Since the beginning of this year, a team consisting of a playground planner, church members and daycare staff has been meeting regularly to plan the transformation. The church council was consulted about the plans several times. Now the planning phase is complete and construction is scheduled to start in the first week of September. Everything should be ready by September 14. The financing of the renovation will be covered by Daycare. But what exactly is going to change in our backyard? We are creating four new parking spaces, available to our church members throughout the entire week. We are bringing back nature: by reducing the asphalt, there will be more space for green areas. There will be gardening corners for the daycare children and there will be new toys made of natural materials. There will be more shaded places in the backyard, a big advantage especially in summer. The changes will make our backyard, and therefore our church, more attractive to children, young people and families. Our youth groups can also benefit more from the backyard, too. The playground has different zones. For example, there is an area that promotes children s creativity, there is a Challenge Area with climbing walls and areas, where the children can rest. Our project manager Mike Salisbury (Earthartist Design), Margarete Kaufmann-Bühler and Pastor Ceconi will ensure that the construction work runs smoothly. In the upcoming weeks, you can have a look at the transformation plans on a board in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Christian Ceconi, Inge Koo Tze Mew (Daycare Board) and Margarete Kaufmann- Buehler, former Daycare Manager. Until the end of August, our daycare intern Maika Müller will keep you up to date on our website and on Facebook. The formal reveal of the new backyard is planned for the second half of September. The exact date will be announced later, as the construction work is weather-dependent. We look forward to celebrating the new backyard with you and to trying out the new possibilities for play! Design: Mike Salisbury, Earthartist Our New Intern, Ann-Christin Hello to everyone at Martin Luther Church, My name is Ann-Christin Hohaus and I am studying Religious Education Theory (German: Religionspaedagogik) and Community Work/Outreach (German: Gemeindediakonie) at the Protestant University in Freiburg. Since these studies enable me to have an internship in a church congregation abroad, and I was already an au-pair in San Francisco prior to my studies, I again gravitated towards an English-speaking region. I have been so excited about all that Canada has to offer and I am looking forward to the opportunity to experience Canadian culture and the outdoors soon. Until my au-pair year in 2016, I actively volunteered with children and youth in my hometown and thereby lead numerous groups and circles. I will be happy to be a confidant or just lend an ear, or shoulder, to anyone in the MLC congregation young or old who feels the need to talk. I am keen to apply the experience I have gathered so far to my work at MLC, and to learn from all of you while becoming an active member of the congregation. I am looking forward to meeting everyone! Kind regards, Ann-Christin Hohaus 3

4 Outreach Team The Outreach Team has been meeting in and around the church since the spring to discuss how to become more outward-focused and responsive to the needs of the community. We are currently putting together a new approach to worship called Dinner Church by the Lake. It will consist of an integrated potluck dinner and worship, which will take place in the church on a weekday evening. We are hoping this will be a great way to build relationships with members of our church and surrounding community. Stay tuned for more details! Contact the church office if you are interested in joining our next meeting on September 6 at 7 pm. along the lake after church, please contact Marlena in the office so we can figure out when would be a good time. Manya Brunzema, manya@brunzema.com New to Canada Info Night On September 14 at 7 pm, we again invite all those who are interested to a New to Canada Information Night. In short presentations, there will be information about everything from weekend getaways to tax returns, church and shopping. We ve invited a diverse group of experts who are available to answer questions for all new residents. We also offer plenty of opportunity for discussion. Contact: Martin Häfele, mhaefele@rogers.com. Walk by the Lake After the Service MLC s logo has water in it, and our Pastor uses the hashtag PastorOnTheLake on Twitter. It is very special that our church is this close to Lake Ontario. A group of 4 church members went for walk along the lake after the joint service on July 15. A good time for future walks might be after the joint service on September 16. It is a good opportunity to get to know one another better, to talk a bit about the sermon perhaps, and to do something that is good for you. And it is more fun in numbers. If you would be interested in joining us for a stroll Confirmation Sign Up After the summer holidays our new confirmation classes begin. The course lasts one year and ends with Confirmation on Pentecost It is aimed at young people who will be in grade 7 after the summer holidays or who are 12 to 15 years old (exceptions are possible in consultation). The course will be taught in English and German, based on the language ability of confirmands. The confirmands meet once a month at Martin Luther Church from Saturday afternoon until noon Sunday. There will be two three-day weekend retreats, one in the fall and one in the winter. This year s course begins on September 29. You can register until the middle of September. For questions and to register, please contact: Pastor Christian Ceconi, pastor@martinluther.ca, Cell: , or Marlena in the office. Confirmation Class Schedule: Classes: September October January March May 4 5 Retreats: November or February Confirmation Service: Pentecost, June 9,

5 Thanksgiving Please donate non-perishable food items for the Wesley Mimico United Food Bank and Community Lunch at our church. All donations will be displayed on the altar for Thanksgiving starting on September 30 (German Thanksgiving). There is special need for: canned soup, tuna, ham, salmon, beans, tomatoes, pasta, pasta sauce, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and baby food. A donation envelope is also enclosed for our special Thanksgiving collection. Please continue to generously support the projects of the Martin Luther Church. Our Defibrillator Martin Luther Church now has an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). We are lucky to have one in cases of cardiac emergencies in the church. It will be hanging in the sanctuary. If you have any questions about training, please contact Tanya Zielke. It is designed to be used by anyone! News from ELCIC, EKD and DELKINA Our Congregation is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Eastern Synod. We are partnered with the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and member of the Deutsche Evangelisch-Lutherische Konferenz in Nordamerika (DELKINA) Eastern Synod Assembly 2018: Liberated by God s Grace to be Neighbour Pastor Ceconi and Vice President Iris Schweiger were sent to the Eastern Synod Assembly as delegates of the Martin Luther Church. At the three-day meeting Bishop Michael Pryse was re-elected for an additional term of six years. He outlined the goals for the upcoming years as three challenges/opportunities as summarized below. Firstly, accented by the Assembly theme: Liberated by God s Grace to be Neighbour, we are asked to contemplate neighbourliness. Who is my neighbour? What does it mean to be neighbour? Who are the neighbours that God is calling us to encounter anew, neighbours we have avoided, harmed? Are our neighbours Indigenous people, neighbours who live in poverty, who are of different sexual orientation, whose skin colour is different from ours? Secondly, we are asked to reach out in ways that will inspire others to join in our discipleship. We are reminded to follow the big part of our Christian vocation, to enlist others to join us in supporting and engaging in God s mission to love and save the world. We ve got to turn the operational focus of this enterprise on its head. Our mission is not the business of supporting and maintaining the institutional church. The business of the institutional church, rather, is the service and support of God s mission. It s about the enlistment and support of disciples who aid and advance God s mission to love and save the world. Thirdly, we need to get our economy in order because at this time we are among the richest Christians who have ever lived, and we are not using our accumulated resources as effectively or responsibly as we can. Intrigued? A full report from the Bishop can be found for your reading pleasure at: june report-bishop-eastern-synod-assembly-2018 For a full list of motions voted on by the assembly concerning neighbours, environment and congregations please follow: Iris Schweiger, Church Council Vice President Intern for the Canadian Council of Churches Dear congregation, I am Mirjam Steinebach, I m 26 years old and I just started my specialized internship at the Canadian Council of Churches. I feel blessed to have one year to discover the bright and colourful world of ecumenism. While I ll be mainly 5

6 working at their office, you ll probably see me at Martin Luther Church at some point, for example during summer camp in August. Therefore, I d like to introduce myself: I was raised in Rhineland-Palatina. As I am someone who loves adventure and to experience new countries and cultures, I took the opportunity after graduating to work at a Lutheran camp in New Hampshire for one summer. These months were one of the main reasons I went on to study theology afterwards. These studies led me to Frankfurt, Lund in Sweden and finally Kiel. For the past two years, I was a vicar in a congregation right outside of Mainz. Now that I am done with my final exams, I felt the need to go outside the box again and am happy that it brought me here. I am looking forward to so many new experiences this coming year and of course I am looking forward to meeting you! Yours truly, Mirjam Steinebach News from the Community Terry Fox Run The Martin Luther Church Daycare will be participating in the Terry Fox Run this September. If you are interested in supporting them, please contact Teresa, the daycare supervisor at or mlcdc@bellnet.ca. Hopefully some representatives from the daycare will be at church one Sunday before the run to collect pledges. Stay posted for more information. ECULINKS Etobicoke If you re interested in social justice and outreach initiatives, as well as interfaith cooperation, sign up to receive and share s about events and news from ECULINKS Etobicoke. ECULINKS Etobicoke is an informal network of representatives from many different Christian denominations. The focus is on four issues refugee settlement, Canada s indigenous peoples, climate change and poverty reduction. You can also represent our church at ECULINKS meetings, generally every two months, in locations around Etobicoke. The meetings are casual and supportive and look for opportunities to collaborate in our work. Event posters can be submitted to the church office to be displayed the foyer. Contact the Chair of ECULINKS, and All Saints Anglican Church member, Ruth Schembri at rschembri@rogers.com. Spread the word about good news and maybe you ll be inspired to lead or join a group or project. Martin Luther Church currently offers the following socially-minded programs: Refugee Support Team Drum Circle Outreach Team We also support the Wesley Mimico United Church Food Bank and Community Lunch. Remarks and Reports Party in the Park, June 12,

7 Church Picnic at Camp Sidrabene Our congregation s annual Church Picnic took place on June 17th on the grounds of Sidrabene Retreat Centre in Burlington. In spite of the hot temperatures, over 80 congregation members gathered at the outdoor chapel for Committee has taught me a lot about the importance of team work and just how much effort goes into running a largescale community event. I also had the chance to work on my own project, which was a community cleanup by the waterfront with the children from Martin Luther Church Daycare. It was truly heartwarming to see how excited and motivated the kids were to do their part in helping to protect the environment! I will truly miss working here, as I got to be part of something very special at Martin Luther Church. I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and worked with some of the kindest, inclusive, and passionate individuals in the world. Although my internship is over, I will try to volunteer and attend Sunday services, so that I may continue being part of this amazing church. Confirmation Photos an interactive service filled with performances and music. Despite the loss of the German soccer team everyone enjoyed the Fundraiser BBQ provided by the Summer Camp Team. Thank you for the cold drinks, delicious salads, sausages and juicy watermelons. We were able to raise enough funds to send two counselors to camp for free this year a great success. Thank you for your generous giving! The day ended with refreshing jumps into the pool, fun games on the playground, conversations in the shade and fellowship over coffee and cake. A thank you here to the seniors group for all the help to make the picnic another great success. Shaheed says Auf Wiedersehen The last two months here at Martin Luther Church have been one of the most exciting experiences in my professional life. Working together with Iris, Pastor Christian, and the Party in the Park Anna Lisa Wienecke, Camp Director We now have room to display photos of Martin Luther Church confirmands for many more years to come! We thank Rita, Peter and Sabrina Bauman and especially their family visiting from Halle Germany, Jenny and Sven Weineck, for working this July to improve the display in the basement. Some years are still missing. Contact the office if you have a photo to add. Our helpers also further improved the sacristy with lighting over the counter. We are grateful to everyone who shares their time and talents, even during their vacation! Thank You for the Gardening Caught in the act! 7

8 We Congratulate We Mourn On June 10, 2018, we welcomed as new members Mark, Prerit, Jeannie, Scott and Ashely during the worship service. We also welcome Frank and Irina Bratz. We also thanked Daina Wienecke for her years as president of the Women s/senior s Group. We congratulate the Schmidt family! Their son, Ferdinand Otto Henley was born on June 7, Ferdinand Otto Henley At the age of 93 on June 11, 2018, Ewald Butchereit passed away. His funeral took place on June 16. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. (1 John 4:16) Groups and Contacts Altar Flowers Sign up on the list in the church entrance. Arrange to have flowers delivered or drop them off before the services on Sunday. You can also donate to the flower fund. Please notify the church office of your plans. You and the person(s) you are donating for will be included in the church announcements. Contact: Church office, Tel: , churchoffice@martinluther.ca Bible Study Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7:30 pm Next meeting: TBD Contact: Pastor Ceconi, pastor@martinluther.ca Choir Practice resumes September 11 at 6 pm for Thanksgiving. Choir Director: Linda Marcinkus, Tel: , choir@martinluther.ca Family Camp Sunday Team Once a month Contact: David Sykes, dsykesis@hotmail.com Senior s Group 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11 am at church. Next meeting: September 11 Contact: seniorsgroup@martinluther.ca Summer Camp Planning Team Next meeting: TBD Contact: Anna Lisa Wienecke, Tel: Sunday School Team Sunday School every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month (not in summer). Next meeting: August 15 Contact: sundayschool@martinluther.ca Website Team Next meeting: September 17 at 7:00 pm Contact: Marlena Muller, churchoffice@martinluther.ca Youth Group Next Meeting: Confirmands Weekends 8

9 Confirmation Classes Classes: September Contact: Pastor Christian Ceconi, Cell: , Martin Luther Daycare Office Contact: Teresa Kurek (Supervisor), Tel: , Martin Luther Daycare Board Contact: Cam Watson Visiting Ministry Team Next Meeting: September 7 (tentative) Contact: Gisela Wilhelm, Tel: Outreach Team Next Meeting: September 5 at 7:00 pm Contact: Prerit Gomes Support Team for Syrian Families Usually 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm Next Meeting: September 27 Contact: Greg and Anneli Andre-Barrett, refugeesupport@martinluther.ca Church Coffee Team Contact: coffeeduty@martinluther.ca Altar Guild Contact: Annette Rowles & Patricia Mills via the church office, Tel: , churchoffice@martinluther.ca Translation Team Contact: Church office, Tel: , churchoffice@martinluther.ca Drum Circle Wednesdays at 10 am Contact: Iris Schweiger, iris.g.schweiger@gmail.com Community Partners Wesley Mimico United Church Community lunch 12 1 pm every Saturday and Food Bank 11 1 pm (except for the last Saturday of the month and during the summer). Contact: Kim, Tel: Stonegate Ministry & Great Finds Offering quality gently-used items. Store hours: M Th: 9:30 am 5:30 pm; Fri: 9:30 am 6 pm Contact: Carol-Anne, Tel: , 2358 Lakeshore Blvd. West Toronto M8V 1C3 Delmanor Prince Edward Retirement Home Services by Pastor Ceconi with Holy Communion the third Wednesday of the month at 10:30 am at 4180 Dundas St W, Etobicoke Next Service: September 19 Lakeshore Lodge Long-Term Care Services usually on the third Sunday every other month at 2 pm, 3197 Lake Shore Blvd West, Toronto Next Service: October Moll Berczy Haus Senior s Home German services the second Tuesday of the month, and the last Wednesday of the month at 10 am, 1020 McNicoll Ave, Scarborough Next Service: September 26 We re Here For You Pastor Christian Ceconi Cell: , pastor@martinluther.ca Office Hours and Visits: by appointment. Please call or send a short . Church Office: Marlena Muller 2379 Lake Shore Blvd. West, Toronto, ON M8V 1B7 Tel: , Fax: churchoffice@martinluther.ca Office Hours: Tues. and Fri. 10 am 5 pm, Thurs. 1 5 pm Church Newsletter Publisher: Martin Luther Church, Pastor Christian Ceconi Distribution: Mona Kakoschke Frantzke Mailing: Marlena Muller Design: Karen Hoffmann Translation: Helmut Herrmann, Manya Brunzema, Andy Boettcher, Iris Schweiger German Radio Devotion Sundays 9:30 am on AM 530 9

10 Worship Service Plan Aug. 5, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Geyda and Pastor Ceconi Aug. 12, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi Both with Holy Communion Aug. 19, th Sunday after Pentecost 11:00 am Joint Service Lay-leader Katja Brittain Aug. 26, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi Sep. 2, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Lay-leader Tanya Zielke Sep. 9, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi Both with Holy Communion Sep. 16, th Sunday after Pentecost 11:00 am Joint Service Pastor Ceconi with Holy Baptism of Peyton Giroux Sep. 19, :30 am Service with Holy Communion Pastor Ceconi at Delmanor Prince Edward Senior s Home Sep. 23, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi Sep. 26, :00 am German Service at Moll Berczy Haus Pastor Ceconi Senior s Residence in Scarborough Sep. 30, th Sunday after Pentecost 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi and German Thanksgiving Both with Church Choir Oct. 7, 2018 Thanksgiving 9:45 am English Service Pastor Ceconi Both with Holy Communion A library of Pastor Ceconi s German Radio Devotions is also available online at martinluther.ca Sundays with the Sunday School symbol have Sunday School take place at the same time as the worship. The children meet in the Church and have their own program after Children s Time. 10