CrossWords. "Tembeya na Bwana Yesu"- Swahili (Walk with our Lord Jesus) St. Luke s Church - Lutheran

Transcription

1 CrossWords St. Luke s Church - Lutheran bringing Jesus to people across our neighbourhood Summer 2011 "Tembeya na Bwana Yesu"- Swahili (Walk with our Lord Jesus) By Agnes Kalangu Tshiswaka St. Luke Multicultural Choir On Sunday July 03, 2011, our St Luke Multicultural Choir has sang a song in Swahili entitled "Tembeya na Bwana Yesu", which translated is "Walk with the Lord Jesus". I would like to share some meditation about this song. Walk with the Lord Jesus is indeed a very strong statement for every Christian since Satan is preventing believers to walk the Son of God. But our Lord has overcome the world, so we are more conquerors through the sacrifice of the cross. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perished but have eternal life (John 3:16). So beloved Sisters and Brothers, we are precious children of God, redeemed by his blood so through him who is strengthening us, we have the power to follow our master so that no evil shall conquer us. With this assurance, we are going to walk with our Lord Jesus without fear. Though we may cross mountains and valleys, have personal difficulties such as sickness, isolation, pain, frustration, financial shortages, we trust that our Lord Jesus is always there with us and he knows our pain. Today I would like to share with you a prophetic message I received from God a few months ago. This is the message from God: "To All men, all women and young ones those have faith in God, let's sing, serve him and follow him. He is a loving God. In him, there is all richness and goodness." I want to tell you that this message has been a strong St. Luke Multicultural Choir This choir is led by Agnes Tshiswaka. The group share their gifts of song, music, and joy in Jesus in our worship the first Sunday of each month. This is an open group to which all are invited to join in. Agnes seeks to involve as many as our interested so be assured that even if you have not formally become a part of this musical group you will be invites to join in as an individual sitting this the pew. The joy and celebration of being a child of God shines when this choir sings. - Pastor Derek, lead pastor of st. Luke revelation to me this year. So I no longer look to my problems and my pain, but I look to God who has all the richness and goodness and in his loving kindness he can pour into my life. A translation of the song into English is as follows: Verse 1 Through the Lord's word We walk Then, he will add to it On his own time Chorus:Walk, Walk, Walk Walk with the Lord Jesus Verse 2 During our journey We carry the cross That came from heaven A way we give to him Verse 3 Through the Lord's word We receive help All those who glorify him Will be blessed

2 Page 2 Summer 2011 Focus on francophone outreach: Challenges and opportunities Pastor Lumembo Tshiswaka What does it cost to reach out to francophone speakers that live in the Greater Toronto Area? How are they different from other linguistic groups that live in the same area? What are their attitudes toward Christianity in terms worship style, spirituality and biblical authority? It is with these types of questions that I have started a couple of years ago trying to reach out to francophone speakers of all kinds: African, Caribbean and Franco-Ontarians, with a big focus on the first group. Though just less than one percent of people that speak French live in the St Luke surrounding areas, we do have pockets of francophone living throughout some parts of the city, like downtown Toronto, up Town, Scarborough, Brampton just to name a cities around Toronto. Most of those francophone coming from Africa do have some kind of Christianity or Islamic background: raised in a Christian or Muslim family, they have migrated to Canada and have started a new life where there is no social pressure to continue practicing their religion. With the new lifestyle in Canada, like Caroline (not a real name), have been searching for churches that have meaningful services for them in terms of love, acceptance and belonging. They really enjoy the religious freedom that Canada is offering them. I have met several times over the years with people like Caroline and here is what they say or would like to have: Be part of God's family in a church or congregation that will embrace them and accept them as they are. Bring their cultural input to the worship style, ministry strategies and other church activities Hold regular prayer meetings where they will be able to pray also in their own language or dialect Bring new songs in French that could be also sang along with other regular songs in the LSB hymnal Clusters... and be able to use other musical instruments Be able to live and witness the love of Jesus with the sisters and brothers in the congregation. As I reflect on their desires, I came to the realization that their demands are not really big challenges but huge opportunities for me and now, my teammate Ludger Devalus to start a sustainable francophone ministry at St Luke with whatever people God will bring in through our outreach in the city. God is answering to our prayers. Ludger and I continue to trust God while putting into place that ministry which will start with a French home Bible study wherever God will open our doors, either here in Toronto or in Brampton where Ludger lives presently. In the meantime, we have ordered 30 French Bibles (Louis Second version) and two commentaries on the Gospel of Luke, the first book in the Bible that we will start with the Bible study. Our plan is to team up with Elder Daryoush in our GTA outreach to Francophone speakers, use the social media and to listen to the francophone people God will lead on our way and be sensitive to their spiritual needs. If you happen to have any suggestions, please let us know by sending us an to : pastor.lumembo@stluketoronto.com May God bless his ministry to the francophone people....social

3 CrossWords Page 3 The Annual Family Crosskids BBQ by Deaconess Alice Our Annual Family Crosskids BBQ was on June 19th. It was a very beautiful sunny day. We held our worship service outside in the warmth of the morning sun and followed it with a family barbeque. Our thanks to our multicultural choir who shared their gifts with us and to Sarah Crull who was interviewed by Pastor Derek as part of our children's talk about her black belt. Many families and individuals gathered. Some who attend our ESL, Tea Time, and Moms and Tots activities. Some special guests were young Taiwanese fellows, who have come to Canada looking for work and a vacation. We were able to offer an opportunity for them to experience our Canadian culture and, more importantly, to share in God provision with us. As part of the event, there were races and relays. Our Pastors got involved in their own race, getting into coffee sacks and jumping their way to the finish line. There was the egg relay, the three-legged race, potato' sack races for all. The big finish was the raw egg toss which was quite spectacular. There was lots of involvement, excitement and sounds to the day. As our CrossKids picnic was coming to an end a few of our guests shared what they experienced with us. They thought the whole day was a lot of fun. They appreciated the opportunity for their families and friends gathering to be part of it together with us. Being included meant a lot to them and they were thankful for the opportunity to meet and get to know many of you. We have many more outdoor activities in the Summer. Don't forget the driveway parties are held every second Saturday (the next one is scheduled for July 23). Currently we are in the middle of our two week community drop in event. (More information is in this newsletter) Please come and join us for any of these events and others to come. Clusters......Intimate Before... After...

4 Page 4 Summer 2011 CONGREGATIONAL PICNIC Firing up the coals Interview with Sarah Praise Group Egg Toss Can you spot the Eggs in the air? Congregational Worship Outside

5 Responses from Pastor Derek s Informal Survey - part two CrossWords Page 5 Below are the responses that were received from the informal survey Pastor Derek organized in March and April of this year. On the other side of the page individuals were asked to provide their answer to the question: What is our church about? These responses are shared without comment for our consideration. If you would like to share your comments or thoughts on these responses, Pastor Derek would enjoy receiving them. (June s newsletter contained responses from the first side of the page completing the statement: One of the reasons I follow Jesus is... ) What is our Church about? - through Sunday worship we can renew our faith in God and worship with our fellow members in Christ. We can also experience friendship & companionship in the various groups that meet at the church. - bringing together people and teaching them to proclaim the Lord our God. To be taught the Word of God. - IN, OUT, and UP - creating good relationships to others, spreading the name of Jesus Christ, helping the community and sharing the teachings of the Lord. - fellowship, love, peace, support, guidance in the community of the faithful. A place where God s people assemble, unite to listen to God as he speaks to our hearts, our minds, our souls. It is about God, not us. A god who is ever present, even today! - highly focussed celebration of relationship with Jesus - hearing the word of God, sharing time with other Christians. - fellowship by being the living Body of Christ - Spreading God s Word / care for those we meet in our everyday life / opening the hand of friendship to strangers / following God s Word to us / Growth in my spiritual life as I study His Word. - a community of faith and caring / a respite from the chaos / a place to recharge our spiritual batteries / guidance for our daily lives and interactions with everyone we meet - Connecting to Jesus and Jesus to the community - relationships / growing in Christ / bringing new people to Christ - People in relationship with God, each other, our community. - Our church is the body of Christ. We should become an example in our community to demonstrate God s love and serving to our neighbours. - Friends, family, diversity, learning about how to live every day - meeting God through worship, sanctuary, acceptance - yes, to unite us ion word and sacrament. With good deeds and examples to our neighbours to bring them to Jesus - as well - Our church is about reaching out to anyone and everyone and uniting them through Jesus Christ and His teachings

6 Page 6 Summer 2011 Saturday, August 13, 8 a.m. Meet at Ian Farquharson s House 71 Huntsmill Boulevard, Scarborough Cost for breakfast: $2.00 by Chris Blackburn & Ian Farquharson The Men for Christ group will meet on Saturday, August 13, at 8 a.m. This month we are meeting at Ian Farquharson s house for this month only. Please bring along $2 for the cost of breakfast. A few people have suggested we could look into other places to meet: Ron and Chris investigated a restaurant in the ValuMart Plaza close to the church (although they don't usually open that early on a Saturday, they would open especially for us). This seemed to be a more upscale restaurant, but maybe less relaxed. If others have suggestions, bring them along and we can discuss them as we wait outside for Jerry to open. The mysteries of life and of God are always in the backs of our minds as we meet (Can you fathom the mysteries of God? - Job 11:7). During these summer months we are exploring the mysteries of God's world, rather than his Word. Yet it seems things go better when we have some focus for the meeting. A suggestion for the July meeting is to take turns talking about hobbies, interests, or significant events in our lives - or things you always wanted to do. The MFC will be doing a church beautification project on Sat. July at 10 am. The equipment required will consist of able bodies equipped with these type of saws: crosscut, swede and chainsaws. We will be removing the trees at the south end of the parking lot and cleaning that part of the ravine. There will be a BBQ lunch to follow. If it rains on the 23rd the new date will be Aug 13th. CrossWords is the monthly newsletter of The Church of St. Luke - Lutheran Bayview Ave., North York, ON M2M 3R office@stluketoronto.com Vol. 13 Issue 5 th Brian Ingram, Layout/Production Deadline for the September issue is Monday, August 29, 2011

7 CrossWords Page 7 Honored Guest We were very honoured to have Reverend James D. Cerdenola, President of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines as our guest the weekend of July 1, Having come to Canada to attend a meeting of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) Executive Committee meeting the week before in Niagara Falls, Ontario, we were able to take advantage of this opportunity to have him as our guest. Pastor James has been used by God to touch many of our members and friends (Marcy, Michelle, Josie, and Comilla) before they moved from the Philippines, when they were students, to Canada. His visit was a good time to draw together many Filipino-Lutherans living in Toronto and area. Making the most of his presence he participated in our worship service sharing with our children and speaking to all of us about God s love in Jesus in his message. Fellowship is an important part of all such Pastor James D. Cerdenola gatherings. Following the worship service we gathered in the downstairs fellowship hall to share a meal which many had brought together for us to enjoy. Please remember Pastor James and our sister Lutheran church of the Philippines in your prayers. Pray also that Pastor James visit will lead to the growth of a Filipino Fellowship in our congregation to the glory of God and the blessing of his people and people not yet part of his kingdom. We are so grateful to God for sending Pastor James to be with us. Pastor James speaks with the children Driveway Party gathering inside Join us for our next driveway party th Saturday, August 6 at 5pm Multi-language Speakers for Pentecost Sunday 2011

8 Page 8 Summer 2011 Actively Involved Feasting Lining up for the three legged race. Men s Potato Sack Race

9 CrossWords Page 9 Supporting the Balance by Wendy McCowan, Pastor s Staff: Administrator Report from the Administrator AUDIT Our financial audit has now been completed and the letters from our Rick Payne for 2009 and 2010 are published in this newsletter (see pages 10 and 11). We extend our sincere thanks to John Short and Rick Payne for all the hard work they did to get this accomplished for us. For sure they put in some long hours and took time out of their personal life in this service to our congregation. I am pleased to share that we are in compliance for both these years. Going forward it makes sense that we continue to be audited by an outside firm so that there is no conflict of interest and so we will be approaching Mr. Payne again in 2012 for his services. PARKING I am sure you have noticed the Medic Vans parked in our South parking lot. We were presented with an opportunity to help someone in the community and at the same time to add to our outreach financial support. We are renting these spaces on a monthly basis. Half of the rental is designated for Lansing food bank. This will allow us to replace the funds we have raised in previous years for the food bank through our lawn sale. The other half of these funds will be used for specific church building or community projects as need is identified. Personally, I have been concerned that without our lawn sale we would not be able to continue to contribute to both our community and support church projects. Agreeing that it was the right decision not to go forward with our lawn sale, we were trusting God to provide and He has! Through out the summer you will see some other changes as we will be moving forward with replacing the carpeting in the choir loft with much needed new flooring and hopefully moving the library upstairs so it will be accessible by all. The lighting in the parking and other needed maintenance work will also be completed. Please know that I am available and open to all insights and suggestions. Please feel welcome to contact me. Clusters... Potholes Repaired...Personal

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12 Page 12 Summer 2011 "Changes" by Pastor Derek Wow, have things changed at St. Luke over the past few years. The changes have all been so gradual maybe we have not even been aware of them happening. For others of us, maybe the changes have come upon us too fast. One Sunday not too long ago, a couple who had once been connected to St. Luke and then moved away attended our worship service. I didn't recognize them as their time with the congregation had been before my arrival as pastor. Having an opportunity to speak with them over coffee after our service, they were compelled to convey to me how much the congregation had changed. I asked them what they saw as so different. They spoke of the wider variety of people from around the world in attendance, the changes to the front of the church with the moveable pulpit and our communion rail now running across the whole front of the church without the right angle in it, the video screens, the piano, and the fact that the Baptismal font was now behind the railing rather than attached to the lectern. They also mentioned the change to the space under the choir loft and how much brighter the whole church seemed. They finished with a comment about the flags that run along our roof line. Honestly, I have become so accustomed to the current changes that I had forgotten about how our church building appeared before. For me, listening to them was sort of like a thirty-second video clip which reviews several years of history very quickly. While journaling about this the following Monday morning I realized all that they shared were external, physical changes. But what about changes that are not visible to the eye? All the changes they listed were choices we made as a congregation and, I believe, all have been valuable in our mission together. But what about changes of heart and spirit? Changes of focus and use of energy as well as resources? In what ways have we, as God's people at St. Luke, been changed, not so much by our own choices but by the movement of God's Spirit within us? The prophet Ezekiel, speaking what God told him to say as recorded in Ezekiel 36:26A, said, "I (God) will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you." While only God can see into our hearts and spirits, we can see the outward changes in the lives of God's people. People once uncomfortable with individuals from other nations now share gifts of time and fellowship with them. People once deeply concerned about renovation to our facility or adjustments to our practices together now explore even more options for us to consider in the future. People once suspicious and even doubting that others will continue the faith and values that our congregation has confessed now trust these others and encourage them in their leadership. People once fearful of our congregation not having a future beyond the end of the current fiscal year now entrust the history and future of our congregation to our God, who has always been providing and caring for His people and His mission in this place. Our God is a God who is indeed unchanging in both His nature and His love for us. He is the firm foundation for our lives. Because this is His nature and heart we have the freedom and confidence to follow through the doors of opportunity He presents to us to touch our world with His love, bringing His presence to people across our neighbourhood through our actions and words. Even if we are called to experience change to do so.