Summer Inside this issue:

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1 Summer 2017 Faith Lutheran Church 1311 Dakota Street, Winnipeg, MB R2N 1V8 (204) , Summer Greetings from Pastor Chris Inside this issue: Summer Greetings from Pastor Chris 1-2 Council Thank you 2 Morning Glories 3 Men s Breakfast 3 Lavallee School 4 It is almost here! 5 Christian Ed. News 6 Confirmation Fall Shout Out (F.L.Y) 7 Book Clubs 8 Fall Fundraiser 9 Bell Choirs 10 Thank you for your Service 11 Welcome Back Sunday 11 60th Anniversary 12 July Calendar 13 August Calendar 14 Matthew 10:40-42 Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. (NRSV) These words are the appointed Gospel lesson from the Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday July 2, These words of encouragement serve to bolster up the courage of the disciples as Jesus began to send them out into the communities to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. We too should hear these words as a source of encouragement and validation as we head into the wider world, beyond the familiar bound of our community and the walls of our church, to do the work which Jesus sets before us. Perhaps it is the warm sunshine streaming through the office windows here in the offices at Faith Lutheran Church, but I am particularly captivated by the last sentence of Jesus words the words about the cup of cold water. The phrasing of this particular translation... even a cup of cold water... does make it seem like the gift of a cup of water is a pitiful or even insignificant effort, hardly worth mentioning. And yet, even the person who extends this marginal effort, we are told, will receive a reward! (continued on page 2) Page 1

2 (continued from page 1) Anyone who has laboured under a hot sun will know the value of a cold cup of water! Indeed if the labour and the heat of the day are severe enough, that little cup of water can seem to be worth life itself! I think that Jesus is offering us an invitation (and an exhortation) to participate in the kind of transformative acts which bring the Kingdom of God closer to the world in which we live. Yes, sometimes these actions may be as simple as a cup of water, or a crust of bread. They may also look like a donation to The Urban or Winnipeg Harvest, or an afternoon spent loading shipping containers at the CLWR warehouse. In fact, the many ways in which we can take concrete action to demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ are bounded only by our own sense of imagination. Like pebbles tossed into a pond, the ripples created by actions of love, hope and kindness in the name of Jesus flow onwards throughout the relational webs in which we live and act. Each small action has the potential to impact the entire framework of community. Much like Edward Lorenz Butterfly Effect, (for you chaos theory fans out there) in which small causes can have great impacts, so too can small acts of kindness have the potential to have far reaching impacts! As you enjoy the gifts of summer: the warmth of the sun, and the sights and sounds of vibrant life all around you, take time also to enjoy a simple cup of water. Give thanks to God for these simple gifts, and the time to enjoy them. And ask God to show you the ways in which you and members of your community might give the gifts of hope, kindness, and love to those who are in need. Have a wonderful summer! Pastor Chris Thank You For Your Service Church Council would like to thank Alex Bruch for her service. Recent changes in Alex's life have required her to step away from Council. We thank her for her service and wish her the best in her new endeavours. Page 2

3 Morning Glories September 9th, 9:00am ALL ARE WELCOME Faith Morning Glories Breakfast and Bible Study is a small group ministry for women of faith who wish to study and discuss the Word as it pertains to life now. We begin with a light breakfast at 9:00 and then move into our Bible Study discussion till around 10:30. Part one of a three-part series on The Apostles Creed. If you are looking to study the Bible and hoping to meet some enchanting women for fellowship and friendship we may be the small group for you are seeking. Our summer outing TBD Men s Breakfast The Men s Breakfast Group will be holding their next breakfast meeting on Saturday, September 9th. Our breakfasts are an open invitation for all men in the congregation, members, non-members, relatives, friends or neighbours. If you have never attended a Men s Breakfast, this would be your opportunity to join us. Our breakfasts begin at 8:00 am and are usually held the 2nd Saturday of each month. You will experience Christian fellowship, enjoy a wonderful breakfast, take part or just listen to very interesting discussions relating to our faith or solutions to everyday problems we all face. Our breakfast on Saturday, October 21st, is a very special breakfast for our group, as we will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary at Faith. Our goal is to have 60 participants at our breakfast and we would really like you to consider attending to help us achieve our goal of 60. We are delighted to have guest speaker Tom Denton share his faith and experience with us, addressing the topic of a career with a conscience. Tom has touched the lives of over 40,000 people with his passion for immigrant resettlements. We hope you will join us for this special presentation. For further information call or text Page 3

4 Books for Lavallee School Thank you to everyone for helping the Faith Lutheran Book Clubs reach their 60 Anniversary goal. We were able to collect over 100 books that were donated to Lavallee School to be given out to their students. Our gift was greatly appreciated by the school. Lavallee School's Healthy Snack Program Cooking For The King members, with contributions from the congregation, were able to meet and exceed their 60th Anniversary goal of collecting canned fruit and granola bars for Lavallee School's healthy snack program. With your help, we collected 81 cans of fruit and 70 boxes of granola bars! The school greatly appreciated your generous support. Thanks to everyone for supporting this project. Page 4

5 It is almost here! As I write this article, the official start of summer, the Summer Solstice, is two days away. By the time you read the article, the longest day of the year will have passed and the days will already be getting shorter. That probably wasn t the most optimistic opening I have ever written, but it serves to illustrate that summer is short. Because summer is short, it must be enjoyed. Here are some suggestions: If you have some free time in early July, maybe you want to help out at the ELCIC National Convention. Details have been provided in the weekly bulletins for the past few weeks. If you can t find a copy, please contact the office. After all, there is no such thing as too many volunteers. Maybe you haven t finalized your summer vacation plans yet. Have you ever been to Family Camp at Luther Village? LV offers five weeks of Family Camp and our very own Pastor Chris Bishopp will be serving as Resource Leader for the first week (July 16 22). Visit for more information and to see what accommodations are available. As a long time Family Camper, I can guarantee that you won t be disappointed. If you aren t able to make it outside the city during the summer, there are still so many things to enjoy while the sun is shining and the weather is warm. The Folk Festival, The Fringe Festival, Rainbow Stage, Folklorama, and Ballet in the Park are a few of the fabulous summer activities you can find here in town. So, there you have some suggestions on how to make the most of summer Please remember that Faith Lutheran will be here when you need us. Our staff will also be taking some well-deserved vacation time but services will continue every Sunday. We know that our attendance numbers won t be the same as the rest of the year but that s okay. We all deserve a chance to take a break but we encourage you to join us when you can. Finally, watch for details of our Fall programming in the This Week at Faith s and the September newsletter. Have a great summer! Murray Douglas, Council Chair Page 5

6 Christian Education News Sunday School: On Sunday, September 24th, weekly Sunday School classes will begin at the same time as last year - from 9:00-9:45am. Hope to see you there as we start another great session of fun and learning! Registration forms will be ed to previous students later in the summer. Forms can also be picked up from the church or you can register in person following the church service on Welcome Back Sunday, September 17, If you have any questions, please Anita at christianeducation@faithlc.ca Confirmation Restructuring Fall 2017: The Christian Ed/Youth and Family committee along with Cyrus, the Director of Youth Ministry, Pastor Chris and Deacon Kris have decided to re-vamp our confirmation program. The confirmation program will now consist of a two-year program for Grades 8 and 9, with the grade 9 s being confirmed in the spring. Confirmation sessions will be held two Sundays a month from September 24th, 2017 to April 22, 2018, from 12:30 to 3pm. One Sunday a month we will meet as a big group with the participants from St. Mark s and Epiphany. The second Sunday we will meet as our own small group at Faith. The big group sessions will rotate among the three churches. We will be holding three information/registration meetings for parents and students on September 13 and 14th at 7:00pm and on September 17th following the church service. Please plan to attend one of these sessions. Page 6

7 SHOUT OUT -Faith Lutheran Youth SUMMER HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Hoping everyone has had a fantastic school year! This was a great year for our youth group at Faith Lutheran and we are looking forward to another very busy year coming up. Please see the right column for upcoming events for the Fall and mark them on your calendar! If you or someone you know might interested in joining FLY, please feel free to direct your questions to Cyrus Gervais! As many of you may know, we are heading to Thunder Bay for the CLAY Gathering from August 11 20, If you have any suggestions regarding possible fundraisers, please let us know! **Parents please take note that there are information meetings scheduled for the Fall. If you have a child in confirmation (Gr 8-10), or a child who is interested in participating in youth group, please make an effort to attend! Contact Information: Cyrus Gervais cyrus@faithlc.ca Upcoming Events: Bowling! When: September 8 th Time: 7-9PM Where: Dakota Bowling Lanes Parent Information Meetings! When: September 13 th,14 th &17th Time: 7PM (Sunday after Service) Where: Blue Room (Information regarding Youth, Confirmation and CLAY will be presented.) Spoons/Hangout! When: September 22 nd Time: 7-9PM Where: Youth Room Corn Maze with St. Mark s When: September 29 th Time: 6:30-10:30PM Where: Meet in Parking Lot Youth Led Sunday Service When: October 1st Time: 10AM Where: Sanctuary (Youth who are interested in specific roles should reach out to Cyrus) Thanksgiving Retreat When: October 6-9 Time: TBA Where: Luther Village (Meet at the Southdale CAD Tire Parking Lot) Page 7

8 Faith Lutheran Book Clubs Faith Book Club Chapter 1 Windup this Year and Plan for Next After enjoying a delicious potluck of appetizers, salads and desserts, Faith Lutheran Book Club Chapter 1 members began the serious work of choosing the books they will read next year. From the 14 novels suggested, eight were chosen. They are: September 26, 2017 The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See October 24, 2017 The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa November 28, 2017 Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. January 23, 2018 Cool Water by Dianne Warren February 27, 2018 Sea Captain s Wife by Beth Powning March 27, 2018 Road Ends by Mary Lawson April 24, 2018 Nocturnal Animals by Austin Wright May 22, 2018 The Break by Katherena Vermette Chapter 1 meets in the Blue Room at the church on the fourth Tuesday of the month except for April 24, 2018 when we will meet off site. If you enjoy a good book, a spirited discussion and wonderful fellowship, consider starting this fall by becoming a Book Club member. This is your invitation to join us in September. Faith Book Club Chapter 2 July 6th is the rescheduled date for our year end dinner at 6:30 pm with discussion leader and hostess Melody when we will discuss our June selection, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. This is story of a multigenerational family living in Afghanistan where two women of the family who are separated by a century share the same courage and dreams in living out their lives. We will also be selecting the new books for the coming year which begins again on the third Thursday in September. For interesting reading and good fellowship please join us. Check the September newsletter for the book selection, date and time. Faith Book Club Chapter 2 will meet off site the third Thursday of the month beginning in September. Page 8

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10 HANDBELL CHOIRS HEAVENLY METAL Are you in Grade 7 or older? Do you want to make friends? Do you want to learn something new and have some fun? Heavenly Metal sounds like it is for you! NO SKILLS REQUIRED! We will teach you everything you need to know! Rehearsals at Mondays, 5:30-6:30 from September to May. Bring a friend or two, we can always use more ringers! If you are interested, or someone you know might be interested, please call or text Rheannon at , or at rheannonlb19@hotmail.com JUBELLATION Jubellation is celebrating it s 20th birthday this year! We continue to rehearse on Tuesdays at 6:30 and will start on September 5th this fall. We are always open to welcoming new members who have lots or zero music experience. Our focus is on small group ministry and the sharing of our talents with the congregation. As a way of celebrating our 20th anniversary and Faith Lutheran Church s 60th anniversary we are planning a 60 hands/60 bells number with as many current and former ringers as we can find. If you are interested in joining us please contact Sandra at or s.brownday@gmail.com or let someone in our choir know. Looking forward to another special year! Page 10

11 Thank You For Your Service After 28 years of faithful service, Doug Norris has decided it is time to step down from the Kirchhoff Gardens Church Suite Committee. Doug has been a member of the committee since Kirchhoff Gardens opened in Thank you Doug for the tremendous support you have provided to this ministry over the years. Doug's spot on the committee will be filled by Roy Simpson. Roy will join Guff Zimmerman and Elmer Stark to ensure the residents of the Kirchhoff suites owned by the church are well taken care of. Save the Date Welcome Back Sunday Sunday September 17, 2017 More details to Follow Page 11

12 Preparing for Faith s 60 th Anniversary ( ) Dear Faith Family, WE NEED YOUR HELP! You have now been appointed to the invitation committee for our 60th Anniversary Celebration weekend. Several people have asked, Have you asked So and So to the celebration? Well, no, I haven't. That's why I need you to do it for me. Imagine how wonderful it would be if several of you ask the same person- they would really know how much we miss them! This is what you can say when you invite them: We have been celebrating our 60th Anniversary all year with many outreach activities (e.g. quilts, bread, breakfast food, layettes, trees, meals, etc.) so that the activities for our actual anniversary weekend will be quite casual: Our 60th Anniversary Weekend, held October 21st and 22nd will be a time of renewing friendships, for retelling stories and for simply enjoying being with each other once again. Saturday morning, the men's breakfast group are hoping that they will have 60 attending breakfast, some of whom will be from our multi- denominational, Habitat Project. Anyone interested can contact Trevor Haden at hayden@mymts.net if they would like to attend. Saturday evening, October 21st from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, we will be having an "Appy Anniversary" where we will share appetizers, memories, and "spots" of entertainment. Sunday, October 22nd, we will be having a special service of Thanksgiving. We will be celebrating our 60 years as a community of Faith as well as commemorating the 500th year of the Reformation! Pastor Tim Graff will be our guest preacher and we will have special music that we're hoping will include a very special duet. We would be very happy if you could take a moment to invite anyone who comes to mind who might enjoy an evening and/or worship with old friends. Of course we are hoping all of YOU will take part in any or all of our celebratory weekend events. If you have any suggestions or questions for that weekend please speak to anyone on the 60th Anniversary Committee: Shirley Adam for: Vicki Ramnawaj, Dan Hiebert, Kristin Nuytten, Doug and Deanna Tkach, Sandra Brown-Day, Ken Day and Pastor Chris. Page 12

13 July Summer Special Appeal Luther Village Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00am Traditional Worship/Communion 3 Office Closed 7:00pm Al-Anon ELCIC National Convention 6:30pm Book Club Chapter 2 off site 7 ELCIC National Convention 8 ELCIC National Convention 9 10:00am Contemp. Worship/Communion 10 7:00pm Al-Anon :00am River Park Gardens Service :00am Traditional Service of the Word 17 7:00pm Al-Anon :00am Contemp. Worship/Communion 24 6:30pm Council Meeting 7:00pm Al-Anon :00 pm Winnipeg Harvest 30 10:00am Traditional Service of the Word 31 6:00pm Al-Anon

14 August Summer Special Appeal Luther Village Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Coffee & Fellowship :00am Contemp. Service of the Word 7 7:00pm Al-Anon :00am River Park Gardens Service :00am Traditional Worship/Communion 14 7:00pm Al-Anon :00am Contemp. Worship/Communion 21 7:00pm Al-Anon :00 pm Winnipeg Harvest 27 10:00am Traditional Worship/Communion 28 6:00pm Al-Anon