St. George s Lutheran Church 410 College Street Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S8 Tel: 416 921 2687 www.st-georgs-toronto.com Katharina Moeller, Pastor 2393 Gareth Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5B 1Z4 Tel/Fax: 905 277 2631 Church - Newsletter June 2016 September 2016 1. Devotion Jesus said: You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 Dear members and friends of St. George s congregation! On the first Pentecost the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit and were able to speak about Jesus, the risen Lord. All these people who were touched by the sermon of Peter wanted to start a new life with Jesus and so the first congregation was founded. This is the reason why we say that the birthday of the church is on Pentecost Sunday. We know that the first congregation lived in a wonderful way, and received the power of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the centuries, congregations of Jesus Christ have been founded all over the world, including our congregation! In the tradition of our mothers and fathers and many generations of Christians we continue living according to God s word and following Jesus. We as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ work together in radiating the good News of Jesus in today s time. We know that we have different points of view, new ideas and many ways to express our faith. This is a sign of the diversity amongst us and of the many different abilities and opportunities that God gave to us. When we work closely together it enriches our communities of faith. Let me tell you a short story: There was a place somewhere, where only blind people lived. One day, a man with an elephant appeared. The people there had only heard of elephants before but had never actually touched nor seen one. They asked the stranger if they could touch and feel the elephant. He let them go ahead and soon they were all putting their hands on the elephant. And through their hands they felt what an elephant feels like. 1
At night they told each other what they had felt. The one who felt the trunk described the elephant as an animal similar to a snake. Another one saw it as a huge round organism he had touched one of the ears. A third one had touched the tusk and thought that an elephant is a very hard long thing. Soon the blind people started to argue about who had properly understood what an elephant is like. It was no longer possible to ask the man who owned the elephant because he had moved on. The elephant is an interesting animal. It would need a long time for the blind people to get a complete impression. It would only work if they put all their knowledge together. It is the same with us. God is so great that we have to work together in order to gain more knowledge and wisdom. We need every one; we need all our questions, new ideas, curiosity and experience. It is essential to pray, to keep going to church and to stay in contact with other Christians. Jesus s word speaks to all of us: You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth. We carry the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We are able to help others and change for the better. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit that we can speak about our faith and touch other people with our words and deeds. Every one of us is special, and a beloved child of God. When we follow Jesus we find the courage to take the next step or act responsibly in a new situation. We know that God wants us to share his love, grace and peace and oppose prejudices, violence, discrimination, injustice and many other things. The Holy Spirit gives us the courage to do more, than we expect from ourselves. We ask for God s blessings that we may use our abilities and the gifts that God gave to us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN 2
2. A Word from the Church Council President Before our minds shift into summer mode, it is important that we take care of unfinished business. Throughout the year, we have had many conversations about the future of our Church and the time is fast approaching when we have to know where we stand. Pledges are due at the end of June. Although we are very grateful for the donations received to-date totaling $50,000, this is far short of our goal especially when one considers that the cost of new stair lifts will be approximately $30,000. It is clear that our congregation prefers to remain at our church, and we are hoping that those who are financially able will help us turn our dream into reality. Please remember that your pledge does not have to be a donation. Depending on the amount, you can receive a promissory note which is a promise to repay the amount of your pledge when we come to the point that we have to sell our church building. Further, if the pledge is large enough, it can be secured by a mortgage on the church. We are working with a lawyer, so if you have any questions, please contact us and we will ensure that your questions are addressed by a professional in strictest confidence. We would also like to remind everyone that as long as we remain a congregation be it in our current building or another location, everything we own belongs to us. To help us focus on our goal, Christiane Ullmann has kindly painted a picture called "A garden for reflection, steadfastness and prayer.", which appears on an easel at the front of the Church. The idea is that as we receive donations and pledges to sustain our building, contributions will be acknowledged by creating a garden in the painting. Donors can have their name appear on the painting or can choose to remain anonymous. You will hear more about this in our upcoming services. If you need a pledge form, they are available at the Church or we can send you one. We pray that God may guide us in taking the right steps towards the future of our congregation. Thank you for your support. Sincerely! Chris Duffield 3. Announcements and Information You are invited to our upcoming services and events: During the summer (starting June 19th) there will be one single service at 11 am. On Thursday, June 2 nd, at 11am we will be celebrating a German worship service followed by a lunch in the restaurant. June 5 th, 2016 10 am English Service, 11 am German Service with Pastor Peter Mikelic 3
June 12 th, 2016 Church Picnic starting at 10:30 am at Christ the King-Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, 149 Bay Thorn Dr. Thornhill, ON L3T 3V2, Tel. 905 889 0873 More information and driving instructions can be found below. June 19 st, 2016 Father s Day 4 June 26 th, 2016 July 3 th, 2016 with Karin Schemeit July 10 th, 2016 10:00 am Worship Service at First Lutheran Church 116 Bond St., Toronto, Ont. M5B1X8 There will be NO services in our church! July 17 th, 2016 with Elke Eble July 24 th, 2016 July 31 st, 2016 with Holy Communion August 7 th, 2016 August 14 th, 2016 11 am bilingual service for the whole congregation We have invited the congregation of First Lutheran Church to join us for this service. August 21 th, 2016 August 28 th, 2016 with Holy Communion September 4 th, 2016 with baptism of Lukas Christopher Gonska-Lueger September 11 th, 2016 11 am bilingual service for the whole congregation Sunday school starts again On Thursday, September 15 th, at 11am we will be celebrating a German worship service at the Blue Danube Club, followed by a lunch in the restaurant. September 18 th, 2016 10 am English service with Holy Communion, 11 am German service
September 25 th, 2016 10 am English service, 11 am German service with Holy Communion 4. Church Picnic This year we will be holding our picnic with the congregation of Christ the King-Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, on their green space. A few weeks ago, their congregation decided to change their name to Thornhill Lutheran Church. The worship service will begin at 10:30am. Afterwards we will have time to eat, have conversations, play, sing etc. In the church there is a list where you can add your name, if you need a ride, or have room in your car to offer a ride or would like to be picked-up at the Finch Subway station. Please also add your name to the list if you can bring cake or a salad. We are looking forward to this special day! The address is: 149 Bay Thorn Dr. Thornhill, Ont. L3T 3V2, tel. 905-889-0873 Directions from the South - Follow Yonge Street north (leaving the City of Toronto, going towards Richmond Hill). - Continue north past Steeles Avenue. - After passing Clark Avenue take the right lane. - Having passed a ravine, watch out for Royal Orchard Blvd and at the lights, turn right (east). - Crossing Inverlochy Boulevard, continue to the next street crossing (Bay Thorn Drive). You will see our sign on the corner in front of you to your left. - Turn left into Bay Thorn Drive and enter the Parking Lot on your immediate right 5. Summer services The church council has decided that this summer we will again have only one service per Sunday. These services will begin on June 19, 2016. We want to make these worship services very flexible. Generally we will favour the language spoken by the majority of the attendees on a given Sunday. The sermon will have a German and an English part. It will also be possible, to request hymns and to actively contribute to the services. 6. Synod Assembly From June 23 rd to 26 th the Synod Assembly for the Eastern Synod will be held in the International Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre in Toronto. Pastor Moeller will be taking part in this assembly. We ask for God s blessing for this conference. 7. Vacation coverage For urgent matters Pastor Rick Kwiatkowski, of First Lutheran Church, will be available for vacation coverage from July 2 nd to July 23 rd. Tel: 416 451 4607 5
8. Summer Invitations During the summer there will be two joint services with the congregation of First Lutheran Church (on July 10 th in First Lutheran Church and on August 14 th in our church). It has always been a highlight of the summer, celebrating these joint summer services and having time afterwards to be together with another and for one another. The service at First Lutheran on July 10 th will begin at 10am! On July 10 th there will be NO services in our church! 9. Women s Group / Georgenkreis The women s group meets every second Tuesday of the month at 11am in our St. George s Church. We have decided to change the name of the group; we will now be known as, Georgenkreis. We invite all interested congregation members to our meetings. On Tuesday, June 14 th, at noon, we will have lunch at the Mandarin (Queensway and Kipling) for our last gathering before the summer break, after which we will meet again on September 13 th. We are pleased to welcome everyone who would like to attend! 10. Sunday School There will be no Sunday school during the summer. We thank everyone who has taught Sunday school in this school year! We are looking for congregation member volunteers who would like to conduct, or help out, with Sunday school for one or two units. We will begin Sunday school again on September 11 th, 2016 during the bilingual service. We wish all children a wonderful vacation! 11. Parking in front of the church All members of our congregation, who park in front of our church, must put a sign in their windshield indicating that they are a member of our church. Others may be ticketed by the parking authority. 12. Membership Sunday In the near future we would like to welcome new members into our church family. Please let us know if you or your family would like to become members of our congregation. We will give you a membership form to complete. Together we will select the date of this service. (Tentatively September 11 th, 2016) 13. Joy and Sorrow in our Congregation Baptized: Linus Alexander Ballarino (December 20, 2015) and Erika Ruth Fry (April 10, 2016) You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 6
We bid farewell to: Mrs. Regina Schmidt, 90 years Jesus says: I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 14. Request Please call me, if you would like to be visited, to receive Holy Communion, or when you are in hospital. Please let me know, if you have time to regularly telephone or visit a congregational member. Please don t forget, to let us know when you move. We want to be in touch and stay in touch with one another. Please also let me know, if you want us to pray for you or a family member during Sunday services. I wish you and your families a wonderful summer and God s blessing for each day! Sincerely, Your Pastor, Blessing for your vacation The love of God with peace and joy will each of us attend; and guide our ways through coming days until we meet again. Depart in peace to do God s will, walk ever in the light; for Christ is with you evermore to guide you day and night. (Tune: Amazing Grace) 7
14. Children s Page Have a wonderful summer! 8