Upcoming Concert...

• Where: Bethany Lutheran Church
• When: April 30th at 7:00pm
• Who: The African Children's Choir

How Much? : FREE! - Everyone is welcome!

Contact (780) 998-1874 for more information.

Bethany Lutheran Church Address:
20577 Twp. 550 , approximately 5 miles East of Josephburg on the correction line.

Pancake Roof Project Fundraiser!

All you can eat Pancakes - only $5.00
Faithlife Financial presentation on TFSA

When:

• Shrove Tuesday, Feb 16th, 5:00pm

Where:

• Cross of Christ Lutheran
• 11460 60th Ave
• Edmonton, AB

Who:

• Contact Ellie at 780-434-1671 for more information

Follow the Olympic Outreach!

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that their is tons of outreach going on in Vancouver during the winter Olympics, check out these links:

• aliveat2010
  -the district blog with daily coverage of Olympic outreach

• Trinity Lutheran Church in Richmond, BC
  -check out their complete schedule here
  -their live feed

• Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vancouver, BC
  -their Olympic blog

• More Than Gold
  -Part of their mission statement: "To connect and coordinate the community in working together on initiatives before, during and after the 2010 Games"

The Edmonton Oil Kings invite your church members to an exciting family event coming up during an Oil Kings home game on Friday, Feb.19th 2010 at 7:00 p.m. A link to the details of this event can be seen here.

We are working with Extreme Dream Ministries and have secured the band Mission 6 for this night. We encourage you to check out the band’s website. Additionally, we have included reviews of this up and coming band.

• “This band is right on target for the tween pop scene. Energetic power chords, synthesized beats, and unshakable harmonies...” Christianity Today.

• “A perfect fit for Radio Disney and fans of the Jonas Brothers, this group has one major difference going for them ... they are very open about their faith and you even hear it in their music ... “ BEMA Media.

Tickets are just $15/ticket which includes the best available seats at Rexall Place for both the Oil Kings game as well as the concert.

We respectfully request that you place the attached flyers at your church bulletin board and mention this event in your end of mass announcements. Additionally, our goal is to host your members and youth groups at this family fun event. This marks our third consecutive year for this event. It has always been well received for both children and families. Our goal is to make this year’s event better than ever!

To secure seating for this event, please call 780-409-5908 today as we have special incentives for groups that book early:

• The first 10 churches to book a group of (20) or more will be entered into a draw to win a pair of lower bowl seats to a 2010 Edmonton Oilers game.

• The first 5 churches to book a group of (20) or more will also receive a team signed Oil Kings stick.

National Anthem Experience: Finally, I want to mention that if your respective church has a singing or choir group that would be interested in singing the national anthem before an Oil Kings game please have them call me directly as we have select dates available for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Flyers

JPEG - Large | Small

REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH, Prince Albert, SK, will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary as a congregation on May 15 & 16, 2010. All former members/workers, their families and friends are invited to attend.

For further info please contact Verna Scheider or by phone at (306) 764-3863.

The Christmas season is once again upon us. Everyone is busy trying to find the right gifts for their loved ones. We often forget to slow down and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas. Bethany Lutheran Church will once again be hosting an exhibit of the Nativity. The exhibit will include many different sets and ornaments representing views of the Nativity form different countries. We have been hosing this event for 9 years now and every year it seems to get bigger. There are new representations of the Christmas story added each year. The variety and beauty of the workmanship is unbelievable! From wood and ceramics, to cross stitch or chocolate, we expect to have over 500 different nativity scenes and ornaments this year. Some have been handed down from generation to generation. One of the oldest is close to 90 years old. Many of these are heirloom pieces and are greatly loved and treasured.

The exhibit will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church on Sat Nov. 28th form 10:00-4:00 pm and on Sunday Nov. 30 from 12:00-3:00 pm at 20577 Twp. 550 (780) 998-1874, approximately 5 miles East of Josephburg on the correction line. There is no fee to take in this event and everyone is welcome.

So slow down a bit, come on out to the country and take time to relive the Nativity story through this wonderful exhibit.

Tax Free Savings Accounts now available through CEF! click here for more information!.

Bethany Lutheran Church invites you to attend a presentation by registered psychologist, Barbara Van Ingen, from Concordia University College of Alberta. This presentation will engage you to think seriously about the tumultuous times we are living in today.

Topics will include:

• God is always in control
• What the God's Word has to say when our perspective and timelines are not the same as God's
• Practical tips for how to react during the crisis

When: Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 2:00PM

Where: Bethany Lutheran Church

       20577 Township Road 550

       Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Price: FREE (free will offering is encouraged)

light refreshments to follow

Tell your friends and family about this spiritual, informative, and guiding presentation, which will gently guide you to reflect and converse about the importance of God being a healing presence in our lives!

For additional information please contact 780-998-1874 or email
richjudi@xplornet.com

Recently, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) made retroactive technical changes to the requirement to file form T1213 (Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source) for certain employees who qualify for the Clergy Residence Deduction (CRD).

Since 2005, CRA’s previous position was that the T1213 form was no longer required for any CRD eligible employee who informed their employer, via the annual CRA form T1223 Clergy Residence Deduction, that they would be making a CRD claim.

Now, employees who own or rent their accommodation will again be required to file form T1213 with CRA, and receive written approval from CRA, before being allowed a reduction of income tax at source.

When housing is provided by the employer (e.g. a manse or parsonage), the T1213 filing is not required because the provided-housing taxable benefit will generally equal the CRD amount.

CCCC suggests that a T1213 form should be filed by October or early November of a current year to allow sufficient time for CRA to issue an approval for the following year.

CCCC discovered that CRA had amended its policy (2005 Charties Newsletter No. 23), but had not indicated that a change had been made. When notified by CCCC, the omission was corrected.

In the future, whenever an old edition of a CRA newsletter has been modified, a “What’s New” notification will be sent out to highlight the amendment or modification. The CRA webpage will also indicate a “last updated” or “date modified” to inform the reader that changes have been made to the original document.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced on July 29th that on July 10th they made changes retroactive to June 2005 concerning the rules for reducing income tax deductions at source for employees receiving the Clergy Residence Deduction.

Clergy members who either live in their own house or rent a property and claim a Clergy Residence Deduction will now be required to file a T1213 with their local tax service office on an annual basis. When the T1213 is approved, the employer will be allowed to reduce the employee's taxable income by the amount of the Clergy Residence Deduction and withhold income tax at source on the difference.

When the clergy member lives in an employer provided accommodation such as a parsonage or manse they will not be required to file a T1213 as there is no change in income for withholding tax purposes.

Since CRA requires between 4-8 weeks to approve a T1213 (Request To Reduce Tax Deductions At Source) we recommend that the employee submit the form every October in order to allow sufficient time for CRA to grant approval for the following year.

An additional T1213 will need to be submitted during the year if the employee is going to receive a lump sum payment or additional income and requires a reduction in the income tax to be deducted at source.

The district library is now available through the Concordia University College of Alberta Library, all the same materials and more are available, contact us at info@lccabc.ca for more details.

We have some song books available for free at the ABC District office.
28 Copies of “Songs for Disciples”
148 Copies of “Lutheran Worship – Conference & Convention Edition” song and service books.
If you are interested, contact Lynn at e-mail at lgiese@lccabc.ca, by phone (780) 474-0063 or by toll free phone 1-(888) 474 – 0063
Offer ends Dec 31/2009

Documents for Sunday May 24

(Congregations with pastors at Convention)

Sunday Worship
Sermon for May 24/2009
Prayer of The Church

Watch and hear of the exciting progress taking place in NW Calgary as Foothills Lutheran Church moves towards “birthing” a new church in NW Calgary. Encourage other members to watch this video! Please pray for the members of Foothills as they continue to plant the seed in NW Calgary.

Plant the Seed from lcc abc on Vimeo.

(ST. LOUIS, MO), March 23, 2009 - In Out of Nothing: The Word, Creation and Faith, Lutheran Pastor Steve Misch examines the creation-evolution debate in a brand-new video Bible study produced by St. Louis-based Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM). This five-session study is the third release from LHM’s Men’s NetWork program, located online at http://www.lhmmen.com. Each study addresses topics of relevance for men and men’s ministry groups today.
In Out of Nothing, Misch surveys key Scriptural texts supporting an original and divine cause behind matter, life, and the universe. Citing the work of men like Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, and others, Misch reviews theories such as the Big Bang, Intelligent Design, the Framework Hypothesis, and Divine Accommodation.

Misch presents his arguments using replicas of ancient life forms, dioramas, and educational video from the Kentucky-based Creation Museum. Throughout the study, he places God--not a haphazard effusion of chemical interactions and free associations spanning billions of years--at the forefront of all creation.

The Men’s NetWork is an online resource center that offers free, original video Bible studies and discussion guides; domestic and international “Impact Events”; “How-To” instruction guides for ministry projects; “The Baloney Shop” (Christ-centered cultural commentary); a blog; “Resources” for finding a men’s group in your area; a “Local/Regional Calendar” of men’s ministry events; and more.

Lutheran Hour Ministries is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations--and the Nations to the Church. It is also a volunteer movement more than 100,000 people strong. LHM produces Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast, as well as Internet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach materials, to reach the unchurched in more than 30 countries. LHM’s flagship program, The Lutheran Hour, is the world’s longest-running Christian outreach radio program. It airs weekly on more than 800 stations. More information about the ministry can be found at http://www.lhm.org.

More than Gold is a Christian organization that is overseeing the formation and development of the Christian outreach efforts for Vancouver 2010. Check it out in Missions

Check out the Family Ministry section for more information.

This morning, Ian Adnams, editor of The Canadian Lutheran, e-mailed Linda Macqueen, editor of The Lutheran, the Lutheran Church of Australia’s magazine, to find out if the current fires in the state of Victoria were affecting the Lutheran church.

Here is her reply:

Thanks for your concern for us Aussies. The whole country is in a state of shock. You have to understand that it is unusual for even one person to die in bushfires here. We Aussies understand fires and know how to protect ourselves. And the people in these affected areas were especially fire-savvy—they did everything right. It’s just that this was a freak fire storm of proportions no-one could have imagined.

I covered the fires in South Australia a few years ago which affected many Lutherans. It was a horrific fire; its ferocity chilled me to the bone; nine people died. So I cannot begin to imagine what sort of fire kills 170-plus people—all of whom lived in fire-prone areas and knew what to do to protect themselves. Flames 10 stories high and travelling at 90-100 km/h; fire balls exploding in the sky; suffocating smoke and dust clouds that make it black as night; heat that melts car tires so people cannot escape—can you imagine that? They call them fire storms. They generate their own power. This one was a fire hurricane. The premier of Victoria said, “We were prepared for a king tide, but we got hit by a tsunami.”

In terms of natural disasters that happen elsewhere in the world, 170 people dead (so far) is a small number of fatalities, but for us Aussies who know how rare it is for people to die in bushfires, which are part of our way of life, it’s something that has rocked us to our core. We simply cannot conceive of anything so monstrous. It’s completely beyond our imagination. It’s far and away our worst natural disaster ever. Ironically, 60 percent of the state I live in, Queensland, is currently under water. It’s a monumental flood, but it’s barely making the news because of the situation in Victoria.

So far as I have been able to make out, no Lutherans or Lutheran communities have been directly affected by the fires. That area of Victoria is not a strong ‘Lutheran belt’. However, I will be on the phone again this morning to see if there is any news.

In terms of relief, the Red Cross here is coordinating relief efforts, and they are pretty much saying to just send money. There are about 3,000 people homeless, but that is not a huge number in the overall scheme of things, and most will be taken care of by relatives.

What troubles me most is that people who have lost their home, property, animals and possibly their family members aren’t being allowed to go back ‘home’ until the police and forensic people have sifted through all the ruined houses and identified bodies. Perhaps this is wise, but it’s cruel too. I think there is a natural desire to go back and sift through the rubble of your life yourself, not have somebody else do it, even if it means finding the body of your wife or child. For example, there was a man featured on the news yesterday, desperate to find his wife and three children. He wanted to go back to see if he would find them. The poor man was hysterical, as you could imagine. This morning the police told him they found three bodies (and possibly nine) in the ashes of his home. “Possibly nine”… that is the sort of thing the emergency services are dealing with. People were incinerated, not merely burnt. They think neighbours must have gone to his house for refuge, since his house was considered to be one of the most bushfire-proof – with a watering system installed in the roof. But this was no ordinary bushfire.

I suppose I can understand why they are not letting people go back. The identification of bodies will be so difficult, and the forensic people need time to do their job properly—and the trauma of discovering bodies of their loved ones, charred beyond recognition, or simply ashes, might be just too much for survivors. I suppose they are doing the right thing, but it is so hard for these people who are so desperate to find out what has happened to their loved ones.

It’s a shocking time to be an Aussie. This has really rocked us.

Thanks again for your concern. It does mean a lot to be part of an international Lutheran family that cares for us.

Linda

Lutheran Church–Canada President Robert Bugbee is asking pastors and members of LCC congregations to remember in your prayers those fighting the fires and those who have lost so much. Ask the Lord to give the firefighters the skills to quell the flames, and that He would bring into the lives of those who are suffering, men and women who can share with them the comfort and peace only Christ can give.

Better keep up!

http://www.abcevents.ca/

CEF is announcing an interest rate change. Please find attached a letter from Church Extension, rate change bulletin announcement and the rate change poster. A colour poster is being mailed to your congregation.

Also attached is a copy of the RRSP bulletin / newsletter announcements for January and February. Please ensure that these announcements are being published in your bulletins and newsletters.

Be sure to check the ABC District website http://www.lccabc.ca for up-to-date information on Church Extension. We are working on adding more information. If you have suggestions for information that would be helpful to you, please let us know.

In the spirit of good stewardship, the District Office will be electronically delivering the majority of its communications. This will Include Co-Worker, District News and Special Event information. We will be using direct e-mail as well as the Web Site (lccabc.ca). We are improving our communications within the District.

We invite you to get involved. Make sure we have your current e-mail address and visit the Web Site regularly.

Please send us your e-mail address if you want to be kept up to date. Contact Evan Adnams at communications@lccabc.ca with your e-mail address, ideas, comments, and your queries.

The December issue of Dear Co-Worker is available online at http://www.lccabc.ca/churchworkersresources. This will be the primary means of delivery from now on. Enjoy!

The ABC District CEF/RSP Report by Congregations are now available in the CEF section.

WINNIPEG - Reports from LCC’s treasurer and three district business managers indicate that the current financial turbulence will likely put further pressure on district budgets, but not greatly affect the funds currently invested in the district’s Church Extension Funds (CEF). Most of the investments are held by churches who have borrowed from the CEF to finance building projects. The CEFs hold a small percentage of funds in high quality stocks and bonds which provide only a small portion of investment income. If the country heads into recession, then there is a risk that congregations may find it more difficult to maintain full payments on their loans as overall congregational income could decrease.

This type of decrease could, in turn, also put pressure on the budgets of the national church and its districts. Funding for the work Lutheran Church–Canada undertakes as a synod is given by members of congregations as part of their weekly offering. These funds provide support services for congregations; overseas mission activity; university and seminary theological education; communications; and synod’s various commissions responsible for doctrinal issues and reconciliation processes.

“We are monitoring the situation carefully,” reported LCC Treasurer Dwayne Cleave. “Synod and its district offices are constantly looking for ways to serve our churches in the most cost-efficient ways. The Lord calls us to be wise stewards of His gifts and we take that call seriously.”

Mr. Cleave noted that all the synod and district budgets rely on investment income of some kind and will need to reflect the income reduction by curtailing some expenses. “These kinds of cuts become difficult,” explained the treasurer. “Synod’s current budget is very much a ‘core’ budget designed to do only that which is necessary to maintain what we are currently doing. There is little manoeuvring room for new initiatives.”

Long-term financial support is the focus of Lutheran Foundation Canada. The foundation works with members of LCC congregations who wish to provide gifts for the church or one of its agencies in their wills, or give gifts of stocks and bonds.

Using scenes from the Jesus Film, this DVD introduces the Saviour through the eyes of children. Get it now for 3 copies for 10 dollars.
To order at Lutheran Church–Canada pricing call 1-800-463-4685 or online http://www.tobiascom.com/lcc.

Although the recent Canadian election may have downplayed the importance of discussing life issues, such was not the case at the third annual Love Life conference at Concordia University College of Alberta (CUCA).

On November 15, 70 people gathered for a day of plenary sessions and small-group workshops. ABC District president, Rev. Don Schiemann addressed how respect for life correlates with criminal justice. Dr. John Patrick, retired professor from the University of Ottawa, gave a medical perspective on “The Domino Effect of Legalizing Abortion” and “What Hippocrates Knew and We Have Forgotten.”

These three insightful presentations, webcast live over LCC’s website, are posted on the web for on-demand viewing at http://www.lccabc.ca/video. ABC District hopes local circuits and congregations throughout Canada will use them as a springboard to discuss life issues from a Biblical perspective. For more information on copies, email Dr. Glenn Schaeffer gschaeffer@lccabca.ca.

In the breakout sessions, “The Back Porch” ministry helped women and men dealing with the ramifications of unwanted pregnancy or abortion.

Other workshops spanned a range of issues, not just the abortion question: the Lutheran response to feeding the hungry at the inner-city Edmonton program The Rock; palliative care and addressing the needs of the dying; managing stress in everyday life.

Some overheard comments: “I never thought of the issue that way before!” “So much information packed into the presentation, I need to hear it again.” “What a wonderful investment of my Saturday!”

“Love Life” is a cooperative venture between CUCA, Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) and Lutherans for Life–Canada. CLS Seminary Guild provided and served lunch. ABC District’s Evan Adnams, Paul Ney and Genoa Waymen provided the technical support needed in webcasting and recording the sessions.

Over 20 interested people from a variety congregations in the Edmonton area met with Rev. Vic Esperanza and Dr. Glenn Schaeffer to discuss the birth of a new LCC congregation in the North East sector of Edmonton. Those attending the meeting were excited to discuss the possibility of starting a new church in Edmonton -- something that has not been done for nearly a decade and a half!

One of the exciting side features of the meeting was that those attending began to ponder other opportunities for outreach in the city of Edmonton like: birthing other churches in the West end, and the southeast and southwest quadrants of the city; initiating an outreach campus ministry to University of Alberta students; and local congregations initiating neighbourhood Bible studies and sending members to neighbourhood residential care homes in order to share the Gospel with the residents through visiting, Bible studies and the like.

The group decided that a second meeting will be held in early December to make further plans for the birth of a "baby" -- a new church in North East Edmonton. All who are interested in this church-birthing venture are welcome to attend the meeting, but we are especially looking for people to attend the meeting who want to be participants of the core start-up group. The meeting date will be announced shortly. The next meeting will be Tuesday December 2nd @ 7pm, Christ the King Lutheran Church.

If you have any questions, please contact with Rev. Vic Esperanza (780-426-1122) or Dr. Glenn Schaeffer at the ABC District office (780-474-0063).

"Loud." ABC District Youth Gathering: July 23-26, 2009
http://www.loudyouthgathering.ca

Pastors and Rostered Church Workers:

Counseling and Liability Insurance premium payment of $100.00 is due Dec.19, 2008. In order to receive coverage effective Jan.1, 2009, please remit payment to the ABC District Office.

More Info?

The ABC District has a blanket policy with Cherry Insurance to cover Professional Counselling Liability insurance for pastors and rostered church workers. If you are interested in participating, or have participated in the past and would like to once again, please contact Jennifer jbehm-hansen@lccabc.ca at District Office and click here

Calls
* Added Rev. Dan Rinderknecht Call

Now that the website has been up for a few weeks, we would like to hear from you what you think and what kind of information you would like to see here.

We've put together a very short survey to collect your feedback. Please click here to help make this site what you want it to be.

The Treasurers mailing has been sent out, and some of the documents are available online, they are:

Treasurers Manual
2009 Salary Calculations
2009 Salary Guidelines

Calls
* Added Robert Clifford and Matt Ziprick's Calls

Links
* Added many new links to various affiliated sites.

The LCC website has put up videos of Pres. Bugbee's Installation, If you want to watch, Click Here

Calls
* Added Rev. Ken Eifert's Call to Faith Lutheran Church, Middle Lake, SK.
* Updated Rev Neil Stern and Rev. Ted Giese Calls

Church Worker Resources
* Added 2009 Salary Guidelines/Calculator

Congregational Resources
* Added Caring for the Called Servants of Christ Guidelines

Stony Plain, AB – Rev Ken Klaus spoke on September 21st to a full house at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Stony Plain. Nearly 600 people gathered in Stony Plain at the Church, who hosted a Lutheran Hour Ministries Celebration planned by the Klondike Zone of the Lutheran Laymen’s League.

Rev. Klaus’ homily held the listeners captive as he both entertained and educated on the subjects of relativism and evangelism. This event was webcasted at ABC District Website, a first for LHM.

We have introduced a new page, a photostream of our LCC ABC Flickr Group
You can share photos from your parish events here, just sign up, join our group, and submit the photos to it!

“With Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs” is the title for this year’s Sacred Music Festival, sponsored by Concordia University College of Alberta, held at the Winspear Centre for Music on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 7:30pm. The Choirs (Concordia Concert Choir, Concordia Community Chorus and Sine Nomine) will be supported by the Concordia Symphony Orchestra, Jubiloso! Bells of Concordia, as well as organist Rev. Lorne Manweiler and soloist Nola Shantz. The guest conductor for this special event is conductor/composer Dr. Larry Nickel from Vancouver; several of his choral anthems will be performed during the evening, including a commission for this event. The audience is invited to join in on the hymns throughout the evening – an evening not to miss!

Tickets are $15/$12 (plus applicable service charges) from either the Concordia box office (780.479-9304) or Winspear box office (780.428-1414).

Click here for the Poster

Calls
* Added Rev. Jan Pastucha's Acceptance of Call to King of Kings, St. Albert, AB
* Added Rev. Laverne Hautz call to St. Peter's, Leduc, AB
* Removed Rejected Calls over three weeks old.

Congregational Resources
* Updated Treasurers Manual

New Pages
* LCCTV Added, for our live streams of events
* Flickr Photostream Added, For event photos from around the district

Looking for someone to give it a new home. Willing to trade for Tax Reciept.

Contact Linda at 1 (403) 239 1658 or eabelyk@sasktel.net

The Canadian Council of Christian Charities is offering regional workshops in many different categories, please Click Here for the Brochure

KITCHENER, Ont. – Worshippers from as far away as Germany joined Lutheran Church–Canada for the installation of its third national president. In a music-filled evening service, Sunday September 28 at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in downtown Kitchener, Rev. Robert Bugbee, 53, elected in June, accepted his new responsibilities. The Rite of Installation was conducted by presidents emeritus Rev. Dr. Edwin Lehman (1988-96) and Rev. Dr. Ralph Mayan (1996-2008).

Participating in the service were clergy from B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Germany. Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Torgerson, from Wittenberg, Germany is a Canadian-born pastor responsible for the development of a Lutheran visitor’s information centre in the city where the Reformation began in 1517.

The red stole worn by the new president during the service was crafted by Joanne Huras of Our Saviour Church, London, Ontario, and presented to Pastor Bugbee at his ordination and first installation in 1982.

Reflecting the tradition in the European church, President Bugbee preached the sermon during the Installation Service. His words to the church and to Canada centred on the theme “Jesus Christ is Lord.” He told the congregation of more than 500, “The Christian Gospel is not some modern message of ‘acceptance’ or ‘inclusivity’ where God always says ‘Yes’ to anything people choose to think or do or believe. This Gospel is the concrete, liberating Word of God’s Christ, whose real life and real death and real resurrection cover over the sins of humankind.”

The service featured musicians from Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kitchener where Rev. Bugbee served for 14 years. Two choirs, soloists and a band and string quartet performed specially chosen music. Paul Walrath, from Historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, was organist.

Almost 100 viewers across Canada and in Germany watched the event on-line—a first for Lutheran Church–Canada. At one point, the service from Kitchener was the most-watched webcast on .

Joining the Toledo, Ohio-born president at the service were his wife, Gail, children Lauren, Jill and Nathanael. His son, Ian, is currently at sea serving in the US Navy. Other family members from Michigan and Ohio included his mother and step-father, Violet and Robert Whalley, and  97-year-old grandmother Olive Stratton.

In addition to the president, LCC’s three vice-presidents and members of the Board of Directors were installed. The board meets in Kitchener Monday.

Further information:
Ian Adnams,
Director of Communications
communications@lutheranchurch.ca

Calls
* Removed Pastors/Church Workers who were installed this weekend
* Removed Declined calls over 3 weeks old
* Added Rev. Jan Pastucha's Call to King of Kings, St. Albert, AB
* Added Rev. Neil Stern call to Winnipeg, MB

STONY PLAIN, Alta. – Despite some initial technical difficulties, Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) in cooperation with St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church sent a live video stream across the Internet Sunday. The live feed came from a Lutheran Hour rally that featured the speaker of The Lutheran Hour, Rev. Ken Klaus.

The church, which is equipped with a camera and sound equipment, sent the signal through a wireless Internet connection to , an online streaming service. Viewers of the test saw and heard the service as it unfolded in Alberta. “With any test there are some technical aspects that you discover along the way,” noted Ian Adnams, LCC’s director of communications. “I think we can move in this direction more intentionally and provide video resources which anyone anywhere can watch at home.”

LCC is currently investigating the possibility of providing live video streaming of President Robert Bugbee’s installation service, Sunday, September 28 at 6:30 p.m. (ET).

-From http://www.lutheranchurch.ca

Calls
* Removed Pastors/Church Workers who were installed this weekend
* Removed Declined calls over 3 weeks old
* Added Rev. Ted Giese call to Trinity, Fort McMurray, AB

Congregational Resources and Church Workers Resources
* Added Several Useful Documents

Church Extension Fund
* Many Forms now avaliable.

Rev. Ken Klaus of The Lutheran Hour arrived in Stony Plain today and met with the LLL Ambassadors from the Klondike Zone of the Lutheran Laymen’s League.

Tomorrow, Rev. Klaus will participate in "The Lutheran Hour Celebration" at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Stony Plain. We will be broadcasting the event live at http://www.lccabc.ca/LCCTV. Feel Free to tune in.

-Evan T. Adnams

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Greetings to all of you in the Name of our Precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I want to thank all of you and your congregation for your prayers and support on behalf of the people of Gonaives and surrounding areas. The Lord has heard your prayers on our behalf because hurricane Ike did not strike us as we expected. There were only some heavy winds, but not much rains. If Ike would bring much rains in town, the flood would have been reinforced and the city of Gonaives could have been destroyed. Praise the Lord the city of Gonaives was spared from Ike because of your prayers.

Right now lots of people are getting sick in the city of Gonaives. Myself I have fever and cough since two days and I am still not doing well. My kids are also sick. Medical care is not yet available in the city because most areas in town are still having 3 to 4 feet of water. It's only the Red Cross that is active in trying to provide some basic medical aid to the people based on special needs because they do have shortage of supplies and staff. Meanwhile the city of Gonaives is still cut with the rest of Haiti. The two main bridges that allow entrance to the city from up north and from the west are being damaged.

Thus far, there have been no efforts from the government to restore these bridges. The only way to get food supplies by trucks is from either St Marc or L'Estere. Now both the city of St Marc and L'Estere will soon have themselves shortage of food and medical supplies for being the only main food suppliers to the people of Gonaives and surrounding areas. This is because ground transportation from Port-au-Prince to St Marc and L'Estere doesn't exist as well.

The scenery of life in Gonaives is horrible. Over 150,000 people are concentrated over at the northern and western part of town where there is dry ground. A crowded population hungry, looking for food and water all day long. They are moving to those directions because the northwest and Southern part of town are still in bad shape. Over in my Church (at the 4 stories building) there are now over 1000 people from the original 200 we have had the day before Hurricane Anna. Half of these people are sick. We have a case of a woman who gave birth to a baby girl last night in the building. We'll probably suggest the mother to call her "Anna". So far no medical assistance for her and this morning we'll try to get help from the Red Cross for her. 95 % of the people in Gonaives are without cloths and shoes and have only just one underwear. All their belonging and household items got lost. Lots of women are getting infections and some basic women supplies do not even exist for sale. All over the streets there are mud, dead human and animal bodies into the waters and no service from the government. Life is terrible and is horrible down here.

The Lutheran Church of Haiti lost in the current flood in Gonaives and the other 10 towns in the Artibonite county is estimated to over $205,000 US. These are lost from quarry equipment, Church roof materials, building damage and lost of household items at the orphanage, elderly care center, bakery, credit union program, Computer school, medical clinic, TV and FM radio Ministries and agriculture program.

Some basic biscuit and water aid to some areas are being provided by the UN through helicopters. However, the UN doesn't have enough helicopter to provide humanitarian assistance to over 200,000 people. The other option to send food and medical supplies to Gonaives right now is only by the ocean (Sea Port) as the Gonaives dock is still in operation.

Tomorrow morning September 16th, 08, we will have a food distribution over at Church for over 3000 people. We have got this food from Cross International via Uni-tranfer, a wire and food transfer agency in North America. We will have a second distribution on September 18th, 08 to over 4000 people. The funds for the second food distribution have been provided by the Haiti Lutheran and Mission Coordinating Committee. I also want to tell you that these food distribution planned in my Church will be for all people, it is not intended only for the people in my Church.

In each of the food distribution pictures and video will be taken and be sent to the donors via the Internet. I am very fortunate, even sick; to find a Cyber Café in Gonaives that is providing Internet service. I won't have to go over at St Marc any more to communicate with you. And it is for sure I will be able to communicate more often with you.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support while we are facing this tragedy in the city of Gonaives. Special thanks to Mrs. Sandra Kosh from Cross International who have been keeping in touch with me through the phone while getting us food to Gonaives via Unitransfert. Thanks also to the HLMCC members, especially Brother Paul Klenner and Mrs. Helen for sending us funds to buy food from St Marc.

God bless you all.

Rev. Revenel Benoit
President, Lutheran Church of Haiti

Beginning January 2009, Mrs Carol Martin of St James Lutheran Church in St Jacobs ON will return to Yaoundé, Cameroon through a joint project of Lutheran Bible Translators of Canada and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada - Volunteers In Mission. She will be seconded to SIL (Wycliffe Bible Translators) for the second semester of this school year at the Rain Forest International School as the Library Assistant. Following this assignment at the end of June 09, Carol plans to serve as a volunteer with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon wherever she is needed at that time.

Carol completed an assignment at the school earlier this year. Rain Forest International School offers post secondary education to children of field missionaries on assignment in remote areas of Cameroon.

For more information or to support this project, contact Lutheran Bible Translators of Canada at 1-866-518-7071 or Carol’s support group at:

St James Lutheran Church
125 King St
PO Box 70
St Jacobs ON
N0B 2N0.

Check in here daily to find updates to Calls, Calendars and The Digital ABC District News! Feel free to browse around. We're not expecting everything to go perfectly smooth, so please send feedback/problems to eadnams@lccabc.ca. I look forward to hearing from you!

-Evan T. Adnams

From July 21st to the 25th children from the ages of four to twelve participated in the Vacation Bible School at Riverbend Lutheran Church. I was one of them. Several different stations were set up around the church, and every day each age group would go through all of them. For example, there was a station where you were taught the story for the day, another where you made crafts, one where you played games and a fourth where you were taught a bible verse. The theme for this year’s VBS was the wilderness, and how different types of animals from the forest represent ways that Jesus, our “forever friend” helps us, loves us, and cares for us.
I had so much fun this summer at Vacation Bible School, and I hope the other kids did, too. It’s a great learning opportunity and you get a chance to see old friends and make new ones. The crafts station was awesome, and I really enjoyed the games as well. The bible verses had cool activities, and while doing the bible story we found out about the blind man, the centurion, Jesus’ death and resurrection and more! I’m very satisfied, and the volunteers were amazing.

Written by Alyssa DiBattista

As part of its outreach toward men inside and outside the church, Lutheran Hour Ministries' Men's NetWork is introducing a blog for guys to read and react to.

Coming in September, http://mnmanstuff.blogspot.com will invite readers to comment on topics ranging from the importance of male leadership to differences between being a nice guy and a good guy. Along the way, we'll even tackle the perpetual riddle of what do women really want. Check it out; post a comment; tell us what you think - it's all about having a conversation.

Central to the Men's NetWork Web site, which is coming in January, will be its video Bible studies. Our video teams are currently working on four different projects:

Home Run King by Pastor Tim Radkey is an engaging Bible study that highlights the central and critical player positions men occupy in their homes, their churches, and their communities. As servant-leaders, men are to both provide for their families and show them the way - to the cross and the King who gave His life for us all.

Who Am I? Why Am I Here? written by Pastor Joel Biermann, is a detailed study bringing to the forefront God's will as it operates in a physical and moral world. Biermann shows how man's fullest role within creation is as a Christian engaged in service and actively speaking the story of Christ - which fulfills the very point of our life here on earth.

He Who Dies With The Most Toys Still Dies is Pastor Radkey's look at the materialist philosophy that can capture and hold an individual hostage. Whether it's a vintage 1945 Harley-Davidson "Knucklehead," the "house with the white picket fence," or a drawer full of memories and medals from yesteryear, Radkey reminds us that it's all just stuff, and a U-Haul trailing our hearse won't let us keep it beyond the grave.

When it comes to creation, Pastor Steve Misch's as-yet-untitled Bible study explores this complex and multifaceted topic with depth and finesse. In six sessions, he examines everything from scientific and theological debates over Genesis to astronomical distances and how creation and redemption are linked. In the end - as it was in the beginning - the center of it all is Jesus Christ.

The Men's NetWork will keep you posted as to when these video Bible studies are available ... visit to sign up to receive further updates about the program. Men's NetWork is LHM's Christ-centered, Web-based ministry launching in January 2009 to equip and motivate men to greater levels of commitment, leadership and service as they become stronger disciples of Jesus Christ.

From Lutheran Hour Ministries

On June 14, 2008 family and friends of Pastor Bob Willie gathered to celebrate his twenty-five years of service as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Duncan, British Columbia, as well as the thirty-fifth anniversary of his ordination into the pastoral ministry.

Pastor Tim Rumsch, Vancouver Island Circuit Counselor, served as the liturgist for the celebration worship service. Pastor Bill Ney delivered the uplifting sermon, entitled, “Your Labour Is Not in Vain,” based on 1 Corinthians 15:58. Special music was provided by Nancy Washeim, Beth Broughton, and Julie Lawson. Several anthems were sung by a combined choir with members from Trinity, Duncan and St. Paul’s, Nanaimo, under the direction of Georgina Bonkowski. Other pastors from the circuit and Pastor Les Carlson, from Oliver, BC, also participated in the service.

Following the worship service, a luncheon was enjoyed by everyone at the Cowichan Community Centre. Letters of congratulations were received from Dr. Ralph Mayan, Rev. Don Schiemann, Dr. Ed Lehman, and Dr. Harold Ruf. The entertainment included a humorous skit and a PowerPoint presentation showing highlights of the past thirty-five years, recalling the many blessings which God has bestowed upon Pastor Willie’s life and ministry.

Front Row: Rev. Bill Ney, Rev. Bob Willie, Rev. Les Carlson, Rev. Al Dudiak Back Row: Rev. Kevin Platz, Rev. Craig Tufts, Rev. Tim Rumsch, Rev. Colin Liske, Rev. Phil Washeim

Submitted by Leonard Bland

Although no longer in the headlines, Hurricane Hanna devastated the Gonaives region of Haiti. This is where the Lutheran Church of Haiti has its major operations. Rev. Revenel  Benoit’s report details how this storm not only took hundreds of lives, but severely damaged church properties and the businesses the church operates to generate its own operational funds. Should you wish to provide financial support to help the church reach out to those in need and rebuild, go to  www.lutheranchurch.ca/donate.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

There was no expectation that a hurricane would strike Gonaives again as Hurricane Jeanne did four years ago. In fact, Hurricane Gustav only brought some rain, and we were all happy that it didn't hit us hard. While rejoicing for not being hit by Gustav and its predecessor, we were surprised to hear that a new hurricane named of Hanna was on its way to Haiti, and brunt of its force would hit Artibonite County. My hometown, Gonaives is the largest city in Artibonite County.

We first heard about Hanna last Sunday; there wasn't much time to prepare. Heavy rains started late Sunday night. Monday morning there was a lull, to the extent that I spoke with one of the LCH supporter from Canada , Howard Bogusat and told him things did not look that bad. Three hours later things got serious with very heavy rains and winds that took off over 60% of the corrugated metal roofs from the houses in Gonaives. Goats, cows, donkeys all floated by in the water.

Not long thereafter, the water was up to the roofs of many of the houses. My house has the only concrete roof in the area, so many people in the area climbed onto my roof to keep from being washed away like many of their neighbors. I had my family and myself to take care of and we all climbed to the safety of our roof. The water destroyed everything we had! We were all on the roof for over 14 hours, from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. the following morning. There wasn't any food available and I was in trouble because I am diabetic and must have food or my blood sugar can drop to dangerous levels. What helped were two small watermelons I bought the day before and saved them; they helped me get through the night. My doctor from Tucson , Arizona, Joy Lynn Logan, told me I must eat four times a day. Being on the roof with five kids and about 50 hungry neighbours while it was raining was not fun.

This morning I went into town to see the damage done by the hurricane. The scenes I have seen were awful. Dead bodies of people and animals are all over the streets. The flooding was even worse than four years ago and extended to over 10 other towns in Artibonite county. Over 75% of house walls and roofs were destroyed and about 70% of the trees are gone. People are using small boats to get though the city. Even the UN trucks and tanks cannot get through the water because it is so deep. Thus far we have heard nothing from the government about what they are planning to do to help the people. Food and drinking water are not available because most of the food storage is filled with water. All towns' wells are contaminated. We are all starving in the city of Gonaives as well as the other towns. So far I have not been able to find food to buy for my family. My small four-year-old daughter Janet is crying because she is hungry.

So far 500 people have been reported dead as that is the number of bodies they have found. In the LCH we have not yet been able to assess loss of life, but we do know that lots of our LCH ministries have been damaged or destroyed.

The walls of our orphanage have been destroyed; our medical clinic walls are gone along with all the medical equipment and supplies inside it. The orphans in the orphanage no longer have clothes and shoes. The water even took the kitchen utensils. High-tech computer's windows were all destroyed by the wind and lots of water got into the computers. Our bakery equipment is lost and most of the bakery walls were destroyed. At least two LCH vehicles were damaged. We have now over 300 people in the four-story church building. They all came yesterday morning to find shelter in three upper stories because the sanctuary on the first floor is filled with water. Rev. Gaston Hyppolite, a lay pastor assistant, had his house completely destroyed.

The quarry manager, Pierreny St. Fleur went to the quarry this morning. There is both good and bad news. Our new Kobelco excavator is in excellent shape because it is located at the top of the mountain where it's exploiting the sand to load the trucks; that's the good news. The bad news is that both our Bulldozer D8 K and the 950 B loaders have been damaged by the water. They were located at the bottom of the mountain near the rock crusher and the flood moved them and damaged their engines. The rock crusher and its engine are okay because they are on concrete bases and were not moved by the flood waters. [LCH finances part of its operations with income from the quarry.]

Tears come to my eyes as I write this report. It's like everything we have worked for has been destroyed. When we'll get through this situation I don't know; only God knows. What is more frustrating is that the government has not yet said a word on how they plan to assist the people. All we have seen are some UN helicopters. We have no food or running water and we all feel cut off from the rest of the world.

Please assist us. The first need as I see it is food, medicine and water. The second is clothes and shoes. The third is to help reconstruct all the things in the mission that have been destroyed. Will you please help? You can send your support and financial assistance for the Lutheran Church of Haiti to Haiti Lutheran Mission Society, c/o 400 Glenridge Ave.,St. Catharines, ON  L2T 3L2., or go to  www.lutheranchurch.ca/donate  and use the designated donation link.

Please pray for all of us in the City of Gonaives and the County of Artibonite.

God's peace be with you all. Rev. Revenel Benoit President, the Lutheran Church of Haiti

From LCC-Info Digest

Calls Page
Jennifer Kerr
Director of Youth and Young Adults (Non-rostered position)
First Lutheran Kelowna, BC
Installation Date: Sept 21

There are many ways to be a missionary and spread God's love to others. Dorothy Schultz, a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Grande Prairie, AB., does this by knitting mittens for people in remote areas of Canada. One hundred pairs of mittens have been donated to L.A.M.P. (Lutheran Association of Missionaries & Pilots) for distribution this winter to adults and children in northern Canada. Thanks be to God for Mrs. Schultz's knitting skills and her desire to express His love to others in this way.

submitted by Brenda Schultz

From The New York Times

JERUSALEM — In a crowded laboratory painted in gray and cooled like a cave, half a dozen specialists embarked this week on a historic undertaking: digitally photographing every one of the thousands of fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the aim of making the entire file — among the most sought-after and examined documents on earth — available to all on the Internet.

Equipped with high-powered cameras with resolution and clarity many times greater than those of conventional models, and with lights that emit neither heat nor ultraviolet rays, the scientists and technicians are uncovering previously illegible sections and letters of the scrolls, discoveries that could have significant scholarly impact.

The 2,000-year-old scrolls, found in the late 1940s in caves near the Dead Sea east of Jerusalem, contain the earliest known copies of every book of the Hebrew Bible (missing only the Book of Esther), as well as apocryphal texts and descriptions of rituals of a Jewish sect at the time of Jesus. The texts, most of them on parchment but some on papyrus, date from the third century B.C. to the first century A.D.

Only a handful of the scrolls exist in large pieces, with several on permanent exhibit at the Israel Museum here in its dimly lighted Shrine of the Book. Most of what was found is separated into 15,000 fragments that make up about 900 documents, fueling a longstanding debate on how to order the fragments as well as the origin and meaning of what is written on them.

The scrolls’ contemporary history has been something of a tortured one because they are among the most important sources of information on Jewish and early Christian life. After their initial discovery they were tightly held by a small circle of scholars. In the last 20 years access has improved significantly, and in 2001 they were published in their entirety. But debate over them seems only to grow.

Scholars continually ask the Israel Antiquities Authority, the custodian of the scrolls, for access to them, and museums around the world seek to display them. Next month, the Jewish Museum of New York will begin an exhibition of six of the scrolls.

The keepers of the scrolls, people like Pnina Shor, head of the conservation department of the antiquities authority, are delighted by the intense interest but say that each time a scroll is exposed to light, humidity and heat, it deteriorates. She says even without such exposure there is deterioration because of the ink used on some of the scrolls as well as the residue from the Scotch tape used by the 1950s scholars in piecing together fragments.

The entire collection was photographed only once before — in the 1950s using infrared — and those photographs are stored in a climate-controlled room because they show things already lost from some of the scrolls. The old infrared pictures will also be scanned in the new digital effort.

“The project began as a conservation necessity,” Ms. Shor explained. “We wanted to monitor the deterioration of the scrolls and realized we needed to take precise photographs to watch the process. That’s when we decided to do a comprehensive set of photos, both in color and infrared, to monitor selectively what is happening. We realized then that we could make the entire set of pictures available online to everyone, meaning that anyone will be able to see the scrolls in the kind of detail that no one has until now.”

The process will probably take one to two years — more before it is available online — and is being led by Greg Bearman, who retired from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Data collection is directed by Simon Tanner of Kings College London.

Jonathan Ben-Dov, a professor of biblical studies at the University of Haifa, is taking part in the digitalization project. Watching the technicians gingerly move a fragment into place for a photograph, he said that it had long been very difficult for senior scholars to get access.

Once this project is completed, he said with wonder, “every undergraduate will be able to have a detailed look at them from numerous angles.”