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1. Celebrate Scout Guide Week February 19-26
Join with others across Canada in celebrating this year's Scout Guide Week from February 19-26. Many ELCIC congregations support Scouts and Girl Guides by providing leadership, meeting places and administering various stages of the Religion in Life Award. A special bulletin insert has been made available to help share this with your congregation and family - elcic.ca/Calendar-of-Event.
2. Diaconal Sunday - February 26
Celebrating witness expressed through service (diakonia) and leadership offered by the ELCIC's diaconal ministers.
ELCIC congregations are encouraged to lift up the mission and witness of diaconal ministry on or around Sunday, February 26. Several resources have been created to assist you in this. They can be found online.
3. Structural Renewal Update
ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson has prepared a message updating church members on the structural renewal process. She has also prepared a video message. Congregations are encouraged to share this video before or after worship services, during annual general meetings, and at other opportunities as they are able.
4. Climate Change and Stewardship of Creation
Climate change and stewardship of creation continue to be matters in need of urgent action. The following list provides a few highlights of the ELCIC's work in this area and ways for you and your congregation to get involved:
5. CLAY 2012
The Canadian Lutheran and Anglican Youth (CLAY) gathering takes place August 16-19, 2012 in Saskatoon, SK. Registration opened January 16 and is available online! Find out more and register for the event at clay2012.ca.
6. National Youth Project - 12 for 12: Developing Full Community
12 for 12 challenges youth of the ELCIC and the Anglican Church of Canada to raise $60,000 in support of community development through Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) and Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). Find out how you can get your congregation involved! Information and resources are available at:
youth.elcic.ca/nyp/2010-2012/index.php.
7. 2012 ELCIC Praise Appeal - Ambassadors for Christ: In Mission for Others
We are Ambassadors for Christ: In Mission for Others as we: answer the Call to Spiritual Renewal; are involved in mission with our companion synods and partner churches; work towards a right relationship with Indigenous peoples; respond as part of The Lutheran World Federation to train leaders, strengthen churches, and respond to human need around the world.
Your financial support of the National Church through the ELCIC Praise Appeal helps us accomplish all these things.
Congregations throughout the ELCIC are asked to designate one Sunday in 2012 to highlight this appeal at a time that works best for your local circumstances. Find out more, make an individual contribution, and access resources to assist in holding your 2012 ELCIC Praise Appeal Sunday by visiting www.elcic.ca/praiseappeal.
8. World Council of Churches Stewards Program
Apply now for the WCC Stewards Program, August 23 - September 7, 2012, in Crete, Greece. A unique experience of ecumenical formation for young Christians! Share the video with your friends and networks.
9. Companion of the Worship Arts Call for Nominations
The Program Committee for Worship, on behalf of the National Bishop, calls for nominations to the Companion of the Worship Arts. This is an honour conferred in recognition of significant contribution to the worship life of the ELCIC at a local, synodical, and national level. The honour recognizes the recipient's ongoing inspiration and encouragement to others, together with service to God through worship, spirituality, and the arts.
Nominate someone you feel deserves this honour! Include the following supporting materials with your nomination:
- Reasons for the nomination; i.e., biographical material with a listing of the person's specific contributions to the worship life of the ELCIC (examples should include national, synodical, and local involvements),
- An indication, with examples, of the ways the person continues to inspire and encourage others in the worship life of the church,
- A minimum of three letters of support for the nomination from others familiar with the individual's contributions.
The honour will be conferred at the ELCIC/ACC National Worship Conference in Winnipeg, June 29-July 2, 2012 (www.nationalworshipconference.org). Current members of the Program Committee for Worship are not eligible for nomination.
Send nomination materials by February 15, 2012, to
Carolyn Speakman at carolyn.speakman@lethbridgecollege.ca or 312-7 A Avenue South, Lethbridge AB T1J 1N5.
10. Right Relationships with Indigenous Peoples
Looking for ideas on how your congregation can begin to explore right relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people? Every congregation has received a copy of the KAIROS resource In Peace and Friendship: A New Relationship with Aboriginal People either at convention or through a direct mail piece that was sent out following convention. Additional copies of this resource are available to be ordered through KAIROS - kairoscanada.org.
11. 2013 Joint Lutheran-Anglican National Assembly
The first joint Lutheran-Anglican national meeting is set to take place July 3 to 7, 2013 at the Ottawa Convention Centre. The ELCIC and Anglican Church of Canada will come together for this historic meeting under the theme "Together for the love of the world."
The meeting will consist of some time together for worship, joint mission work, and a joint witness event, as well as time for each church structure to attend to their own convention business matters. A joint planning group has already met several times and visited the convention site.
12. Call to Spiritual Renewal Lenten Journey
National Bishop Susan Johnson encourages a Call to Spiritual Renewal and deeper discipleship within our church, including: regular attendance at worship; daily prayer and scripture reading; yearly involvement in a program of study; regular service in the community (not just the congregation); regular and proportional giving similar to the understanding of the tithe found in scripture; and commitment to sharing the good news with those around us, beginning with our family and friends. A simplified list of this call includes: Pray, Read, Worship, Study, Serve, Give and Tell.
Use these seven areas to help focus your Lenten journey. Resources will be available online at elcic.ca/csr shortly to help guide your study.
13. Tell your story!
Do you have a story to share about the work of your congregation In Mission for Others that you would like to see in a future issue of E-Communique? Send your brief story and a picture to communique@elcic.ca and be featured in an upcoming issue!
14. Share these resources!
Is there someone you know of that you feel would benefit from receiving these resources? Consider forwarding them a copy of this email. Subscribing to E-Communique is easy - just send an email to communique@elcic.ca with the word "Subscribe" in the subject.
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