the vine summer 2015 - clover...
TRANSCRIPT
The Vine
Summer 2015
Pastor:
Lee Woolery
403-253-1453 extn 11
403-301-0011(home)
403-809-3487(cell)
Children’s Ministry:
Mariette Jessup
Church Board 2014-2015
Jaqui Anderson
Rachelle Ellis
Brooke Herwig
Jens Kaack
Jennifer May
Garry Mihaichuk
Bob Montgomery
Darren Tenor
Administration:
Katharine Heimbigner-Tenor
403-253-1453 extn 12
Liz Salomon
403-253-1453 extn 10
www.oursaviourchurch.ca
8831 Fairmount Drive SE
Calgary, T2H 0Z4
Ministry Team
All are members of Lutheran Church of Our Saviour
S t a f f O f f i c e H o u r s :
Pastor Lee:
Monday to Thursday
9:00 am to Noon
Katharine Heimbigner-Tenor
Tuesday thru Thursday
9:00 am to noon
For the Summer
Liz Salomon
Tuesday thru Thursday
10:30 am to 1:30 pm
July 21—August 14th
Mariette Jessup
Please contact via email
beginning again in August
Subscribe to The Vine Online!
Simply email [email protected] with ‘Electronic Vine’ in
the subject line. Your email address will be added to the distribu-
tion list! ALSO you can find the Vine on our church website.
Please contact the Church Office with any questions.
Family Ministry Happenings by Mariette Jessup
June was the month of the HEART here at LCOS!
First, we planted our Heart Garden: Then, we offered our Heartfelt Thanks to our amazing
volunteers in Family Ministry:
Finally, we wrapped it all up with a Heart:
I wish you all a wonderful summertime and look forward to
seeing you at VBS August 17th!
from “Jesus Calling” by Sarah young:
‘I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate,
though not always in words. I fling glorious sunsets across
the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces and
voices of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that
refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of
your spirit, where I have taken up residence.’
STAMPEDE BREAKFAST!!
Sunday, July 12th
8:00 am—10:30 am
Worship at 11:00 am See Y’All There!!
TONE JONES will be entertaining
us with music during Breakfast!!
Don’t forget your donation
to the food bank!
www.vbsfun.ca
August 17th to 22nd
Welcome to Everest: Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power! In just a few weeks, our church will be getting a mountain makeover as we begin a unique adventure
at Everest VBS! Kids will worship God through songs and prayer, experiment with Sciency-Fun Gizmos,
and discover life-changing Bible truths in fun and memorable ways.
To have the best adventure possible, we need lots of volunteers who can give some time, energy, and
love to the kids who will attend. Please check out the following list, and then pray about where God
might use you.
Crew Leaders—morning
Station Leaders—morning: Imagination Station & Spotlight
Assistant Crew Leaders—morning
Afternoon Crew Leaders for the grade 1 to 5 group
Decorating Crew on the Saturday or Sunday before VBS
Take-down Crew the afternoon of 22nd (we have a wedding the next day)
Sign-in Assistant Monday Morning
You can sign-up online to volunteer or contact the office.
To make the adventure more fun we also need some extra help with decorating. If you can lend or
donate some of the following items please contact the office or sign-up in the lobby.
Large pieces of cardboard
Rolls of paper
Hiking Equipment,
5 Table Clothes (Picnic Table style with the fuzzy fabric on the back)
20 blue pens
10 skipping ropes
Christmas Trees (not decorated)
White Sheets/Fabric
Solid White Quilt Batting
2 or 3 small tents
Old fashioned alarm clock
Styrofoam packing peanuts
1 can of Silly String,
Rope - lots of rope - all kinds, colors & lengths
Red, clear and silver (regular) Duct Tape
1 Roll of White Gauze Ribbon
Non Scented Wet Wipes
May 31, 2015—Romero Beatified
I had the good fortune to attend the beatification ceremony for martyred arch-
bishop Oscar Romero celebrated by the Roman Catholic church in San Salvador
on May 23. Three of us stood with hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans in
the streets surrounding Plaza Salvador del Mundo as the church held up the life
and example of the bishop who was the Voice for the Voiceless.
As Carlos Colorado sums up in his blog:
And then, there is the impression the event made on those who attended,
and even those who experienced it remotely or learn about it later
on. The grandeur and spectacle of the event will loom large in the popu-
lar imagination. It was, as presidential spokesman Eugenio Chicas said,
“the event of the century” for El Salvador. Little details, from the 30 mi-
nute-long procession of over a thousand priests and bishops entering the
altar to the astonishing solar halo that dazzled onlookers by appearing
precisely during the rite of beatification, seem to assure that the memory
of the event will be seared in the historic memory as an eye-popping
spectacle.
In the short term, these feel-good atmospherics will generate positivity
and good will. But they will also generate expectations and not all of
those expectations will be fulfilled.
So what did it all mean?
For the Roman Catholic church, Romero's beatification certainly reflects the em-
phasis of Pope Francis who wants his church to focus on serving the poor
throughout the world. The Catholic social justice tradition which has not received top billing from the Vatican in recent
decades, now has a prominence epitomized by Romero. The personal intervention of the first Latin American pope moved
Romero's cause from a slow crawl to the fast track.
For El Salvador, Romero's beatification is part of the consolidation of post war gains. Romero was assassinated by a right
wing oligarchy who could not bear his message that the poor and down-trodden had human rights and were worthy of dig-
nity. But now El Salvador has its second peacefully elected left wing government in a row, and the beatification was a
national celebration of Romero's message over and against those who tried to silence it with an assassin's bullet. (Of
course not all are unified behind this message, as
symbolically seen in the short-lived renaming of a
street in San Salvador this year for the man who or-
dered the assassination, Roberto D'Aubuisson).
For people who struggle for social justice throughout
Latin America, the beatification was a chance to re-
member the example of a person who had long been
a martyr and a saint in their eyes regardless of
whether the church had formally recognized him as
such. "San Romero de las Americas" was finally re-
ceiving the official recognition from his church which
those struggling for justice had given him all along.
For hundreds of street vendors, the beatification cer-
emonies were a chance to eek out a living. Some
hawked bottles of water, others jewelry or T-shirts or
Reflections on El Salvador—By Rev. Brian Rude
More then 1000 Priests attended the Ceremony
New image of Romero revealed
posters, others sold dulces or tortillas or pupusas. They are part of the hundreds of thou-
sands of poor Salvadorans who labor daily in the informal economy. Oscar Romero, with
his open heart for the poor, would have been walking side by side with them, more com-
fortable sharing their burdens than in the ornate trappings of a beatification ceremony
attended by princes of the church and heads of state.
It is fitting to conclude with words from one of Romero's homilies:
We have never preached violence except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a
cross,
The violence that we must each do to ourselves
to overcome our selfishness
and such cruel inequalities among us.
The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword,
the violence of hatred.
It is the violence of love,
of brotherhood,
the violence that wills to beat weapons
into sickles for work.
NOVEMBER 27, 1977, English translation in The Violence of Love.
Halo appeared at the height of
the ceremony around the Sun
The Youth wrap-up party!
Harald’s Heroes Weekend the Third
(a.k.a. The 3rd Annual LCOS Men’s Retreat)
October 2 to 4, 2015 Baker Creek Chalets
$150/person
Fellowship, hiking, good food, great conversation
and beautiful mountain scenery
For more information or to register:
Contact Ron Bennett
A deposit (or full payment) is required by July 19th.
Men’s Retreat
Men’s Retreat at Camp Kuriakos
Led by Pastor Lee Woolery!
Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27th
"Think camp is great in the summer? We've
saved the best fall weekend for our Men's
Retreat! Come with your friends, sons, father,
buddies, or pals to enjoy time with God and
each other. The camp provides great meals,
space to relax, time to learn, and opportunities
to use power tools".
Cost for Kuriakos is $130 plus gst. The camp
is for men 18 and older. Arrival time at Kuria-
kos would be between 8 and 8:30 pm on
Friday the 25th with the wrap-up at 12:30 pm
on Sunday the 27th.
Volunteer Opportunity
Women’s Retreat
6th Annual Ladies Retreat at Baker Creek
Friday, October 23rd to Sunday, October 25th
Sign-up beginning of August.
More details please contact:
Jennifer May or Deb Kummer
Seeking a Pianist and/or Choir Leader
Auburn Heights Residence is a dynamic senior’s community that is seeking a
couple of local volunteers who can help organize and play piano for weekly sing
songs. We are looking for an individual to accompany or lead our talented sen-
iors in song and music. The emphasis will likely
be on songs from the 30’s and 50’s and songs
that will bring out the best in our residents.
Dates, times, frequency and special honorariums are open to negotiation. If this is of
interest to you can you please contact:
Ms. Dorothy Britten, Executive Director
Auburn Heights Retirement Residence
21 Auburn Bay Street SE
Phone: 403-234-9695 ext. 428
Email: [email protected]
As we approach the 500th anniversary of the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses on
October 31, 2017, Martin Luther is going to be a significant topic of conversation
and debate. That is where the Luther Reading Challenge comes in. An assortment
of the reformer's writings will be presented online for everyone to read and to re-
flect upon. The texts range from Luther's personal letters and hymns to his doctri-
nal and social treatises to his catechisms and his
will. Each text is prefaced with an introduction to
orient the reader. The reading part is just the begin-
ning. Readers can also participate in online discus-
sions. You simply have to register! The initiative is a
joint venture of The Lutheran World Federation and
the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg.
Highly recommended!
Luther Reading Challenge: http://www.lutherreadingchallenge.org/
Lutheran World Federation: http://www.lutheranworld.org/
Institute for Ecumenical Research: http://www.strasbourginstitute.org/
Luther Reading Challenge—500 years in the making!
The beginning of the end of
homelessness in Canada:
20,000 Homes Campaign
launched June 16th
Twenty one communities from across the country joined the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) to launch
the 20,000 Homes Campaign, a powerful nationwide campaign that aims to permanently house 20,000 of Canada’s most
vulnerable homeless people by July 1, 2018.
“The 20,000 Homes Campaign is a grassroots movement of communities working together to permanently house some of
our most vulnerable homeless neighbours,” says Tim Richter, President and CEO, CAEH. “Homelessness is a solvable
problem and we believe if we work together, apply proven strategies like Housing First, we’ll achieve meaningful, nation-
wide reductions in homelessness within three years.”
The 21 communities that signed on are: Kamloops, B.C., Salt Spring Island, B.C., Sechelt / Sunshine Coast, B.C., Calgary,
Alta., Edmonton, Alta., Medicine Hat, Alta., Lethbridge, Alta., Red Deer, Alta., Grande Prairie, Alta., Saskatoon, SK., Regina,
SK., Hamilton, Ont., Kingston, Ont., Ottawa, Ont., Thunder Bay, Ont., Waterloo, Ont., Simcoe County, Ont., Fredericton,
N.B., Moncton, N.B., Saint John, N.B., and Halifax, N.S. Many more cities are expected to join in the coming months.
The campaign will engage thousands of volunteers in communities across Canada to get to know homeless people by
name and assess their housing and health care needs through a simple survey. Completed surveys and recorded data will
be shared with local staff who will prioritize entry into housing based on urgent need. Communities will then work together
to house their most vulnerable homeless people, reporting progress regularly on the campaign website.
Continued next page….
Ending Homelessness in Canada
”We’re going to extract every ounce of value we can from existing resources to get people housed,” Richter says, “but to
end homelessness in Canada we will need meaningful federal investment in affordable and supportive housing.”
Over the next three years the campaign hopes to build public support for ending homelessness and renewed federal in-
vestment in housing and support services.
In October 2014 the CAEH and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness released the State of Homelessness in Cana-
da. That report outlined how an additional federal housing investment of $46 per Canadian per year, for 10 years could
effectively end homelessness, reducing length of stay in Canadian emergency shelters to less than two weeks.
For more information, to join, volunteer or donate, check out our new campaign website: www.20Khomes.ca. You can join
the conversation on Facebook in our 20,000 Homes Participant Hub and follow the action on Twitter at #20Khomes.
We believe homelessness is a national emergency
requiring urgent and immediate action. The time has
come to stop managing homelessness, and start ending
it. We are dedicating ourselves to taking action.
Principles guiding the campaign: Housing First: Permanent, safe, appropriate and affordable housing with the support necessary to sustain it, happens
first and fast. We believe housing is a right for all Canadians.
Knowing who’s out there: Every homeless person is known by name because someone has deliberately gone out on-
to the streets, into shelters and wherever necessary to find them, assess their needs and meet them where they are at.
Tracking our progress: Local teams and the national campaign will use regularly collected, person-specific data to
accurately track progress toward our goal. We will be transparent in our progress through good times and bad.
Improving local systems: We will seek to build coordinated housing and support systems that are simple to navigate,
while targeting resources quickly and efficiently to the people who need it the most.
Resolutely focused on our missionWe are not interested in who gets credit or who gets blame. We are only interested
in achieving our objective and ending homelessness.
Taking action: We favour action over perfection and will find a way to meet our objectives, despite the challenges that
will come.
Youth and Tween
Paintball Sunday
May 31st
Finance - submitted by Cliff Blumhagen, Financial Secretary
Get on PAR (Pre-Authorized
Remittance) at LCOS
Did you know that you may give to LCOS via pre-authorized remittance one time per month from your bank or credit un-
ion chequing account? This program is like any other pre-authorized debit program and is called the PAR (Pre-
Authorized Remittance) program. Debits will be drawn from accounts on the 20th of each month. Whenever the 20th
falls on a weekend or holiday, the debits will be drawn on the first business day following the 20th. Donations via the
PAR program will be recorded on quarterly statements and year-end tax receipts along with all other giving.
Amounts from PAR can be directed to:
1) The LCOS general budget
2) Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR)
3) Mortgage debt reduction
You can give additional amounts and to other purposes via your regular donation envelopes.
The minimum amount to give via this program is a total of $50.00 per month.
You can sign up, make banking or donation amount changes, or withdraw from the program at any time. These changes
will be effective the month following the submission of the change. Forms are available to process these changes. The
program is administered by the Financial Secretary. Authorization forms are available in the Place of Welcome.
PAR: If you give via the Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) Program and you have made a change to your pledge amount
for 2015 (as compared to 2014), you will need to complete a PAR Amount Change form and submit to the Financial Sec-
retary via church mailbox # 91. If the form is submitted by February 01, 2015 the amount will be effective for the Febru-
ary 20, 2015 withdrawal.
Internet e-transfers are also available! To make a one time or recurring email transfer simply send donations to [email protected]. Please in-
clude either your envelope number or your name and address in the email so that we can give you a proper receipt at
the year’s end.
Study Trip to Israel—April 4th to 17th, 2016
Join us for another amazing trip to Israel led
by our own Pastor Lee. We have 16 spots
remaining for our trip from April 4th to 17th,
2016. The cost of the trip including flight,
accommodations etc. is $3800.00 US. The
trip also includes a pre-trip study component
of the sites you will be visiting. This trip is
suitable for older teens to retirees able to
handle some walking each day. For more
information contact Pastor Lee.
Finance—Year To Date - submitted by Cliff Blumhagen, Financial Secretary
CATEGORY FUND 2015 2014
Debt Reduction $450.00 $840.00
General $32,722.00 $23,629.00
Initial $10.00
Loose $517.46 $691.95
Budgeted Giving TOTAL $33,689.46 $25,170.95
CLWR $535.00
CLWR-Nepal $1,310.00
Memorial Fund $60.00
Designated Giving TOTAL $1,905.00 $595.00
Youth Funds $155.00
Cost Recovery $461.38
Non-Receiptable / Credit TOTAL $616.38 $870.74
Hot Dog Sunday-Acadia Forest $308.80
Rentals $1,887.00
Other Income TOTAL $2,195.80 $1,394.85
TOTAL $38,406.64 $28,031.54
Pre-Authorized (PAR) giving (included in totals above):
General $5,020.00 $4,185.00
Debt Reduction $120.00 $150.00
CLWR $255.00 $275.00
# participants 20 19
Number of Sundays 5 4
Average Attendance 182 207
COMMENTS:
Designated Giving for 2015 includes:
CLWR-Nepal ($1,310.00)
Other Income for 2015:
Hot Dog Sunday ($308.80)-designated to Acadia Forest
Cliff Blumhagen
Financial Secretary
Games Group
You are welcome to drop in at any time.
Gather for socialization, bridge and other games
from 1:00 until 4:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd
Tuesday of every month including in July and
August.
Small Group Update
Most of our small groups wind up in May and June for the summer months. However fall planning has already
begun. If you have an interest in seeing a new small group start up in the fall please contact Pastor Lee or the
office with your suggestions. If you are a small group leader please let the office know when your group will be
winding down for the summer.
Once there was a church
where the people took the offering
back home with them.
First it was collected
and brought to the altar.
After they asked God
to bless it,
they took it
and put it back into their pockets.
They mixed it up
with all their other money,
so that they couldn't tell
which was blessed
and which was not.
Then they left.
All week they spent as though
each piece was blessed
and was to be used lovingly.
Once There Was A Church by Herbert Brokering
July-August 2015 Message for Congrega-
tions and Lay and Rostered Leaders
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ –
I thank my God every time I remember
you… (Philippians 1:3).
This year I am inviting you to reflect on
portions of Paul’s letter, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who
are in Philippi (1:1b), as you gather for church council, adult
study, youth group, coffee group and are engaged in learn-
ing, discernment and reflection together. Relying heavily on
the writings of Fred Craddock and of David Lose, each article
will include a brief reflection on a Scripture passage, ques-
tions for reflection and discussion, and a prayer. I encourage
you, as we begin, to read Paul’s letter in its entirety in one
sitting; remembering as you read that this is a letter – of Paul – to a church.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining
forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those
of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to
you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. Philippians 3:13-16
Imprisoned with little to no hope of release, separated from his friends by distance and time, and unable to see with con-
fidence when this condition might end, Paul isn’t even remotely daunted but instead strains forward to embrace a free-
dom few can even imagine let alone grasp.
How?
Because Paul knows that he has been claimed by God. That his life is caught up in Christ. That he has been called by the
God who created light from darkness and raises the dead to new life.
Paul, that is, has seen the end of the story – and it is a good end – and therefore he can work and struggle and plan and
laugh and endure the present challenges with courage.
It comes down finally, I think, to vision. Or, really, to the eyes. Paul keeps his eyes fastened on the goal placed in front of
him, the heavenly call of God to proclaim the gospel of Christ. All else becomes secondary.
Paul is not the only Christian to experience the kind of confidence that comes from keeping your eyes on the heavenly
prize. Do you remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the eve of his assassination? They reflect the same
courage as that of the Apostle:
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to
do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I
may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I’m
happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of
the Lord!!
And here’s the thing: this kind of courage…is available to any of us.
Message for Congregations
Read and Reflect: Philippians 3:13-16
Discuss and Reflect:
What in this reading leads you to say, “I wonder about…”,
or, “I noticed…”
Comment on the following: Paul, that is, has seen the
end of the story – and it is a good end – and therefore he can
work and struggle and plan and laugh and endure the pre-
sent challenges with courage.
Comment on the following: It comes down finally, I think,
to vision.
Share together of others who have influenced you and/
or your faith community because of their courage and confi-
dence.
Pray together: Gracious God, keep us steadfast in your prom-
ises so that whether we are experiencing joy or sorrow in the
present our confidence in you and hope for the future re-
mains strong. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen
(Philippians 4:23).
The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(Romans 15:13).
In Christ Jesus –
Shalom,
+Larry
The Rev. Dr. Larry Kochendorfer, Bishop
Synod of Alberta and the Territories
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Spirit -Led Leadership - Hope-Filled Discipleship - Innovative Tradition - Collaborative Partnerships
A Child First Preschool…created with your child
first in mind.
Acadia Christian,
403-826-4333
8831 Fairmount Drive SE
www.achildfirstpreschool.ca
Acadia Christian Preschool Open House Aug 27th
July 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Office open 9 am to
noon Tue thru Thur
each week except
Canada Day
In July
1
7:00 Al-anon
2
3
4
5
10:00 Worship Service
Guest speaker
Shawn Kelly
6
7
1:00 Games Group
8
7:00 Al-anon
9
National
Convention
In Edmonton
9th thru 12th
10 11
12
8:00 to 10:30 am
11:00 Worship Service
Sandwich Sunday
7:30 Lands of the Bible
Presentation
13
14
15
7:00 Al-anon
16
17 18
19
10:00 Worship Service
20
21
1:00 Games Group
22
7:00 Al-anon
23 24 25
26
10:00 Worship Service
27 28 29
7:00 Al-anon
30
31
August 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
2
10:00 Worship Service
3 4
1:00 Games Group
Office open
9 am to noon
5
7:00 Al-anon
Office open
9 am to noon
6
6:00 Guiding
Mission Barbeque
Office open
9 am to noon
7 1
8
9
10:00 Worship Service
Sandwich Sunday
10 11
Office open
9 am to noon
12
7:00 Al-anon
Office open
9 am to noon
13
Office open
9 am to noon
14 15
Decorating
for VBS
16
10:00 Worship Service
VBS set-up following the
Service
17
9:00 to noon
VBS
Noon to 3 pm
Afternoon Program
Office open 9 am to
noon each day.
18
9:00 am to noon
VBS
Noon to 3 pm
Afternoon Program
19
9:00 am to noon
VBS
Noon to 3 pm
Afternoon
Program
7:00 Al-anon
20
9:00 am to noon
VBS
Noon to 3 pm
Afternoon
Program
7:15 Flock Care
21
9:00 am to
noon
VBS
Noon to 3 pm
Afternoon
Program
22
Private
Wedding
23
10:00 Worship Service
24
Office open 9 am to
noon each day this
week.
25 26
7:00 Al-anon
27
6:00 Preschool
Open House
28 29
30
10:00 Worship Service
31
Regular office
hours resume 9 am
to 3 pm each day.
Looking Ahead:
September 7th—Labour Day—office closed
September 13th—Two Worship Services at 9:00 and 11:00 am resume with
Adult Bible Study, Young Explorers, and The Experiment at 10:00 am