Witness and Evangelism Ministries

[both
and] Reimagining church in a Lutheran Context is a conference being hosted by Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church, New Hamburg with
the support of the Eastern Synod.

When: Friday & Saturday June 15
& 16, 2012
Where: Trinity Church, New Hamburg

Who: Event is opened to Lay
Leaders, Pastors, Students, Seminarians, Young Adults and those who are
interested in exploring different forms of church
Guest Speaker: Dennis Hendricksen – Pastor,
Mysterium Community, Church Lutheran, Regina, SK
Cost: $25 per person
[both and] will be helpful to rostered
ministers and congregational leaders who are “seeking to renew and
re-imagine the possibilities in their own context.”

For more information
please visit www.telc.ca

Introductory Godly Play workshop.
Godly Play is a whole different approach to children’s ministry and encounter with sacred story and liturgy.
This workshop will take place on Sat. May 12 at the Church of the Ascension (Anglican) in Ottawa.
Judy Steers will be leading the workshop. At her home parish of St David and St Patrick in Guelph, Ontario, she loves leading the 4-7 year old Godly Play group (and sometimes adult Godly Play too) in wondering together.
When she is not involved with Godly Play, Judy works for the national office of the Anglican Church of Canada as Coordinator for Youth Initiatives and at Huron University College as the director of the Ask & Imagine youth theology program. In this capacity, she was a guest speaker at the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa synod in 2010.
For more information and to register online visit:

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=ukkvxteab&oeidk=a07e5t6mm027c510200

The cost is $30 per person and will include lunch. You can choose to pay by credit card, cheque or at the door.

Free Seminar – Back to Church Season of Invitation – Thursday April 26th 7-9pm
You’re invited! This is an open invitation to the congregations of the Eastern Synod.
A number of our congregations have participated in the past 2 years in Back to Church Sunday. This year, a pilot program is expanding this Witness-Evangelism tool into a Back to Church Season of Invitation – September through February. If your congregation is interested & you have lay or clergy members available, I hope you will attend this training seminar with Michael Harvey, Back to Church Sunday Developer.
The seminar is on Thursday April 26th, 7-9pm at Peace Lutheran Church, Pickering, ON
The Seminar is Free.
It is open to both laity & clergy.
Registration is simple.
You can e-mail or call Peace Lutheran Church:

#905-839-3521
peacepickering@bellnet.ca

The R.S.V.P. date is Monday, April 16th.
I will need to know the number of people from each congregation who will attend [laity & clergy].
I hope to see you then.
Pastor Mark Van House
Witness-Evangelism Director

Extra Resources:

• Back to Church Season of Invitation Seminar April 26th 2012
• Unlocking the Growth Press release-Canada
• BACK TO CHURCH SEMINAR UNLOCKING THE GROWTH BACKGROUND INFORAMTION

As the new director of W & E ministry I want to thank my predecessor Lori Pilatzke for her work. I’ll do my best to offer creative resources and ideas to further the W & E ministry in your congregation. Let’s begin by talking about our ELCIC (mainline Protestant) churches.
Many of the churches in our synod would describe themselves as friendly. Some would go further and label themselves as welcoming. How many would take the next step and describe themselves as “inviting?” To be friendly is a good first step in echoing the ministry of hospitality found in the Old and New Testaments. To be welcoming is to take an additional step in the journey. One of my favorite moments in my current parish is when a visitor told me “I couldn’t join this church. People here are too friendly and welcoming. It’s too much.”
To be inviting, that is another matter. It sounds like evangelism which is often uncomfortable for most Lutherans – despite the first name of our church body being Evangelical. In a 2011 W & E blog post 89 synod congregations ordered materials for/participated in Back to Church Sunday (BTCS) – up from 14 in 2010. I invite those who have already participated in this program to try it again this year along with every congregation that has never tried it. This year an emphasis is upon inviting those who aren’t a part of a worshipping community, and doing so through a Season of Invitation – rather than just 1 Sunday. A Season of Invitation fits in not only with Witness-Evangelism and in being In Mission “With” Others, but is part and parcel to sharing the Good News.
In the weeks and months ahead I’ll keep you updated on the BTCS program, seminars and other materials. As today is Ash Wednesday, I pray that your worship service is inviting to all people of God.
Micah 6:8
Pastor Mark Van House

Link:  Andrea Bocelli The Lord’s Prayer

Augsburg Fortress has extended the deadline to order kits for Back to Church Sunday to Thursday June 30^th.

This year 89 Lutheran congregations have preordered kits compared to 14 in 2010.  They have received  extremely good feedback for this National invitation day.    Unfortunately the kits must be printed well in advance, and while they will requisition extra copies, they cannot guarantee late Churches will receive a kit.

On Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. EDT the United Church of Canada is offering a FREE webinar aimed at supporting parents and grandparents as they walk with children in faith.  

The presenter will be Dr. David Jensen. Dr. Jensen is a Professor of Constructive Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.   He is the author of “Graced Vulnerability: A Theology of Childhood.”

Dr. Jensen will address topics of work and play, hospitality, blessing, and letting go.

Please use the following link to sign up for the webinar:

http://blogs.united-church.ca/edge/transforming-ed/webinars/

The webinar will be found at:

http://momentum.adobeconnect.com/dj/

Click this link for more information about Dr. Jensen:

http://www.austinseminary.edu/page.cfm?p=14&viewdirid=13

IN MISSION FOR OTHERS ~ AN EASTERN SYNOD RENEWAL EVENT
TAKING IT HOME… TAKING IT TO THE STREETS!

PURPOSE

In 2006, the Eastern Synod, gathered in assembly, adopted a Renewed Vision for Mission. As part of this vision, every congregation was encouraged to have a congregational mission plan. A team of leaders from across our synod — the Taking it Home Team — has been assembled to facilitate a process to achieve this goal.

• Description (Year One)
• Cover Letter (Year Two)
• Information / Registration Form (Year Two)