Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Member church of the Lutheran World Federation

Adam Snook

Our Ministry Together – Candidacy

Posted: | Filed Under: Spotlight

Grace and peace to you!

As October draws to a close, I am pleased to share the second video in the Our Ministry Together project.

Our Ministry Together is a series of twelve short videos intended to highlight and celebrate areas of our common mission across the Eastern Synod.

Each month we will spend time hearing from, seeing, and learning about our synodical ministries, many of which are funded through congregational benevolence.

In today’s video, we spend time with Rev. Doug Reble, Assistant to the Bishop and Candidate for Ministry, Bethan Riehle-Johns. Together, they explore the work of the Candidacy Committee, and our close relationship with Martin Luther University College.

We encourage you to share these videos on social media, in virtual worship services, and during in-person gatherings. All videos will be featured on our YouTube channel, and alternatively can be downloaded by accessing a shared BOX folder. 

For more information about the Our Ministry Together project, or to submit photos that highlight our Eastern Synod ministries for upcoming videos, please contact Rev. Adam Snook (asnook@elcic.ca).

Thank you for your gifts of prayer and financial support!This is, indeed, Our Ministry Together!

Rev. Adam Snook
Assistant to the Bishop

Stronger Together (Pandemic Edition)

Posted: | Filed Under: Uncategorised

Welcome to Stronger Together, the Pandemic Edition! Stronger Together generally brings together youth and young adult leaders from Dioceses and Synods from across the country to build community, worship and learn about issues facing Youth Ministry. This year we have moved our gathering online. While we know meeting online can’t replace an in-person gathering, we hope that more leaders will be able to participate this year because there will be no cost restraints. 
November 24 – 25, 2020

Starting time – 10am Pacific / 11am Mountain / Noon Prairie / 1pm Eastern / 2pm Maritime / 2:30pm Newfoundland

Break (2 hours) – Noon Pacific / 1pm Mountain / 2pm Prairie / 3pm Eastern / 4pm Maritime / 4:30pm Newfoundland

Second Session – 2pm Pacific / 3pm Mountain / 4pm Prairie / 5pm Eastern / 6pm Maritime / 6:30pm Newfoundland

We have pulled together a program that looks at Youth Ministry in a Pandemic. Our topics include –

  • Exodus and the Israelites time in the desert
  • Innovation in Youth Ministry
  • Self-care for Youth Leaders, 
  • Youth, Mental Health and Faith
  • Theology of Social Media 
  • Worship

Stronger Together is an expression of the Full Communion relationship between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada. All Youth Leaders and Campus Ministers are welcome.

There is no cost for this event, but you will have to register by November 20th, 2020 to participate. All sessions will be held online. Details on how to participate will be send by email after we receive your registration. 

If you can’t make the sessions when they are live, they will be recorded and posted to watch at a later time. 

We look forward to connecting with you. If you have any questions please contact Gretchen Peterson gpeterson@elcic.ca or Sheilagh McGlynn smcglynn@national.anglican.ca. 

From Journey to Pivot

Posted: | Filed Under: Congregational Redevelopment Services

From journey to pivot: motion and change in congregational life

By Henriette Thompson, October 15, 2020

We Christians are used to “journey” language. Our ancestors in the faith journeyed through the wilderness for 40 years; Jesus journeyed in the desert for 40 days. We are “people of the Way” (the road). 

But these days, adjusting to rapid social change requires the ability for churches to pivot on their faith journey. COVID-19, the climate crisis, increased food insecurity, the urgency for racial justice – all are calling us to pivot from our journeys of the past to a new, outward focus.

We don’t do “pivot” (very well). We belong to churches that are institutions and well, you know what they say about institutions: they can be slow to change! To pivot, however, is to rotate, to swivel, to spin or oscillate – it’s not linear movement, it is a movement that is propelled when the end of a shaft rests and turns in a bearing.

Read more →

A Pandemic Update from Bishop Pryse

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID

Dear friends and colleagues,

I am writing to update you on recent conversations that I have had over the past two weeks with synodical leaders, Area Ministry Deans, rostered ministers and congregational leaders across the territory of our synod to discuss our experiences in resuming in-person worship. These conversations have been rich and fruitful and I am grateful for the insights, learnings, questions and concerns that have been put forward and would like to share some of those with you.

Read more →

Our Ministry Together

Posted: | Filed Under: News

‘Our Ministry Together’ is a new series of short videos intended to highlight and celebrate areas of our common mission across the Eastern Synod.

Each month we will spend time hearing from, seeing, and learning about our synodical ministries, many of which are funded through congregational benevolence.

In our first video, we hear from Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe about Youth & Young Adult Ministries. Despite a pandemic, learn how this area of our missional outreach has found a way to pivot and thrive! The gospel is shared – the good news proclaimed!

Thank you for your gifts of prayer and financial support!

This is, indeed, our ministry together!

We invite you to share these videos on social media, in virtual worship services, and during in-person gatherings. Videos can be downloaded through BOX.

For more information about the “Our Ministry Together” project, or to submit photos that highlight out Eastern Synod ministries for upcoming videos, please contact Rev. Adam Snook (asnook@elcic.ca)

FAQ – Resumption of In-Person Worship

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID

Mid-September Greetings!

Today I am pleased to provide another supplementary resource from the Task Force for the Resumption of In-Person Worship. This resource was compiled during our series of August ZOOM Info Sessions and contains our most frequently asked questions such as: 

  • What if we can’t provide a separate entrance and exit?
  • Should we be taking members’ temperature as part of the screening process?
  • Why communion in one kind only?
  • What to do if someone is unable to wear a face mask?
  • How do we prepare for rental groups?
FAQ Resumption of In-Person WorshipDownload