Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Member church of the Lutheran World Federation

Adam Snook

Synod-Wide Palm Sunday Worship

Posted: | Filed Under: Uncategorised

This year, the Eastern Synod will be partnering with St. Peter’s, Kitchener to provide a Palm Sunday worship opportunity. This televised service will be available to those who may choose to participate on Sunday morning via the live broadcast, as well as to those who may wish to view the recording at a later date. Please note, that this worship opportunity will be in addition to local services (we are not asking you to cancel your local Palm Sunday services).

Leading the service will be Bishop Susan Johnson, Bishop Michael Pryse, Pastor Mark Ehlebracht, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar (Evangelical Lutheran Church In Jordan and the Holy Land), President Conrad Plummer (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana), as well as rostered and lay participants from across our Synod.

In place of palm branches, we invite you to wave textile items which can then be donated to local agencies in your community. Wave socks…receiving blankets…washcloths…bedsheets…towels…or even underwear! We encourage you to make arrangements for donations to a local agency in advance.

You can PVR or tune in to this special, live, national CTV broadcast on Sunday, April 10, at 10AM ET (Bell Fibe: 201/1201  Bell Satellite: 584, 1505; Rogers Cable: 12/109/518;  Shaw Direct: 67/369 *Local listings across the province and country may vary). Subscribers can also access the CTV-SWO live feed online. The service will be posted by April 12 to stpeterskw.ca and easternsynod.org.

For The Love Of Creation

Posted: | Filed Under: Climate Justice, News

Tell us what God’s Creation means to you! Get messy…have fun! Take a picture of your creation or send us a video! 

Theme: For The Love Of Creation
Categories: 12 and Under OR 13+
Submission Examples: Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture, Poetry, Song, Dance. Story-Telling/Writing
Deadline: March 31, 2022

Winning entries will be featured on the Eastern Synod and the Youth and Young Adult website for the month of April. All submissions will be available for congregational use in worship and/or for the celebration of Earth Day. Art Consent form required. CLICK HERE to learn more!

COVID-19 Update (March 10, 2022)

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID

Dear Siblings in Christ,

In a few days we will mark two years since our regular church routines were first disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In those earliest days, we committed ourselves to doing whatever was necessary to love and care for our neighbours by protecting their health and wellbeing. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve done just that! I am so proud of how our church has responded to these unprecedented challenges.

While the risks associated with COVID-19 remain, we are beginning to see wonderful signs of hope in the world all around us. Restrictions are lessening, mandates are ending, and we can look forward to resuming some of our most cherished activities and traditions.

Across our Synod congregations are returning to in-person worship, we are cautiously planning for some physical meetings and gatherings, hymns are being sung again, and we look forward to enjoying those long-awaited sips of coffee during fellowship hour. Be assured that our ability to do each of these things is a direct result of the collective efforts which have guided us through these past two years.

To that end, I would encourage continued caution as we enter this ‘endemic’ phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our commitment to the health and safety of our neighbour remains. These acts of love have guided us thus far and will continue to mark our ministry as we move into the weeks ahead. Please continue to adopt a measured approach, follow the guidance provided by local public health units, and gauge the comfort level of your congregation. Regarding the removal of mask mandates in some areas of our Synod, I would encourage all congregations to continue using masks for the time being. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. I, and my colleagues in the Synod Office, are eager to support you as you resume in-person practices.

We have learned a lot over these past two years. I am inspired by the resiliency and determination shown by our church! The Good News has been, and continues to be, proclaimed with a profound clarity. God is with us.

Thank you for your faithfulness.
Thank you for your creativity.
Thank you for your partnership in ministry.

May God be with you today, and always!
Bishop Michael

Congregational Treasurer T3010 Workshop

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MORE SPOTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR BOTH DATES!!!

*REGISTRATION LIMIT NOW SET AT 35 PARTICIPANTS PER SESSION*

Attention congregational treasurers! 

High on the list of tasks most dreaded by congregational treasurers is completing CRA’s annual Registered Charity Information Return (T3010).   Eastern Synod Treasurer, Keith Myra, isn’t promising to make this task any more fun, but he is offering a workshop that’s intended to provide you with some additional guidance when you complete this form on behalf of your congregation.  In addition to providing some tips, this session will include opportunities to ask questions about situations specific to your congregation that may affect how you complete your return.

The same workshop will be offered via Zoom on two separate dates/times.  In order to provide sufficient time for questions and discussion, registrations will be limited to 25 participants for each session.  To register, click on one of the following links and complete the form that is presented to you.  After submitting the form you will receive an email confirming that your registration has been received, followed by a second email with a Zoom link that will enable you to log into the session on the date that you selected. 

Click on this link to register for the session on Wed. April 6th (10-12 noon)   (Eastern Standard Time)

Click on this link to register for the session on Thurs. April 7th (6:30 – 8:30 pm)  (Eastern Standard Time)

To obtain the most value from this workshop, participants should bring:

Regardless of whether you decide to register for one of these workshops or not, keep in mind that CRA requires that your congregation submit its Charity Information Return no later than six months after your fiscal year-end.  Most congregations have a December 31st fiscal year-end, in which case the T3010 form for 2021 must be filed no later than June 30th, 2022.

If you have questions about this workshop, feel free to contact Keith Myra (kmyra@elcic.ca).  Any problems with your registration confirmation or Zoom link should be directed to Cindy Stubbs (cstubbs@elcic.ca). 

Ukraine Emergency Appeal CLWR

Posted: | Filed Under: News, Spotlight

Canadian Lutheran World Relief is calling on Canadians to pray for peace in Ukraine, and to give generously in support of the urgent humanitarian needs of all those affected.

CLWR joins its partners and millions around the world in calling for an immediate end to violence in Ukraine.

Early estimates are that millions of people could be rapidly displaced, leading to a widespread humanitarian crisis.

Our partners in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries are closely monitoring the situation and are preparing to respond to immediate humanitarian needs with food, shelter, emergency supplies and trauma support.

With your help, we can act quickly to protect families and communities threatened by this violence, keeping borders open and creating safe pathways, and providing refuge for those fleeing the conflict.

Please give what you can by donating at  clwr.org/ukraine   or by calling 1-800-661-2597 (Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:00pm CST) and pray for all those who are affected by this turn of events.

May God bless you and keep you safe.
Karin AchtelstetterExecutive Director, Canadian Lutheran World Relief 

COVID-19 Update (January 24, 2022)

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID

Dear Colleagues,

When I communicated with you at the beginning of this month, it was my counsel that all churches across our synod should pause their in-person worship until the end of January. I was encouraged to see that the vast majority of congregations chose to do so. Thank you for your continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of your neighbours and communities. This is, indeed, an act of love.

As the regulations within our four provinces begin to lessen, with children returning to school and businesses re-opening, I would encourage you to extend the pause of in-person gatherings for an additional two weeks. This will allow time for the projected peak of the Omicron Variant, and for the public health effects of the lessening of restrictions to become better known. As such, should current trends continue, I would recommend that congregations wishing to resume in-person worship consider doing so with a February 20, 2022 target date. As always, please be sure to consult with your local public health for regulations specific to your region.

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