Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Member church of the Lutheran World Federation
It brings us great pleasure to introduce the Eastern Synod Scholarship recipients for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Along with maintaining excellent school marks, each recipient has been busy giving their time and spreading joy to worthy causes within their church and community.
We congratulate you and wish you all the best in your future studies and career endeavours!
Bishop Susan Johnson (ELCIC) and Archbishop Anne Germond (ACC) wrote a letter to the Prime Minister regarding Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Palestinian people. Both leaders are calling on the Canadian government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance
April 15, 2025
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
Your solidarity, prayers, heartfelt thoughts, and kind words are a source of strength for all of us here. — Suhaila Tarazi, Director, Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Diocese of Jerusalem, Gaza.
Dear friends in Christ,
On Palm Sunday, the world awakened to the shattering news that the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, an institution operated in Gaza City by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, had, once again, been struck by Israeli missile attacks. Al Ahli was the sole remaining fully functional hospital in Gaza City. The twin strikes demolished the two-story Genetic Laboratory and damaged the Pharmacy and Emergency Department Buildings. The attack also resulted in collateral damage to surrounding buildings, including St. Philip’s Anglican Church. While no casualties resulted from the attack, a child died from pre-existing head injuries during the disruption to care.
We join faith leaders around the world in condemning this appalling act. We again call for an end to the horrific war that, since October 7th, 2023, has resulted in the suffering of so many.
This Holy Week, we urge all Canadian Lutherans and Anglicans to join our partners, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, in praying for the staff of Al Ahli Hospital, its displaced patients, their families, and communities. In the words of Suhaila Tarazi, Director of Al Ahli, “the hospital remains a vital lifeline for Gaza City and the northern region, and we are committed to maintaining our operations to the best of our ability…. We deeply appreciate your concern and support.”
Our churches continue to call for a permanent ceasefire and just peace, the release of all captives, the immediate and fulsome flow of humanitarian aid, and an end to the occupation. We join with Primate Hosam Naoum and Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar in calling upon all governments and people of good will to intervene to stop all attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions so that hope and life may be sustained and strengthened.
In the peace of the Risen Christ,
![[signed] +Susan C Johnson](https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/wp-content/uploads/Susan-Johnson-Signature.jpg)
Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
![[signed] +Anne Germond](https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/wp-content/uploads/Anne-Germond.png)
The Most Rev. Anne Germond
Acting Primate, Anglican Church of Canada
The Climate Justice Task Force of the Eastern Synod has prepared a variety of materials that are meant to assist individuals and congregations to take part in climate justice advocacy. Here you will find: a sample letter to use as inspiration to write to your MPs, a guide on how to have climate conversations in your own congregations, and a customizable poster inviting congregations to a weekend of climate action. You can find those materials below:
The Bishops’ Company for Mission was established in 2003 as a gathering of lay people whose financial generosity helps to support mission and ministry activities of the Eastern Synod, above and beyond the regular budget. Join us this year in welcoming our new Bishop Carla Blakley to the Eastern Synod. Information and tickets will be made available soon.
Eastern Synod Climate Justice Task Force
Offers Resources for Celebrating the 2024 Season of Creation.
The Climate Justice Task Force has met three times since its formation at the Synod Assembly this past June. Today we offer some resources for marking the Season of Creation (1 September – 4 October) during worship. For the next Synod e-news the Task Force will offer some suggestions for climate advocacy activities for your congregation.
What is the Season of Creation?
The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our siblings in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.
Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios proclaimed 1 September as a day of prayer for creation for the Orthodox in 1989. In fact, the Orthodox church year starts on that day with a commemoration of how God created the world.
The World Council of Churches was instrumental in making the special time a season, extending the celebration from 1 September until 4 October. Following the leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios, the WCC, Christians worldwide have embraced the season as part of their annual calendar. Pope Francis made the Roman Catholic Church’s warm welcoming of the season official in 2015.
In recent years, statements from religious leaders around the world have also encouraged the faithful to take time to recommit to care for creation not just during the month-long celebration but everyday especially as we face head on the climate crisis.
The season starts 1 September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Throughout the month-long celebration, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians come together to care for our common home.
RESOURCES
The Season of Creation Steering and Advisory Committees annually establish a theme and offer some resources. This year’s theme is “To Hope and Act with Creation” with the symbol “First Fruits of Hope,” based on Romans 8:19-25. You can read more about the theme on page 13 of the document, “Celebration Guide for the Season of Creation.”
Liturgical Resources
Below are some resources that we hope will be helpful in your congregation’s observance of the season. We along with these resources we suggest incorporating experiences within worship that help us remember our connection with creation: worshiping outside, bringing elements of creation inside, inviting people to recall times of interaction with creation, and many more ideas. Last year at St Mark’s each week we gave a different item, based upon a weekly theme, for the people to hold: sea shell, stone, leaf, pine cone, etcetera while providing a time of remembrance of encounters with a specific element of creation as part of the confession.
Creation Liturgy – A Creation Inclusive Liturgy for Holy Communion in an ecumenical setting.
Weekly Supplemental Liturgical Material
These resources offer prayers, liturgical exchanges, scriptural commentary, sermon ideas based upon the Revised Common Lectionary, RCL, for each Sunday during the Season of Creation.
Eco Congregation, Church of Scottland –
This link from the JPIT, Joint Public Issues Team is the most user friendly way to these resources form Eco Congregation, Church of Scottland.
Anglican Season of Creation Manual
Other resources
From the Laudato Si’ Movement
“Via Creationis” – a service based on the Creation Story in Genesis chapter 1. It is mostly a praise of the glories of creation.
LSM Prayer Book – A great collection of prayers and devotions around creation and its care.