Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Member church of the Lutheran World Federation

Spotlight

A COVID-19 Update (July 6, 2021)

Posted: | Filed Under: COVID, Spotlight, Uncategorised

Dear colleagues,

In some ways, these early days of July have left me feeling the same as I felt last summer. Once again, many of our congregations are in the process of discerning how, when and if they should plan to resume in-person worship; and what exactly such a resumption ought to look like. Undoubtedly, we engage these questions with a healthy dose of both uncertainty and optimism as we watch case numbers across the territory of our Eastern Synod continue to drop.

First and foremost, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to our Rostered Leaders, Lay Leaders, Musicians, Volunteers and congregations for your continued and faithful commitment to the health, safety, and wellbeing of your neighbours. This has been, is, and will continue to be an act of love and service. I am so proud of our church, and the resilience, creativity and faithfulness with which each of you have navigated this long period of pandemic.

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OK…What’s Next?

Posted: | Filed Under: Spotlight

REGISTER NOW

OK…What’s Next?

Many of us are asking this question right now, whether we are Lay or Rostered Leaders engaged in worship in the Eastern Synod. In anticipating a move to hybrid worship-presenting, both online and in-person church gatherings, the Eastern Synod and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College invite you to join us on June 1 at 6:30 – 8:30 PM EDT for conversation about the way forward. 

We anticipate this event to be the first of a possible series of ongoing gatherings to continue developing hybrid worship and community gathering skills. We will invite Lay Leaders into some reflective conversation about their experiences during the past year. Rostered Leaders will have the opportunity to discuss possible ways of collaborating with each other and with other parishes. From one worship leader, we will hear some tips on hybrid worship that worked in their context, and we will look toward building collaborative skills for the future.

Event Schedule
6:30pm – Welcome & Land Acknowledgment
6:35pm – Introduction to “OK…What’s Next?”
6:50pm – Breakout Discussion (Lay or Rostered)
7:10pm – Large Group Discussion (Lay & Rostered)
7:30pm – Break
7:40pm – Presentation & Discussion – Collaborative Worship Models
8:00pm – Network/Support Building
8:15pm – Summary & Identifying Area for Further Discussion
8:30pm – Conclusion

“Ok…What’s Next?” will be hosted virtually using the ZOOM platform.

Pre-Registration is required. A ZOOM link will be forwarded to all participants after completing the registration process. If you have any questions, or have difficulty registering, please contact the Eastern Synod Office. 

Please note that this event is intended to be the first in a series of opportunities for Rostered and Lay Leaders to share learnings, build skills and discern a way forward. To stay informed about follow-up opportunities, please indicate your willingness to be contacted during the registration process. 

George Floyd Anniversary and Verdict

Posted: | Filed Under: RJAC Communications, Spotlight

It’s been a year.
It has been a year, and what has changed?
A year since a man begged for his life from an officer of the law. A year since a woman was shot in her bed. A year since national sports leagues boycotted games. A year since we saw #saytheirnames trending on social media.
It has been a year since George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet.

What has changed?

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SOLIDARITY WITH ASIAN-CANADIANS AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN PACIFIC ISLAND INCIDENTS

Posted: | Filed Under: RJAC Communications, Spotlight, Uncategorised

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 37-39)

Dear Siblings in Christ,

We, the Eastern Synod, acknowledge and denounce the continued and increasing hateful, racist and targeted acts against the Asian-Canadian and Pacific Islander (ACPI) community. Specifically and especially, we denounce those actions that are perpetuated due to poisonous misinformation and anti-Asian rhetoric in relation to the COVID-19 virus, and its origin in China. Importantly, it is a matter of justice.

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An Easter Greeting from Bishop Michael

Posted: | Filed Under: Spotlight

Dear friends in Christ,

Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Risen Savior Jesus Christ!

The Lord is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to offer an Easter greeting to you! And I do so with a heart that is bursting with gratitude.

I am so very thankful for our rostered ministers, musicians and videographers for all that they have done to proclaim God’s word and strengthen the bonds that unite us over these long months of isolation.

I am so thankful for congregational leaders who have faced the challenges of this pandemic with great courage, creativity and generosity.

And I am so grateful to you, dear disciples, for your faithfulness in ensuring that the vital work of Christ’s church has continued and in many ways grown over the course of what has felt like a year-long season of lent.

Dear church, God has blessed and equipped us to be God’s faithful people in ways none of us would have thought imaginable and I have never been prouder to be counted among your number!

May God grant you, and those dear to you, a full and rich experience of the story of Easter, not a story that we Christians explain, so much as it is a story that explains we Christians!

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again!

https://youtu.be/acyxGVm64hs

Music is “Alleluia” by PianoDay on Audio Jungle.

Video recorded in the Schultz Chapel at the Eastern Synod Office. #myELCIC#easter2021