Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Member church of the Lutheran World Federation

Spotlight

Rev. Jennifer Hoover To Serve As Next Congregational Redevelopment Advisor

Posted: | Filed Under: Congregational Redevelopment Services, Spotlight

Bishop Pryse is delighted to announce that the Eastern Synod Officers have issued a Call to Specialized Ministry to the Rev. Jennifer Hoover to serve as our next Congregational Redevelopment Advisor. Pastor Jennifer has provided pastoral leadership in two congregational redevelopment efforts that have been supported by the work of the Eastern Synod; at St. Paul, Bridgeport and Bethany, Woodstock.  She is passionate about the work of congregational renewal and redevelopment and is excited to join our Congregational Redevelopment Services team!

In accepting this position, Pastor Jennifer remarked, “The moments of surprising discovery-when church leaders and community partners gather together around the table to imagine the possibilities for a particular ministry or service, space or property-these moments have been the highlight of my ministry. Our redevelopment projects may begin as a quest for financial viability and sustainability for our congregations, but both the church and the community are transformed in the process. I’m so excited to begin my new role as Congregational Redevelopment Advisor and to help congregations engage in the vital and hopeful work of renewing the church in a way that honours both the devotion of our forebears and the imagination of our children.”

Pastor Hoover succeeds Rev. Dr. Mark Harris who will conclude his term of service on June 30, 2022. I am grateful to Mark for the exceptional leadership he has provided and his willingness to support Pastor Jennifer as she transitions into this role.

If you are ready to explore your options, get in touch with Jennifer Hoover jhoover@elcic.ca

CRJ Book Study – Five Little Indians

Posted: | Filed Under: Circle for Reconciliation and Justice, Spotlight

Circle for Reconciliation and Justice – June book study

The Circle for Reconciliation and Justice will coordinate a Synod-wide book study for the month of June, National Indigenous History Month. 

We have chosen the book Five Little Indians by Michelle Good.  It can be bought in bookstores, ordered online in ebook or paperback, or borrowed from your local library.  It is available through Goodminds, an Indigenous independent outlet.

Michelle Good is a writer of Cree ancestry and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.  Five Little Indians, released in April 2020, is her novel about five young people emerging from a remote residential school where they had been sent as small children. 

The book has been recognized with several honours including the Governor General’s Literary Award. It was chosen by Amnesty International Canada for their Book Club Readers’ Choice of 2021. 

Here are two suggestions for participating in the book study:

  • Form a group from your congregation, Ministry Area or community to get together one or more times in June to discuss the book — and let us know about your experience!

We have made available a jotform with questions that you can answer online, and share with us.  

Stories, thoughts or photos can be sent by email to Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe (cmorrow-wolfe@elcic.ca)  

  • Join two Zoom sessions that will be held in June.  Before reading the book, you can attend a kick-off session “Introduction to Five Little Indians Book Study” on June 2, 7 to 8 pm EDT, that will give some background about the book and the author, and why it has been chosen for study. 

The concluding session “Book Study Wrap-up” will be held on June 20, 7 to 9 pm EDT.  In the first part we will ask participants to share what they found to be most meaningful and important about the book. The second part will be devoted to a discussion of the meaning for our congregations as we seek to live into truth and reconciliation moving forward.   

Some suggestions of questions for discussion in the book groups are available from London Public Library and from Amnesty International Canada.

The links to the Zoom Book Study sessions: 

June 2nd, Kick-Off Event, 7-8 pm –

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrd-6srT0vHNPAwvIT1ilof7diKR6eT_3Z

June 20th, Wrap-Up Event, 7-9 pm –

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlcOGoqz8pHt0OdN73AeLoRQ6w06N_JIQ4

Red Dress Day – Resources & Ideas

Posted: | Filed Under: Circle for Reconciliation and Justice, Spotlight, Uncategorised

May 5 marks Red Dress day in Canada, a day of remembrance for the 1200+ missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit individuals across the country. Beginning over 12 years ago, the initiative was born out of Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress art installation wherein hundreds of red dresses were displayed in public spaces to raise awareness for the missing women. 

The colour red was chosen based on the traditional knowledge that it is the only colour spirits can see and it is used as a means of calling the spirits of these lost loved ones home. In line with Black’s vision, every year red dresses and ribbons are hung nationwide in remembrance of these women and to symbolize what has been declared an ongoing genocide. 

#WhyWeWearRed #NoMoreStolenSisters

Red Dress Day – Resource ListDownload
Red Dress Day – Eastern Synod PrayerDownload
Red Dress Day – Prayer CardDownload

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 

January “Close-Of-Books”

Posted: | Filed Under: Spotlight

Perseverance seems to be a good word to sum-up the year, 2021. A great
amount of perseverance has been needed as we continue to live in and with the Covid-
19 pandemic and the disruption it is causing in the lives of many, including the
congregations of the Eastern Synod. Thank you for your willingness to serve as
Treasurer over the past year(s). Thank you for your ongoing perseverance and
commitment. You play a vital role and represent a key link between your congregation
and the Synod. As the New Year dawns, we will continue to walk this road together in
steadfast hope and faith in the love of God, and we pray, onwards to brighter days
ahead.

Back in October, you should have received a letter from Bishop Michael and
Synod Treasurer, Keith Myra, asking your congregation to remember the Synod in the
development of your 2022 budgets, and in the making of your annual benevolence
commitment. Thank you for taking this request seriously and for your continued effort to
remit your benevolence offerings in a consistent and timely manner. This has been so
appreciated. Some of you have also gone above and beyond your commitment goal
and the Synod is humbled and deeply grateful for the ongoing partnership with the
people of God who make up the family that is the Eastern Synod. Thank you for being
such generous givers and for supporting the ministry of the wider church.

This letter is meant to provide a gentle reminder to you to remit your 2021
benevolence offerings as soon as possible. The Synod will be closing its financial
books on January 21 st , 2022 and it is critical that we are able to include all offerings in
the 2021 totals. Observing this deadline is good and important for everyone as it keeps
your records in sync with the Synod’s records. There is also a tremendous amount of
work that takes place once the books are closed to prepare the Synod for its annual
financial audit. The timely remittance of your year-end offerings is key to the smooth
operation of these Synod processes. Again, the Synod is so grateful for your
attentiveness to these details and deadlines.

If you receive this letter having already put your final remittance cheque in the
mail, please accept our deepest thanks for your ongoing diligence. If you haven’t
already written and mailed the cheque, we would be most grateful if you could please
post it no later than January 14th, 2022 so that it can be received by the Synod Office in
Kitchener no later than January 21st .

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may
abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

We wish you God’s richest blessings for a safe, happy and healthy New Year!
 
Sincerely,
Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe
Assistant to the Bishop

PS – If you are not the treasurer of your congregation, you are receiving this because
we don’t have an email address in the ELCIC database for the treasurer.  Would you
pass on this message to the treasurer and send their name and email address, plus
your congregation name and city/town, to ezehr@elcic.ca so Liz can update our records? 
Thank you for your help with this!