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ABC Connect
Keeping the ABC District Connected. |
Volume 7, Issue #7
February 21, 2011
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany |
O Lord, keep Your family and Church continually in the true faith that they who lean on the hope of Your heavenly grace may ever be defended by Your might power; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Greetings!
We invite and encourage you to share this newsletter with everyone! Our hope is that we can better communicate the happenings around our district to both our Church Workers as well as the members of our congregations. Please use any and all of the information contained in the ABC Connect to add to your bulletins, newsletters, calendars, and announcements.
You can share the ABC Connect with anyone with an email! Simply click here and insert their address (or use the link at the bottom of the page)!
As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and feedback! Send them to news@lccabc.ca.
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Prayers
Prayer of Thanksgiving for His miraculous healing of Mikhaila, the grade nine student from Hope, Port Coquitlam, BC, for who prayers were requested last week.
For congregations and schools as they consider applications for Church workers.
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Calls
Rev. David Bode has received the call to Foothills, Calgary, AB.
Rev. Randy Heide has declined the call to Trinity, Quesnel, BC.
Rev. Roland Syens has declined the call to St. Paul's, Medicine Hat, BC.
For the most up to date information regarding calls, please visit www.lccabc.ca/calls
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Deadlines
- DUE NOW - CEF Loan Financial Statements and Reports
- March 1 - Deadline for contributions to your ABC District Investment Ltd. RRSP account.
- March 15 - Applications due for the placement of Vicars, DPS interns, Pastoral candidates, and DPS candidates.
- March 31 - 2011 Synodical Convention Assessment payment
- March 31 - Synodical Statistical Report - for more information, click here. You can fill out and submit the statistical forms electronically!
- March 31 - Deadline for YMI Director position applications. For more information, click here.
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Announcement
As we prepare for our Synod Convention, please keep in mind that our ABC District Convention will take place on May 18-21, 2012 in Edmonton, Alberta. The theme is based on Daniel 12:3, "In Your light... We shine like stars." Our Convention Essayist will be Synodical President Robert Bugbee.
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Upcoming Events
- Friday, February 25 - Sunday, February 27 - Missions Fest Alberta 2011. For more information, click here.
- Saturday, February 26 - Lutheran Foundation seminars - at Grace, Port Alberni, BC (9:30am - 11:30am) and at Trinity, Duncan, BC (2:00pm - 4:00pm)
- Monday, February 28 - Tuesday, March 1 - Lutheran Teacher's Association Administrator's Conference at Prince of Peace, Calgary, AB.
- Monday, February 28 - Thursday, March 3 - Sabbath Church Workers Conference. For more information, click here.
- Saturday, March 5 at Grace, Edmonton, AB - Lutheran Foundation Seminar 10am to noon
- Saturday, March 5 - Concordia University College of Alberta's Open House - 10am to 2pm
- Saturday, March 19 at Christ, Markerville, AB - Christianity and the Competition with Dr. Paul Maier - for more information, click here.
- Sunday May 1 - 80th Anniversary of Christ Lutheran Church, Craig, AB
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Looking Ahead
- Concordia University College of Alberta - May 7
- Concordia Lutheran Seminary Sacred Convocation - May 27 at 7:00pm at the Tegler Centre, Concordia University College of Alberta
- Sabbatical Week - June 27-30 - For more information, click here.
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Employment Opportunity
- Youth Ministry Institute is looking for a new director! For more information and details about the job, please visit here. Deadline for applications is March 31, 2011.
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Missions Fest Alberta 2011
February 25-27, 2011 at the Shaw Conference Centre.  There are a number of key not speakers and many workshops focused on evangelism and missions to choose. Some sample workshops include: 'Understanding and Responding to the Populist Atheism'; 'Responding to Religious Inclusiveness'; 'Inspiring Kids to be Involved in the Great Commission'. For more information visit the Mission Fest 2011 website. |
Family Ministry Workshop
"How to create a church culture that effectively equips for spiritual parenting in the home." Presented by Dr. Roger Theimer
Statistics tell us that less than 10% of our churched families are talking about their faith in the home. And yet church leaders agree that parents are the most important person of influencer in one's faith formation. So how do we help our parents spiritually parent in the home? How do we create a church culture that lives that out? Dr. Roger Theimer suggests that churches need to answer three strategic questions after they determine that faith formation in the home is a top priority!
· One, what discipleship skills shall we teach parents to pass along to their children?
· Two, how do we motivate parents be intentional about passing the faith to their children?
· Three, how do we provide an easy delivery system so that we do not exhaust our church staff in efforts to equip our parents?
Dr. Roger Theimer is the children's pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He has authored "Faith Legacy Series," a DVD curriculum to help families grow spiritually at home. This system has helped churches re-shape their culture so that 40% of parents are sharing faith in the home. Pastor Theimer has taught about children and family ministry across North America, in Europe, Africa and Asia.
For a full schedule of all the places that Rev. Theimer will be, as well as more information about him, please click here.
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If you would like more information about Lutheran Foundation Canada, the work they do, or would like to speak with someone about estate planning, please contact Allen Schellenberg via email or phone (877.711.4438). You can also attend an informative seminar to learn more. Currently we have scheduled: - Sat, Feb 26 - 9:30 to 11:30am - Grace, Port Alberni, BC
- Sat, Feb 26 - 2:00 to 4:00pm - Trinity, Duncan, BC
- Sat, Mar 5 - 10:00 to noon - Grace, Edmonton, AB
For the most up to date Seminar information, please visit the Lutheran Foundation website.
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Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times
You are invited to,"Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: How to be  Calm and Courageous No Matter What", the 4th annual Western Canada Summer Training Institute for Church Leaders sponsored by ConciliationServices Canada. This ecumenical event will be led by the Rev. Dr. Peter Steinke, internationally renowned congregational systems consultant, Lutheran pastor, educator, therapist, and Alban Institute author, at the Providence Renewal
Centre in Edmonton, May 17-19, 2011. Both lay and clergy leaders are encouraged to attend. It's hard not to be anxious when we live in a time of constant change. This is as true for our congregations as it is for us as individuals. Although we cannot slow the rate of change, church leaders can make conscious, faithful, choices about how we will respond to it - which, in turn, will have a profound impact on whether our congregations face into the future with fear or faith. This seminar is designed to equip church leaders with the theoretical perspectives, theological grounding, and practical ministry skills they need in order to deal with anxiety will, and to work through the complex challenges facing the church with courage, hope and confidence in God's presence and calling in the midst of change.
For more information or a brochure and registration form in pdf format, please click here, or email Nan Cressman, or call 519-742-2280.
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Participants Needed
The New South Wales District and the ABC District are recruiting church workers to participate in learning communities. Meeting on Skype, the learning communities would meet for about 1 hour every 4-6 weeks for prayer, Bible study, a book discussion on some aspect of the missio Dei, and for sharing. If interested, please contact: Dr. Glenn Schaeffer at 1-888-474-0063 or email.
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It's Coming!
The countdown is on!! 'Go!' is almost ready for launching! 'Go!' is a blog that will provide a forum:
- To advance missional theology and strategy;
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To equip God's people to be missionaries in a post-church culture;
- To direct people to missionary opportunities and training sessions;
- To inspire God's people (and congregations) to see themselves as missionaries to their communities;
- To promote and share the stories of God's people as they participate in God's mission to the lost.
Watch future ABC Connects for the launch day of "Go!"
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Pen Pal Congregations
Did you have an international pen pal when you were a child? Pen pals typically develop a relationship with one another by writing letters to one another. We are looking for ABC District congregations to participate in a "Pen Pal" relationship with congregations in the New South Wales District of Lutheran Church of Australia. The "Pen Pal" congregations would determine how often they meet with one another and how they would develop a Pen Pal relationship (e.g. Skype visits, newsletters, etc.). The Pen Pal relationship might begin with the pastors meeting with one another and then lay leadership would be invited into the relationship and then the congregation. The possibilities of developing the Pen Pal relationship are endless ... depending on how creative and committed you want to be with the Pen Pal relationship. The purpose of the Pen Pal relationship is to connect Christian brothers and sisters in Christ for the purpose of
helping people get a bigger mission perspective, to share mission and ministry ideas, to pray for one another, and to grow our mission at home in our respective communities.
If interested in being a pioneering congregation in this Pen Pal initiative, please contact: Dr. Glenn Schaeffer at 1-888-474-0063 or email.
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Church Extension Fund
Build a church without lifting a hammer or sawing a board. Your Registered Retirement Savings Account (RRSP) with ABC District Investments Ltd helps District congregations finance their building, expansion and renovation plans. Build a church today by opening a new account or adding to your existing RRSP account. The RRSP deadline for 2010 (tax year) contributions is March 1, 2011. To open an account or transfer from another institution, please visit our website, contact the ABC District Office 1-888-474-0063 (Edmonton local 780-474-0063), or email.
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Feedback Requested
Have you read any of the Resources of the Week? Any ideas for future ones? Please share them with us, and we will look into them! |
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Pastor Humour
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him... what? A super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
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Canadian Lutheran Stories Wanted
With January behind us, and moving into February, we are excited to think that perhaps spring is just around the corner. While we wait (sometimes patiently) for the sunshine and green grass to come back, I hope you are enjoying fellowship within and around your congregation! Please think of The Canadian Lutheran whenever you have an event! We love to hear and see about the happenings in our district!
Email any contributions to Belinda.
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God's Blessings on your day!
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Questions or comments about our newsletter? Drop us a line: news@lccabc.ca
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