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Vol. II - Issue #19
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Jan. 23 2012
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Blessed Epiphany ,
Reminders:
- Past Due:
- All Nomination and Delegate forms are now past due.
- Feb 1, 2012
- 2012 School Grant Application Forms due
- They can be downloaded here.
Please feel free to use any of this information in
bulletins, newsletters, calendars, or announcements.
Share the connect by email!
Simply click the button below and type an address (you can also use the link at the bottom)
As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and feedback! news@lccabc.ca. |
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Prepare For Worship
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Collect:
Almighty God, because You know that we are set among so many and great dangers that by reason of the weakness of our fallen nature we cannot always stand upright, grant us Your strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Readings:
- Micah 6:1-8
- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
- Matthew 5:1-12
Meditation:
God Manifests His Glory in the Humility and Weakness of Christ Crucified
The Lord tells His people, "I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery" (Micah 6:4). By the sacrifice of His beloved Son He has redeemed us from our slavery of sin and death; He has forgiven our transgressions by the shedding of His blood. His great mercy and salvation lead us "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly" with our God (Micah 6:8). We boast only in the Incarnate and Crucified Lord Jesus. He is "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24). He is our life and salvation, "our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). Now He opens His mouth and teaches us His wisdom. By His Cross and Passion the kingdom of heaven is ours, we receive mercy and are satisfied, we see God, and we are called sons of God in Christ. "Blessed are you," therefore, "when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely" on account of Christ (Matt. 5:11).
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Prayers
For Rev. Mark Smith, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort MacMurray, AB who is undergoing tests because of chest pains.
For Deacon Glenn Schmitke, principal at St. Matthew Lutheran School, Stony Plain, AB, who is recovering from surgery for removal of his gall bladder.
Mission Prayers - January 2012
(http://lutheranchurch.ca/missions.php) January 23 Almighty God, our rock and our salvation, help us to listen for your call and respond willingly. Help us to always seek Your will for our lives. Thank you for those who have heard your call to the mission field. Bless them and the work they do in Your name that many may be brought to salvation. Bless those working in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ukraine. Keep them strong in their faith. Keep them steadfast in their walk. Keep them safe from the evil one who works diligently to pull them away from you. Hear us in the name of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, who lives and reigns now and forever. Amen. |
Calls
Rev. Todd Hoeffs, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran, Edmonton, has accepted the call to Redeemer Lutheran, Winnipeg.
St. John's Lutheran Church, Vernon, BC has submitted a call for a colloquy candidate.
First/Zion Lutheran Parish, Lloydminster, AB has submitted a call for a colloquy candidate.
Please note that the deadline for calling graduating seminary students is March 15. There are no Director of Parish Services (DPS) graduates this year. The deadline for applying for a vicar or a DPS intern is also March 15 and the deadline for calling Lutheran teacher graduates is April 15.
For the most up to date information regarding calls, please visit www.lccabc.ca/calls
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 2012 Alberta British Columbia District Convention
*** Registration starts Feb 1, 2012 
Please see abcconvention.lccabc.ca for all things convention! (Deadlines, Notes, Bulletin PDF's etc.) *** Reminders: Upcoming Deadlines All Nomination and Delegate Forms are now past due. - Thank you to all those who have already sent them in. If you have not sent them in, and have yet informed the District Office when we can expect them, please do so ASAP by either email or phone: 1-888-474-0063.
- Note: If you have chosen to not nominate anyone please still return the blank form with signature
***
All future deadlines can be found on the Convention's website.
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Called to Glory - Rev. Sandor Arguello
Rev. Sandor Arguello was called to his heavenly home Saturday, January 14, 2012. Sandor left Canada on December 30, 2011 to travel to Managua in order to receive an alternative cancer therapy.
Sandor first came to our District as a vicar at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Vancouver in 1994. Upon graduating from CLTS in St. Catharines, he received his first call into the holy ministry at Zion Lutheran Church, Rimbey, AB where he served from 1995-1997. In 1997, he was called by LCC's Board for Missions and Social Ministry to serve as a missionary-at-large in Nicaragua, a position in which he served until 2006. The Missions Committee then called him as missionary-at-large to Central America where he served from 2006-2009. He returned to Edmonton in 2010 because of health concerns. For further details on Rev. Arguello and his ministry, please click on this link: http://www.canadianlutheran.ca/nicaragua-mission-pioneer-called-home/
Sandor is survived by his wife Digna and his four children Rosschell, Sandor Jr., Ariel and Adrianea (all of whom reside in Edmonton).
Rev. Arguello received Christian burial on Monday, January 16, in Managua, Nicaraugua. There have been discussions about a memorial service but, until Digna and her children return to Edmonton, no plans will be finalized. As soon as we are aware of the details of a memorial service, we will publish them through our ABC Connect e-mail service.
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them."
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Natural Church Development (NCD) Canada Presents:
Christian A. Schwarz's In Canada in May 2012
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Stay a couple extra days following the 2012 Convention! - May 22 - 23rd - Southgate Alliance Church, Edmonton, AB
Read more here.... Those interested, contact Daryl for extended room rates. Visit their website - http://www.ncdcanada.com/
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ABC District Website Gets a QR Code
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QR Code for ABC
District website
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What is a "QR Code"? These small black and white squares seem to be everywhere among us. QR (for Quick Response) is a more powerful bar code than the traditional barcode. It can be read by mobile phones (smartphones) equipped with scanner applications of QR codes. It is used mainly to display website addresses (URLs) in ads and promotional material. The QR code below will take you to the ABC District website. If your congregation has a website, consider including a QR code in your bulletins, newsletters, newspaper ads, etc. To make a QR code is simple. There are many tools for this online. An example of one would be http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. Type in your site, and you're all set. It will generate a jpg you can save and then use in your printed material to direct people to your website. |
Pastors' Wives - We Are Looking For You!
A Task Force has been struck to develop a system of support for pastors' wives in the ABC District. We want to facilitate a meaningful connection, so we're looking for input on the type of support that wives would value. Please take one minute to complete our online survey. You can also find it on the ABC District website: http://www.lccabc.ca/. Look for the ad in the middle of the page. Pastors, if your wife does not receive ABC Connect, please forward this information to her. Thank you! |
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Upcoming News & Events: ( Shortcut - External Link )
- Immanuel, Lethbridge, AB
- Prince of Peace Lutheran Preschool, Calgary, AB
Lutheran Foundation Seminars: - February 4, 2012 - Mount Calvary Lutheran - Red Deer, AB
(9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
- February 4, 2012 - Immanuel Lutheran - Rocky Mountain House, AB
(2:00p.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
- February 11, 2012 - First Lutheran - Lloydminster, AB
(9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
- February 25, 2012 - Trinity Lutheran - Richmond, BC
(9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
- March 3, 2012 - St. Paul's Lutheran - Chilliwack, BC
(12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Looking Ahead... |
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Upcoming Anniversaries
- 50th - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Calgary, AB - June. 10, 2012
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CCCC Certification
The Alberta-British Columbia District is pleased to announce that we have  earned the right to display the Canadian Council of Christian Charities' (CCCC) Seal of Accountability. This seal indicates that we, as a charity, adhere to high standards, operate with integrity and are certified by the CCCC, an independent standards setting organization. These standards and more information on the Canadian Council of Christian Charities' can be found on their website (https://www.cccc.org/standards_full).
These links and other information can be found on our site under 'About Us' or http://www.lccabc.ca/about-us/seal-of-accountability/
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2012 District Youth Gathering Info!
- Where: Calgary, Alberta (Foothills Lutheran Church and the University of Calgary)
- When: Thursday, July 12 to Sunday, July 15, 2012
- Who: Youth and their leaders (at least 1 leader for every 7 youth)
- Why: To build relationships with God and other Lutherans!
Registration information will be available in early 2012; please make plans to attend! We'll be checking out the Calgary Stampede in addition to games, music, sessions with speakers, servant opportunities, small group discussions, games and fun! Co-Chairs: Tracy Wemyss (St. Paul, Medicine Hat) & Michelle Heumann (Foothills, Calgary) |
Recent Blog Updates (http://goandmake.ca/)
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 Meet our Australian Brothers and Sisters
This week we invite you to meet St. Pauls Lutheran Church, Currajong, NSW, Australia (map it ) and their Parish Sole Pastor Rev. Robert Hamann. The LCA's profile page lists St. Paul's Lutheran as having 83 members. Please remember the congregation of St. Pauls Lutheran and Rev. Hamann in your prayers this week. |
Resource of the Week Eyewitness & Window to the Womb 2 - The Next GenerationDVD  With Eyewitness &Window to the Womb 2 - The Next Generation (Pregnancy Care and Counseling Version), pregnancy centers, churches, and schools will be able to provide the facts about fetal development, abortion complications, post abortion syndrome and healing. Separate chapters will allow counselors and instructors to select specialized presentations to accommodate the needs and time constraints of their situation. Click the link below for a summary of chapters and a 5 minute video.
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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! |
Canadian Lutheran Stories Wanted 
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God's Blessings to you in 2012!
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