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Vol. II - Issue #35
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May. 14, 2012
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Greetings in the name of our risen Lord!
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Note: Due to Convention the District Office will
be closed Friday, May 18th
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!
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Prepare For Worship
The Ascension of Our Lord
Collect:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that even as we believe Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind ascend and continually dwell there with him; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (LW)
Readings:
- Acts 1:1-11
- Ephesians 1:15-23
- Luke 24:44-53
Meditation:
The Ascended Lord Jesus Is with Us Always in His Church on Earth
After He rose from the dead, the Lord Jesus presented Himself alive to the Apostles, "appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). When He ascended to the right hand of the Father, He did not orphan His Church, but fills all things in heaven and on earth, and gives gifts to His disciples. Even now, through His Church, He continues "to do and teach" (Acts 1:1), preaching "repentance and forgiveness of sins" (Luke 24:47), even "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Though the cloud hid Jesus from the sight of His disciples then, and He remains hidden from sight even now, He remains with His people through His Gospel and Sacraments. He comes to us by the Word of His Apostles, by the promise of His Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, whom He pours out upon "the church, which is His body" (Eph. 1:23). In this holy, Christian Church, we bless God and worship Christ with joy, for in His Church He blesses us with forgiveness, lifts us up in His hands, and seats us with Himself "in the heavenly places" (Eph. 1:20).
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Prayers 
For Bradin Bychuk, son of Synod staff member Wanda Bychuk, who was critically injured in a biking accident and is now on life-support.
For Ellen Raaflaub, wife of Rev. Vern Raaflaub, who is recovering from hip surgery.
For Rev. Markus Zeuch (St. Matthew Lutheran, Calgary, AB) who will undergo surgery on Friday to remove a skin cancer.
For our ABC District Convention, that God would guide and direct our delegates to make those decisions which are to His honour and glory.
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Calls
Rev. Vic Esperanza (Edmonton, AB) has received the call to St. John's Lutheran Church, Vernon, BC
Dr. Ken Albinger (St. Albert, Alberta) has received the call to the position of Director of School Development at Zion Lutheran Christian School, Surrey, BC.
For the most up to date information regarding calls, please visit www.lccabc.ca/calls
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Upcoming News & Events: ( Shortcut - External Link )
Elementary School Principal Position, Prince George, BC - ...read more
- May 18-21, 2012 - 2012 ABC District Convention, Edmonton, AB
- May 22- 23, 2012 - Natural Church Development Presents: Christian A. Schwarz's in Canada, Edmonton, AB contact Daryl Becker for more information.
- May 25, 2012 - Concordia Lutheran Seminary's 28th Sacred Convocation, Tegler Student Centre, Concordia University College of Alberta, Edmonton, AB - 7:00 PM
- July 12-15, 2012 - 2012 District Youth Gathering - Calgary, AB
 Lutheran Foundation Seminars:
Looking Ahead... |
 Concordia Lutheran Seminary's 28th Sacred Convocation Concordia Lutheran Seminary celebrates the assignment and call to congregations of our church of five seminarians and the placement of a vicar on May 25, 2012. You are invited to join in the celebration with the students and their families, and with faculty, staff and supporters of the Seminary. The five new pastors being sent into the holy ministry at this Sacred Convocation are: Rodney Parker, Stephen Bartlett, Michael Montague, Darren Dressler and Timothy Schneider. The vicar being assigned into an LCC parish to receive a year of practical training is Roland Starke. Our guest preacher is Rev. Dr. Edwin Lehman, LCC President Emeritus. The ceremonies will be held at Tegler Student Centre, Concordia University College of Alberta, 7128 Ada Blvd. Edmonton, AB on Friday, May 25th at 7:00 pm. For more information contact Rhonda Buck or Sandra Esperanza at 780-474-1468. |
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Attention Church & School Treasurers and Board / Parish Planning Council Members:
 Canada Revenue Agency is offering free Charities Information Sessions in May and June in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. These are an excellent opportunity for congregational treasurers, new board members, or volunteers to learn about your charity's legal obligations. The following topics will be presented: - Gifting and receipting
- Gifting to other organizations
- Maintaining direction and control of resources
- Keeping books and records
- Filing the Registered Charity Information Return (T3010)
- Revised fundraising guidance
- Provincial presentations (in some cities)
Go to Registration for the 2012 Charities Information Sessions for more information and to register. |
FREE Music Resource for ChurchesIf you congregation has been looking for hymn accompaniment recordings for congregational singing then check out smallchurchmusic.com. This site is full of musical arrangements available as downloadable MP3's. Various styles include Pipe Organ, Piano and Band. All arrangements are free (unless copyrighted). Hymnal accompaniment is just the beginning of what this site has to offer. For more information head on over to their website to see for yourself! Thanks go out to Rev. Ken Eifert (Immanuel (Goodfare), Wembley, AB / Mount Carmel, Grande Cache, AB) for sharing this resource with us. If you have one to share you send it here. 
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ABC District 25th Anniversary Slow Pitch Tournament
August 10 - 12, 2012 - Revelstoke, BC
Mark your calendar, get your team together and plan to attend - meet old friends, enjoy great competition, bar-b-que and fellowship. Kids activities and childcare will be available. 
More information, including registration ( team and individuals), will be available soon. Visit the ABC District Tournament Facebook page (requires Facebook account) to see some classic photos and connect with old friends.
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2012 ABC District Convention Updates
May 18-21, 2012, Edmonton, AB.
The ABC District Convention begins this week in Edmonton, AB. In addition to congregational lay delegates, the Convention will involve the pastors of our District who will be present in Edmonton that weekend in either a voting or advisory capacity.
Convention updates will be sent out during convention using the ABC Connect and will also be available on our website post convention.
REMINDER: If you have outstanding invoices from convention these must be paid prior to convention.
Convention Worship Resources for Congregations:
In order to ensure the regular conduct of Sunday morning worship in our congregations for May 20, we are providing an order of worship and a sermon which may be read by a lay leader. The sermon is based on the theme verses for the Convention. We are grateful to Rev. Mark Ruf, 1st Vice-president of the ABC District, for providing the sermon and the order of worship. The material may be downloaded from the conventions website (link below).
Agenda, Deadlines, Notes, Bulletins, and more can be found at abcconvention.lccabc.ca
Worship Materials (direct link)
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Apologetics and Evangelism Tour Opportunity!
Rev. Mark Jasa (bio), from University Lutheran Chapel in Los Angeles, has expressed a desire to come to Canada and teach Lutherans about apologetics and evangelism and then demonstrate both through conversations on a local university campus. Pastor Jasa was one of the presenters at the LHM Regional Outreach Conference in Vancouver in Oct 2011. Plans are being made to have him come to the ABC District in Sept 2012.
For more information, including video clips check out the article on goandmake.ca.
Looking for more clips? see University Lutheran Chapel's YouTube channel.
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2012 DYG Updates Total Registered 101! Please continue to keep the gathering preparations in your prayers.
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Anniversaries
- 50th - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Calgary, AB - June 10, 2012
- 50th - Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Cranbrook, BC - June 15-17, 2012
- 100th - Zion Lutheran Church, McLaughlin, AB - Aug. 12, 2012
- 100th - St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Milk River, AB - Sept. 15, 2012
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Retirement Announcements
Pastor Larry Lentz has been pastoring at St. John's Lutheran in Trochu, Alberta for the past 25 years, and previous to that, at Redeemer Lutheran in Didsbury, Alberta. Members of St. John's Lutheran in Trochu are hosting a Farewell and Retirement Reception for Pastor Larry and Roberta Lentz on:
- June 3, 2012 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM
- Trochu Baptist Fellowship Centre.
St. John's Lutheran would welcome your attendance at this event!
For more info contact Lorene at 403-442-3974.
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Recent Blog Updates (http://goandmake.ca/)
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 Meet our Australian Brothers and Sisters This week we invite you to meet Wagga Wagga Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia (map it) and their Parish Sole Pastor Rev. John Guilfoyle and their Admin. Secretary Mrs. Sue Boissery Wagga Wagga Lutheran holds Worship services are held both at Lutheran Primary School and their church. They are 367 members strong with a Children's Group that meets every wednesday during the school year. Their practice of discipleship is listed below, see their profile page for their vision and mission statements. PRACTICES OF DISCIPLESHIP We endeavour to live toward this vision and accomplish this mission along a path of daily discipleship, and we hold each other and epically our leadership accountable to these Practices of Discipleship. Therefore we commit ourselves under the power of the Holy Spirit to: - Pray and read Scripture devotedly
- Regularly participate in a small group
- Attend worship intentionally
- Imitate the character of Christ
- Serve through and beyond Bethlehem Lutheran Church
- Embody generosity
We believe Jesus has called us to a life of growing PRAISE! (Ephesians 1:11-14) Please remember the congregation of Wagga Wagga Lutheran and Rev. Guilfoyle and Mrs. Boissery in your prayers this week. |
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Resource of the Week
Today's Light
Magazine - Concordia Publishing House
Reading the Bible is easy with Today's Light. This quarterly magazine takes readers through the entire Bible in two years, just 15 minutes a day. Six daily readings a week include: Get the Big picture, a helpful overview of the text, so you comprehend what you've read; Sharpen the Focus, a closer look at the passage to see its significance in your life; and Zoom In, touches on the text's highlights. It can be used independently or in combination with the Today's Light Bible. Also, it's great for Bible discussion groups. Discussion questions are available online. See links.
View a sample issue
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God's Blessings on your week!
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