 Prayer
a prayer for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Reconciling and Reforming God, we are called to be a people of the reformation. Through the unity we find in You, we are called to be people of unity and harmony. We are called to reconcile with one another. We confess that through greed and a sense of superiority, we have broken the trust we shared with the Indigenous peoples. In our quest for reconciliation, help us to acknowledge the breadth and depth of harm that has happened and continue to happen. In new awareness, may we pledge to work together, that we may learn to live in harmony with one another and the creation that was divinely given to us. Amen
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Together We Pray...
Guided by the Anglican-Lutheran Prayer Cycle, we particularly lift up the following in our prayers for October 2 & 9, 2022:
ACC: The Rt. Rev. Anna Greenwood-Lee, Bishop, and clergy and people of the diocese of British Columbia; The Rt. Rev. David Lehmann, Bishop, and the clergy and people of the diocese of Caledonia.
ELCIC: The dean, council, and congregations of the Lower Mainland Region and the North region of the British Columbia Synod.
ACC/ELCIC: Remember Missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people and their families and pray for an end to gender based violence. People and ministries working to address issues of poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing.
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***The synod office will be closed on Friday, September 30 in observance of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.***
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Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are invited to observe September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, which marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
"I encourage members of the ELCIC to observe Friday, September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation," says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. "I invite you to make this a day of quiet reflection, learning and/or participation in a community event. The purpose of the day is to promote reconciliation and help ensure that the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools is never forgotten."
There are many ways to consider observing this day. You can find more information and access resources from our partners by clicking on any of the links HERE.
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 Congregational Renewal Conference: Moving Forward
It's time to move forward! Join us as we come together to address the current realities of the Church and look forward with hope and anticipation for the future. We will connect with God and one another in worship, learn together in plenary sessions and integrate and dream in small group conversation. Through lament, celebration, prayer, planning and conversation, we will activate our imaginations and begin to sketch out a vision for being God's Church for God's people at this time. Together, we will seek to move forward with renewed vision, hope and vitality.
The event is open to clergy, volunteer & staff leaders, council members, committee members, and anyone invested in what God is doing in and through the church in our communities.
This is a free event. Lunch will be provided. Registration required. Childcare on Saturday for children age 3-12 will be provided.
Register at https://form.jotform.com/mnosynod/movingforward
More information at https://bit.ly/3ftbNre.
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Grant Funds Available--Limited Time Only!
For the last several years, the MNO Synod has provided grants through the funds generated by the Church Extension Capital Fund (CECF). These funds were designated as the "ACTS of MNO Grants" and have been available for projects and ideas that are particularly experimental and innovative. Grant recipients have ranged from congregations seeking to build a memorial garden to financial support for individual or community learning experiences to pastors experimenting with a podcast to reflect on the changing church.
These funds were a result of a time-specific commitment from the CECF advisory board, and at the end of this year (2022), any unused funds will be returned. The Grants Committee would love to celebrate that all the available monies have been distributed and the fund has no balance.
As congregations, leaders, and partners are re-generating programs and activities, now is the time to creatively imagine what might be possible. A grant can help with new projects, activities, learning or exploration. The Grants Committee is available to have conversation and guide individuals considering submitting an application. They welcome the chance to join you in the discernment and wondering, and will help you craft a project proposal into an application. To connect with the Grants Committee, contact the synod office or email chairperson Michael Kvern at Kvern.michael@gmail.com.
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BROKENHEAD SHARED MINISTRY REQUEST -- SERMON LIBRARY
The Brokenhead Shared Ministry (BSM) is collecting sermons from pastors, diaconal leaders and lay leaders to be used by BSM congregations when the pastor is not present and pulpit supply is not available. If you are willing and able to share one of your favourite recorded sermons with us, we would very much appreciate it. Thanks in advance for helping to further the ministry of the BSM congregations. Recording, manuscript, date on the liturgical calendar, title and gospel text can be sent to Audrey Miller at chair@brokenheadshared.com. Please contact Audrey directly with any questions.
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 Recording available--Faith in Context Workshop
Truth & Reconciliation: the ongoing Role of the Church in Healing and Restoration
The recording from the workshop on Sept. 24 is available on the MNO Synod YouTube channel. The speaker gave a brief overview of the history of Residential Schools in Canada and spoke to the role of the church in that history. Discussion engaged the question about opportunities and responsibilities for individuals, communities and systems in the work of reconciliation and healing. This workshop could be a resource for small groups, families, or congregational committees seeking to deepen awareness and expand learning.
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For Congregational Leaders
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The MNO Synod Vision for Empowered Discipleship includes "identifying and developing leaders within our community" and "tools and resources to support faith formation." These training resources and opportunities are ways we live into this vision.
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 Small Group Leader Training
Congregational leaders looking to jumpstart community-building and faith formation are invited to be part of the next cohort of small group training. The training consists of 5-6 sessions between Oct. 16-Nov. 29, held weekly via Zoom. Registration for the training is available. More information about small group ministry, including a recording of the information session held on Sept. 13, is available at mnosynod.org/smallgroups.
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Worship Planning Resources
The Program Committee for Worship is a committee of the National Church that seeks to resource congregations across the ELCIC for worship prep and planning. The committee prepares worship resources seasonally that are specifically developed with small congregations or congregations without a pastor in mind. Materials and resources can be found at worship.ca. The resources for the Season of Creation are now available at: http://www.worship.ca/worship-planning-calendar/.
The Program Committee for Worship and Communications of the ELCIC has worked together to produce a resource for worshipping communities of the ELCIC to understand responsibilities and best practices related to use of copyrighted worship materials for in-person and online worship. The new resource is available on the ELCIC website and on worship.ca.
Congregational leaders can access recordings and manuscripts of sermons for any Sunday by emailing Pr. Jane Gingrich (jdgingrich11@gmail.com). Include in an email the name of the congregation, the date/s you are requesting sermons, and the name/s of who the sermon/s can be sent to. You can request sermons on a case-by-case basis, or be put on an email list to receive links to sermons weekly. Sermons are provided by pastors and deacons from throughout the ELCIC.
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 LTS Gathering: October 21-23
The seminary will host two public events on the October 21-23 weekend.
On Friday night, October 21st, Rev. Munye Mtata (LTS, 2018) will give a public lecture, “Learning from African Christianity,” addressing lessons from African Christianity to help foster awareness of racism, prejudice and the realities of minorities in the Church in Canada. This event will be held at Resurrection Lutheran Church, in Saskatoon, from 7-8.30pm.
On Sunday morning, October 23rd, Western Canadian indigenous artist Ray Keighley will give a public presentation as the seminary unveils his painting Tukwaka-Pisim / Autumn Moon (2019). Ray will discuss the painting and his career as an artist.
This event will be held in the Lutheran Theological Seminary Common Room, at St. Andrew’s College, from 10-11am.
All are welcome to attend, but we ask that you RSVP to development.lts@saskatoontheologicalunion.ca as space will be limited at both events.
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Sign up for newsletters directly from our ministry partners. These include:
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Youth Retreat at Luther Village
Oct. 7-10, 2022
Youth in Grades 7-12 will be going to Luther Village for a weekend of fellowship, learning and fun. Registration for this event has been collected, but please keep the youth and leaders in your prayers.
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Please share this and encourage all members to sign up for the MNO Synod Newsletter.
We will be using the newsletter as our primary way of communicating with members and want everyone to be informed in a timely manner.
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