Here in northern Alberta, where I am at present, it is clear that fall is making its appearance. The leaves are changing colour and the temperatures are dropping. There has been some frost in the region already. It’s a reminder that time is moving along.
As we become aware of the passage of time, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is a recognition of the goodness of God. We have been blessed beyond measure not only materially but also spiritually. God has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of God’s magnificent goodness and extravagant generosity. We have something to celebrate! But as time passes by, we also reflect on where we have been, what events have shaped who we are, and in large measure define where we are headed. At the end of October is the celebration of the Reformation. The truths of the Reformation which can be summarized as: Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Word Alone, and, above all, Christ Alone, continue to shape who we are as people of God.
Yes, fall is arriving and not too far behind will be winter. Regardless, we know that we have an unchanging God who is Himself above all time.
Be strong in the Lord! Pastor Jim
Our church had it’s beginning in 1971 with the amalgamation of Forest Heights and Good Shepherd churches. A solid, active congregation led to an expansion of a narthex and sanctuary (see picture) soon afterward. The original church was converted into a hall for the use of our members and the community.
Although our numbers have dwindled, we remain an energetic congregation. The hall is used regularly by our quilting group (see picture), for bible study, AA & AlAnon. On the first Sunday of every month, we have our pot-luck luncheon. Coffee is served after every service and on Tuesday mornings members meet to enjoy coffee, treats and fellowship.
Occasionally, the Men’s Choir performs during the service under the leadership of our music director.
Our members continually support the Food Bank. The Seventh Day Adventist Church, the church next door, has Ukrainian members who worship in our church regularly.
We have a wall hanging donated in memory of a member’s daughter in the sanctuary which brightens the area.
You are always welcome to Hope Lutheran and you will be greeted at the door and introduced to other members of our congregation.
CALC and the Anglican Network in Canada (ANIC) are co-hosting a weekly Bible Study in Kitchener, Ontario. The study is led by Pastor Zena of ANIC. The group meets weekly on Wednesdays. They will be studying the Book of Acts. Come join them! If you know anyone in the Kitchener-Waterloo area that is keen on participating in an in-depth Bible Study on the formative years of the Church, pass this information along!
Wednesdays at 1:30 -3:30 PM
Sessions in October: 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
Location
Hope Lutheran Church
30 Shaftsbury Drive
Kitchener, ON, N2A 1N6
All are welcome! Any questions? You can contact Glenn Kahle (519) 616-3536 or Kahle123@rogers.com with any questions.
GOAL: BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD
On Saturday November 2, 2024, an Eastern cluster meeting will be convened. Members of all CALC's congregations in Ontario are invited to attend.
The cluster meeting begins at 10:00 AM with coffee fellowship and concludes at 3:00 PM with a closing, farewell and Godspeed. The event will focus on and celebrate the joys and challenges of ministry in Ontario.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1630 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M6L 1C5, has been asked to host the event. The organizers will inform each cluster congregation of the final details for the cluster meeting.
CALC Annual General Convention 2025
Dates April 11-12
Location Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Edmonton Airport & Conference Center
1100 4th Street, Nisku, Alberta, Canada T9E 8E2
Front Desk: 1-780-955-1000
Email: yegap@shiringroup.ca
Location Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Edmonton Airport & Conference Center
1100 4th Street, Nisku, Alberta, Canada T9E 8E2
Front Desk: 1-780-955-1000
Email: yegap@shiringroup.ca
Convention 2025 Speaker
Our Keynote speaker for Convention 2025 is the Rev. Dr. Ebassa Berhanu. His presentation draws on his journey from a Pastor's son in Ethiopia to a pastor and educator in the USA. Below please find his bio.
I was born in Ethiopia where lived until I was 12 years old. In 1991, I moved to Embarrass, MN where I attended Babbitt/Embarrass high school graduating in 1997. I continued my education at the University of Wisconsin-Superior graduating in 2002 with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and International Business. After college, I worked for Walgreens as a manager. I earned my Master of Divinity from Luther in 2009. I am currently working on my Doctor of Ministry with the concentration on Leadership in Preaching & Pastoral Ministry at Denver Seminary. I hope to complete my studies in May of 2018.
I married my wife Hana in 2007, and we have four young children, Kaiyo, Deybi, Kobii, and Liben. I was ordained a pastor in the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. My first call was as a part-time pastor at Maranatha Free Lutheran Church in Spring Lake Park, MN. While in Spring Lake Park, I also worked as a supervisor at a thrift store owned by ARC. In September 2011, I joined the pastoral staff of Faith Lutheran as an Assistant Pastor of Youth and family. I accepted all pastoral responsibilities here at Faith in September 2012. I describe myself as theologically conservative and orthodox. I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak.
For fun, I like spending time with my beautiful wife and four children. I like reading spiritual books, playing basketball and going for a run.
Pastors' Retreat 2025 Speaker
Tracee J. Swank will be the keynote speaker for the 2025 Pastors' study retreat. Her bio is provided below.
Tracee serves as the leader of Church Doctor Ministries, is a certified Church Doctor consultant and leadership coach. Tracee is committed to helping local churches and ministry organizations discover their purpose and mission in the communities they serve.
Tracee is passionate about resourcing and releasing Christian leaders to help fulfill the Great Commission through coaching, consulting, and teaching. Tracee leads the ministry staff team, the training and development of Church Doctor Coaches and Consultants, and oversees the advancement of the mission of the ministry.
Tracee has an undergraduate degree in organization development from the University of Toledo. She received a master’s degree in Theological Studies and Spiritual Formation from the Winebrenner Theological Seminary.
Tracee’s spare time is usually filled with reading, writing, and studying trends in Christianity. When not traveling for ministry work, she can be found in her kitchen adapting and trying new recipes or outside vegetable gardening. She lives in northwest Ohio with her husband, Matt, and their black lab, Jimmie. Together, Tracee and Matt (and Jimmie) train assistance dogs for Assistance Dogs of America.
Elections
The delegates to the 2025 Annual General Convention will elect candidates to fill half of the positions on the National Council. The vacant positions are as follows:
The President
The Secretary
One Elder
Two Trustees
The roster of CALC’s National Council and when each member's term expires is found below. The names of clergy on the National Council arehighlighted in gray.Bolded print highlights the positions on the National Council which become vacant at the 2025 Annual General Convention.
CALC's National Council Year their term expires.
Rev. James Bredeson, President
2025
Fred Schickedanz, Vice President
2027
Rev. Hein Bertram, Secretary
2025
Helen Zacharias, Treasurer
2027
Rev. Alvin Sorenson, Elder
2026
Caroline Parke, Elder
2028
Laurie Storsater, Elder
2025
Leona Ferguson, Trustee
2028
Rev. Eddie Kwok, Trustee
2025
Lowell Lovrod, Trustee
2025
Candidates are elected to four-year terms. Candidates must be a member of a CALC congregation (either full member or associate member congregation) or an individual associate member.
Candidates can be elected to two consecutive four-year terms for any office on National Council.
CALC has placed high value on the participation of lay people in our governance. Our constitution states that lay people must be elected to certain positions. These are laid out below.
With respect to the offices of President and Vice Presidentone must be a lay person (Subsection 2.2.1 of Article 10 of the CALC Constitution). The incumbent Vice President, Fred Schickedanz, is a lay person; therefore, a candidate for the office of the President can be either a pastor or a lay person.
With respect to the offices of Secretary and Treasurer one must be a lay person (Subsection 2.2.2 of Article 10 of the CALC Constitution). The incumbent Treasurer Helen Zacharias is a lay person; therefore, the candidate for Secretary can be either a pastor or a lay person.
Two out of the three members of the Board of Elders must be lay people (Subsection 2.2.3 of Article 10 of the CALC Constitution). An incumbent Elder, Alvin Sorenson is a pastor, therefore, the vacant position on the Board of Elders must be filled by a lay person.
Two out of the three members of the Board of Trustees must be lay people (Subsection 2.2.4 of Article 10 of the CALC Constitution). The incumbent Trustee, Leona Ferguson is a lay person; therefore, one of the two candidates elected to fill these positions could be a pastor.
To preserve the mandated percentage of lay leadership of CALC the status of candidates for the five vacant positions as lay and/or clergy members of CALC is set forth in tabular form below.
Position
Term Expires
Candidate
President
2029
Lay Person or Pastor
Secretary
2029
Lay Person or Pastor
Elder
2029
Lay Person
Trustee 1
2029
Lay Person or Pastor
Trustee 2
2029
Lay person
Nominations
If you wish to nominate a candidate for any position you can use CALC's online nomination's form. Part of the form is filled out by the person making the nomination and the rest of the form is filled out by the candidate, who by filling out the form accepts the nomination. All nominations will be vetted by CALC's Nominating Committee. Click here to access CALC's online nominations form.
Information on the Positions on National Council. Click here for information on the qualifications, responsibilities and expectations for each position on National Council.
LIFE TOGETHER DAYS
Every Life Together Day is a unique and special time intentionally set aside for our leaders to connect in conversation, hear an encouraging word, worship, and seek God's voice. If that's not enough, we'll also feed you lunch!
LIFE TOGETHER DAY . CAMROSE . AB
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
10 am - 2 pm
Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute
Camrose, Alberta
Speaker to be announced. Click Here to Register for the Camrose Event
LIFE TOGETHER DAY . MEDICINE HAT . AB
Thursday, October 24, 2024
10 am - 2 pm
Victory Lutheran Church
Medicine Hat, Alberta
After some ten years of serving Emmaus Lutheran Church, Rev. Lucretia M. van Ommeren - Tabbert is retiring.
The congregation is an ethnically diverse, loving and caring community. Pastor Lucretia also comes from an ethnically and culturally diverse and multi- lingual background. Her first language is Dutch. She was born in a small country in South- America, Suriname, a former Dutch colony and became the fifth in line of fifteen beautiful, loving and adventurous siblings.
After finishing teacher college in Suriname, she has lived, studied and worked on various continents. She was ordained in her home country in her "home" church: The Evangelisch Lutherse Kerk in Suriname (ELKS) in July of 1987.
Her marriage to Canadian born husband Martin Tabbert has brought her to Canada, Alberta; first to Fort Mc Murray then to Stony Plain and now to Edmonton. In Stony Plain she served Immanuel Lutheran Church of Rosenthal, and now Emmaus.
Pastor Lucretia specialized in Pastoral Care and Counselling; which is an important part of her ministry.
She loves God, loves people both big and small, enjoys a good hike, various ethnic foods, is enthusiastic, energetic, appreciates humor and is convinced that prayer, meditation and laughter are the most effective medicines.
Pastor Lucretia was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth ll’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for her faithful dedication to the Service of Family, Community and Country!
We give thanks to God our Heavenly Father, for guiding, teaching, and loving Emmaus congregation through Pastor Lucretia's faithful ministry. As the people of Emmaus bid her farewell, we ask that God's blessings be upon her, wherever her path may lead. We ask God to grant her wisdom, strength, and abundant grace as she continues to serve Him. We give thanks for the seeds of faith she sowed within the people of Emmaus congregation through the proclamation of the Gospel, and pray that she may find joy and fulfillment in her future endeavors. Amen.
December 31, 2024, will be the last day for Pastor Ed Skutshek as Special Assistant to the President of CALC. Pastor Ed was elected as President of CALC in November of 2009. He served three consecutive four-year terms as CALC's President. Beginning in 2021 he served as Transition coordinator. In this role Pastor Ed helped train and orient our Managing Director Dr. Sarah Dunphy in her new position. He also helped orient Pastor Jim Bredeson as he took on the role of President. The position changed to Special Assistant to the President as additional duties were added including promoting ILT, pastoral recruitment and special projects.
Pastor Ed wants to thank President Bredeson and the National Council for the opportunity to serve as Transitional Coordinator and Special Assistant. It has been such a privilege for him to work with President Bredeson and Dr. Dunphy. When asked for the reason for his retirement, he responded: "CALC is in good and capable hands. I believe God is calling me to focus my efforts on the Center for Congregational Revitalization (CCR) an initiative of the Institute of Lutheran Theology. Specifically, through the enrollment in ILT's Doctor of Ministry program, with an emphasis in congregational revitalization. However, I will always be ready to help if called upon."
ILT's Fall Board Meeting
The ILT Board of Directors meeting has been in session this week starting Wednesday, September 25-27.
In this three-day meeting, the board members discussed the increased student enrollment numbers, expansion of the Center for Congregational Revitalization, ILT Publishing and publications. They talked about the future of ILT and how to further increase student awareness and enrollment.
The board also discussed many items on their agenda including the review of the mission statement, an update on the board structure, how to move advancement forward, as well financial and marketing plans.
You Are Invited to ILT's Weekly Chapel Service
2024-2025 fall semester classes started this week! As our students dive into their academic pursuits, it's crucial to acknowledge the presence of God in their journey. Recognizing that He is there to guide, comfort, and uplift them and transform their perspective on the challenges they face through preaching and His Word.
Students, faculty and board members meet in Chapel every Wednesday at 10:00 am Central Time. Chaplain Tim Swenson, and other faculty and students preach the Word of God every week throughout the semester.
This is a great opportunity to come together as a community, hear inspiring messages, and reflect on our faith. We would like to invite you to participate with our students in Chapel, to be uplifted. Please feel free to attend these live Chapel meetings.
Contact Nina Schmidt nschmidt@ilt.edu for the link to log in and attend.
If your congregation is celebrating a milestone, such an anniversary, the installation of a new pastor, new construction, a mission activity, and/or the launch of a special new ministry, let us know. We would love to share your joy with the other members of CALC
Contact info for the editorial team: Pastor Ed Skutshek: Tel: (250) 801-3860 Email: skutsheke@gmail.com Sarah Dunphy: Tel: (613) 324-6554 Email: sarahdunphy@calc.ca
