Lutheran - St Luke Toronto

CrossWords
St. Luke - Lutheran
bringing Jesus to people across our neighbourhood
January 2012
The Kingdom of God is here
....and growing.
by Daryoush Bahrami, Pastor’s Staff
Praying for the newly Baptized
Following the Great Commission we are called to
make disciples, baptize them and teach them to
obey. The Persian Fellowship had a wonderful
celebration on January 8th, 2012 with worship and
baptism that saw 5 new Christians baptized. The
baptism was a wonderful event with members of
our Persian fellowship and English congregation
present. We were blessed to have Pastor Derek,
Pastor Jeff and Pastor Lumembo present with us.
Pastor Derek performed the service in
English and Karan Zomorodi translated into Farsi
for our Persian brothers and sisters. Pastor Derek
and Daryoush performed the baptisms fully
immersing the five new believers in the name of
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Pastor Lumembo
anointed with oil and prayed over them.
(See Growing, page 7)
Page 2
January 2012
Shepherds,
what have you been watching there?
by Pastor Lumembo Tshiswaka
What do Shepherds have to say about Jesus 'birth?
Did they see the same things we are seeing today in
our churches with our modern mangers where the
holy family is surrounded by the animals? As we
just celebrated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, I
would like to share with you Shepherds' messages
from a French Christmas song that I have learned a
couple of years ago entitled "Qu'avez-vous vu
Berger's là-bas?, which can be translated "Shepherds,
what have you been watching there?"
Looking after their herds, the Shepherds where
among the first people that witnessed Jesus 'birth.
The Angel Gabriel spoke directly to these simple
people about
The French song" Shepherds, what you have been
watching there?" is a response to this very question.
Shepherds, what you have been watching there?
Lying on a cradle
Little Baby Jesus
Surrounded by the poor
Praying in spirit
A Savior is born
To deliver his people
From their miseries
Chorus:
Hurry up!
Let's go and see the child
Given by God himself
He is our brother
Let's sing Noël
Joy from heaven
That came down to earth
Beside the child
Blessed and happy mother
Jesus is born
Good news to us
Proclaimed by the shepherds
A night full of stars
Shepherds messengers
Echoed Angels 'message
The little baby Jesus
Will bring us true light
Like one of us
Little Baby Jesus
Born in a manger
Will teach us to love
Lyrics: Didier Rimaud, Music: Claude Arrieux
© 1946, Editions du Seuil
CCLI#1646618
This song reveals to us some biblical truths
about Christmas that can be summarized in the
following paragraphs.
Jesus the deliverer:
At Christmas, the baby Jesus came with a mission.
Sent by his Father from heaven, he came down to
Mages came from afar
Brought in presents
Incense, Gold and Myrrh
Symbols of victory
The whole world
Will see his glory
deliver his people from sin and death. He came not as
an earthly King to fight the Romans, but as the true
Son of God to save not with man-made weapons, but
with his own body, paying the big price on a cross.
He paid our debt with his own blood.
(See Shepherds, page 4)
CrossWords
Page 3
Happy New Year!
by Deaconess Alice
Time flies!
2011 has come to an end and people are excited by all
the opportunities that 2012 brings. When we look
back at 2011, there were some significant events that
happened in the church of St. Luke. The St. Luke's
Persian Fellowship became part of our congregation
last year. Currently they worship every Sunday
afternoon and hold a bilingual Bible study on
Thursdays. The Fellowship has experienced a steady
growth after a rocky start and we thank God for this
growth and stability. On January 5th during the
Fellowships worship service we will be baptizing five
people and welcoming them into God's family and our
congregation.
Due to circumstances beyond our control our planned
VBS did not take place this past summer, however,
in its place we hosted "Coffee is hot, come in, let's
talk" community open houses from July 11 to July 22.
This activity was designed to build bridges into our
community. This summer we hope to host a VBS so
if this seems like an opportunity that you would be
interested in please speak to me.
For the first time we hosted a Halloween event, the
"Trunk and Treat" in our church parking lot. It was a
lot of fun! We gave away candies and church book
marks to everyone who stopped by. Many parents and
kids seeing the activity in the parking lot stopped to
talk and pick up a treat. We had a great time being a
presence in our neighbourhood.
2012 is the Year of the Dragon and it is the best year
of Chinese horoscope. We will be celebrating the
coming Chinese New Year with a Pot Blessing dinner
on Thursday, January 19th at 7 p.m. Everyone is
invited to attend as we continue to build bridges into
the lives and communities of our neighbours. Come to
celebrate the dragon year together.
Bring your
family and
friends and
celebrate
the Lunar
New Year
Lunar New Year Potluck Dinner
Please bring a dish of food
to share with other people
Join us for Dinner & Conversation
This Thursday, January 19th
Starting at 6:30p.m.
Church of St. Luke - Lutheran
3200 Bayview Ave, North York,
Ontario, M2M 3R7
For more information contact:
Deaconess Alice (416) 221-8900 ext 24
Volunteers are needed
to set up the tables at 5 p.m.
If you need to heat up your food
please arrive early.
Page 4
January 2012
Commitment to Prayer in 2012
As we dive into the new year of 2012 I want to take time to give you
the opportunity to partner with me in prayer and commit to
receiving the weekly prayer e-mails from St. Luke - Lutheran
This invitation to weekly prayer is a one year commitment (which,
if desired or because of a change in life, can be completed sooner).
Each week I will send out an e-mail following a standard format
that I use. Pray as you read the list. You can take as much or as little time as you like. There
are weeks when I am not able to take a lot of time so I ask God's Spirit to meet each person or
situation with His love and provision as He knows best and then I read through the list out loud.
There is no one right way or method or style to prayer … please develop your own. The focus
here is to be of support to those requesting prayer by remembering them in our prayers.
Are you sensing God leading you to say 'yes' to this opportunity? It is easy to commit. Just send
Pastor Derek an email at [email protected] , write: "I will pray with you." in
the subject line or at the top of the e-mail and I will add your e-mail address to my group list.
Please know, this is a "get-to" opportunity, not a "have-to" opportunity. If you don't sense a
leading to say 'yes' than please let this opportunity pass over you. God must have another area
of ministry for you to be involved in.
(Shepherds, continued from page 2)
Like one of us:
At Christmas, the Shepherds saw the little baby
Jesus who cams just like one of us. He was born in
a manger, not in a palace. He was surrounded by the
animals, not the princes and kings, yet being himself
the King of Kings. He came down to teach us the
true love of God, a love without limit, always ready
to forgive.
Mary a blessed and happy mother:
Mary, Jesus ‘mother could have faced the biggest
challenges in her lifetime, being the mother of a
child whose Father is God himself, a miraculous
child called to save mankind. Yet, she remained
fearless, faithful and confident with the angel’s
messages; you are blessed among all the women and
the child in you is from God.
Jesus will bring light:
In a world full of darkness, the birth of Jesus is a
joy to the world, for this little baby will bring light
to all the nations. During his life ministry, Jesus
himself will declare” I am the way, the truth and the
light” Jesus is our light that shows us the father.
Clusters....
Refreshing
CrossWords
Page 5
The St Luke Multicultural Choir celebrates anniversary
by Agnes Kalangu Tshiswaka
January 2011-January 2012, the St Luke
Multicultural Choir has just accomplished one year
praising and singing every first Sunday of the month
during the second service and on special occasions.
The songs sang by the Choir during the year 2011
reflect the many languages used by its members or
the ones they came across such as Zulu and
Creaole. Apart from English and French, the hymns
were selected in the following languages:
• Tagalog (Philippines)
• Jamaican Creole (Jamaica)
• Haitian Creole( Haiti)
• Tshiluba ( Congo -Kinshasa)
• Swahili (Tanzania, Congo-Kinshasa)
• Spanish ( Latin America, Spain)
• South-Africa : Zulu
In total nine different languages in which God our
Father was praised carried messages of hope, praise
and glory which turned around these biblical truths:
• Jesus is the Lamb of God worthy to be
praised (Worthy is the Lamb, English)
• Our God is great and He is the One we
magnify(Twakusifu Mungu mkuu,
Swahili)
• Friend, walk with the Lord Jesus
(Tembeya na Bwana Yesu, Swahili)
• If you don't believe in God, you will not
be saved (Sans sové san bon Dié,
Haitian creole)
• All glory and praise is due to God
(Salamat Sa iyo, Tagalog)
• It's good to praise the Lord (Papuri Sa
Diyos,Tagalog)
• Inside of me, I ask you Lord (Muari
Baba, Tshiluba)
• The Sovereign King (Suza Nina, French,
Spanish)
• Lord, satisfy my soul with the best of
heaven (Saciame Senor, Spanish)
• Enter into Jerusalem (Jamaican creole)
• Life is you gift o Lord (English)
In the book of Revelations, the Bible tells us that
"After this I looked, and there before me was a great
multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing
white robes and were holding palm branches in their
hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb."
(Revelations 7:9-10)
Mr. E. W. Spiers
541 Finch Avenue West
Room 358, Unit #3 West
Toronto, ON
M2R 3Y3
Telephone: 416-631-8438
Clusters...
Inclusive
Page 6
January 2012
Ladies
Service Guild
Young at Heart Seniors
Celebrating 15 years
and still going strong !!!
Thursday, January 19th @ 1:00 pm
Dessert, tea and coffee
Wednesday, February 1st,
at 12 noon
Food Bank Packaging
Bring a sandwich
Dessert, tea/coffee supplied
The Service Guild has been supporting the
Lansing Food Bank both financially and by
packaging food such as rice, tea, etc. for many
years. It's part of our mission projects and
outreach and the Guild enthusiastically
participates in this program. It is a good
afternoon of fellowship as we work "filling the
bags". Thanks to Ernie Bower who "sets us
up".
Mites will be collected.
Program:
A video presentation on
The life and Work of Ludwig Van
Beethoven his compositions and
lasting impact on the present era.
Presented by:
Carl Lindemann
There is nothing like music to lift your spirits
and energize you so what better way to
spend an afternoon with your friends.
As you continue to fill
your mite boxes
prayerfully, remember
the difference in the lives
that these mites make to
people around the world.
Always remember this:
You don't stop laughing because you grow
old, You grow old because you stop laughing.
Come and be a part of our group.
JOIN US
EVERYONE WELCOME
BRING A FRIEND
"Alone we can do so little.
Together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
CrossWords is the monthly newsletter of The Church of St. Luke - Lutheran.
3200 Bayview Ave., North York, ON
M2M 3R7 416-221-8900
[email protected] www.stluketoronto.com
Vol. 14 Issue 1
Brian Ingram, Layout/Production
Deadline for the February issue is January 31st, 2012
CrossWords
Page 7
(Growing, continued from Page 1)
Each of the five were given their
Christian name and a Bible verse. In
baptism we are a new creation, a new
person so they are given a new name,
their Christian name. Pastor Jeff placed
salt on the tongues on the newly
baptized. After the service we celebrated
with cake as we welcomed the newly
baptized members.
Many of those Baptised in March 2011 help to pray for newly
baptised
W e continue to go out to our
neighbourhood to bring Jesus to all
people. If you have any questions or
would like to come along please call me
at 416-617-2609.
Below is one of the testimonies shared at
the Baptismal service on January 8th.
Newly Baptized with Daryoush and Pastors
Somayeh (Setayesh) Sadat Nikbin
Testimony
I had a believer friend in Iran who always used to tell me about the Lord
Jesus Christ and his Sermons.
A month and a half ago as I was walking down the street a middle aged
woman stopped me and told me about the church she goes to. She
asked me if I was having a problem that she could pray for at her
church. I told her that I want my husband to get to Canada as soon as
possible and get here safe. In a week Syamack called me and told me
that he was on a plane heading to Montreal.
I started crying out of joy right away and I thanked the Lord Jesus
Christ and gave my heart to him. He made a great difference in my life.
After Syamack moved to Toronto we got to know Daryoush and
Pastor Derek. We attend this church with so much joy.
I had a dream a few days ago. I saw myself and Syamack
standing at the door of our home and a light was between me and him.
In the middle of that light was the innocent and smiling face of the Lord
Jesus Christ and he said: I am the Messiah. He smiled and entered our
home. I woke up and sensed his spirit inside of me. I will live with him
as long as I am alive. He is my God and the Lord of all humanity.
Page 8
January 2012
Demonstration of how to hold your nose in Baptism
Joy filled the church
Chili Lunch
sponsored by the
Care Cabinet
SUNDAY
JANUARY 29 2012
12 - 1:30 P.M.
The CANADIAN CHURCH
EXTENSION FUND (CCEF)
of our English District is sponsoring
The contest began January 9, 2012
All investment applications must be
postmarked by February 10, 2012.
Join us for LUNCH after CHURCH
A free will offering will be taken, proceeds Information on the contest, the Investment
go towards The Care Cabinet Ministry in rates have been posted on the bulletin board
support of the "Parish Nurse".
in the lobby. Application forms are available
in the lobby.
Clusters...
Adaptable
CrossKids Christmas Service - “The Mouse’s Tale”
CrossWords
Page 9
Next meeting Saturday, February 11, at 8 a.m.
Legends Restaurant, Howard Johnston Hotel
555 Cochrane Drive in Markham.
by Chris Blackburn & Ian Farquharson
The men's retreat is less than a month away. The retreat will be on Friday Feb. 3 and
Saturday Feb 4 and it is being held at the Guelph Bible Conference Centre located at 485
Waterloo Ave. The cost for the weekend is $125 and it includes: accommodations, speaker
cost, snacks and 3 meals on Saturday. For the people who can't make the Friday night
session the drive-in cost is $80. which includes speaker cost, snacks and 3 meals. The
registration begins at 7:30 pm on Friday night. The accommodations are dorm style with 5
people per room, bed linens are supplied. Cheques are to made out to Holy Cross Men's
Retreat. Registration forms and more information is available from Ian Farquharson,
contact him at at 416-494-0673 or [email protected].
For our regular monthly meetings Pastor Jeff Kunsman is conducting a four session
study on "The Fruit of the Spirit". The first session began with our January meeting on the
14th and will continue in February, March and April.
Salvation
by Mark Dodd
(Autumn, 2011)
Born of a virgin, He came at Last!
In the city of David, of little worth.
Foretold by the prophets in ages past.
Bringing joy to the world, Peace on Earth!
Changing water to wine, at the wedding feast.
Healing afflictions, curing the blind, casting out demons.
He entered Jerusalem, borne by a foal.
Betrayed He suffered, was crucified and died.
For three days entombed, then rising: Behold!
The Bride-Groom in heaven awaiting his bride.
– Abandoned us not, so do not despair.
His spirit is with us, whenever at prayer.
Clusters...
for you?
Page 10
January 2012
Health Awareness
By Karin Bogad RN
DECEMBER HAS NATIONAL
NON-SMOKING WEEK
Why Should I quit smoking?
There are many benefits to living smoke free. These include:
1) FINANCIAL BENEFITS:
< saving hundreds of dollars each year that would be spent on cigarettes
< saving money on medical bills
< saving on life, health and care insurance premiums
< less cleaning bills and replacement costs for clothing and furniture
2) HEALTH BENEFITS:
< reducing my risk of lung cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease
< improving my sense of taste and smell
< having fewer wrinkles and softer skin
< for pregnant women: reducing the risk of having a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth,
or low-birth-weight baby
3) PERSONAL BENEFITS:
< feeling more in control of my live
< having better smelling hair, breathe, clothes, home and care
< saving time by not having to take smoke breaks, buy cigarettes, or hunt for a light
< having whiter teeth
4) FAMILY BENEFITS:
< reducing my children's respiratory tract infections
< setting a good example for my children
< reducing my family's cancer risk
Please remember that nicotine is a powerful addiction and quitting is hard. Studies show that many
people attempt to quit smoking several times before they are successful and that with each successive
attempt the chances of remaining a non-smoker increase.
For more information on how to quit smoking please contact the
SMOKERS HELPLINE at 1-877-513-5333 or www.smokershelpline.ca
If you need to reach Parish Nurse – Carmen James-Henry:
Please call 416-221-8900 ext 25 or email her at [email protected]
CrossWords
Page 11
Welcoming New Members
On Sunday, January 22, we will officially and publicly
welcome new members who have joined the
congregation in the past year.
Saeid Abebi
Rudy Ackloo
Joan Ackloo
Kenny Ackloo
Sabrina Ackloo
Mehdi Ahmadi
Beth Balang
Annie Banaken
Rahman Barani
Raef Daoud
Beverley Daoud
Reza Dehghan-Nayyeri
Mark Dodd
Danyal Pahlevani Fard
Andy Hahn
Else Hamilton
Sharareh Jazayeri
Saeid Khavand
Syamack Khademy Nezhad
Mahnoush Kouhpaei
Carl Lindemann
Lilo Lindemann
Julie Moc-Eng
Carol Niedoba
Somsyeh Sadat Nikbin
Mary Palangdan
Robert Tao Qi
Iraj Radaei
Marjan Samavatian
Lindsay Schachow
Nadereh Vatanijall
Faranak Zarrinabadi
Karan Zomorodi
*It is our joy and privilege to welcome all new members and we want to make sure that no one is missed
or forgotten. If you are a new member of the congregation and do not see your name listed here please
accept our apologies for the error and notify Pastor Derek today or as soon as possible.
(System D, continued from page 12)
leaders are held to high standards of responsibility with
the authority they are exercising. Is this evidence of
System D within our congregation?
I don't believe for a moment these shifts either in
our economy or within our church are worthy of
anxiousness. Rather they are profound opportunities of
our times for us to grow deeper in knowing our Lord
and Saviour Jesus, deeper in our relationships with
each other as sisters and brothers in God's kingdom,
and deeper in identifying and recognizing those events
of life that allow us to develop relationships with
people across our neighbourhood.
Do you see evidence of System D in our
congregation? I would very much like to hear about it.
(For more information and a fuller exploration of Robert Neuwirth's
thoughts here is a starting point:
www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/mf_neuwirth_qa/all/1)
Page 12
January 2012
System D in Mission
by Pastor Derek
"Half the workers of the world," writes Robert
Neuwirth, "work in jobs that are 'off the books' …
neither registered nor regulated" (from Stealth of Nations:
The Global Rise of the Informal Economy, Random House of Canada,
2011).
Neuwirth further observes the combined
economic activity of these 1.8 billion workers adds
up to $10 trillion and suggests if the informal
economy were squeezed into a single political
structure it would be the second largest economy in
the world and he has identified this informal
economy as System D. Neuwirth pirated the term
from Francophone Africa and the Caribbean where
the French word debrouillard means a person who
is self-reliant. He stayed away from negative titles
such as grey, black or shadow economy because
self-reliance is something that is good.
Another observation Neuwirth has is that
people turn to System D not because of any fear of
regulation nor because they are avoiding anything.
Rather it is because there is no way to start a
business in the way the legal requirements would
suggest is within their means or abilities. It is a
matter of survival in our economic world and it is
reportedly working for many.
I wonder what this identified economic
reality means for church structures, church
hierarchies, and any established procedures and
expectations these structures might have.
Self-reliance (debrouillard) in North
American culture is often understood to mean you
work alone apart from the individual people around
you and you depend on none other than yourself.
I understand Neuwirth's definition of self-reliance
to be any activity apart from existing economic and
political structures and not so specifically in
relation to other people.
For those of us who have grown up with the
existing Church structures or for those who have
learned to live within the structures over the years,
this is not a question we likely ponder often. We
have come to accept what we know as the way
things are done and how things are expected to be
done much like the formalized economy we live in
that guides us as a people living in the same
country. There are indeed many benefits and
blessings to be enjoyed as a result of these
structures. However these same structures can
sometimes hinder the growth of God's Kingdom.
It is not uncommon for people to approach
me looking for my approval about a mission
opportunity God has made them aware of or opened
before them. They think it is a good idea and want
to know if the action fits within the structure of our
church. "Whose authorization, approval, or okay
do we need to get before we can move forward on
this?" is a question that reflects the concern we
have for living within the structures we have put in
place. This is the formal church.
Recently while working on a project several
of us realized we needed to come up with a couple
of sentences stating our congregation's views and
plans. When the statements were completed and
those working on them were satisfied with the end
product, the question was asked, Do we need
congregational approval? The question reflects our
comfort and concern for the formal church. Since
you haven't heard about this you know how the
question was answered. Is this evidence of System
D within our congregation?
There is a phrase I use with my staff and
which I share openly, lightweight - low
maintenance; low control - high accountability.
Lightweight means there is flexibility and
opportunity. Low maintenance means that while
preparation is always an important aspect of
mission it need not be so overwhelming that action
is greatly delayed. Low control is not a rebellion
against structure or authority but an expression of
freedom for creativity. High accountability means
(see System D, page 11)