BAPTISMS FOR DECEMBER:                           

Inspired by the congregational pledge made in the service of Holy Baptism (see page 228, EvLW), we will be including names of those baptized at St. Luke's Zion in our monthly newsletters.  We hope this will be a reminder to lift them up in prayer, wherever they may be in their faith-walk.  The following were baptized in the month of December in previous years: 

Sharon L. T.                   Albert J. R.
William G.M. M.              Dolphis V. S.
Anson P. G.                    Jody A. H.
Chase M.P. H.                Colton S. H.
Donald G. J.                   Emma R. B.
Bradley C. J.

 

IN OUR PRAYERS:

Please remember in your prayers our shut-in’s in long term care:

Helen  – Holy Family Nursing Home

Irene  - River Park Gardens

Elfrieda  - Luther Home 

Anna  – Fred Douglas Lodge

Laura  - Red River Place, Selkirk

Mary  – Luther Home

WORSHIP DURING THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS:

Dec. 24th – 7:00 pm – Candlelight Communion Service

Dec. 27th – 10:30 am – First Sunday of Christmas

Jan. 3rd – 10:30 am – Second Sunday of Christmas

SLZ - HELP WANTED:

The following opportunities for service continue to be available.  Can you help?

*Ministers of Transportation (People need rides to church!)

*Banner steward (changes the banners as the church seasons change – must be able to climb a ladder – minor banner repairs as needed)

*NEST Board Member

*Choir Members

*Sunday Servants

NEWS FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: 

Thank you to those who have submitted their items for the December newsletter

Please hand in any Items for the January newsletter by December 23rd to Joanne Janzen or email to the church @ stluzi@mymts.net or to joannejanzen007@mymts.net

Thank You!

THE URBAN:  

CHILI-BEAN SOUP-$10.00 makes 10-12 servings in your crock-pot

HEMP-SEED BANNOCK-2 BAGS FOR $6.00

HEMP-HEARTS-2 LBS. $15.00 (includes recipe for our fabulous cookies)

GIFT PACKAGE-includes-1 soup, 1 bannock and 1 28oz can of tomatoes for $15.00

These are great to have on hand for a cold day and that time is creeping up really fast.  These make great gifts for teachers, co-workers, hard to buy for friends, students and anyone who wants a warm and hearty meal.  

Please help us to help ourselves!  Contact Pastor Deb at either deb@theurban.ca or phone the office and leave a message to make arrangements for pick up. 204-774-3143

Thanks to everyone in advance for helping us out.

Rev. Deborah V Kerr BTh

Ministry Manager - Lutheran Urban Ministry

#25-560 Arlington St. Winnipeg, MB R3G 1Z5

www.theurban.ca  Phone (204) 774-3143 

CHRISTMAS HAMPERS: once again rather than making our own hampers, we will support other groups that are doing so.  Those who wish are invited to give either food or monetary donations to Lutheran Urban Ministry or Trinity Food Pantry.

LUTHER VILLAGE:

Luther Village Giving Challenge 2015
$45,000 in 45 days.

     Our largest annual fundraiser Luther Village is underway. Our goal is to raise $45,000 in 45 days.
We began on November 15 and we will continue until December 31, 2015. Thank you to all who have responded so far!

     Volunteers have been phoning from the OnBusiness offices and we will continue this Sunday, November 22 from 2:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
     Please answer your phone, or respond to the challenge by donating online:
Click on the Luther Village website http://www.luthervillage.ca/donate.html
Or on CanadaHelps.org

For more information about Luther Village visit their website at www.luthervillage.ca

ALPHA COURSE:

An Alpha Course will begin on Sunday, January 10, 2016 at the Sunova Centre in West St. Paul.  Invitation cards on the table in the narthex have all the details.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ‘Poinsettia Fundraiser’:

Great News. . . for those who may have missed last Sunday’s deadline and would like to order a Poinsettia…we are still able to add on to our current order, however Shelmerdine’s has informed us that by December 7th the specialty colours are usually sold out and then only red is available. 

We have also been able to move our delivery date to December 23rd in the afternoon – which means you can still pay through your Sunday offering until Dec. 13th

The cost is $20.00 and can be included in your offering under “special.”  Simply indicate that it is for a poinsettia and include the name(s) of loved ones to be remembered. The poinsettias will decorate the sanctuary for Christmas.

All funds raised through this Sunday School fundraiser will be given to the Youth for the next 2016 Clay Gathering in P.E.I

‘CLAY is an incredible gathering of Anglican and Lutheran youth from across Canada. The Gathering takes place every two years at different locations across Canada. Our Gathering in 2016 will take place in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, from August 17-21-2016’    Thank you for your support! 

CHRISTMAS PARTY: will be held on Sun. Dec. 13th

CHRISTMAS PLAY: will be held on Sun. Dec. 20th

MUSIC CONCERT: Sat., Dec. 12th at 6:30 p.m.

Faith Peters’ music students will be holding their Christmas Concert here at St. Luke’s. Everyone is invited to attend. Please join us in supporting these very talented music students.

TRINITY FOOD PANTRY:

Still serving over 50 client families continues to operate out of Trinity Place.  The annual Christmas Party is noon, December 19.  A full turkey dinner will be served and children under 13 receive a Christmas gift.  Donations marked Trinity Food Pantry will be gratefully received.  Checks should be made to Grace Lutheran Church which has adopted this ministry.  For more information contact Don Engel:  204-663-5932 or pastordonengel@gmail.com.

Evangelical Lutheran Broadcast:

Tune in each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (CST) to:
CKBI 900 AM       MAX TV 824
www.lutheranbroadcast.ca   Our website makes us heard around the world. Please take time to check us out.  Mailing Address: Box 1717, Prince Albert, SK S6V 5T3    All donations, large and small, are most gratefully and prayerfully received and acknowledged with receipt at Year End.
"Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to may path."  
Psalm 119:105 NSRV

N.E.S.T. NEWS:

There has been no word on the arrival times for our two families who are originally from Sudan nor for the Iraqis family. This latter family is being sponsored in partnership with the Messiah Lutheran Church (as the caregivers) NEST, and the Canada Immigration Council. CIC will cover the costs for the first half of the year. NEST has already rented a home for the family of five, as they are expected to arrive before year end.

NEST has been working on a draft re: Police Records Checks and policy for future caregivers. Several of our Lutheran Churches have their specific policies (for the PRC) based on directs from the ELCIC – for the Protection of Children, Youth, and other Vulnerable People. (Including the Child Abuse Registry). There is a Moderate charge.

Upcoming Fundraisers:

1. Potluck Dinner – Sunday, February 21st 2016 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of Narol, 5635 Henderson Hwy. (Esther Juice). Tickets $5.00, plus a dish.
2. Pancake Breakfast - Applebee’s on Regent Ave. on Saturday, March 26th, 2016. Please watch for the Posters and Tickets in the New Year!

There is no NEST meeting in December

The next general meeting is at 7:0 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at Grace Lutheran Church

Thank You for your prayers and support.

-Blessings always!  Dorothy Handkamer

Start the holiday festivities early. . .

  …with a variety show style concert at Kildonan United Church! Featuring favourite performers from the West Kildonan community and beyond. Pay what you can at the door and stay afterwards for food and drinks. Concert is on Saturday December 19 beginning at 7:00 p.m. and, if anyone would like to participate in that concert, we would love to welcome you. Please contact Mark at 204-979-0510 or kucmin@mymts.net.

     Thanks and we hope to fill the Church with music and people.

Reverend Mark Satterly
187 Kilbride Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R2V 0Z7

Office Phone: 204-334-7022
Minister's Phone: 204-979-0510

Website: http://kildonanunited.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kildonan.united/

Songwriting Contest:
New for 2016: A song-writing contest

We need a theme song for “CLAY 2016: Not For Sale,” and we want you to write it.

So get into your music dungeon, your piano niche, your clarinet chamber, your accordion chair, your rented rehearsal hall, or your shower (wherever suits you best to compose), and start writing. There are very few boundaries, but here are some themes from which you may want to start thinking:

• The enslavement and emancipation of the Israelites in Egypt
• John 2:13-16 (Jesus drives out the sellers from the temple)
• Genesis 1:26 (humanity will have dominion over the created things)

We will choose one or two of the best submissions to be featured at CLAY 2016 and incorporated into CLAY repertoire.

The winning submission(s) will be analyzed based on singability, musicality, theological content (as it resonates with ELCIC and ACC ideas and practices), and originality. We would love to mix it up at CLAY with time signatures and questionable chord progressions, if you’ve got the guts to write it. Oh yeah, and if it can sound good.

Consider that the CLAY band is almost always comprised of two vocalists, a guitarist, a bassist, a keyboardist, and a drummer.

The contest is open to Canadian Lutherans and Anglicans, which, when I last asked an Anglican priest, might include all humanity. Submissions may be from individuals or from groups. Please mark clearly if one person is the lyricist and one person is the composer or arranger, etc.

Contest closes Saturday, January 16, 2016. Submissions received after this day will only be considered if your song is either really good, or it is handed to Peter Reinhardt or Kate Langrell in person by a messenger of The LORD.

C.L.W.R.

Introducing the "We Care Bear"      

(You can view a picture of the bear on the C.L.W.R website)

knitted teddy bear pattern courtesy of Sara Bradberry

We are happy to announce a new item to our list of accepted items to include in future humanitarian aid shipments. Introducing the “We Care Bear,” a knitted handmade teddy bear that will make a perfect gift for a child. These can be included in our Learning and Living kits or donated separately.
Coming soon! A $5 donation can give your We Care Bear that extra special touch! Coming soon will be a small We Care t-shirt that is the perfect fit for your handmade bear. Pre-orders can be placed for these starting in December.

*I designed this bear as my Christmas gift to the knitlist for 1998. You can kit him/her with any yarn you like, using needles that give you a very firm gauge so that the filling does not show through the fabric.

Add an i-cord tail and embroidered whiskers and you have a cat!

Materials: 

I used 60gm 8 ply (DK) Patons Fireside in dark brown @ approx 95m (110 yards) per 50gm ball and 3.25mm needles. My tension was 26sts and 52 rows to 4 inches over garter st on 3.25mm needles.

You can make this bear out of any yarn using needles 2 - 3 sizes smaller than those you would normally use for your chosen yarn

Pattern:  Bear is knit entirely in garter st.

Legs, Body and Head:

Make 1 - Beginning at the top of the head, cast on 40sts and knit 32 rows. Place a colored thread in the middle (approximately) of the last row to show where the neck is. Knit a further 34 rows (total 66 rows).  Put a colored thread at each end of the last row to show where the body stops and the legs start.  Next row: Knit 20, turn. Knit a further 39 rows on these 20 sts. Cast off. With right side facing, rejoin yarn to the other 20sts and knit 40 rows. Cast off

Arms:

Make 2 - Cast on 20sts and knit 40 rows. Cast off

Making Up: 

Fold the body in half and sew the back seam from the cast on edge to the row where you placed markers for the top of the legs. Refold the body so that the seam you just sewed runs down the center of the back and sew the inside leg and foot seams.

Stuff your teddy lightly and sew the top of the head closed, rounding the corners very slightly.

Sew across the corners of your teddy's head so that the corner points form ears. If you want your ears to stand out like those in the picture, gather around the bottom of each ear and pull slightly.

Gather around the neck on the row where you placed the marker for the neck.

Fold the arm pieces in half and sew the side and one end closed. Stuff very lightly, sew the remaining side closed and sew the arm to the body, just below the neck. Put a ribbon around the neck and embroider face.

Pussy Cat Variation:

When sewing ears, do not round off the corners.

Knit a length of i-cord and sew to the back of the toy, just above the top of the legs, for a tail.

Embroider the face as for the bear, but add whiskers.

CARING FOR YOUR POINSETTIA

When You First Bring Your Poinsettia Home:

Light - Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. Poinsettias are tropical and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can provide.

Heat - To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 - 75 degrees F. during the day. Dropping the temperature to about 60 degrees F. at night will not hurt the plant. However, cold drafts or allowing the leaves to touch a cold window ca injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. If you've ever see a gangly poinsettia in bloom, with only a couple of sad looking leaves hanging on, it was probably exposed to temperatures that were too cool or extreme shifts in temperature.

Water - Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don't let the plant sit in water. Wilting is another common cause of leaf drop. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance.

Humidity - Lack of humidity during dry seasons, in particular winter, is an ongoing houseplant problem.

If your home tends to be dry and your poinsettia is in direct light, you will find yourself watering frequently, possibly every day.

*After Christmas Care:

January - March: Keep watering the poinsettia whenever the surface is dry.

April: Starting April 1st, gradually decrease water, allowing them to get dry between watering. Be careful the stem does not begin to shrivel. This is a sign the plant is too stressed and is dying. In a week or two, when the plant has acclimated to this drying process, move it to a cool spot like the basement or a heated garage. You want to keep it at about 60 degrees F

May: In mid-May, cut the stems back to about 4 inches and repot in a slightly larger container, with new potting soil. Water it well. Place the newly potted plant back into the brightest window you have and once again keep it at a temperature of 65 - 75 degrees F. Continue watering whenever the surface of the soil feels dry.

Watch for new growth. Once new growth appears, begin fertilizing every two weeks with a complete fertilizer. Follow fertilizer label recommendations.

June: More the poinsettia outside, pot and all. Keep it in a partially shaded location and maintain your watering and fertilizing schedule.

July: In early July, pinch back each stem by about one inch. This is to encourage a stout, well branched plant. If left unpinched, the poinsettia will grow tall and spindly.

August: By mid-August, the stems should have branched and leafed out. Once again, pinch or cut the new stems, leaving 3-4 leaves on each shoot. Bring the plant back indoors and back into your brightest window. Continue watering and fertilizing.

September: Continue regular watering and fertilizing. Make sure the temperature stays above 65 degrees F.

October Poinsettias are short-day plants, meaning their bud set is affected by the length of daylight. To re-bloom, poinsettias need about 10 weeks with 12 hours or less of sunlight per day. You will have to artificially create these conditions and it's crucial that you be diligent.

Beginning October 1st, keep your plant in complete darkness from 5 pm to 8 am. Any exposure to light will delay blooming. Use an opaque box or material to block out light. Many people place their plants in a closest, but if light gets in through the cracks or if you open and use the closet, it will affect the bud set.

Move the plant back to the sunny window during the daytime and continue watering and fertilizing.

November: Around the last week of November, you can stop the darkness treatment and allow the plant to remain in the window. You should see flower buds at this point

December - Stop fertilizing about December 15th. Keep watering and treat your plant the way you did when you first brought it home in bloom. If all has gone well, it should be back in bloom and ready to begin the process all over again.