We are an affirming, "open-table" congregration and all are welcome.
They are located in a clear wall holder to the right or (west) of the church mailboxes.
These were provided by SERC (Sexual Education Resource Centre) Brandon office at one of the Open Futures sessions that Krisjanis Kaktins-Gorsline organized this past month at the church.
Substance Use and the impact it has on an individual, their family and community can be a life-or-death matter. Naloxone is safe to administer and having a Naloxone kit available can save a life. Also, a frequent cause of overdose is opioid toxicity, ie: people who take prescription opioids by accident thinking they're another drug.
The kit comes with an instructional pamphlet and there is also a video to show you exactly what to watch out for if you feel someone has had an overdose, and shows you all the steps including checking for breathing, calling 911, and using the kit itself. The link to the video is included here and we hope that it won’t be needed but in case it is, we would like to be prepared. Also, please let us know if you are interested in further training, or feel that you need to take a kit with you to have on hand. Thank you
https://www.naloxonetraining.com/training/save-me-steps
Theme: “Do You Believe this?” John 11:26 (a Follow up from my October Pastor Message) “Do you Believe?” Is the theme for 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan 18-25th John 11:17-27
17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
It is the entire passage chosen for theme, where Jesus arrives in Bethany and raises Lazarus from the dead. A part of that story is the encounter between Jesus and Martha, at the end of which Martha confesses faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.
The theme for 2025 was proposed by the ecumenical monastic community of Bose in Italy, in cooperation with the international team appointed by the Catholic Church’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, at meetings in Bose in late September 2023.
Christian History to help us understand where we came from and where we are now going!
The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council of Christian churches, called by Emperor Constantine I. The Council took place in Nicaea, a place just outside Constantinople (now Istanbul), from May to July of 325. This was just 12 years after a meeting between the co-emperors Constantine and Licinius in February 313 in Milan, at which they agreed to grant legal status to Christianity. The so-called “Edict of Milan,” a letter from Licinius to governors of provinces in the Eastern Empire, granted Christians and all persons within the empire freedom from religious persecution.
Having then just emerged from a type of “underground” status of nearly 300 years, the diversity of language, culture and hierarchical organization created theological divisions within the Church. There was an urgent need for one unified voice for the sake of orthodox doctrine, especially about the nature of Jesus’s relationship to the Father within the being of the Triune God.
There was also a need to establish a common date for Easter and a way to reconcile Christians who had lapsed under the period of persecution. A major result of the Council was the creation of the first Nicene Creed. Tradition has it that there were 318 bishops present, mostly from Eastern churches, and that all but two signed the Creed.
Considering divergences of interpretation on the “settled” date of Easter agreed at the Council, followed by separate dates again for centuries, it is of special significance that in 2025, all Christians have the same date for Easter: April 20th, how can we lift this up in our communities of faith? And how do we continue to work together to share the glorious message of Jesus’ gift of life and the meaning of his death and resurrection for us?
As the whole Church of today considers the commemoration of a gathering that signified a belief in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church,” may we all be more and more drawn into the mystery of unity.
May we confess our resistance to that unity, embrace our diversity and remember exactly what we believe together and share with the world: that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, who raises all with him to eternal life in a kingdom that will never end.
Observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a wonderful spiritual start to 2025 and everything that will be celebrated by Christians during that year.
Believe, have faith and allow God to guide us, as there is more that unites us than divides us! Amen
In Peace, Pastor Heather
If you wish to receive our newsletter, calendar, notification of our services on YouTube, or other notification of services at our Church, please forward your request to admin@ericksonlutheranchurch.ca and you will be added to our mailing list or click on the following links: Newsletter, Calendar, YouTube Services.
We would like to begin by Thanking the Erickson Lutheran Women for the monetary gift of $5,000. This goes towards the operating expenses of the Church. It is greatly appreciated all the work they do. Thankyou again!
If anyone has any questions or concerns please present to Council or email cat7cool@gmail.com. We continue to meet on the 3rd Thursday each month. The New Year is approaching so anyone who might be interested to be on Council, contact Cathy Hackenschmidt.
There will be a Special Congregation Ballot Meeting following November 17th service. Information pertaining to this will be posted on bulletin board in Narthex. As well the full council minutes are posted there.
Psalm 34:14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The new hymn for November is #511 “Thy Strong Word”. The text written by Martin H. Franzmann, was an American Lutheran Clergyman and Theologian. He was also a Professor and Poet. The music written by a Welsh Composer, Thomas J. Williams, has been used for many different hymns. In the ELW two hymns, 327 and 511 use this tune “Ebenezer”.
The children’s song sung at the the beginning of worship touches the child in each of us remembering our Sunday School days. Thank you Sharon for leading and preparing us for worship.
The choir will participate in the Legion Remembrance Day Service. We will share the hymn, “This Is My Song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine.”
Unlike past reports this one will be quite brief.
The original funding for the PYH will cAME to an end at the end of May. This means that I will be halting my work for the time being.
We’re still waiting to hear back from the MNO Synod regarding additional funding. We also have a grant in with Healthy Together Now we’re waiting to hear about. I will also be applying for a substantial grant From the Ground Up grant through the Province of Manitoba.
I feel that our program is strong. Many of the people I speak with are very positive about what we do. We just have to wait and see what happens over the summer.
Working with the church has been a very positive and enriching experience. I’m very grateful to have had this opportunity. I hope that we’ll be able to continue working together in the future. Programs like PYH are so important to communities like ours.
TBible study will be on Thursday 14 November at 7 pm at Dolores’s home. The topic is: Faithfulness.
Report Submitted by Dolores Hall
We have a YouTube Channel - Erickson Lutheran Church -
where you may access online services.
ELC Service links will be posted on our Facebook page.
We pray for healthcare providers, vaccine suppliers, those who are ill and those who are mourning the loss of loved ones.
REMEMBER... GOD IS WITH US; WE ARE NOT ALONE.
Click here to access a Manitoba/NWOntario Lutheran service on the internet.
To receive more updates, please go to the ELC Facebook Page or sign-up for MNO Synod Newsletter for virtual services that are available at www.mnosynod.org.
Click here for information from the MNO Synod and ELCIC regarding regulations surrounding Covid-19.
Thank you for donations to our ministry and others
If you would like to support our outreach, you can make a donation or an online offering A) via etransfer to tres@ericksonlutheranchurch.ca or B) through Canada Helps by clicking the link below.
If you wish to donate to The Bethel Society, please do not use Canada Helps but forward said donation by way of cheque c/o Erickson Lutheran Church. All donations using the Donate Button will go directly to Erickson Lutheran Church.
Sunday worship is at conducted at 10:30 am all year long using the Lutheran Order of Worship. The first Sunday is a Service of the Word followed by a potluck lunch. The second Sunday is Communion Sunday followed by coffee. On the third Sunday of the month, a Hymn Sing is held before worship. On the fourth Sunday of the month there a Service of the Word followed by coffee. Should there be a fifth Sunday in the month, then it is a Gospel Song Service followed by coffee.
We are located just south of beautiful Riding Mountain National Park on Highway 10, Manitoba.
We will be using Facebook, our website and our newsletter as our primary ways of communicating with members and want everyone to be informed in a timely manner.
While we are back into in-person services, our services will be available online on the church's Facebook site for those who are unable to come to our in-person services
Anyone wishing to be more involved with our faith community and advocacy please call us at 1-204-636-2259. May the Peace of Christ be with you!
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