WATERLOO, Ont. – On November 18, 2023, East District Lutheran Young Adults (EDLYA) met in Waterloo for their first post-COVID Annual General Meeting, during which time they elected a new president and discussed the future of EDLYA. Former president Josh Gajdos and his wife Erika flew in from the far reaches of Florida to guide the election, and Patric Laub of St. Luke’s in Ottawa was elected to the presidency.  The EDLYA’ites also discussed perplexing issues such as approaching LGBTQ people with love while keeping a Scriptural view, and catering to young folk curious about Christianity wh ..read more

Celebrating the Birth of Lutheran Hymnals   by Thomas M. Winger The genius of Lutheranism is our clear teaching of justification by grace through faith in Christ alone. But the joy of Lutheranism is our hymns! This year, as part of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation celebrations, we remember the first Lutheran hymnals, published in 1524. Hymn-singing has been part of God’s worship since the Old Testament. The book of Psalms is a hymnal within the Bible. The Psalms were used in Temple and Synagogue services, and naturally remained part of early Christian worship. St. Paul called for ..read more

REGINA – Grace Lutheran is marking its 100th anniversary with a series of celebrations, marking a century since March 11, 1924, when the saints who have gone on before gathered to sign the first constitution of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Rev. Arron Gust delivered the anniversary sermon in thankfulness to God. “Friends, Grace has had good times, great times, exceptional times, and she has had her struggles,” he said. “In times of adversity, and in times of prosperity, the Word of the Lord has endured over her. That is the enduring power of God’s Word. That, whether we are struggli ..read more

by David Haberstock How do you identify the true Church? Where can it be found? These are important questions for the sake of a peaceful conscience and assurance in faith. For if you do not know that your congregation is really the “Church” then everything else, including your salvation, comes into question.  Our Lutheran Confessions say this about how to identify the Church: “[The Church] has outward marks so that it can be recognized. These marks are the pure doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with the Gospel of Christ” (Ap.VII.5). That beautif ..read more

KELOWNA, B.C. – On Sunday, November 5, 2023, the congregation of First Lutheran Church (FLC) and the community of Kelowna, came together to celebrate Gary Brucker’s retirement from FLC. After 29 years of being on staff holding many titles, most recently Director of Worship, Gary was lovingly promoted to “full-time volunteer”! The 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship service was transformed into a praise-filled celebration of special music and rich relationship. A tribute video, comprised of submissions from some congregation members and his loved ones, had the crowd reliving history, laughing, and cryin ..read more

by Johann Gerhard It is a mark of great favour on the part of God that He desires the godly to approach Him in prayer in a spirit of familiar friendship. He gives us the desire to pray, and likewise makes our prayers effective. Great indeed is the power of prayer, which though it is offered upon earth is effective in heaven. The prayer of a righteous man is the key to the treasury of heaven; the request ascends to heaven, and the answer of pardon and peace descends from God. Prayer is like a shield of safety for believers, quenching all the darts of the adversary (Ephesians 6:16). When Moses ..read more

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) will hold its Annual General Meeting online on June 13, 2024.  Additional information on registration and meeting documents will be emailed to individual Members and voting delegates, and will also be included in LCC’s weekly e-newsletter, InfoDigest. To subscribe, visit LCC’s website under News>InfoDigest. ——————— The post Date set for LCC’s Annual General Meeting appeared first on The Canadian Lutheran ..read more

by Marvin Bublitz Thirty-seven years ago, my wife and I spent our honeymoon in the Calgary, Banff, and Jasper area. From the Stampede to Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefields, I have many memories from that trip, including a boat trip. Our guide pointed out the different trees on the shore. She explained that, many years earlier, there had been a forest fire. After a fire, certain types of trees are the first to grow back. Consider the lodgepole pine; their cones need intense heat to open. Only then do the seeds emerge and new growth begins. They also require ample sunlight to grow—something w ..read more

by John Kreutzwieser “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say:…” (Luke 11:1-2) It was typical during the time of Jesus for rabbis to develop short statements and poetic psalms that would be memorised by their students for daily prayer and reflection. As a first century Jewish child, Jesus grew up with Hebrew poetry and prayers, learned from Scripture (e.g., in the Psalms) and from local rabbis. Hebrew and Aramaic poetry employ a different ..read more

NICARAGUA – In November 2023, 248 children at Vacation Bible School events and 60 women at Advent workshops from six Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua (ILSN) churches greeted a 2023 Nicaragua mission team that included five members of Faith Lutheran in Kitchener, Ontario, along with two members from Messiah Lutheran in Waterloo and Concordia Lutheran in Fonthill.  Women from two northern ILSN churches construct wreaths for home devotions. VBS events in Rivas and La Pita began after the weekly worship service. Children and adults enjoyed an opening with their pastor and deaconess follo ..read more