Our Reason…

 

God's supply of love and mercy is, from a human viewpoint, unbelievable and fantastic! People's selfishness and disobedience ought to be met with divine retribution and condemnation – nobody really wants what he or she “deserves” from God.  However, "God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." (John 3:17) Now no condemnation hangs over those who are "in Christ Jesus," for in forgiveness they are new creatures, passing from death to life.

 

That divine love is as broad as man's sin but narrow enough to accept you and me. It is long: without end or beginning, eternal as Christ. It is as deep as man's sinning and as high as the heavens, the throne of His glory. It is so great that it passes all knowledge, and cannot be measured by anyone's comprehension.

 

God's supply of grace is incredible, but how will we respond to it?  His supply of eternal life is the foundation for what the Bible calls Christian stewardship. Stewardship is the Christian’s response to God’s love in every area of life.  Our call in Jesus Christ redeems and empowers, trains and tests, uses, and matures us. All of life is affected.

 

This is God's plan for you for security, peace, and happiness. This is not a mere set of beliefs but the very purpose of human existence.  We have nothing of which to boast, for we are rooted in Christ.

 

Our works and stewardship deeds do not save us (Rom. 3:28), but rather we are saved for good works. (Eph. 2: 10)   The new life given through faith reveals its presence in good works. (James 2:22, 26: John 15:2.14)

 

This serves to define the purpose of Grace Lutheran Church – or any Christian church.  The church is believers in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, living in response to the free gift of salvation.  It is people who know that their purpose here and now is shaped by the gift of heaven – theirs for all eternity. 

 

It is to the end of living and sharing that Good News that our congregation exists.  It is the reason that the pages that follow describe the events and activities that they describe:  That Christ would be shared.

 

Read on . . . and live by that faith.

 

 

 

Baptisms – 11 (10 infants 1 by instruction)

Luka Lawrence (Jan 7)

Akera Andrews (Mar 18)

Hailey-Mae Camp (Apr 8)

Julia Hanson (Jun 24)

Brady Pandila (Jun 24)

Jayden Danyluk (Aug 12)

Gabriella Heon (Aug 26)

Finley McLure (Sept 2)

Kyler Woodford (Oct 7)

Blake Devchand (Oct 14)

Benjamin Hagen (Dec 6)

 

Received into Communicant Membership by Junior Confirmation - 2

Anthony Kuechle

Hunter Stewart

 

Received into Membership by Adult Confirmation, Transfer or Confession of Faith – 24

·         Includes (Baptized) and Communicant Members

John Gavora                                                                Scott Seehagel

Doreen Hamilton                                                        Scott Seehagel

Dave Huffman                                                                        Debbie Seehagel

Jeanette Hudon                                                           Mike Seehagel

Herman Koetsier                                                         Amy Seehagel

Carol Kruger                                                               Reg Stark

Pete Lawrence                                                                        Tim Ulmer

Natasha Lawrence                                                      Lisa Ulmer

(Luka Lawrence)                                                         (Hannah Ulmer)

Troy Poffenroth                                                          (Benjamin Ulmer)

Corrine Poffenroth                                                      (Lily-ann Ulmer)

Ronald Ross                                                               

Barbara Ross

 

Funerals – (5)

Jack Bennett (July 25)

Irene Kron (Aug 12)

Leonard Girling (Sept 16)

Eileen Boland (September 28)

Harold Falkenburg (Nov 2)

Transfers Out – (6)

Rick Reimann (St. Paul, Dawson Creek, BC)

Magdalene Carr (Prince of Peace Lutheran, Calgary)

Laura Sommerville (Immanuel Lutheran, Lethbridge)

Stephanie Kooch (Zion Lutheran, Nampa, Idaho)

Eugene and Evelyn Fournes (Prince of Peace Lutheran, Calgary)

 

 

Joined in Holy Matrimony – (2 couples)

Mark Livingstone & Dianne Livingstone (Mar 10)

Blair Rehkopf & Olga Petrova (Apr 20)

 

 

Membership at year End

Communicant: 398

Baptized: 530

Average Worship Attendance:

·         January – Summer: 182

·         Summer – 135

·         September – December: 199

·         Year Overall: 189

 

 

 

 

The year 2007 has certainly been a year of growth for our congregation. We have increased the size and functionality of our building along with a significant growth in membership. To all our new members I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very sincere “Welcome to Calgary Grace Lutheran”. It is an honor and pleasure to have you and your family worship with us.

The growth of our congregation, both physically and spiritually, has only been achieved through the hard diligent work of our spiritual director Pastor Mark Ruf, our dedicated office secretary Janice Rosentreter, and the many other congregational members who gave so freely of their time and talents over the past year.  It would be a challenge in itself to identify and name these wonderful individuals, so in order not to miss thanking anybody I will take the easy way out and say thank you, to all of you, from the bottom of my heart for all your wonderful work.

These volunteers are the people, who serve on the Parish Planning Council, all of the related Boards, teachers, ushers, counters, readers, communion assistants, communion set up and clean up, choir members, musicians, office assistants, cooks, dishwashers, servers, ticket takers and volunteers for the many fund raisers and community service programs that are supported by Grace, Inn From The Cold volunteers and the many, many others who are always available at Grace to offer their time and support on an ongoing basis to get things done and get programs up and running here in our congregation. Even with such a long list I have probably missed many who have helped out so please accept my apologies.  Once again I would like to say THANK YOU to all of you and may God bless and reward your efforts.

As Pastor Mark has often mentioned,”…Our Church is not the building, it is our Congregational Members”. The brick and mortar in itself does not make our Church a viable congregation – it is our members and their dedication that makes our Church a wonderful place to worship and praise the Lord.

To that end I challenge each and every member of our congregation to review, in this New Year, what we give back to our Lord in time and talent.  The numerous Boards, projects and programs that are functioning within our congregation offer many opportunities to contribute a few, or many, hours of our hectic lives to help improve our congregation, our community and help spread the message of salvation to our fellow mankind.  Many of our volunteers also find support, friendship, personal satisfaction and a lot of fun as they give of their own time and talents. 

It is important that we understand that each of us has the potential to contribute to the development and growth of our congregation. It is your congregation – your ideas – your talent – your hard work and input that will help this congregation fill your spiritual needs and grow in a direction that is reflective of our Lords’ teachings and desires. Make this year the year that you too can help give back for all the gifts that you have received.  Take up the challenge – become an active Member of Calgary Grace Lutheran Church. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Respectfully submitted,

Doug Hunsley

 

The Board of Christian Education is thankful to God for the dedicated and talented board members and teachers who stand together and demonstrate their love for God and for one another by willingly participating in the Christian education of adults and children. Thank you for your efforts!

 

 

BOARD MEMBERS 

Joanne Peterson, Wendi Stewart, and Chris Kadey.  The board is currently without a director.   

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Michelle Ruf served as Sunday School Superintendent from January through June.  Michelle has since left this position in order to help organize a care-giving group within the congregation.  After a search this fall, Nadine Adam has consented to serve as superintendent.  Thank you to Nadine, who has already brought much to the position!  After operating for a year in Grace Manor during our building expansion, our Sunday School was happy to return to their permanent classrooms in February, following construction.  Thank you to those who volunteered enormous amounts of time and energy towards unpacking our classroom and building in general. 

 

Thank you, as well, to Wendi Stewart for organizing the children’s games for this year’s congregational picnic held on the first Sunday in June, and to Lyle and Connie Rietze for making arrangements for the picnic’s food. 

 

We would also like to thank this current year’s teaching staff:  Lois Schlosser, Bob Reece, Michelle Ruf, Leigh McLachlan, Ansie Diedericks, Ed Emerton and Wendi Stewart.  Those available to serve as substitute teacher are: Lyle Rietze, Diane Stoddard, Michelle Ruf, Wendi Stewart, Jenifer Pickrell, Leigh McLachlan, Jacquie Hunsley, and Sarah Selman.  Sunday School remains a critical preparation for Christian life, as one learns the Biblical accounts and over the years is better able to frame them into a faith that is life-forming. Pastor has often noted that it is extremely obvious by confirmation age, which students have been faithful in Sunday School attendance.  Thank you also to Maralyn Meyers who continues to count the Sunday School offering for us on a weekly basis!  Last, but not least, thank-you to Janice for faithfully ordering our necessary classroom supplies.

 

Nursery was offered for the study hour before worship in 2007 to make it possible for parents with very young children (ages 1-3) to attend Bible study while their children are cared for in a safe and loving environment. Thank you to Jacque Hagen for organizing this effort, as well as to those involved in the supervision (Sally Nielsen, Wendi Stewart, Ansie Diedericks, and Pam Nuss).

 

Clearly, it can not go without saying that the success of the Sunday School activities is due to the time and efforts of many individuals who are for the most part un-named and just do what they see needs doing ~ we are truly thankful for everyone’s talents and time!

 

 

STUDY GROUPS

Bible study involvement continues to be high in 2007 with over 125 participants in the various organized studies that go on throughout the week.  These include:  Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study, New Member’s class, Manor Study, Tuesday Study, LWML Bible Study, and Men’s Bible Study.  Confirmation classes continue to be on Monday evenings with Pastor Mark leading the classes.  There were two confirmed in May and the current year’s class consists of fourteen students (eight second year and six first year).

 

YOUTH

The youth study was led by Kurtis Kulman.  Thank you, too, to those parents who have helped the youth make use of our gym facilities through the year. 

 

OTHER

We have truly been blessed with a congregation of many talents.  In an age in which fewer and fewer people offer to use those gifts, may God move us to share the Good News.  What else really matters as much!  May He continue to bless us as we move forward into a new and exciting year filled with His grace and abounding love! May His name be honored and praised always!

Respectfully submitted by Pastor Mark

 

 

 

 

Our scholarship fund has been in existence and active now for five years, having been established in 2002.  Through it we annually award $500 each to a Concordia Lutheran Seminary student, and to a senior student enrolled in the Director of Parish Services program at Concordia University College of Alberta, demonstrating good marks and financial need.  When possible, these awards are given to students whose home congregation is Grace Lutheran in Calgary.

This year’s recipients were Leah Becker in the 4^th year of the DPS program at Concordia University of Alberta and Murray Keith who is finishing his final year at Concordia Seminary in Edmonton.

Our funds are invested with the ABC District Church Extension Fund in guaranteed investment certificates.  We are thankful to generous donors in the past, and welcome any donations you might like to make to this fund (indicate “Scholarship Fund” on your offering envelope).  As the fund becomes self-supporting, we welcome any donations to increase this fund, so that we might support more students in the Church work programs.

Respectfully submitted by Doug Hunsley

 

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”  1 Peter 4:10

 

God has blessed Grace Lutheran Church with a great many very active members who make available their time, talents and funds to support the many activities that occur in the church every year, and 2007 has been no exception.

 

The Board of Stewardship and Evangelism wishes to thank Pastor Ruf for his contribution of insight into the needs of the church, and his suggestions of how these might best be met. The board also wishes to thank our Executive Director, Doug Hunsley for his contribution to board meetings, and the continued contribution of time and effort by Viola Schatkoski, our Church Financial Secretary. We would also like to thank the many volunteers for their contribution to the church by making themselves available to reconcile and count our weekly offerings.

 

We would also like to encourage those who have creative ideas on how to continue to build the congregation to present them to the board for consideration in 2008. Additions and renovations to the church were completed in February. One change to the church that should be highlighted was the addition of a fully commercial grade kitchen, which will stand the church in good stead in its Community Outreach efforts: Community Kitchen and Inn From the Cold. The board would like to thank the kitchen committee for their time and effort with the planning of the new kitchen.

 

A Congregational Database was presented to the board by Alf in February. The database will enable the church office to have the necessary information on talents, skills and interests of the congregation for the filling of various board and church positions in the future. At the time of writing, response to the database form completion has been slow. Members of the congregation who have not filled out a form are encouraged to do so.

 

Our outreach program this year consisted in part of informational flyers distributed through Canada Post to the south Calgary area to 1000 addresses, describing events at Grace Lutheran Church, such as the dedication service for the newly renovated church, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, Open House Sunday in September, and Christmas services. The notice of the September 30 Open House was posted on the message board outside the church. Informational materials in the form of packages supplied by Lutheran Church Canada were given to twelve interested guests. Refreshments consisting of coffee and cookies were made available in the Narthex and the Gym. The Board will look at additional Open House Sundays in future. The Board would like to thank Bill Cottingham for his efforts in organizing flyers to inform the community of our activities during 2007.

Inn From The Cold started again on November 29 after a long layoff due to church renovations and construction, with fifteen guests using our facilities. The Board would like to thank Nicole Adam for chairing the IFTC program and Ott Kendell & Leigh McLachlan for helping with the organizing and all the volunteers who help to make this an effective and well run program.

 

Grace Lutheran Church participated with five other churches in Neighbour Link Sunday, September 30. The congregation was requested to donate non-perishable food items to be given to people in need. Grace Lutheran Church once again responded with generosity. The Farmer’s Market and Curry Barracks community development focusing in part on the Farmer’s Market, will be explored. Suggestions are that a table or booth could be set up to disseminate information about Grace Lutheran Church and its programs for the community.  This effort will be carried forward into 2008.

 

As Director, I would like to thank the Members of our Board, Kurtis Kulman, Bill Cottingham, Harvey Spaven and Ted Cutlan for their contributions to the Board. We are grateful and thank our Heavenly Father for the leadership of Pastor Mark, to our Executive Director Doug Hunsley, to our Congregation and the community we live in for their continued support that make Grace Lutheran Church a supportive church home for all of us.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism by Alf Guebert

 

This is new to Grace Lutheran, and we thank Becky Lindstedt for volunteering to take on this role.  Watch for information from Becky regarding the Seminary needs. 

 

 

 

 

We have a very dedicated group of knitters whose needles have just been smoking this year.  They meet every Thursday morning in the board room from 10:00 until 11:30 and encourage anyone who knits, or would like to learn, to join them.  They donated several large bags of hats, mittens, scarves, slippers and tea cozies to The Mustard Seed, Sheriff King Home for Women, Inn From The Cold and also sold several wonderful pieces at bake sales throughout the year.  If you are cleaning and come across any wool you no longer need be sure and bring it to the church as every bit helps.  For any questions contact Marge Bennett.

Respectfully submitted by Janice Rosentreter

 

 

 

The Board of Lay Ministry is comprised of Dennis Nielsen, Al Rietze, Ray Lusney, Mel Platz, Pieter Diedericks, Reinhard Dumschat (moved to Co-Assistant Executive Director at mid-year), and Ralph Evans. We appreciate and thank the many members of congregation who have assisted us in carrying out our responsibilities during 2007.

 

The responsibilities of the Board of Lay Ministry include;

·         overview of those matters that affect the spiritual welfare of the congregation (conduct of services, service times, availability of ushers, communion assistants, scripture readers, greeters, offering counters, music, organists, substitute service leaders during the pastor’s absence),

·         staffing, staff recognition, compensation, vacation time, pensions, working conditions, expenses, courses, availability of reference materials,

·         providing assistance and advice to the Pastor and staff, concern for their spiritual, emotional and physical health and welfare and seeing that they have the necessary resources to properly serve the congregation.

 

            During this year of finishing the construction (new carpets, communion rails, lights, mailbox, kitchen, etc.), adapting to the new facilities, and settling in to our renovated building many decisions and the efforts of individuals and groups were required. In our view most of these objectives have been accomplished, thanks to the dedicated members of the congregation who contributed generously of their finances, time and personal energy. This is not to say, however, that nothing remains to be done!

 

        Our purpose in expanding and renovating is to allow us to better serve the Lord, spread the word, and serve our members and the community. While we have extremely competent staff members and volunteers in place now, and they are doing an outstanding job, it is apparent that it would be desirable to have at least one additional person on staff that has the skills and training to assist Pastor Mark in carrying out the many duties he has. Work is under way to accomplish this. We also believe that the role of our custodian needs to be expanded or supplemented by another person in order to have assistance and coverage for times when our facilities are in use by non-members. These initiatives are under consideration and will require approval of the congregation at a voters meeting. As has been mentioned several times in the monthly GraceVine newsletter and in the weekly bulletins, the voters will also be asked to provide their views on replacing our pipe organ, which has become quite worn and difficult or impossible to play due to its age.

           

The members of the Board of Lay Ministry wish to express our thanks to our pastor and staff for another year of outstanding service. Grace has been greatly blessed to have Pastor Mark Ruf, an extremely capable, personable and dedicated shepherd, teacher and spiritual leader. We are also very grateful to have Janice Rosentreter as office secretary, Michelle Ruf as office assistant, Betty Buchanan as office volunteer, Viola Schatkoski as recorder of financial contributions and Gary McLachlan as part-time custodian. We are fortunate to have a talented group of organists/pianists, Nancy Guebert, Emma Rotheisler, Elaine Bend and Joanne Karlsson, who capably provide us with inspirational music for choir practices, regular weekly services and special services leading up to Easter and Christmas. 

 

            We look forward to God’s continued blessings on our programs and our ministry in 2008, as we pursue our Mission Statement:

 

“To proclaim the love and will of God as revealed in the Bible, as we grow in faith and share the promise of Salvation with all people.”

 

Respectfully submitted,

Ralph Evans, Director.

 

Ladies Kitchen Group

            This dedicated group of ladies has had a very busy year and is thoroughly enjoying the new kitchen, the new equipment and increased size are a dream come true – thank you to the congregation for including this in the Expansion Project!

 

            Our kitchen was finally up and running in May at which time we tried out the new equipment and cooked some meals which the congregation kindly purchased.

 

            We did three cooks for the seniors as part of the Calgary Community Kitchen Program where we provide balanced meals at a nominal cost of $3.50 per meal.  This program is a community service for seniors or individuals who have difficulty preparing their meals.  If you or someone you know could benefit from this service be sure and let us know.

 

            Our ladies have also catered the Easter, Christmas and a Birthday dinner at Grace Manor and  prepared food for a birthday for one of our members.

 

            A new venture for the ladies was catering for two retreat days for the Calgary Health Region at our church.  The ladies prepared food for the breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks.  This has turned into a successful fund raiser for our church and we look forward to more events in 2008.

 

Much laughter and fellowship is shared in this kitchen and we extend an invitation to anyone interested to come and join us.  The talents needed in the kitchen, range from the actual cooking, to preparing veggies and fruits, chopping items, stirring the soup, loading the dishwasher, helping with clean up, set up and take down of tables etc.  Thank you to all who have helped with the kitchen adventures, your help is greatly appreciated.

Respectfully submitted by Janice Rosentreter

 

Grace Lutheran Manor

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ has again graciously blessed the operation of Grace Lutheran Manor. As members of the Board of Directors of Grace-Bankview House Senior Citizens Residence Society we continue to oversee the function of both Grace Lutheran Manor and Bankview House. These two agencies total 120 units. The current Board of Directors presently consists of: Tony Young and Craig Ainsworth (representing Scarboro United Church), Sean Fitzgerald and Tom Shannon (representing Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church) and Donna Evans (resigned as of October 2007), Jacquie Hunsley, Bill McLeish and Sally Nielsen, all representing Grace Lutheran Church. Jack Hampton continues as our long term, competent and caring Property Manager as well as our Chief Administrative Officer for both facilities. Two full time caretakers continue to maintain the properties of Bankview House (Lodovik Simoni) and Grace Lutheran Manor (Ejll Mehillaj). All of our staff is dedicated to continue delivering safe, comfortable and affordable housing for senior citizens.

 

There were approximately seven move outs and nine move ins at Grace Lutheran Manor during 2007. Jack continues to try and keep our buildings full; however, it is an arduous task. Despite this, both facilities continue to operate efficiently with near 100% occupancy. Some of the major work projects undertaken in year 2007 included replacement of carpets in 5 suites, re-stretched carpets in 3 suites, repainted 6 suites, implemented new smoking and moving in/out policies for the Manor, prepared a three-year business plan and completed a five-year Government Review Feb. 27-28, 2007. The results of this review were very favourable. In addition, the usual maintenance of painting and re-carpeting when suites are vacated was completed. Our Annual Operating Budget (for both facilities) for 2008 has requested $670,000 as revenue and $514,000 as expenses. These figures were calculated last September when the Government requires us to submit our budget and may be slightly altered before the Government makes final approval of our 2008 Budget. We were $43,600 over our projected surplus in 2007.

 

Pastor Mark Ruf continues to conduct Bible Studies at the Manor on Tuesday mornings. The residents feel blessed to have Pastor Mark lead them and are grateful for the opportunity to learn and share the Word of God. The traditional BBQ dinner with Grace Lutheran Manor and breakfast with Bankview House were held during the Calgary Stampede last July. The Board looks forward to these activities with the residents and plans are underway for undertaking these events in 2008. The spirit of sharing/working together on many levels between the Manor and Grace Lutheran Church continues to provide good community involvement for all and realizes our church's mission for outreach. With the Lord's help, and the dedicated and prayerful dedication of all, we look forward to the challenges of year 2008.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Sally Nielsen

Board of Church Properties

THANK YOU TO THE BUILDING COMMITTEE

It was a long haul – planning started in December of 2004, construction started in April of 2006 and occupancy of the new expansion occurred in Feb of 2007.

 

This expansion of Grace Lutheran Church was a major task that required extensive commitment from each of the Building Committee members to bring it to completion and very nearly on budget ($1,599,897 actual verses $1,500,000 planned) the effort was worth it – Grace Lutheran Church is once again a very modern church and is very appealing to visitors and members.

 

I would like to express my appreciation to each member of the Committee: Pastor Mark, Ralph Evans, Terry Hagen, Al Huehn, Doug Hunsley, Dave Kadey, Al Rietze, Betty Ann Rietze, Brian Rosentreter, and Harvey Spaven.

 

Two others who, although were not members of the Building Committee but did a tremendous amount of work for the expansion project, were Janice Rosentreter and Howard Rietze. 

 

Words can not say enough how much your help was appreciated.  Thank You!

Wayne Rosentreter

Building Committee Chair

 

BOARD OF CHURCH PROPERTIES  2007

February 2007 was a significant milestone for Grace Lutheran Church as this was when the church expansion occupancy permit was granted.  At this time the Building Committee also turned over responsibility of the facility back to the Properties Board.

 

Following the occupancy permit a group of people were gathered together to move all the furniture, files, equipment, etc. back into the church from the c-can storage and the gym storage – not a small task.  Pastor Mark and Janice also moved their home offices back into the church.

 

This was also used as an opportunity to upgrade the office furniture for Pastor Mark, Janice and Michelle.  The office now really does look like an office.

 

The remainder of the year was used to wind up many of the “little items” that needed to be done following construction.  A number of these items were done by the people that participated in the spring and fall clean-ups.  A big thank you to all who helped for those two days.

Due to the rain damage that resulted from the construction days, the carpet in the sanctuary was replaced and now looks very elegant again.  At the same time, the communion railing and kneeler’s were redesigned and moved, both to be more modern and to accommodate the people that either had difficultly with or were unable to manage steps. 

 

While the carpets were being replaced, all the pews were moved out of the sanctuary.  A motorized lift was rented and all of the lights in the sanctuary were replaced with new energy efficient fluorescent bulbs.  All the lights in the gym were also replaced.

 

An alarm system was installed during the expansion and was finally activated in June.  Although there has been some confusion at times, it does appear to be working now and is providing us with another level of protection against vandalism.

 

Although there have been numerous meetings with the general contractor, the architect and some to the sub contractors throughout 2007, it appears that we have finally come to agreement regarding finishing touches, and final costs.  All payments have been made and all parties appear to be satisfied (thank you to Al Huehn and Terry Hagen for assistance in winding this up).

 

There have been a number of other projects that have been dealt with during this past year and we would like to thank all those who have participated.

 

Respectfully submitted

Mike Smith, Dave Kadey, Ott Kendell, Wayne Rosentreter

 

 

 

 

A new ministry group at Grace has begun called, The TLC Group (short for “Tender Loving Care).  This group promotes encouragement, care, and a sense of community within the congregation.  Where it is appropriate, they help our congregation maintain contact with those in particular need.  If you know of someone within the congregation who would benefit from an encouraging phone call, card, or visit, please talk with an individual from the TLC group—or, leave a note in the TLC mailbox (located on the top row of the mailboxes).  At present, members of the TLC Group include:  Heather Joseph, Ansie Diedericks, Sally Nielsen, Jeanette Wood, Faith Staines, Jacque Hagen, John Rataushk, and Michelle Ruf.  The TLC group meets on the first Sunday of each month to plan their month’s activities, receive their assignments, and go to work.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the TLC Group, please contact Michelle Ruf by phone (249-8562) or by e-mail:  michruf@telus.net.

 

Respectfully submitted by Michelle Ruf

A new fund raising opportunity for Grace was The E-Z Finder Phonebook Delivery in June.  We had 10 days (rain or shine) to deliver 14,832 phone books at 25 cents each for a total of $3708.00 in revenue for the Church and approximately 250 volunteer hours.  This was a very unique experience – enjoyed by some but not all participants.

 

 

 

The choir at Grace Lutheran Church continued to grow in members this past year.  It was wonderful to add additional voices to all our parts.  This has provided us with the opportunity of tackling more challenging music.  Besides providing special choral numbers during Sunday worship services, the choir also provided special choral presentations during the spring and Christmas Season. 

 

Special thanks to Elaine Bend, Faith Staines and Esther Falkenberg for assisting me and to all the members of the choir for their contribution towards the music ministry at Grace Lutheran Church.

In Jesus' Joy

Nancy Guebert, Choir Director

 

 

 

 

 

Through Simon Yuot (a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod trained Sudanese national pastor) and Peter Rikrue (a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod trained evangelist), an outreach to the Sudanese in Calgary will be based at Grace on a trial basis.  An upstairs room will be used as office space and Saturday Bible study and fellowship gatherings will be held.  The Sudanese desire to worship in our worship services, but require space to hold Bible study and training in their own language.

 

 

 

 

The year began as it has for 57 years with the Rose Bowl Parade with an entry by LLL entitled “ God’s Great Nature”.  The Rose Bowl Parade is viewed by 450 million around the world and the LLL are happy to participate as the only Christian float.

 

With Easter next on the calendar, the LLL Lenten Devotions were provided for the congregation in preparation for Lent.

 

September’s meeting included a presentation by Rev. Jay Holdner, regarding the Bethel Mission congregation in southeast Calgary.  As they were meeting in a school gym and all materials and supplies had to be portable, the Calgary and Area LLL were happy to provide funding for tables and table cloths for this new mission.

 

Throughout the year we have sponsored several Lutheran Hour Radio Broadcasts, both as a group and individual members.  Anyone can sponsor a broadcast in celebration of a birthday, anniversary, in memory of a loved one, or just to sponsor this very worthwhile mission broadcast.  The Lutheran Hour with Rev. Ken Klaus can be heard every Sunday morning on 1060 AM radio at 8:30 am.

 

In early October the 6^th biennial convention of the ABC  District of LLL was held at the summit of the Roger’s Pass.  Our project for the two years is to provide funds for the publication of the Project Connect booklets to be translated and printed in Spanish for the Nicaraguan Mission.  Nicaragua will also form its own branch of Lutheran Churches in January 2008.  Many sponsors and donors are needed for both these endeavors.

 

Due to conflicts for the past two years we did not host the Reformation Service in October.  However, this year we were back on track and Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd hosted this celebration with the Rev. Dr. Manfred Zeuch, President of Concordia Seminary as the guest speaker.  Beautiful music by St. Johns’ Brass Ensemble and the Master’s Singers complimented the celebration.  Next year the service will be hosted by Foothills Lutheran.

 

The LLL of Calgary and Area sponsored a Christmas Cookie Walk, which was very generously supported by members of Grace, both with donations of cookies and also in the purchasing of same.  The choir of Grace provided some beautiful Christmas music and those in attendance enjoyed both the music and the cookies.  The Christmas Advent booklets are made available by Lutheran Laymen’s League.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those donors, sponsors and many others who actively supported the LLL and LHM in 2007.  If you are interested in the mission of LLL or need more information regarding becoming a sponsor, please contact me any time.

 

William W. Wood, Ambassador

 

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Grace has had a very busy and blessed year.

·         Moving into our newly renovated building was our first blessing.  We are thankful for the new meeting rooms and storage.

·         Our Spring Bake Sale was another blessing.  With the help of the Knitting and Craft Group we raised over $500.  These funds were distributed to Concordia Lutheran Seminary, The Pregnancy Care Centre and our Kitchen Fund.

·         Our members attended the Zone Rallies in the Spring and Fall.

·         We celebrated LWML – Canada Sunday on October 14^th and hosted an appreciation Potluck for Pastor Mark who we are always thankful for.

·         Celebrating so many baptisms was another blessing.  We gave10 families a gift to commemorate their baby’s baptism.

·         In December we helped deliver knitted items from the Knitting Group to The Mustard Seed, Inn From The Cold, The Pregnancy Care Centre, and The Sheriff King Shelter.

We are very blessed to look forward to another busy year serving our Lord.  In February we celebrate all the congregation’s birthdays at our Annual “Birthday Party”.  We are looking forward to another successful Bake Sale in March and the Zone Spring Rally in April hosted by our ladies at Grace.

 

Thank you for all your support and especially the generous donations to our mites ($1352.95 this year), Inn From The Cold, The Veteran’s Food Bank and The Pregnancy Care Centre.  We are truly blessed and give thanks to God.

Respectfully submitted by Leigh McLachlan

 

 

That is the address for Grace’s presence on the internet.  During 2007, our web page drew an average of 25 hits (or visitors) each day.  That’s approximately 9125 visitors over the course of the year.  Naturally, many of these were repeat visitors, perhaps members seeking information regarding congregational events and activities, but many were also visitors from near and far.  This has been a blessing to our congregation. 

 

If you have internet access and have not yet viewed Grace’s web site, take a look at the address above.  Aside from information intended to tell strangers about Grace and what we believe and undertake to do, you will find information on congregational events, upcoming activities, the GraceVine and monthly calendar; you will also find a youth page and children’s links, as well as an online Bible, access to booklets on various topics (courtesy of the Lutheran Laymen’s League) and devotional resources.  The site has links to many helpful and interesting Christian sites on the internet. 

 

The web site is maintained by Pastor Mark.

 

 

           

Grace’s building project is now (save for a few warranty issues) complete.  We began this project in order to better serve our community and our congregation; to provide better, greater and more efficient space for Christian fellowship and education, for social outreach and for service to our community.  Those goals have been well met. 

 

            We now have been blessed with large and well-used gathering and education spaces on both levels of our building.  They are put to use DAILY.  We have been better able to serve our community through Community Kitchen and Inn From the Cold.  Our gym space is now actually available for use as a gym by our young people.  It is not perpetually filled with chairs, tables and equipment from other activities.  Our community is constantly entering our building – giving us a chance to meet them and making a positive statement about Grace Lutheran’s commitment to them.  Our biggest problem at this point is scheduling the various uses of the building in order to accommodate needs.

 

            Thank-you to the members of the building committee as well as those who were not members, but contributed countless hours in tasks related to the pack-up, construction and unpacking of our building.   Thank-you as well to the residents and staff of Grace Manor for their willingness to provide space for meetings, worship and education so frequently and sometimes on short notice.  It is one thing to build a new building while using your present facility; it is another challenge entirely to maintain your programming while your only facility is 90% unusable for a year. 

 

            Our project was also blessed, through careful management, by being virtually on target in terms of the cost allowed by the voters.  See the details below:

 

Budget                        $1,500,000.00

Final Cost                   $1,599,897.85

Over Budget              $     99,897.85 (this over budget cost includes the cost of the new boiler, kitchen appliances and cupboards, vacuum system, removal and crating of stain glass, city permits, storage container etc. which were not included in the 1,500,000 Budget)

 

Mortgage Payments:

                        Borrowed $450,000 from Faith Life              Monthly payment is $3080.00

                        Borrowed $200,000 from C.E.F.                    Monthly payment is $2501.26

 

Needed:

We will still require Building Fund donations for several years to come to help pay down our mortgage to a more sustainable level.

 

 

 

 

Grace has been involved with IFTC since March of 1999.  This program helps homeless families in need with shelter and hope.   Due to the church renovations we were unable to participate for over a year however in November we were once again able to host guests in our church.  We now have 15 to 17 guests arrive at our church on the last Thursday of every month around 6 pm.  We provide them with a hot supper, a bed for the night, towels and toiletries, a hot breakfast and a bag lunch.  Quite often this program is just a stepping stone for a family new to Calgary and gives them a chance to start a new life, find work, housing and not have to live on the street.  In order to run this program we rely on help from the congregation, to set up the beds, prepare the supper, breakfast and lunches, provide supervision, take down the beds, clean the gym, kitchen and washrooms, and wash the bedding.  If you are able to help with any of the above be sure and add your name to the sign up sheets posted in the narthex.  If you have any questions contact, Nicole Adam who has taken on the coordinator position (thank you Nicole) and Ott Kendell and Leigh McLachlan who help Nicole run this program.  A thank you to all the volunteers who have helped in the past, we can not provide this service without your help.

Respectfully submitted by Janice Rosentreter

 

 

 

 

 

South Calgary Mission

 

Respectfully submitted by Pastor Mark