St. John Norrona Newsletter
August 2024
Please have any reports or information to be included in the newsletter, submitted by the 24th of each month to stjohn.norrona@sasktel.net. Thank you.
If you would like to receive your newsletter by email, please send a message to: stjohn.norrona@sasktel.net
Pastor Richard Schulz
Pastor’s Cell (306) 725-1401
Parish Phone (306) 725-3113
Email – stjohn.norrona_pastor@sasktel.net
Mailing Address: Box 505
Strasbourg, Sk. S0G 4V0
Website: stjohnnorrona.com
Scripture Lessons
August 4, 2024:
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29
Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35
August 11, 2024:
1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 John 6:35, 41-51
August 18, 2024:
Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58
August 25, 2024:
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 6:10-20 John 6:56-69
Worship Service at the Last Mountain Pioneer Home
Pastor Rick will be leading worship at the Last Mountain Pioneer Home on the following Wednesday Mornings from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
– August 21st
– September 18th
– October 16th
– November 13th
– December 11th
St. John-Norrona Parish Council Report
The weather for each summer is always unique and this year is no different. Spring was quite cool and now we are in an extended heat wave that is supposed to last well into August. So far we have been blessed with positive crop expectations and good moisture levels but this heat wave has to be challenging quality levels of the crops. It wouldn’t hurt to include a request for relief from the heat and “a little” moisture in personal discussions with the Big Guy.
Another blessing that is evident and can be seen is how our Parish is responding in transitioning to the parttime pastoral call. The response for worship leadership has been gratifying and those taking on the responsibility have been doing an excellent job. Our ability to provide top notch worship leadership and a positive response by those attending is heartwarming to see. Should anyone be interested in leading service, please contact Pastor Rick. It would be nice to spread the work around.
We also see positive committee involvement dedicated to maintaining and strengthening our ministry. A dedicated Worship Parish and Life committee, and Special Events Committee, and others, all pitching in and working for the benefit of the Parish and community. It is said that a Parish or congregation is like a family in many ways and this family is showing some pretty good effort and support.
Our Norrona service is coming up this Saturday and all indications so far show that we are in for a very enjoyable evening. We are hoping to see you all there.
God’s Blessings to all for an enjoyable summer.
Lamp
If anyone would like to donate to LAMP (LAMP is a cross-cultural ministry sharing Jesus Christ with God’s people in remote areas of Canada), this can be done by mailing cheques payable to LAMP to 4966-92 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6B 2V4 or visit www.lampministry.org.
As you read this, there is absolutely no doubt that summer has finally arrived! We have had a couple of weeks now of plus 30-degree weather with little or no rain. As someone told me lately, these are the days we live for in Saskatchewan. Well at least these are the days for those who love the heat. The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer (to coin the phrase of that familiar song) are anything but that living here! I just cannot seem to keep up with the current events that are available at this time of year.
As I reflected on all of this a question came to mind. “Is it possible to have a Sabbath in the summertime?” Or “Where does one find the desired rest that one needs to replenish the batteries in the midst of water-skiing, barbecues, camping trips and vacations?”
I recently read an article by Mark Buchanan who suggests the answer rests in the word ‘repose’. He comments that repose suggests joyful stillness. Dignified calm. Deep-down serenity. It is not languor, nor listlessness, nor sluggishness. Repose is being fully awake and yet not moving a muscle. It is being wholly aware and yet not straining one thought.
Repose is rest on purpose. It is a sense that we pose once more, to take our position over again. We might want to pay attention to this notion this summer. Most of us live lives that entail moving between headlong busyness and mindless collapse. We live between the hurricane and the doldrums as Buchanan says, but rarely in the zephyr.
Perhaps this is good news for those of us whose days fluctuate between rush and sloth. The rush is not fruitful, the sloth not restful and each pushes the other into a downward spiral of exhaustion.
I hope and pray that your summer will be all that you dreamed that it would be. I also hope and pray that you will have the opportunity to re-pose, and repose. That you will experience a joyful stillness, dignified calm and deep-down serenity. The biblical name for this is Sabbath.
May you all encounter God during your summertime Sabbath and be filled with the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit guiding your days.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Rick
Synod Convention
The convention of the Saskatchewan Synod of the ELCIC with its theme, “One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, Ephesians 4:4”, was held in Saskatoon from May 30 – June 1, and I was fortunate to be chosen to be the lay representative for this parish. I have always enjoyed the administrative aspect of the church and this convention did not disappoint. Whilst a certain amount of business takes place at these events, it is interspersed with music, presentations, workshops and networking.
The convention opened on Thursday evening with a Worship Service which was presided at by National Bishop Susan Johnson and Bishop Sid Haugen preached. The music during the service was wonderfully uplifting, with a theme of African spiritual songs, all with a strong drum beat provided by a number of clergy. In the Saskatchewan Synod we are blessed to have seven active clergy with African roots, and their leadership in the musical portions of the gathering was a delight!
The business sections consisted of a variety of components including reports from Bishop Susan, Bishop Syd (which was particularly poignant as it was to be his last, before retiring), electing members of Synod Council, reports from a number of ministries of the Synod: Camp Kinasao, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Canadian Food Grains Bank, CLWR, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Luther Care Communities, Lutheran Education Campuses and KAIROS.
Prior to the convention, Bishop Sid had asked me to sit on the Reference and Counsel committee. This convention committee examines motions intended for the convention floor, edits them for clarity, checks them against the church’s constitutions and bylaws for propriety, and sometimes even to clarify the intent of the motion. The Committee’s goal is to deliver clearly-worded motions to the convention floor for debate and vote. We were ready to go to work on any and all motions that were to come to the floor, but in the end, there were only two, and one of those was out of order, so duly rejected. The one that we did present was that we as the 2024 ELCIC Convention ask the Synod Council to explore the possibility of including a young person be elected or included as an individual to sit on Synod Council. This motion was passed unanimously.
The only other motion our committee had to work on was a general thank you for all aspects of the convention.
Arguably the most important point of business was the election of a new synodical Bishop to take over from our retiring Bishop, Sid Haugen. The initial ballot was a huge conglomeration of many clergy, but this was relatively quickly whittled down to the election of Bishop-elect Rev. Dr. Ali Tote.
The Convention Key Note Speaker was Rev. Dr. Gordon Jensen who spoke twice on the theme of the convention – “One Body, One Spirit, One Hope.” There were also opportunities to attend workshops:
- Re-imagining the Future of Ministry in the Sask Synod (Bishop Sid / Bishop Elect Ali)
- House Church Conversations (Rev. Cam Harder)
- Encountering the Gospel according to Mark (Rev. Michael Poellet)
The banquet on the Friday evening was a lovely affair, and another opportunity to network. Following dinner, Bishop Sid was called upon for the Recognition of Rostered Ministers’ Anniversaries. Certificates were presented to those ministry anniversary honorees in attendance, with anniversary commemorations ranging from ten years to seventy years of service to the church! Included in the recipients for 25 years, was our own Rev. Rick Schulz! Presentations were also made to Bishop Sid and Kathy Haugen, from Vice-Chair Cindy on behalf of the Synod and Synod Council, and Bishop Susan Johnson on behalf of the ELCIC.
I was thrilled to see so many youth in attendance, and their presentation was a testament to their interest and relevance in the church. Somewhat of a cautionary tale, we were reminded that they are the future of our church and to dismiss or ignore them would be a grave mistake. There were approximately a dozen young people as delegates and their enthusiasm and passion for the proceedings were palpable.
This is the third Synod I have attended as a delegate, but I was astounded at how different it was from the others. The atmosphere of collegiality and comradery was continually present, and the whole event was a joyous assembly of positive attitudes.
I was thrilled to be there and honoured to be voted in as a member of the Saskatchewan Synod Council. To conclude I would like to thank the congregation for this wonderful opportunity. I appreciate the confidence that was put in me as delegate. If you have any questions about this event, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Schulz
Norrona Lutheran Church
Financial Report – June 2024
Norrona Revenue
*Regular Sunday Offering (envelopes,
loose) $ 675.00
benevolence/missions (including CLWR) $ 95.00
Total Revenue $ 770.00
Norrona Expenses
Paid to St. John
Offering donation $ 358.37
*Norrona Congregational Expenses (e.g.
maintenance, insurance, utilities, worship
& office supplies) $ 274.01
*Missions of the Church (e.g. Sask. Synod,
CLWR, and other Norrona specific mission
projects) $ 0.00
Total Expenses $ 632.38
Balance $ 137.62*
Owe $95 to Sask Synod and $42.62 to St. John.
Worship Committee Report
Thank you to Peter Barry for the great job in leading the service on July 14.
Service Leaders for August
Aug 4 – Pastor Rick – communion service
Aug 11 – Marvin Kelln – lay service
Aug 18 – Pastor Rick – communion service
Aug 25 – Jan Schulz – lay service
The Worship Committee generally meets the first Wednesday of the month. Anyone is welcome to attend any or all of the meetings anytime. The next meeting is Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 1:30 pm at St. John.
Submitted by Rhonda de Hoop
St. John Lutheran Church
Monthly Financial Summary
June 2024
Revenue
Total regular offering (includes for our
Church, CLWR, Benevolence, Kinasao
and pre-authorized monthly giving) 7,959.00
Total other revenue (e.g. rental property,
donations, interest, etc.) 2,506.81
Total revenue 10,465.81
Expenses
Pastor Payroll (e.g. salary, benefits, EI,
mileage, etc.) 4,428.13
Missions (e.g. Benevolence, Sask. Synod,
etc.) Fundraising 884.62
Worship and services (e.g. Pulpit Supply,
travel time, mileage, worship and office
supplies, Organist, Secretary, Treasurer,
Envelope, Secretary, etc.) 1,245.84
Church properties (e.g. power, telephone,
natural gas, bank service charges, line of
credit, insurance, church maintenance,
etc.) 3,266.53
Total expenses 9,825.12
Net Income $ 640.69
NOTE: On line donations for this month $1,000.00