St. John/Norrona News
January 2021
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 anyone is interested in receiving this newsletter by email, please send a message to stjohn.norrona@sasktel.net
Pastor Carlton Larsen
Parish Phone (306) 725-3113
Email – stjohn.norrona_pastor@sasktel.net
Mailing Address: Box 505
Strasbourg, Sk. S0G 4V0
Website: stjohnnorrona.com
Online Services Only
As per the guidelines put forward by the Saskatchewan Synod as of Wednesday, November 25, 2020, live services have once again been suspended until further notice. Online services will continue. All St. John and Norrona Lutheran Church services may be viewed at http://stjohnnorrona.com
Scripture Lessons
January 3, 2021:
Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12
January 10, 2021:
Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29
Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11
January 17, 2021:
1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51
January 24, 2021:
Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:5-12
1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20
January 31, 2021:
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28
Thank You
Thank you to Donna & Rob Schulz and Rose & Larry Erhardt for decorating and setting up the tree for Advent.
Thank you to Anne Switzer for the new Advent Christmas banner.
Thank you to Alice Erickson and Margot Biller for the poinsettias.
Norrona Lutheran Church
Financial Report
November 2020
Norrona Revenue
*Regular Sunday Offering (envelopes,
benevolence/missions (including CLWR),
loose, and other Norrona regular offering) $3,245.00
*Other revenue (e.g. bank interest, Norrona
fundraising, and other Norrona-specific
revenue) $ 106.01
Total Revenue $3,351.01
Norrona Expenses
*Norrona portion of Parish Expenses (e.g.
Pastor salary, benefits, EI, mileage, Pulpit
Supply, office & worship supplies, telephone
office secretary) – paid to St. John $3,184.70
*Norrona Congregational Expenses (e.g.
maintenance, insurance, utilities, fundraising,
worship & office supplies, organist) $ 719.00
*Missions of the Church (e.g. Sask. Synod,
CLWR, and other Norrona specific mission
projects) $ 330.00
Total Expenses $4,233.70
Net Income (-$882.69)
| Norrona 2020 Financial Statement | |||
| January – November, 2020 | 2020 | Budget | |
| General Account Opening Balance | 5155.87 |
| |
| Offering Income |
|
| |
| Offering Envelops | 23370.00 |
| |
| Loose Offering | 179.00 |
| |
| Fundraising Income |
|
| |
| Scandinavian Supper |
|
| |
| Other Income |
|
| |
| GST Income | 208.18 |
| |
| Faith Life Grants |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Easter Breakfast |
|
| |
| Total Income | 23757.18 |
| |
| EXPENSES |
|
| |
| Parish Expenses (Paid to St. John) | |||
| Pastoral Ministry |
|
| |
| Pastor Salary | 15472.39 | 16922.76 | |
| CPP |
| 787.86 | 724.50 |
| EI |
| 312.16 | 299.72 |
| Mileage |
| 51.22 | 325.00 |
| Health and Dental | 1200.50 | 1338.00 | |
| Continuing Ed. Plan | 168.75 | 150.00 | |
| Pension |
| 1668.27 | 1353.82 |
| LTD |
| 611.39 | 676.91 |
| Book Allowance | 25.08 | 125.00 | |
| Worship and Services |
|
| |
| Pulpit Supply |
| 500.00 | |
| Supply Mileage |
| 150.00 | |
| Supply Travel Time |
| 62.50 | |
| Supply Honourariums |
| 0.00 | |
| Supply Meetings |
| 0.00 | |
| Parish Secretary | 825.00 | 900.00 | |
| Secretary EI | 18.30 | 20.41 | |
| Secretary CPP | 1.21 | 1.28 | |
| Pastor’s Discretionary Fund |
| 125.00 | |
| Worship Supplies (a/v equip) | 1741.97 | 250.00 | |
| Confirmation/Baptism Supplies |
| 12.50 | |
| Copier lease, paper, insurance | 366.30 | 575.00 | |
| Office Supplies |
| 250.00 | |
| Advertising | 24.75 | 11.25 | |
| Copyright Licensing Fees | 36.25 | 40.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | 89.65 | 0.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Parish Properties |
|
| |
| Telephone | 197.34 | 225.00 | |
| Internet Service | 163.81 | 162.50 | |
| Website Hosting | 59.66 | 150.00 | |
| Total Parish Expenses | 23821.86 | 25351.15 | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Congregational Expense |
|
| |
| Insurance |
| 1279.42 | 1300.00 |
| Office/General Administrative | 811.88 | 900.00 | |
| Organist (Designated Fees) | 1080.00 | 1650.00 | |
| Treasurer (Designated Fees) | 550.00 | 600.00 | |
| Repair and Maintenance | 358.96 | 2000.00 | |
| SaskEnergy | 714.24 | 1100.00 | |
| Sask Power | 627.07 | 1200.00 | |
| Scandinavian Supper | 20.67 | 1800.00 | |
| Youth Account | 700.00 | 700.00 | |
| Supplies – Groceries | 18.49 | 400.00 | |
| Worship Supplies | 162.18 | 150.00 | |
| Conventions |
| 200.00 | |
| Miscellaneous |
| 100.00 | |
| CLWR Concert (entertainment) |
| 300.00 | |
| GST Paid on Purchases | 154.78 | 250.00 | |
| Total Congregations Expense | 6477.69 | 12650.00 | |
| Total Expenses | 30299.55 | 38001.15 | |
| Covid 19 subsidy | 366.24 |
| |
| From Memorial Acc’t for Audio Equipment | 487.69 |
| |
| Balance | 30-Nov-20 | -532.57 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Missions | 01-Jan-20 |
|
|
| Benevolence Received | 2115.00 |
| |
|
| From General account |
|
|
| Disbursed – | Synod Benevolence | 815.00 | 1900.00 |
|
| Kinasao Bible Camp | 250.00 | 250.00 |
|
| Hospital Chaplaincy | 250.00 | 250.00 |
|
| Campus Ministry | 50.00 | 50.00 |
|
| Lutheran Seminary | 250.00 | 250.00 |
|
| Other (Christmas Hampers) | 500.00 | 0.00 |
| Total Disbursed | 2115.00 | 2700.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
| CLWR | 01-Jan-20 |
|
|
| Received | (Benevolence) | 765.00 | 780.00 |
|
| From General Account |
|
|
| CLWR Raffle |
| 350.00 | |
| Fundraiser | (Equip a School & food security) | 1575.00 | 1670.00 |
| Total Disbursed | 2340.00 | 2800.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Memorial | January 1, 2020 | 13045.11 |
|
| Donations |
| 3680.45 |
|
| To General for audio/visual equipment | 487.69 |
| |
| Transferred to Repairs & Maintenance |
|
| |
| Balance | 30-Nov-20 | 16237.87 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Cemetery Fund – January 1, 2020 | 492.86 |
| |
| Donations |
| 900.00 |
|
| Grass Cutting | 420.00 |
| |
| Balance | 30-Nov-20 | 972.86 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Youth Group – January 1, 2020 | 730.00 |
| |
| Donations |
|
|
|
| From General Account | 700.00 |
| |
| Balance | 30-Nov-20 | 1430.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Investor Savings – January 1, 2020 | 29111.64 |
| |
| Interest |
| 135.87 |
|
| Balance | 30-Nov-20 | 29247.51 |
|
Norrona News
As Synod has recommended no live services until at least the end of January, we will continue to gather online to worship and review the policy at the end of January. Provided recommended health measures allow, we will hold our annual meeting on January 31 at 1p.m. The meeting will be rescheduled if necessary. There will be no worship service preceding it, and we will forego our traditional pot luck. This year, terms are completed by Corri Gorrill, Merna Hanson and Corey Nordal. The nominating committee consists of George J. Flotre and Merna Hanson.
As a long and challenging year comes to an end, it is a good time to say thank you to:
Pastor Carlton, Peter Frostad, Carol Schulz, and all the musicians, readers and participants who made our parish online worship services and mid-week messages such a wonderful way to bind us together.
Chad, Teresa and Mathew Kuski for removing the dismal old sign from Highway 322 and replacing it with a bright new one.
Carol Gorrill, Merna Hanson and Carol Nordal for making Norrona lovely for Christmas.
All who helped decorate the “Christmas Tree for Warmth”. We received an abundance of toques, scarves, mittens and socks.
Strasbourg Building Supply, Merna Hanson and Corri Gorrill for serving as drop-off locations.
Kiel Gorrill for finding and cutting down a suitable tree with lots of branches and Verna Lynn Gorrill for making the poster.
Corey and Carol Nordal for offering to deliver the “decorations” to Carmichael Outreach.
God’s blessing on everyone in the new year, and may you and your family keep safe in these unusual times.
Pastor’s Report
We enjoyed meeting in person for a few weeks and then came the “second wave.” Now here we are again, awaiting our second re-opening. In our times of closed doors it has truly been a blessing to have people able and willing to make our on-line services work so well. Thank you especially to Peter and Carol. Thanks are also due for our musicians, and also for all those who have done scripture readings at the church and at home. Once more we are loving one another by NOT gathering as the numbers of COVID cases are high. This is not a surprise but it is of course disappointing. Once the vaccination program gets going and gathers speed there will be a huge sigh of relief. Praise God for all those who have been working so hard to put an end to this scourge.
I hope your Advent season was truly blessed.
To me this last year has felt like one long Advent. We are still in a kind of Advent season as we wait for the vaccines to be distributed. The Lenten song I wrote titled “We Wait” seems appropriate. We have two seasons in the church year, Advent and Lent, that are devoted to prayer and preparation. As we have prepared for the coming of the Christ child at Christmas we will soon be preparing for the coming of Holy Week and the Easter drama. Neither of these seasons have been co-opted by commercial interests. There are no Advent sales or Lenten specials. Well, maybe one…
Tim Horton’s invented “Rrrrrol up the Rrrrrim to win!” for Lent. They found that sales tended to dip during the season. This is at least in part because many devout Roman Catholics choose to include coffee in their Lenten fast. So if you win a new car at Tim’s this year, thank our Roman Catholic neighbours. Thank the traditions and the season of Lent!
But we did make it. We survived the COVID Christmas. It looks like a vaccine will arrive for all of us later this year. It is already being distributed to those who need it most. Next year should be closer to what we might call “normal.” It has been a strange and sometimes frightening year. But I have heard and read a few people say “a pandemic is a terrible thing to waste” so maybe there is something we can use out of this experience. It is hard when things are changing, when the world feels unstable, when everything is up for grabs. But it is also a time when things CAN change. It is a time when we can find a new stability. It is a time when we can find the courage to try something new.
Did you find any new gifts under the tree? Did you perhaps share a “Zoom meal” with someone too far away for a visit? Did you learn a new way to communicate over the phone or the internet? Did you try a new tradition that can add to your experience? This was certainly a year to experiment and to discover. Many of us have had to learn new skills and try new things. It has been a year filled with firsts.
Christmas this year looked very unusual. For our candlelight service Christmas Eve we invited everyone to send in pictures of themselves holding a candle. This gave us a chance to do our Silent Night candle lighting in at least a virtual way. I hope everyone got to participate in this experiment. I think Peter did an amazing job assembling that event.
We can continue through this challenging time caring for each other and loving one another. As we support and reach out to each other we express the love of Christ. We are one, even as we are in separate places. We pray earnestly for and look forward to the day, not far in the future, when we once more gather and share the handshakes and hugs we have been missing. May your January be safe and warm and cozy.
Amen
| St. John Lutheran Church |
| |
| Income Statement 11/01/2020 to 11/30/2020 |
| |
| REVENUE |
| |
| Regular Offering |
| |
| Benevolence | 455.00 |
|
| CLWR | .00 |
|
| Envelopes | 5,205.00 |
|
| Loose Offering | 0.00 |
|
| Total Regular Offering | 5,660.00 |
|
| Other Revenue |
| |
| Church Use | 0.00 |
|
| Dividends | 0.00 |
|
| Church Directory | 0.00 |
|
| Fund Raising Income | 0.00 |
|
| Clay Revenue | 0.00 |
|
| Faithlife Grants | 0.00 |
|
| Hospital Ministry | 0.00 |
|
| Epiphany Dessert | 0.00 |
|
| Gifts Received | 380.00 |
|
| Property Donations | 0.00 |
|
| Memorial Donations | 5,500.00 |
|
| Mosaic Fundraiser | 0.00 |
|
| Canada Lutheran | 38.98 |
|
| Miscellaneous Income | 25.00 |
|
| Parsonage Rent | 850.00 |
|
| Plan 24 Interest | 3.11 |
|
| Total Other Offerings | 6,797.09 |
|
| TOTAL REVENUE | 12,457.09 |
|
| EXPENSE |
| |
| Pastor Payroll Expenses |
| |
| Pastors Salary | 4,230.69 |
|
| CPP | 67.20 |
|
| EI | 0.00 |
|
| Mileage | 0.00 |
|
| Health & Dental | 334.50 |
|
| Church Pension | 451.27 |
|
| Continuing Education Plan | 50.00 |
|
| Long term Disability | 169.23 |
|
| Total Pastor Costs | 5,302.89 |
|
| Missions of the Church |
| |
| Benevolence | 455.00 |
|
| CLWR | 0.00 |
|
| Hospital Ministry | 0.00 |
|
| Total Sask Synod | 455.00 |
|
| Fundraising Expenses | 0.00 |
|
| Strasbourg District Foodgrains Bank | 0.00 |
|
| Lutheran Theological Seminary | 300.00 |
|
| Clay Expenses | 0.00 |
|
| Parish Youth | 0.00 |
|
| Total Missions | 755.00 |
|
| Worship & Services |
| |
| Supply Travel Time | 0.00 |
|
| Parish Secretary | 225.00 |
|
| Employer share of EI | 4.98 |
|
| Employer share of CPP | 0.33 |
|
| Organist & Choir | 200.00 |
|
| Postage | 0.00 |
|
| Worship Supplies | 110.25 |
|
| Designated Fees | 125.00 |
|
| Copyright Licensing Fees | 0.00 |
|
| Copier Lease, Paper, Insurance | 0.00 |
|
| Pastor’s Book Allowance | 168.88 |
|
| Office Supplies | 6.45 |
|
| Office Equipment | .00 |
|
| Canada Lutheran | 77.95 |
|
| Total Worship & Services | 918.84 |
|
| Church Properties |
| |
| Church Maintenance | 41.85 |
|
| Church Energy | 161.61 |
|
| Church Power | 173.53 |
|
| Website Hosting | 0.00 |
|
| Internet Service | 0.00 |
|
| Church Telephone | 98.94 |
|
| Church Water & Sewer | 0.00 |
|
| Total Church Costs | 475.93 |
|
| Parsonage Energy | 0.00 |
|
| Parsonage Power | 0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Parsonage Water & Sewer | 0.00 |
|
| Parsonage Maintenance | 0.00 |
|
| Total Parsonage Expenses | 0.00 |
|
| Insurance | 0.00 |
|
| Audit | 0.00 |
|
| Payroll Management | 37.98 |
|
| Service Charges | .00 |
|
| Line of Credit | 1.50 |
|
| Church Directory | 0.00 |
|
| Elevator License | 120.00 |
|
| Elevator Maintenance | 0.00 |
|
| Groceries Purchased | 0.00 |
|
| Total Church Properties Expenses | 635.41 | |
| TOTAL EXPENSE | 7,612.14 | |
| NET INCOME | 4,844.95 |
| St. John Lutheran Church |
| |
| Balance Sheet As at 11/30/2020 |
| |
| ASSET |
| |
| Current Assets |
| |
| Affinity Credit Union Chequing | 522.58 |
|
| Youth Savings Bank Account | 5,057.58 |
|
| St. John Youth Savings | 1,662.05 |
|
| Memorial Account | 11,370.19 |
|
| Property Account | 8,941.87 |
|
| Insurance/Taxes Account | 1,252.26 |
|
| Total Current Assets | 28,806.53 |
|
| Investments |
| |
| Flex Term | 50,364.77 |
|
| Escalator GIC 60 month | 85,971.57 |
|
| Total Investments | 136,336.34 |
|
| Receivable Accounts |
| |
| Norrona Receivable | 1,711.05 |
|
| Total Norrona Receivable | 1,711.05 |
|
| 50 % GST Receivable | 10.10 |
|
| Total Receivables | 1,721.15 |
|
| Capital Assets |
| |
| Church & Property | 675,339.00 |
|
| Office Furniture & Equipment | 116,800.00 |
|
| Net-Church Building & Equipment | 792,139.00 |
|
| Parsonage | 228,500.00 |
|
| Total Capital Assets | 1,020,639.00 |
|
| TOTAL ASSET | 1,187,503.02 |
|
| LIABILITY |
| |
| Current Liabilities |
|
|
| Damage Deposit | 850.00 |
|
| Total Current Liabilities | 850.00 |
|
| TOTAL LIABILITY | 850.00 |
|
| EQUITY |
| |
| Member’s Equity |
| |
| Equity – Previous Year | 1,190,277.20 | |
| Current Earnings | -3,624.18 | |
| Total Retained Earnings | 1,186,653.02 | |
| TOTAL EQUITY | 1,186,653.02 | |
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | 1,187,503.02 |
Happy New Year