Clover Sites



52070-15748000Pastor Brad’s Annual Report Since last year not much has changed in some areas of the ministry and in other areas a lot has changed. I’ll deal with the things that have not changed first. We continue to aggressively pay down our mortgage. The Bible says “Owe no man anything.” For a Church it is especially important to be good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with to do His work. We continue to offer Word and Sacrament ministry: regular worship services on Sundays and mid-week services on Wednesdays for a good part of the year. Starting at the top, we have a vibrant super seniors group. The men are not so active in a group but they do their fair share of the tasks around the Church. The women continue to minister to one another through the LWML, and the mom’s group. We have regular Bible Study and seasonal Bible Study for adults. The young adults are not meeting as a group but their presence is felt in the services they offer through such things as music and mission trips. The youth meet regularly and come out in droves for special events like retreats and services. We continue to have a Sunday School but it is struggling a little. The Church must continue teach and preach the Word of God to the young and old so that faith might be nurtured and service to the great commission rendered. So we continue to do the things that we have always done. That’s good news.This past year we added some exciting new ministries. We do know that there was overall good support for special projects, ‘above and beyond’ the budget. The mission projects to Sachigo Lake ON and Camp Restore New Orleans have been well supported. That’s great news. Other changes that are quite noticeable are those to the facility. There have been a lot of improvements to our facility this past year: janitorial services, stucco and furnace repairs, and most recently a new basement floor and a new welcome center for the narthex. We did not have a choir this fall, but we had a junior band practicing and playing for the Children’s program. We did not do Christmas Hampers as a congregation but I heard of families who did hampers on their own, plus we did gather perishable goods (fruit, vegetables, milk, cookies, cheese, yogurt, and fresh buns) for the children of Sachigo ON, and delivered them personally.Speaking of Sachigo, we committed to bringing the Gospel to that community for 5 years. In the summer we sent a dozen volunteers to hold a week long VBS. Rather than waiting a whole ‘nother year, and because of the generosity of our contacts at Perimeter Air, three of us flew up there with 300 lbs of perishable goods (lots of milk) and Sunday School curriculum. What was supposed to be a two day trip ended up being a week! Due to weather. Challenging! God helped us use the extra time for preaching and teaching, and caroling, for visiting and encouraging, for reflecting and strategizing. Our goal was to continue to build trust among the people and thus a receptivity to our message. For all that did not go as planned during that trip to Sachigo, and there was a lot, our goals and objectives were met and then some. The community is very open to our ongoing help, and that is a great thing. A more detailed account of Lake Sachigo can be had upon request.Something else new. Camp Restore New Orleans. This was planned as a very different mission trip than Sachigo. This was hands on construction type of work. New Orleans pre Katrina had lots of issues with poverty. After the hurricane things only got worse. Its been nine years and there are still the poor, houses have not been finished and some things have not been cleaned up. You will be able to read more about the trip to New Orleans.Some things that never change in the ministry are life and death issues. We’ve recently had a few baptisms and some births, and more expected. That’s exciting! Some things that I guess we don’t expect are the age of the people getting sick and dying. Some of our beloved members have had some bad news concerning their health, and tragically one of our members died suddenly at age 47, leaving a wife and three children. Yes, God told us that in this life we will have trouble. I know we don’t want to think about it, but we certainly need to be prepared for it. And that is what faith does. It prepares us for the unexpected. Church helps us maintain and strengthen our faith, keeping it healthy and alive, and then exercise that faith in loving service to others. That was so evident at the recent funeral.Church is never same old same old. When you least expect it, there is change. It is a good thing that in an ever changing world God is in control. He sees all things. He knows all things. He watches over all of us, and in spite of what may happen in the days, weeks, months, and years to come, we are His now and for eternity. Plans for the future? Yes we dare. The regular things we do together will continue: worship, study, fellowship. We are also planning a marriage enrichment seminar for 4 Wednesdays starting January 21st at 7 PM. That is a great opportunity to invite couples you care about to your church facility. After that, Lent starts and we will likely have a “worship/study” series, that is, a little bit of both. And we will give you the option of when you can attend. Wednesday evenings or Thursday afternoons. More will be coming on that. We have a Movie Night planned for February 27th, the Creation vs Evolution thriller “A Matter of Faith.There is a District Convention coming up in Spring, a little turmoil in the larger Church, and always challenges on the home front. It is not easy to be the Church in an ever increasing unchurched world, but God is faithful and He will see His Church to the end. I for one am very grateful to be a part of the Church. I never take it for granted. Every year I see God’s people at work in service to Him and others and it brings me hope and joy. Thank you all for being part of my year. Thank you all for being focused on the mission of the Church. Together we will see what’s in store for us this coming year.149733014097000God Bless!Pastor Brad-165100-45720000A Few Words from Pastor GlennDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ of Peace,Having been in ministry as a pastor for almost 7 years now, it is incredible how time surely does fly. It makes me wonder if I will be saying the same thing 20 years from now! As I look back on the last year, and how quickly it has gone by I think of everything that has happened in my life, in your life, and in the life of the church, and I can only be thankful. Of course this thankfulness has layers to it, because at many points in our lives, it is hard to be thankful.I’m reminded of what Colossians 3 says in verses 15-17: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be?thankful. Let the message of Christ?dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,?hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving?thanks to God the Father through him.”Two things stand out to me there. The first is that we are called to peace and be thankful for that. I certainly am thankful that I am called to Peace (Lutheran Church, yes I know that isn’t what it actually means, but it works), and I am thankful that I have been called to peace with God through His amazing grace. The second part that stands out to me is giving thanks to God in whatever I do. This is probably much more difficult in reality when I think about the exact moment I do things, often times I find myself thankful after the fact. This part also reminds of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always,?pray continually,?give thanks in all circumstances;?for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” In whatever we do, in whatever circumstances of our lives, we are called to be thankful. Again, I think it’s more difficult in the present compared to looking back at those same moments, and for everyone at Peace there are different moments that have had an impact on them this year, some that are easy to thankful for, and some that are extremely difficult. I would compare this life and this last year to the game of Monopoly, which I often never want to play because it takes so long, and maybe some of you can relate. Some days I feel like I’m hitting my stride, I’ve just passed GO and collected $200. Other days I feel like I pulled a chance card and have to go back three spaces, just when things were starting to look up. Or I have all these great plans in mind and then I land on Boardwalk when someone has a hotel on it (there goes $2,000). Plans change, priorities shift, things get cancelled, others get postponed, worlds are turned upside down, and we have to adjust and adapt to whatever comes our way, and… be thankful? Yes, all circumstances means ALL circumstances. At times it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to see the rainbow while the storm is raging, but I often wonder if it has more to do with me than it does with what God is doing in me. I think that answer is yes, because I am a flawed, sinful, selfish, poor, miserable sinner and God is a wonderful, loving, perfect, gracious God. And no matter what happens to me in my life, whatever changes occur, whatever “bad” comes, HE is good, HE does not change, and HE is with me always. He loves me enough and wants the best for me in my life that He sent His Son for me. To live, to suffer, to die, to rise, and to ascend, so that I can be forgiven and receive eternal life. To that I say, “thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)God loves each and every one of you, and I am thankful that I am able to share in your joy, and share in your pain. I am thankful that I am able to sit with you and mourn the loss of your loved ones, and I am thankful for the care and support you have shown to me in the loss of my father. I am thankful for the time I can spend with the young and older in Bible study, to see the excitement that you have about digging into God’s Word. I am thankful for being able to stand before you in worship, to baptize your children, to chat with your little ones at the foot of the cross, to preach God’s Word to you, to give you the Lord’s body and blood for your forgiveness, to give you God’s blessing, and to spend a few seconds in conversation with you. I am thankful for worshipping with you, in our sanctuary, outside in the park, and even inside in your living room. I am thankful for being able to be involved in the joy and stress of weddings and in the sorrow and pain of funerals. I am thankful for those of you who I continue to get to know better, be it a visit to your house or mine, a phone call, a drop-in at the office, a run-in at the store, or at some other gathering. I am thankful for the joy you have in giving, whether it is for a bake sale, a fundraiser, or the regular contribution you make to the ministry of the church. I am thankful for the amount of laughter you shared as I lost most of my hair in preparation for our trip to New Orleans. I am thankful for the opportunity to pray for you on a regular basis, and even though I don’t always tell you, do know that you are on my heart and mind. And I am truly thankful when I hear that you are praying for me. There are many things to be thankful for, even more than I have mentioned, and I think Philippians 1:3 says it best: “I?thank?my God every time I remember you.”As I think about all that has happened, and all that will happen, my prayer is that I can be more thankful in all circumstances, and not just after the circumstances are over. Finally, I want to again end by asking you to please continue to pray for me, for Andrea, for Pastor Brad and Heidi, for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at Peace, and for all the work that is to be done here. And I want to ask you to pray for yourself, to pray for opportunities to serve at Peace, where you can use your talents and abilities to carry out the mission of “bringing the Peace and Joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the young and old of our hurting and troubled world.” I will continue to pray that God would lead you in your life, and that you can live a life of thankfulness, in faith, by His grace. God Bless. With Love in Christ,127006731000 Pastor Glenn8890010668000Cradle Roll Statistics5 infant Lambs were added to the banner5 infant Lambs were removed from the banner35 birthday cards were sent outKathy Wardekker838200-20320000Parish Planning Council –Executive Director’s ReportAs Executive Director of the Parish Planning Council, I need to provide leadership to the council, but I also hope to inspire the entire congregation to step forward in 3 areas:We still need more volunteers. To do the Lord’s work, we all need to look at the time and talents we can donate, even if it is only in a small way to start. Volunteering not only benefits the recipient, but also gives the person who is donating their time or talent a feeling of satisfaction that usually encourages further volunteerism. You all have the ability to do a small part for the Lord. Please prayerfully consider how you can help. If you can’t think of any way, just fire an email or a voice message off to the Church, and something can be matched up for you.The Church building addition that was completed several years ago is very close to being completely funded by the middle of 2016. Praise the Lord! What I want everyone to consider, is continuing to give as if we were just starting the fundraising. Some of the additional costs of heating, cooling and maintaining the new part of the Church have been greater than we first thought. As well, the majority of the building is seeing signs of aging and needs more upkeep than ever. There seems to be a small drop in the weekly general donations and I am asking everyone to consider maintaining and growing your donations with the gifts God has given us all.I am very excited that we have taken on the Mission projects including Sachigo and New Orleans Camp Restore. We have been blessed by some very generous donations, and we pray this continues through our 5 year commitment (and hopefully longer!) as we look at ways of sharing the Gospel with those who do not have the same Blessings God has given us.400050054991000That is my little speech. I want to thank the many tireless volunteers we do have, and our staff and Pastors who are always there when we need them. Continue praying for these people, and again, praise to the Lord for all the Blessings we all have.Yours in ChristCliff Kolson2014 HI-LITES430339510795000-5048254000500–Sunday School Families Pancake Breakfast-Lea Pawloski new Parish Planning Council secretary-Today’s Light Bible Reading (2 year program) begins again-Megan Elizabeth born to Shaun & Lori Hay-Men’s Basketball Evening-Faith Life Financial Chapter Annual meeting-Joseph Schollenberg became our Outdoor Sign Changer-523875698500– Dryden Youth Retreat “Heart Graffiti” 6 youth 4 adults attended48031407112000-LWML hosts Senior 60+ Amore Dinner-Ladies Bathroom downstairs redone with plumbing & cupboards-United in Holy Matrimony - Tim Schwartz & Jennifer Radford -Annual Peace Assembly Voter’s Meeting-Doug Stoyko new Directory of Lay Ministry-New Church Logo presented-Men’s Floor Hockey evening-Sunday School sponsored lunch and a movie (Finding Nemo)-Youth Service-Luther Home Birthday Party with Praise Band & LWML-5143506350000-“Do Over” Lenten Home Bible Studies on Romans (2 sessions at church and 2 in home)41522651524000-Guest Preacher Rev. Bill Ney L.A.M.P.-Baptism of Megan Hay-Penelope Eva born to Adam & Kate Danylyshen527304027432000-5334006032500-LWML Bake Sale to raised $731.91 plus $500 Faith Life Grant for IRCOM (Immigrant Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba)-Easter breakfast offered between 8:30 and 11:00 services- Addison Elizabeth born to Derek & Kate Schroeder -Baptism of Penelope Danylyshen-Mission Team plans to fly into Sachigo, ON. for LAMP VBS-John Gessner - National Deaf Curling championships (Gold)-“Christianity 101 The Basics” study for new members56927753873500-5238754000500-Addison Elizabeth born to Derek & Kate Schroeder-United in Holy Matrimony - David Armitage & Sheila Murphy -LWML Speaker “Dorota Blumczynska” from IRCOM-David Omichinski called home to glory-LWML Spring Renewal @ Peace “Accessibility Beyond Limits” Liz van Reneen speaker-Youth Glenlea Plant Fundraiser (profit of $843.27 along with $500 FaithLife Grant)-Confirmed 6 young people-Midweek Summer Services begin555307510604500-Women’s Movie & Dessert Evening “Love Begins” -4476752095500-LWML Windup @ Pine Ridge Hollow-LC-C National Convention in Vancouver B.C. -LAMP Mission Team Sachigo Fundraiser - Dessert & Entertainment Evening-United in Holy Matrimony - Brittany Ruchkall & Nathan Klatt -New Member Reception & BBQ4937760-8445500-3714754572000-United in Holy Matrimony – Joel Schollenberg & Melanie Miller-Vacation Bible School - Go Fish Guys “SHINE” 78 registered-55+ Group to Goldeyes Game-Ball hockey game in church parking lot-Youth musicians begin practice-Youth Servant Event to CLWR-Gerald Wensel called home to glory466090017589500-3905258572500-LAMP MISSION TEAM VBS SACHIGO, ON-Youth to Turtle Tide Water Park (Thunder Mountain)-Biggest Lutheran BBQ Ever sponsored by CLWR-Abram Klein called home to glory-Service @ the Lake (Cliff & Val Kolson’s cabin) & Potluck-55+ Group to Stonewall Tea House and Karen Pokrant’s543877515430500-4191009906000-Service in the Park & Family BBQ-Baptism of Addison Schroeder-Sunday morning study “ Dealing with Conflict”-Mom’s Group begins with “The Family Project” videos-Sachigo Team Presentation –team of 12-Winnipeg Harvest Bin Collection-Plans begin for Camp Restore Mission Trip New Orleans438150014287500-46672514478000-Youth Retreat “ Catch Fire” over 65 attended-Regional Church Workers Conference in Luther Village-LWML decorate sanctuary for Thanksgiving-Pastor Glenn’s “A Reformation Reformation” for Camp Restore-United in Holy Matrimony – Clorissa Mauthe & Kris Egilson (offsite)-Annual Fall Cleanup-Sunday School Hayride @ Bird’s Hill Park509587512128500-LWML Fall Renewal “Empowering Newcomers” @ Immanual-4191006985000-LWML Sunday & Bake Sale raised $714.25 + $500 Faith Life Grant for our Sachigo LAMP Mission Team & National Mites-Congregational Meeting -Red River Circuit Choral Festival @ Beautiful Savior-4667255905500-Installation of President Bugbee as part-time pastor @ Beautiful Savior-LWML Christmas Dinner @ Summit Café in Stony Mountain-Mom’s Group Christmas Brunch-Parish Planning Council Christmas Dinner @ Empress of China-Super Seniors Turkey Dinner & Fellowship488759520891500-Children’s Christmas Program “Bed, Bethlehem & Beyond: When Heaven Touched Earth”-German Carols & Lessons @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church-Baptism of Graham Sirdar -Baptism of Bryce Thompson-Darin Chartrand called home to glory- Ashlynn Wendy Miller born to Jennifer McLean - Avery Hilda Grace born to Kevin & Tiffany Ellison 4520565-6350000Board of Lay Ministry The board is comprised of Sherman Fraser, Dennis Wilde, Doug Stoyko (chair), Derek Schroeder, Bill McLean, Pastor Brad, Pastor Glenn and Cliff Kolson. The board is concerned with the staff of the church, theology, Worship and member issues.StaffingWe have been blessed with two outstanding clergy, Pastors Brad and Glenn, with Marlene Mohr assisting them on a part time basis. Our staff are very busy and we are looking at ways to meet their growing needs which will mean changes to what Lay Ministry does, and may mean a full time Administrative Assistant. TheologyNew material for attendees of the New Members class was completed and is on the web site.WorshipA plan has been put together to put video screens in the narthex, cry room and basement, as well as three in the sanctuary (the projector and screen will be removed). This will allow us to broadcast the service and announcements to these different areas. A new computer for the sound booth and a digital audio mixer are also required. A Service at the Lake was held with a small - but quaint - congregation.An outdoor service occurred on September 7, 2014 which was attended by about 80 people.A Youth Retreat was held at the church the weekend of September 3 with over 70 people attending.We will require a new volunteer to make communion wine for 2016. As it takes a number of months to make wine, we should have someone identified by the end of summer.Our Praise Band celebrated its 10th anniversary in December.The Junior Praise Band performed a number of times, included at the Children’s Christmas Program.Member IssuesA group of members going to visit church shut ins started, however demand has exceeded our capacity for visits. This program will continue and will try to get more members involved. Other StuffA group went to Sachigo Ontario on a LAMP Mission Trip. This was followed up with another visit to “touch base” as free air fare was received. These visits were very well received, and have started a strong relationship with the community.Another group went to Camp Restore in New Orleans to assist rebuilding houses with hurricane damage. The Assistant Executive Director position remains vacant.Board of Evangelism 302831525654000The Board of Evangelism was fortunate to add 2 new members in 2014, giving us 9 committed volunteers. Members are:Chris Anderson, co-ChairHope Anderson, co-ChairSara BittnerTeresa DotzlawIan GrantLori HayLeah PawloskiBrian WagnerPastor Glenn WorcesterThe Board met in person 3 times in 2014 (April 14, May 26 and October 20) and completed much of the business of the Board by e-mail throughout the year. In 2013, the Board of Evangelism developed a 5-year plan (Appendix 1). Work in 2014 adhered to this plan, focusing on areas including VISITOR EXPERIENCE, VISUAL IDENTITY, SOCIAL MEDIA, and CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO INVITE VISITORS. The following descriptions represent specific 2014 activities: The Board led efforts to develop a new logo and business card/letterhead templates for Peace Lutheran Church. The rationale was to have a consistent and appealing visual identity for our church. The final design was chosen by a committee of members and approved by the Parish Planning Council and Voters.The Board established a uniformed volunteer group termed “Ask Me” volunteers. The purpose of these volunteers is to meet the needs of all visitors to Peace. They have received suggestions from our Pastors about how to answer specific questions and encourage further interaction. Volunteers have been on duty at Peace services for a few months but the full potential of this idea cannot be realized until volunteers are paired with a Visitor Welcome Centre planned for the Narthex. Future goals for this group are to grow the membership to create a consistent presence at all Peace-hosted events.The Board purchased furniture to comprise the Visitor Welcome Centre. At the conclusion of 2014, some furniture was received. Completion is in early 2015. This Centre will house the “Ask Me” volunteers and all evangelism materials, and it will serve as a central point of contact for visitors.The Board recognizes an opportunity to reach members and potential members using social media. Lea Pawloski and Ian Grant started a Peace Facebook page and twitter account. They have grown the Peace footprint by communicating regularly using these avenues. The Board will continually use social media to communicate and gain an online identity for serving and being engaged and vibrant.The Board endeavoured to plan events that members could attend and invite non-members to for fellowship at Peace or offsite. The pilot idea was to hold ball hockey games in the Peace parking lot in the evening. The first event was very well-attended and several more were held as a result. The Board is encouraged by this and would like to continue these types of efforts. For 2015, the Board of Evangelism will continue to work using the 5-year plan as a guide. Areas of focus include making the Visitor Welcome Centre function consistently and effectively in concert with the “Ask Me” volunteers. There will also be emphasis on bringing outside groups in to utilize our facility and, importantly, planning events to serve our local community. 285750012255500Respectfully Submitted,Chris M. AndersonCo-Chair, Peace Board of Evangelism2014 STATSBAPTIZEDMEMBERSHIPCONFIRMED MEMBERSHIPBy Baptism51 adultBy Confirmation6Received (transfer, etc.)520Deaths44Removed (transfer)22Actual as of Dec. 31/2014478340Weddings: 53340100-60452000Camp Restore Mission TripIn January 2015, a team of eight traveled down to Camp Restore, New Orleans to help restore a little bit of what was lost during Hurricane Katrina. Camp Restore exists to restore faith, home and community in the name of Jesus. As a team, we hoped to put our God-given talents, gifts and abilities to use in service with this organization. Our team consisted of young and young at heart (Bert Bouwman, Madison Bouwman, Lisa Fraser, David Friesen, James Lutomske, Pastor Brad Schollenberg, Bill Wardekker and Pastor Glenn Worcester) hoping to make a difference in a city still recovering from a disaster that happened 10 years ago. Some of our team were experienced home renovators and some of us were inexperienced, aspiring handymen and women who wanted to help out in any way we could.After some challenges in getting to New Orleans, our team arrived safely. We were assigned Bettie’s house. Bettie and her family had been waiting for 10 years to move back into their home after it was flooded during Katrina. The large house was now raised up onto nine-foot piles and was ready for drywall on our first day. A few rooms had been started but there was much to do as the house had six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a laundry room, kitchen, living room and one very long hallway. Not to mention some pretty elaborate, three-tiered ceilings in two of the bedrooms that needed meticulous craftsmanship to complete.Our team was joined by Ken, a contractor from Minnesota, who proved invaluable to us both in the amount of work he did but also in the knowledge he shared with us. We set to work. There were two teams: the drywallers and the mudders. We insulated and hung 150 sheets of drywall, used thousands of screws and emptied about eight, 62-pound buckets of drywall mud. Once a room was completed, there always seemed to be another bedroom, another bathroom, another closet to work on. But the work was made light by the company of each team member, laughter and Pastor Glenn’s frequent singing and dancing.By the end of the week we had dry walled every room in the house except for the kitchen and living room (which contained most of the family’s possessions). We had applied one coat of drywall mud to each room with drywall and two coats in some rooms. Our bodies were sore but all of our hard work was certainly worth the effort when we saw Bettie’s smile on the last day. She seemed to have a glimmer of hope that she may one day be able to live at home again.We want to thank the congregation for the support they gave to us to go on this mission trip. Your support made a difference to Bettie and her family and will have lasting effects. Also, while many of us embark on a mission trip to give, it’s often what we receive from the experience that is just as significant. Some of us learned new skills. We experienced a different culture and gained a new appreciation for the devastation this hurricane caused and greater empathy for those affected by it. We made new friends and strengthened our connections with each other. Our faith was built up. And all of us walked away recognizing how blessed we are to have a place to call home.Stewardship Report47942504572000I would like to thank all the members who volunteered their time and talents throughout the year. Our church is a very busy one. We could not do the things we do without our volunteers. There are so many areas in the church we require volunteers to help in one way or another, whether it be to carry out the mission of the church, or to do maintenance within the church. Whatever the occasion, the members of Peace have always risen to the occasion and did what they could to help. For that I am very grateful. Being good stewards doesn’t mean just to manage your money, but also to manage your time and talent. I am proud to say, the members of Peace joyfully give of all three; time, talent, and treasure. We could not accomplish all we have in the last year without such devoted members. For that I want to thank you!This year we made a five year commitment to Sachigo, ON. In the summer we sent volunteers to run a week long VBS. Thanks to the support of the members here at Peace, (some with time and talent, others financially, and all of us with our prayers), the VBS was a great success. You can read about it on our website. Just before Christmas, Pastor Brad and two others flew up to Sachigo with perishable goods and Sunday School curriculum. The goal was to build trust among the people and to spread the good news of the Gospel. The community of Sachigo is very open to our ongoing help and we will continue to work with them. In January, a group of men are going to New Orleans to join Camp Restore. They will provide volunteer support (home renovations) to Camp Restore from January 10 – 17, 2015. Once again, the support from our members was wonderful. Due to the monetary gifts given by the members, the trip is affordable for the members who are going. Check out our website for more information and pictures of this wonderful mission project.I would like to say a special thank you to all the members who continue donating to the Building. Because of your generous donations, we have been able to pay down our mortgage by making a 20% lump sum payment every April which goes directly to principal. Thank you to the Capital Campaign Committee for all their time and efforts in keeping us focused on our goal. Your work on this project is greatly appreciated. Thank you! I would like to take this time to thank all the members of Peace for allowing me to serve as Director of Stewardship. It has been a great honor. I look forward to all the challenges and joys 2015 holds. Thank you!Respectfully submitted by:Angelina HirschDirector of StewardshipBoard of Properties5397500000Thank you for letting me do this job for another year. It really seemed easy ...go to a meeting once a month, make sure the building is still standing...etc. It's better than that, I go shopping and get quotes and samples, (just say the word the job is yours). I try and get the physical needs of the building met, sometimes it takes longer than I thought, but it gets done. You have to remember I'm quite useless (I cook, enough to feed volunteers at ?a work bee). If it wasn't for volunteers, the church would be dirty, sloppy, broken, unlit , unmowed, snowed in, unloved. I have a very secret weapon, My dear Doug, he agrees with me, he tells me I 'm wrong when I 'm wrong, (more often than you would think), and he is dependable. He leads the work bees when we need them. What wonderful volunteers we have (could always use more new faces, many hands, light work), I can't name everyone, some do things without being asked , (thanks), sometimes before I knew it needed doing, but you know who you are, you showed up early on a Saturday, one evening after working all day, or maybe stayed in town to help your church. Thanks. The volunteers this year finished the ladies bathroom in the basement, (we found out it was a good thing we put a new water shut off in. Who knew there was a pipe in that wall - Pastor B almost got that shower he wanted. New sinks, taps, mirrors, counters and base boards. Face lift. We had to be extra, extra careful this year offerings were down, so the budget was not available. We carried on doing things we had materials for. We took out the chokecherry trees in front of the church (fungal knot), the stumps still need to go, they look like shrubs now. We had new lights to be installed over the ramp, (LED). We put new fixtures in that would shine the light over the whole ramp (safer, welcoming).We also finally checked out behind the water damaged walls in the classrooms, to see if we had concerns for mold, etc. Yeah (no mold), we carry on, replace paneling with dry wall, plaster and patch. Sunday school about to start; painting can wait ???? Well no, we were fortunate to receive a generous gift to the church that allowed us to do some of the things outlined in the budget!!!! So now we run around getting quotes, samples, disappointments, enlightening moments. Even getting prices was painful, supply only, volunteer labor etc. $12,0000 plus; that was more than we could afford. So one of our members had given me info a few years ago, I phoned, they came. It turns out we got a really good price (1/2) and they could work around our schedule, and the church bent to accommodate us. TADA, we have a basement floor, after 36 years. We were able to include the classrooms (carpet was finished), but that meant they had to be empty????!!!! All hands on deck education packed everything up, moved it to one ?side of the basement. Oh wait, the parents and educators came in and painted. Well first, they patched and plastered. Then they painted and painted. Now the floor gets applied (that is one of great things about this product, it liquid, no VOC, repairable, and if we ever want to go further with it ?can be matched. Then we move it all back, after applying baseboards to everything, the Sunday school teachers went through a lot of obsolete paper, and were ruthless and made a lot more room. Then the floorer came back and finished their job. We think it's brighter and more welcoming.You have to check out the nursery; it's wonderful. All said, I think it looks great. I almost forgot the balcony. We had a lot of concerns brought forward, toys landing in sanctuary, fear toddlers would follow. So, it’s not budgeted, people donated, we talked, priced, got samples, disappointment. It was priced well into the thousands and thousands. We didn't have that, so we tapped the brains of the pro’s . We decided to go with plexi-glass. It will crack before it would break, and it could be done by volunteers. It should keep everyone ok, for now. If we need to do better, we budget for it then. We also had keep the view of the altar in mind.!! Our biggest feat this year was keeping the church clean? Diana needed to cut back, if someone couldn't step in then we would have to hire! So we tried a couple companies (all referred by members). I think we got a good fit; ?a monthly rate, extras as discussed (things way too high to be weekly). We also got the parging finished (stucco foundation). It was hard to cover the old waterproofing. I have to thank the volunteers who keep the church working. Diana McEachern, who still takes care of the building, cleaning as needed, doing the things that needed a personal touch. Jim McEachern, who takes care of the grounds, finding the volunteers to cut the grass, rake the leaves, shovel the snow. Doug Pokrant, who goes in and does prep and little things when I'm at a meeting. 519430046609000The ramp got a partial fix before winter set in. It's safer now, and should hold us till it can be done over. OK that's all for now. If I forgot something let me know. Thanks for letting me do some work for the church.P.S. The furnaces acted up this fall, squirrel traps etc. fixed - we are ok.P.S.S. 2015 the ramp and tweaking storage in basement and shed. DONERespectfully submitted152908034988500Karen Pokrant02159000Board of Christian Education The Board of Christian Education continues to run like a well-oiled machine with each group serving the multi ages of Peace in a joyful way. Like anything in life, there have been some changes. After many years of serving as Co-Superintendent of Sunday School, Teresa Dotzlaw has stepped down from that role. We thank her for her dedication and serving heart, and know that she will continue to be a blessing to those around her. Jody Harris is currently the Superintendent of Sunday School. Sunday School has been working hard at making the program engaging for students and inclusive to families and we thank and bless them for their efforts. The Youth Group continues to thrive and meet regularly. Some of our Youth have moved from being participants to being leaders, and it's lovely to see them continue to grow and model that behavior of servant hood, for we know, we are all called to serve. Young Adults, Mom's Group, LWML and Seniors group all continue to share their time together and study the Word of God. They are all a blessing to our congregation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the congregation. I look forward to lots more growing going on!423608516065500Alex BancroftSunday School Report Respectively Submitted Teresa Dotzlaw and Jody HarrisJanuary to May 2014 Review:Sunday School resumed on January 5th with a Family Pancake Breakfast rather than a lesson. We had made a commitment the previous year to have more family activities since our Hay Ride in the fall is such a hit. Unfortunately this event was poorly attended by students and their families, with mostly the teachers helping with the breakfast and their families in attendance. We decided that this date was too close to the end of the Christmas break. Attendance continued to be an issue for us with a maximum attendance of 40 students (out of 56 potential students) before Christmas and only 15 after Christmas for January, February, March and May. In April the average attendance increased to 25. To deal with the ongoing low attendance, we continued to have group lessons so that students would not be alone in their classroom. We also continued with our new format of holding Pastor Talks for the grade 4 to 6 students, including memory verses in the Music Opening and keeping the music interesting. We held a second family event on February 23 after church with Lunch and Movie (Finding Nemo). For this event we sent out invitations to the students, advertised in the bulletin and also on the church sign. Attendance was also low for this event, possibly because it was after church and therefore a large time commitment on a Sunday. For lunch we had hot dogs and buns donated by Andrew McLean, mac and cheese, fruit and veggies plus popcorn for the movie. The family living next door to the church attended our Lunch and a Movie. We did not plan a family event for spring but instead held an ice cream party and games during class time following our final lesson. We had a plan to plant some flowers and bulbs outside the church but the weather didn’t cooperate. We considered having the students sing during the Mother’s Day service in May but cancelled our plans. The grade 6 students visited the youth room on May 4th. To support our efforts to improve Sunday School we discussed surveying parents for suggestions about Sunday School. This suggestion led to a broader survey sent out in June to the congregation for input on all areas of ministry. The two specific questions for Sunday School were:What are some things that are currently being done well in the Sunday School program?What are some ways that we can strengthen the Sunday School program?As of this writing we have not discussed the responses to these questions at a Sunday School meeting but they are attached here for your reference (appendix 1 and 2). In May after Sunday School wrapped up we were assigned a new Sponsor Child through Plan Canada (Muskan Khatun, born in 2006, from India). In May we held a planning meeting (without teachers) with Alex Richards, Pastor Glenn and Pastor Brad, about changes to the Sunday School curriculum and for encouragement. It was agreed that we would move from using the traditional Growing in Christ curriculum, which is a same age classroom model to the Cross Explorations curriculum, which is a large group/small group model. The scope of the lessons would remain the same but the resources would support a new format to the music portion of Sunday School and bring lesson specific activities to the group lessons. The purpose for switching was to engage the students in their learning, support the efforts of the volunteer teachers, have more group lessons and demonstrate to new parents that the Sunday School program is both fun and educational. Our goal is to have the students excited to come to Sunday School. The program is divided into three portions; Engage (opening with music and slides), Exlore (the lesson in class or as a group with two levels of materials) and Express (with skits, crafts and activities related to the lesson that support learning). There is more material than we can use in one hour so there are plenty of options.355155511874500September to December 2014 Review:In early September postcard invitations were sent out to all the Sunday School age children inviting them to the first day of Sunday School classes (September 14). This was followed up with a group email which included a registration form so we could collect information about allergies, confirm age and grade information and get photo permission for use of digital images on the church web site and in social media. Students were also invited to attend the Service in the Park on September 7. We had a few difficulties with the start to Sunday School this year. First we discovered that the computer in the sound booth was not compatible with the Music and Powerpoint presentations provided with the new Cross Explorations curriculum. This took us several weeks to sort through and meant that we could not easily use the supplied resources and could not make adjustments to the material to suit our specific needs. A new computer in the sound booth will hopefully correct this problem but our teachers could use some sound booth training. Second the renovations in the basement although absolutely wonderful, were an inconvenience to our program. In the future it would be beneficial if work in the basement classrooms could be completed between the end of Sunday School in May to before VBS in July or after VBS and before the start of Sunday School in September. We would like to thank Karen Pokrant for coordinating the new flooring, and the following members, parents and teachers of our ad hoc team for their help with patching, prepping, painting, and moving furniture etc. - Bill McLean, Doug Pokrant, Lori and Shaun Hay, Sandi Bjorgum, Deanne Oswald, David and Silvia Barros, Debbie Swistun, Diana McEachern, Mark and Shaunna Buchholz, Julie Schollenberg and Teresa Dotzlaw (hopefully we didn’t missing anyone).Our first class on September 14 was attended by 30 students but after that our attendance averaged 20 students with a high of 22 and a low of 13. Although there are 18 potential students for our Parent and Tot class (age 2 and 3) only 2 families consistently attend so they have been grouped with the Nursery/Kindergarten class. There are 10 potential students for Nursery/ Kindergarten but only 4 students consistently attend (plus the two tots). In grade 1/2 there are 13 potential students but only 6 students consistently attend. For grade 3/4 there are 12 potential students with 7 students consistently attending. For grade 5/6 there are 7 potential students with 6 consistently attending. Overall there are potentially 60 students but only 25 students attending Sunday School. If compared to 2013-2014 there were 56 potential students with 42 attending. As well every year attendance drops drastically after Christmas. This represents a problem at the parental level as many of these students are from families listed as members but not attending church. There is also an obvious problem with retention of students after Christmas, which we recognize as both a parental problem as member attendance also declines after Christmas but also an activity/illness problem for the students. We are not sure how to address this issue and would welcome support from council. The new Cross Explorations curriculum was most beneficial for providing us with skits, activities, crafts and snack ideas for the group activities. We started the year having group lessons each week for the tots to grade 2 students with the grades 3/4 and 5/6 classes meeting in the traditional classroom setting or meeting for a Pastor Talk and only joining in group lessons as their teacher felt it was necessary based on student attendance. Gradually we had the tots to kindergarten students and the grade 1/2 students meeting in their class for the lesson and then coming together to work on a skit, activity or snack. On October 19 we hosted a Family Fun Day with a Hay Ride at BirdsHill Park followed by hot chocolate and graham crackers. We initially had 69 people registered but had a final turnout of 56 people on the hay ride. We charged $5 for individuals and $10 for families to offset our costs. Our costs were $360 for the wagons which was offset by $225 collected by the riders for a total cost of $135 to Sunday School. On November 2 we explained to the students where their offering goes and introduced them to our new sponsor child Muskan Khutan an 8 year old Muslim girl from India. We wrote letters or drew pictures for her and mailed these along with some new crayons to Plan Canada in December. We hope to send her a birthday greeting for her March 3rd birthday. On November 16 we had a scavenger hunt in the church for the tots to grade 2 while the older students were at a Pastor Talk. This gave the students an opportunity to see the church and all that is inside with some new meaning, find out about things they didn’t know (i.e. food pantry, new Peace logo, LWML) and notice things they see all the time (i.e. cross, baptismal font, pews, lectern, lamb banner). We supported the Sachigo team that headed out for a December visit by decorating lunch bags on November 30 with Christmas wrapping paper, drawings, words of encouragement and snowflakes.For our Children’s Christmas Service Jody chose an intergenerational play called Bed Bethlehem and Beyond. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus from the perspective of the Innkeeper. We were able to give speaking parts to about 25 students? and started our rehearsal of the songs in early November. We were able to support the students by having a teleprompter for the lines and a songbook for the lyrics. This helped them to feel more confident in their performance and took away some of the worry leading up to the performance. In addition to the Sunday School students we had a few teachers participate as characters, Wyatt Alexander as the Innkeeper, Pastor Glenn filling in for Pastor Brad (who was stuck in Sachigo), a youth praise band (led by Pastor Glenn) and extra musical support from Alex Richards (piano) and Lori Hay (guitar). We had several church members help with the service by working the sound booth, running the teleprompter, helping with costumes, preparing for the after service party, cleaning up. There was a dress rehearsal on Saturday Dec 13 from 10 to noon and the performance was on Sunday December 14 at 7 pm. Teresa was unable to attend due to a family commitment. We received many positive comments from the audience after the service and everyone involved really liked the format of this play.This year Sunday School came up with a vision statement. “The vision of Sunday School at Peace Lutheran Church is to clearly and creatively teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and encourage families in their spiritual growth.” Our new vision is supported by using the new curriculum, which allows us to be more creative and a new brochure about our ministry put together by Hope Anderson of the Evangelism committee. It is with regret that we also report that as of January 2015 Teresa has resigned as co-superintendent of Sunday School due to being overcommitted and needing to focus more on her family.49784007874000Some Final Thoughts on the Value of Children’s Ministry:Children’s Ministry benefits children by helping them understand the Gospel, helping them overcome worldly influences and helping them forgive and love others. Children’s Ministry benefits families by supporting Godly parenting, supporting family involvement in church and answering questions that stump parents. Children’s Ministry benefits the church by passing on the faith, allowing the church body to use their talents and spiritual gifts, provides accidental learning for ministry volunteers, trains future church leaders and gives adults some real life examples of childlike faith. (adapted from ministry-to-)4330700-43942000Survey Question Responses: Sunday SchoolWhat are some things that are currently being done well in the Sunday School program? It is well run with many volunteers. The Christmas concert was fantastic with other groups participating (Youth/choir).My kids are not overwhelmed about Sunday School. I wish they had more motivation to go so I assume that has to do with the program themselves as they are young and usually enjoy activities away from home.n/a – I do not know as I am not involved in this program currently; Don’t know; I am not directly involved with the Sunday School program anymore; n/a; We have no children in Sunday School any longer.Because we feel that there are always things that can be improved, what are some ways that we can strengthen the Sunday School program?Singing in church would be nice.My kids are not that enthused by Sunday School but they do go when we are not busy with other activities. I would love for them to be more excited about going. My daughter has gone to a Sunday School day with a friend at Eastwood and loved and asked to go back. This made me sad.I would like to see some statistics on the Sunday School attendance. I think that sometimes when the congregation sees a definite rise or decline in the attendance that it gets people thinking. And if there is nothing that they feel they can contribute to making it more successful at least they can pray faithfully for it and the young of our church. I have always thought that it is never a good idea to have the same people involved for years and years. Things never change that way. Volunteers never change. Burnout is huge. A huge effort needs to be put into preparing new leaders or teachers. Support and training for the leaders and teachers is essential.Remember that the students are young and still learning how to behave so keep a positive attitude about every student. Remember that the purpose is to teach them that God loves them so much he sent Jesus to die for them so teach in a loving way and tolerate their difficulties. Remember to make it fun and exciting to learn about God so they will want to keep coming back to learn more. Remember that the children are the future of the church and we want to be a part of strengthening their spiritual life.Sunday School conducted during service would allow for parent and child to reap the benefit of God’s word, and condense time for those families not able to allot almost 3 hours.Encourage attendance.I find our classrooms could look more inviting (very dumpy looking right now). We also need to find a place for those moms who have babies (maybe the library area, something more comfortable than a basement floor with walls around) to have a small study while caring for their little ones while their older ones are in Sunday School.In my son’s class the teacher seems disorganized. He is able to communicate quite well about what he has learned and what craft he made, etc., however he is not enthused by any of it. I find that very sad because I want them to love Sunday School.n/a; n/a – I do not know as I am not involved in this program currently.*Bring back “Go Fish” or something like it. The kids loved the upbeat music, the videos, the actions and having the music playing gave the kids confidence. We have shy children, if they feel they are being listened to when they don’t know the words they shut down. We have seen other shy kids do the same. However, when you put on the background music that they sing with they seem to open up more. At first they stare, listen and soak it in, then slowly they start singing or following along.*Link Sunday School and church. It is very separate for the younger children. Have the children sing once a month or every six weeks in church. Something simple where they can sing a verse and the congregation joins in. The new song they were working on, Joy to the World, would be great. This fills a few purposes: let the kids practice before the Christmas concert, links Sunday School and church to feel like a church “community”, lets other families see what you are doing so they can consider joining or coming back to Sunday School and makes the kids feel that learning the songs is important. It may also increase church attendance as parents who normally just drop off kids at Sunday School (or people like us who generally only go to Sunday School) attend to see their kids, they may also invite grandparents or other family members. I know this was suggested last year, but it didn’t happen.*More involvement from Pastor Brad or Pastor Glenn. I know they are busy, but our kids love Children’s Chat and talking to the Pastors. I heard some of the kids talking (including my own) and said Pastor Brad is like a Grandpa and Pastor Glenn is the crazy uncle (who hides, sings and jumps on stage!). It again creates a link between church and Sunday school. It also creates a more personalized relationship between the children and the Pastors. The hope is that they feel more comfortable they will be more interested in church, if they will have problems they will be more likely to consider talking to the Pastors, etc.*More interactive activities such as a find Pastor Glenn or a scavenger hunt. For the younger children simple: in the church find a cross, a picture of Jesus, a bible, etc. For the older children use clues they have to solve, to find the items. Last year there were a few activities like the game show that were really good. Maybe break the kids up into two groups so the kids feel more confident when answering.*More positive statements, particularly when the children are singing. When there are negative comments I feel so bad for the kids. The kids came home today and said before they even started singing there were negative comments, or on a previous occasion after the kids sang the song for the first time, they weren’t encouraged but told how much better they need to be. Even if words are available, lots of the kids can’t read, or read that quickly. The negative comments seem to make the older kids goof off more and younger ones stop singing.*We miss Debbie and Hope. Our children really enjoyed their teaching styles and their positive attitudes.*We loved the guest music teachers. This was wonderful! Maybe ask the Praise Band to come once or twice! I think the kids would get such a kick out of that.*More involved crafts that are linked to the curriculum. We loved the lego last year. That was great.*When possible, have songs that are simple, lively and have actions. Introduce the song by playing it and letting the children listen, then let them try. It’s okay if they are quiet, let them practice it for a couple weeks before worrying about volume. Maybe have the teachers and parents sing the song to the kids. This will show we aren’t perfect the first time either, but we are trying and we know what it feels like to stand up in front of people and sing.There are some very positive things going on in Sunday School, but there are always ways to improve any program. Numbers are small, it would be so nice to have more children involved and benefitting from the experience. It has much to offer, the main thing is to show children that faith can be a fun, positive, encouraging experience. I hope this was helpful.1168400174625004558665-53340000Vacation Bible School Report for 2014 This year Vacation Bible School was held from July 14th to 18th. We used the Go Fish Curriculum with the theme of SHINE. Each day focused on a Crown. Day One was the Crown of Victory, Day Two was the Crown of Life, Day Three was the Crown of Rejoicing, Day Four was the Crown of Glory, and finally Day Five was the Crown of Righteousness. Each day the children learned more about what it means to be a Super Hero and who should get all of the glory....God. The sanctuary was decorated with a cool Disco Ball and sparkling stars were everywhere. The music for this year was a little "old school" and Pastor Brad's guitar skills were put to the test. We sang a mixture of oldies but goodies plus some fun stuff with videos from previous Go Fish VBS years. The crafts were amazing and the children made drums and shrinky dinks and really neat things. The games were fun every day and everyone enjoyed freezie time at the end. Pastor Glenn did a bang up job doing Bible Study again and had some pretty fun(ky)/weird costumes. John the Baptist was in the house!We had some amazing volunteers this year and we were grateful for each and every one. We tried to appreciate them every day as we know the dedication, commitment and energy required to run VBS each year. There was a real feeling of community and helpfulness all week. Our volunteers ranged from age 13 up to 60+. A real testament to the multi-age inclusion we practice at Peace. The wind-up BBQ was well attended and the bouncer was a good time. Attendance this year for VBS was a daily average of over 70 with over 80 registered. We did some bookmark promotion with the area Elementary Schools and received a few registrations from that. There were a number of special needs with the children this year including food allergies and some anxiety challenges but everyone worked together to handle each situation. We received a heartfelt thank you from one mom that attends Gateway Church but was very grateful for the special attention her son received. Again, our volunteers are amazing! Registration fees for VBS totaled $822.35. We raised $148.96 for our mission project of Sachigo Lake.There were a few things we would like to see added for VBS 2015 including training of volunteers for specific roles and using a cheaper service for renting equipment for the wind up BBQ. But all in all it was a wonderful week spent praising our Lord and Shining our light for Him. -1714502794000Alex Bancroft & Sandra Stoyko VBS Directors 2014 -76200-31750000Youth Annual Report – 2014Consistency. Consistency amidst a changing world is something we try to offer the youth here at Peace. The world in which they are living continues to change, sometimes we change with it, and sometimes we stay the same, but the goal is to always be there, to at least be one constant in their life. And so it goes that there are many things we do year after year (some that we have just begun to do on a regular basis, and some that have been happening before my time) to keep the group strong. There are also things that we do not do on a regular basis, which are sometimes just as important for building the relationships of their group, and their faith as well.We meet on Sunday mornings for Bible study. Currently we are going through a study on Apologetics. Apologetics is about giving an answer, or making a defense, and the verse this comes from is 1 Peter 3:15, “…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” The Study of Apologetics is all about giving and answer or making a defense of your faith. The goal of our study is to help the youth be more confident in the faith that they believe and profess, and be confident in giving answers to people, especially when their faith in questioned. And the goal of apologetics is not to win an argument or a battle, it is about the truth, and we seek to find the truth and know for certain that what we believe is true.We meet every other Friday night, for a casual evening of games, fellowship, food and some time spent in God’s Word. We have been joined by other youth groups from around the city, and continue to look forward to the times of building the relationships we have with the youth of Peace, but also the relationships with other youth groups. We continue to send a group to the annual Dryden Youth Retreat. This year we sent 6 Youth and 4 wonderful adult leaders as the theme centered on “Heart Graffiti” the idea of what is written on your heart. The theme verse came from Romans 2:15, “since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” I was not able to attend as I had a wedding at Peace that weekend, but I look forward to the next time I am able to be there.The Plant Sale Fundraiser has continued to be success as a way to raise money for the youth, and we will also continue to look at more fundraisers in the future, especially as the 2016 National Youth Gathering draws closer (which takes place in St. Catharines, Ontario).This summer we took a trip to Turtle Tide Water Slides, which is near Grand Beach. The weather was wonderful, and the water cold! Many enjoyed staying in the water throughout the day, and some were comfortable just sitting and watching others enjoy the water. This summer we also had a servant event at Canadian Lutheran World Relief, sorting through the We Care packages. I know that CLWR certainly appreciates any help they can get, so it was a joy to be able to assist them.Youth Musicians have been practicing, they played for youth services, for worship at the end of the Fall Retreat, and at the Sunday School Christmas program. We continue to look for more members, especially instrumentalists, but will fill them with adults in the meantime. We hope to play in worship more often in the coming year, and look forward to opportunities for the youth to assist in worship whether it be youth services, ushering, greeting, reading, and so on.The Fall Retreat took place from October 3-5 at Peace. The theme was “Catch Fire” based loosely on The Hunger Games Movie/Book series. The theme verse was Hebrews 12:29 “God is a consuming fire.” There were over 65 youth and leaders from Peace, Immanuel, St. James, St. Peters (NALC), Grace in Beausejour, Our Savior in Dryden, and Calvary in Thunder Bay. It was a really enjoyable exhausting weekend. We have enjoyed the relationships that are being built with other youth groups and appreciate the ability to join them in some of their events. In November, St. Peters (NALC) hosted a dinner and praise music evening by Carpenter’s Tool International, which we were able to attend. In December we had a Christmas Party with a gift exchange, some Christmas games, and plenty of Christmas joy to go around. We also took a group to Bethlehem Live at Gateway Church that included other members of the congregation.All in all, there are many things to be thankful for, many youth to be thankful for, and many parents and other leaders to be thankful for, however, there are still many more that can be reached and can be participating with us. To all the parents I want to say a few words. First of all, thank you for all you do in encouraging your youth to attend and being involved in your youths’ activities. Thank you for helping when needed, especially when I’m not able, and for driving them so they can attend events. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your youth involved, whether it’s Sunday morning Bible study, youth retreats, or servant events. I do not know the many challenges that you as parents face, but I want to encourage you to be actively involved in the life of the youth, to help serve and lead when necessary, and to invite neighbors, friends, and the youth from church that you don’t see at events! Finally, my prayer is that all of you continue to grow in your faith, to grow in your relationships with one another, and to grow in God’s love.350520013970000In Christ,-2667006921500 Pastor Glen3606800-2019300055+ SUPER SENIORSIt is time again to let everyone know what has been happening with the Super Seniors of Peace. Last year due to the very cold and snowy winter we needed to cancel some of our meeting days. This year the weather has co-operated and we have not had to cancel any days so far.We were able to go to our annual baseball this past summer and it was a very nice day, enjoyed by all. We also went to the Tea House in Stonewall and then over to Karen Pokrant’s place for dessert. It was a very special day for all of us. Thanks Karen.The Super Seniors invite anyone over the age of 55 to come join us for Bible Studies, potlucks, outings and games and crafts, etc. We meet every Thursday at 1:00 P.M. except for our potluck day, on that day we meet at 11:30 A.M. Come join us!We had our Christmas dinner December 11th and it was well attended. It was a great day with lots of food, great company and we cannot forget the carols we sang. Pastor Glenn accompanied on the guitar. It was a beautiful day.In closing I feel we have had a Super year.Respectfully submitted Signe Llewellyn-7620012192000Mom’s Group Peace Lutheran Church“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1Thessalonians 5:11Mom’s group at Peace continues to meet twice a month on Tuesday mornings. Our group includes moms at all stages of life. This past year we are studying a video series produced by Focus on the family called “The Family Project”. We have had a few of our regular mom’s face tough challenges in their lives this year. We continue to keep them in our prayers & support them with meals when needed. We have been blessed to have Emily Richards watch the young children since the fall. Our study time is set up so that any mom can join us at any time during the year. We continue to form new friendships and grow and support each other as we explore God’s word for our daily lives. We currently have around 10-12 moms attending.Please continue to pray for us as we rejoice & sometimes struggle in the raising of the children God has blessed us with.Sheri Schmidtke418338036068000-180340-35115500LWML ANNUAL REPORT 2014Continued study of “Sisters in the Faith” with leadership from our membershipMonthly mite challenges to raise extra funds for MitesContinue with monthly Sunshine cards for members with words of encouragement.60+ Seniors Amore Dinner in February with Old Testament Apron Fashion ShowLuther Home Birthday Party in February with Praise Band supplying musicZone Retreat “Hold Fast to the Word” in Portage la PrairieBake Sale for IRCOM in April raised $731.91 + with grant from Faith Life Financial $500.00Guest Speaker Dorota Blumczynska from IRCOM at our May meetingHosted Zone Spring Renewal “Accessibilities Beyond Limits” Speaker Liz Van ReneenSupplied “Glimpses of Grace” & cards for 6 ConfirmandsWind-up @ Pine Ridge Hollow in JuneIn Fall began new study “The Heart of Jesus” focusing on Women in the Bible in the book of LukeDecorated sanctuary for Thanksgiving & collected food items for Winnipeg HarvestLWML Sunday on November 9 plus a Bake Sale to raise funds for our Sachigo Mission Team & LWML Mites raised $714.25 + $500 Grant from Faith Life Financial Attended Fall Renewal @ Immanuel Lutheran Church “Empowering Newcomers” IRCOM speaker & ingatheringChristmas Social Dinner @ The Summit Café in Stony Mountain GROWING IN FAITH SERVING GOD’S PEOPLE SHARING GOD’S SON12700-35814000Board of FellowshipOur board consists of Jan Buchholz, Heidi Schollenberg & Sheri Schmidtke. There have been a number of events that the board has participated in this year: Outdoor Service in the park, Annual Meetings, Snacks after the service, women’s movie & dessert night & Easter Breakfast, to name a few. Our biggest challenge this year has been planning events that will interest more of our members to get involved & fellowship with their fellow brothers & sisters in Christ. There have been numerous events that have been planned, and had poor attendance or have been cancelled due to lack of participation. We planned, a sport evening(s) at a local school gym, car rally, fishing derby, mother / daughter dinner. We struggle with the questions: are people just too busy these days, or are we not planning events that are of interest to them??We continue to try to encourage the fellowship of our members in an engaging & fun way.318770039433500Thank you to our members who are always willing to contribute their time & cooking skills to help enhance our various events.Music Ministry Report Again and again the Praise Band is committed to the music ministry of our church. This past fall, marked the 10th anniversary of our Praise Band! God blessed us at Peace with band members who are dedicated to worshipping Him though music.So that the faces of our band members have a name, they are listed as; Lisa Fraser-keyboard, Erica Minarik–vocals, Tracy Vestby–vocals, Ian Grant-guitar, Pastor Glenn– ocals/guitar, Brian Layer–bass, Bill Wardekker–drums.The Praise Band would like to thank those in the sound booth for doing the sound mix for us.In 2014, the Praise Band did one road trip, to Luther Home.We all look forward to providing service music at Peace in 2015!Respectfully submitted,Bill WardekkerCapital Campaign Annual Report Dear friends of Peace,We are getting SO close to having our mortgage paid!It has been my pleasure once again this past year to serve as Chair of our Capital Campaign Committee. I continue to be encouraged and inspired by all of you as you dedicate your gifts to our church and continue to demonstrate your support toward our mission. The members of the Capital Campaign Committee (CCC) are Erica Minarik, Lisa Fraser and Val Kolson and we thank you for your generosity and ongoing support. In 2014 through your generosity and commitment, we raised $63,164.61. (In 2012 the total amount contributed was $110,733.49 and in 2013 it was $73,312.04). From December 1, 2010, to December 31,2014 we have raised a grand total of $427,465.50. We made a pre-payment of nearly $68,000 in April, 2012, in April 2013 and in April 2014. To date we have paid just under $204,000 in pre-payments. This is in addition to our monthly mortgage payments of $2340 per month. We will make another pre-payment of close to $68,000 in April 2015 using your generous contributions from previous years and from 2014.You might recall what the situation would look like if we had not been making these payments - here's the difference over the long term: Only our regular monthly payments, pay interest of about $138,000 and finish paying the mortgage in April 2028. Make annual prepayments of $68,000 pay $46,000 in interest and pay the mortgage by April 2016. We will have saved $91,561.51 and 12 years!So that leaves us needing to raise the final pre-payment for April 2016! The goal is in sight!We will only need to raise approximately $12,000 to make the April 2016 payment as we have some funds remaining from previous years. We can do that over the course of this year. The committee looks forward to your continued support as we work toward the goal of raising these funds. We will be sure to let you know when we get there so we can all celebrate!Keep an eye on our banner hanging in the coffee area as it will continue to be updated as we progress. The banner is being "coloured in" to reflect where we are at paying the mortgage. In other words, the blank amounts will reflect the amount remaining to be paid. Not too many white spots left to be coloured in!We can be pleased with the progress we have made and we thank our members for their ongoing support. If you have not yet had an opportunity to make a contribution, now is the time! Thank you members of Peace - your commitment is a blessing to all of us and to the mission of our church. Respectfully submitted,Judy Fraser “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21Peace Lutheran Church Inc.Income StatementFor the Period Ending December 31, 2014Annual Budget Actual YTD2014December 31, 2014Current Contributions 324,356.00 287,656.08 Expenses: Board of Christian Education 8,200.00 8,042.69 Board of Church Properties 47,800.00 39,531.45 Board of Evangelism 4,950.00 2,644.74 Board of Fellowship & PR 950.00 669.85 Board of Lay Ministry 190,381.00 185,558.58 Board of Stewardship 33,050.00 31,610.62 General Administration 11,425.00 8,534.82 Mortgage \ Loan 27,600.00 8,145.66 Total Expenses 324,356.00 284,738.41 Net Gain/(Loss) 2,917.67 Interest Income 1,312.48 Net Income 4,230.15 Designated ContributionsCapital Campaign 64,204.85 Memorial 1,870.00 Mission –Sachigo 30,275.81 Mission - Camp Restore 8,113.37 Youth 1,100.00 Food Hampers 50.00 Sound Board 2,700.00 Stewardship/Mission 240.00 Balcony 1,520.00 Total Designated Contributions 110,074.03 Total Contributions 399,042.59 Non-Budgeted Designated ExpendituresMission - Sachigo (Designated) 13,008.24 Mission Camp Restore (Designated) 5,873.54 Total Non-Budgeted Expenditures 18,881.78 Total Expenditures 303,620.19 Net Surplus 95,422.40 217170074739500Peace Lutheran Church parative Balance SheetAs at December 31, 2014ASSETS20142013Current Assets Steinbach C.U. - Chequing 79,356.70 78,170.59 Petty Cash 90.61 300.00 Savings – Local 73,314.64 67,688.81 Equity - Steinbach C.U. 5.00 5.00 Term Deposit #1 - Build. Fund 31,283.11 29,564.26 Term Deposit #2 - Savings 5,280.93 5,849.54 Accounts Receivable 350.00 350.00 GST Rebate Receivable 4,364.11 2,085.01 GST Recoverable - 2,077.77 Total Current Assets 194,045.10 186,090.98 Fixed Assets Capital Assets 1,420,703.91 1,420,703.91 Total Fixed Assets 1,420,703.91 1,420,703.91 TOTAL ASSETS 1,614,749.01 1,606,794.89 LIABILITIES (CURRENT) Cont. Ed. Funds - Pastor Miscellaneous Payable 25.00 25.00 Benefits Payable 44.38 72.23 Source Deductions Payable 8,062.27 8,015.88 Accrued Payables - TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 8,131.65 8,113.11 LONG TERM LIABILITIES Mortgage Payable158,126.14 245,612.96 TOTAL LONG TERM LIABILITES 158,126.14 245,612.96 TOTAL LIABILITIES 166,257.79 253,726.07 EQUITY Retained Earnings1,353,068.82 1,273,523.24 Current Earnings95,422.40 79,545.58 TOTAL EQUITY1,448,491.22 1,353,068.82 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 1,614,749.01 1,606,794.89 149860049530000 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download