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The Ambassador
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
June 2025
10 Farrand Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 3H5
Offices: 807-344-1926; Immanuel Hall/FAX: 807-343-4857
E-mail: osimm@tbaytel.net
Facebook: ‘Our Saviour’s Thunder Bay’
YouTube: ‘Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of Thunder Bay’
Instagram: ‘OSLCTBay’
Pastor: Matthew H. Diegel (Parsonage: 807-344-6822)
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Confirmation Sunday:
On Sun. June 1, we welcome the newest Confirmed members of our congregation, Ava Barry and Arthur Smith, as they affirm their Baptism. God’s blessings on their continuing journey of faith!
We have Fellowship Hour each Sunday following worship, in Immanuel Hall. To help, volunteer in the kitchen!
The platform lift is available for those who have trouble with the stairs to the basement.
Birthday Sunday is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of the month.
Special Sundays:
-June 15 – “Pre-65th Birthday Party, for Pastor Matthew!
-June 22 – Shirley Barrow and Family would like to invite everyone to join them for lunch, celebrating Bob Person's 90th Birthday! There will be a Photo Frame for everyone to sign!
Lutheran Community Care
All are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting, Mon. June 23, being held at Our Saviour’s. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m., the meeting will start at 5:30 p.m., and refreshments will follow.
Thank you to our member of the Board of Directors, Karen Bishop, who is also serving as President of the LCC. Karen has 1 year on her term remaining.
Our delegates are: Karen, Shelbey Lorentson, Elaine Main, Don Williamson, and Ruth Wolsiffer.
Gathering Table Food Cupboard
Thank you for your food donations put in the basket in the front Hall. These are shared with Gathering Table and with others in need. The most needed items at Gathering Table are:
-Kraft Dinner, cold and hot cereal
-tuna, Flakes of Ham/Chicken/Turkey
-fruit cups
-Canned soup: especially Cream of Mushroom, Chicken Noodle, Tomato, and Vegetable
-Pork and Beans, pasta sauce
Worship
We gather Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We will celebrate Holy Communion on June 1 and 15. June 8, 22, and 29 will be Service of the Word. Worship with the Band will return on Sept. 28.
As we meet we record the services. They are uploaded later to our YouTube channel, ‘Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of Thunder Bay’. Thank you, John Stadtlander and Brian Phillips.
The bulletin, with links to videos of the songs, and with the text of the sermon, are e-mailed Saturday. Sign up: osimm@tbaytel.net. They also are posted on our website each Saturday:
For Holy Communion, all are invited to come up the centre aisle to the foot of the chancel steps to receive the bread (gluten-free wafers available) and then the wine/juice. After taking a glass, please go to the side and drink. There is a receptacle for used glasses as we go back to our seats via the side aisles.
If you are unable to come to the front, please tell the usher and the elements will be brought to you. Those who do not receive Communion are welcome to come forward for a blessing.
If watching online, when the presiding minister says, ‘The body and blood of Christ given and shed for you’, we welcome all to take and eat a piece of bread, and then to take a glass of wine or other beverage, remembering and giving thanks for the promises of grace, forgiveness, love, new life, and community given us in Christ Jesus.
Worship Assistants
Thanks to those who helped in May.
Please sign up in the front hall to be a Greeter and Usher, Reader, and/or Communion assistant. You can check what needs filling for the coming Sunday in the bulletin. Pastor Matthew is happy to offer an orientation.
Sunday Readings
June 1 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26
June 8 – Day of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17 [25-27]
June 15 – The Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
June 22 – Time after Pentecost
Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:19-28; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39
June 29 – Time after Pentecost
I Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62
July 6 – Time after Pentecost
Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6: [1-6], 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.
‘Eternity for Today’
The July-September issue soon will be available in the front hall. Copies can also be delivered: call the church.
Children’s Ministry
We are now on summer break from classes. We will resume on Sun., Sept. 21. The sessions, for children in JK – Gr. 6, begin in Immanuel Hall at 10:30 a.m. for Bible stories, crafts, and other activities. Then we come up to share Holy Communion. See Karen Bishop, co-ordinator, for information.
At the wind-up May 4 ‘Hot Dog’ Fellowship Luncheon, 5 dozen were eaten! Thanks to the volunteer cooks!
Copies of the seasonal Activity packet for Easter/Spring are still available. The Summer edition will be ready soon. Pick up a copy, or call the church for a drop-off.
Activity sheets for each Sunday are available in the front hall and are also emailed on Thursday. To sign up for these: osimm@tbaytel.net .
Adventure activity bags are under the mailboxes inside the sanctuary, for children to enjoy during worship.
Presbytery of Superior Summer Camp
The Presbyterian congregations in Thunder Bay and area are are looking forward to once again having a great summer at Pres -B-Camp, July 20-26. Pres-B-Camp is for campers entering Grades 3 to 8 this fall. They are inviting all to join them for a week of fun and leaning in nature, at Duncan Memorial Church Camp, located on Loon Lake, East of Thunder Bay. For more details: linda.mccutcheon.lm@gmail.com
Luther Village
Brochures for the 2025 season of outdoor ministry at Luther Village are available in the front hall, and online at www.luthervillage.ca . This is the 61st year of our regional synod’s camp on Dogtooth Lake, southeast of Kenora on Hwy. 71. LV’s registration continues online for everything, including Youth camps, Family Camps, and individual camping plans (cabins available, as well as trailer and tent sites).
Pastoral Visits
Pastor Matthew looks forward to making home visits, and going to Long Term Care homes. This includes sharing Holy Communion. Contact him at 807-344-1926, osimm@tbaytel.net.
Pastor Matthew visits at the Regional Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Hospital. As clergy do not have access to the patient lists, it is vital that you contact him with info about who is a patient who would benefit from such care.
On behalf of Lutheran Community Care, Pastor Matthew leads worship at Roseview on the 1st Tuesday of the month, and at Hogarth on the 4th Thursday. Both are at 10:30 a.m., and last 30 mintues. Volunteers and worshippers are welcome! Thank you to Vi Peternelj for playing at these services and many more!
Note: these services do not happen in July and August, giving both the staff and volunteers a chance to rest.
Our Life Together:
-Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation)
--Ava Barry, June 1
--Arthur Smith, June 1
-Wedding:
--Jodi Jensen and Phil Faulconer,
May 17
-Memorial Gifts:
--in memory of Freda Karioja
-Deaths:
--Hannah Deley, May 21
--Keith Broman, May 22
-Funeral/Memorial Services:
--Freda Karioja, May 13
--Pat Kaukola, May 30
Council Comments
Notes from the May council meeting not mentioned elsewhere:
-The meeting started with Pastor Matthew offering prayer.
-As a follow-up to the Visioning Plan, Pastor Matthew shared his thought that ‘I believe also that the Spirit is moving us as a congregation from vision to plan. It is a long-term investment in ministry … we grow through the journey of finding out what it is that we can be, instead of just trying to maintain what we have.’ He elaborated on this, mentioning the five marks of a congregation in our constitution: Worship, Learning, Witness, Service, and Support.
-Council received notice that that our current insurance broker – Cherry Insurance in Saskatoon – and our current provider – Northbridge – are terminating all their religious institution coverage in Ontario.
Via our new insurance broker, Jones Insurance, council approved a property insurance policy proposal from Intact Insurance, effective July 1. This includes the building and contents of 10 Farrand Street (the church) and the building of 20 Farrand Street (the parsonage). Council accepted a liability insurance policy proposal from Risk Can, also effective July 1. The total cost of the policies is less than we paid in 2024-2025, even with increased insurance coverage in both policies.
-Congregational Designated Funds:
Two of the designated funds held by the congregation are the Mark Whatley Memorial and the Lois Lorch Memorial.
--The purpose of the Whatley Memorial is to provide funding for members of the congregation studying for ordained ministry through Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. It has been more than 30 years since any funds have been awarded.
Council has decided to explore with LTS the possibility of the seminary taking over the administration of the Whatley Fund, keeping the principal intact for the use of the purpose of the fund, while enabling the seminary to use interest earned as part of its funding available for all its students.
--The purpose of the Lorch Memorial is to provide funding for the music ministry of the congregation, both for resources and for educational opportunities for those who provide it. Its use was more active prior to the COVID epidemic. When the investment holding the Lorch Memorial matures this summer, a portion will be used to pay the cost of the annual digital ‘Sundays and Seasons’ subscription. This Lutheran worship planning resource also gives us permission to reprint the non-hymn contents of the ‘Evangelical Lutheran Worship’.
-Northwest Exit project: Jim Symington reported that the demolition and clean-up has occurred. The latter included volunteers from the ‘Journey to Life’ Centre. Dave Barrow is helping to develop drawings for a revised building plan. Jim is sharing these with the 2 contractors presently preparing bids, so that they can offer revised ones. He hopes to have the bids ready to circulate to council prior to the June council meeting. Dave has also volunteered to help install the rubber roof.
-CLWR ‘Friends of Creation challenge (Lake Chad). Pastor Matthew will draw up a plan for the June council meeting re using the campaign on 4 Sundays starting in September, including the fundraising component.
-Pastor Matthew shared the results of conversations held by neighbours of the church on Farrand Street, re homeless encampments last year further north along McVicar’s Creek. The group has decided to start by posting simple ‘No Camping’ signs, to show where private land begins in the area. The first will be behind the church, at the entrance to the creek path. There was consensus for Pastor Matthew to keep in contact with the leaders, including offering the church for any meetings with speakers, purchasing more signs for along the church’s back property line, etc …
-Council’s next monthly meeting is Tues. June 10, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Chair – Linda Sander 622-0604
Vice-Chair – Karen Bishop 344-0052
Secretary – Aritith Francis 345-3617
Treasurer – Vi Peternelj 344-8552
Pride March and Festival Support
In 2020, our MNO Synod Council approved becoming part of the Lutheran ‘Reconciled In Christ’ movement, committing itself, and the synod ministries, to the ongoing work of reconciliation and radical inclusion. As part of this, in Winnipeg congregations and synod staff take part in the annual Pride parade.
Locally, on Sat. July 5, the Thunder Pride Association’s annual ‘Thunder Pride March and Festival’ is taking place. Our congregation has been invited to send a message of support by donating funds needed for the event.
Our council is making this possible by placing a special container in the front hall on the Sundays between May 25 and June 22. Please feel free to place your donations there. Thank you! (Those wishing a tax receipt, please include your donation with your offering, marked ‘Thunder Pride’.) For more info, including how to volunteer for this event, see Pastor Matthew.
FINANCES
Local and Missions
Thank you for your donations in May. As they dipped below our goal, please respond in June as you are able to replenish our funds needed for our ministries. Coming together, sharing our gifts, we serve the world.
May Offerings:
$ 7,485.00
Budgeted Offerings
$ 9,666.67
Monthly Offerings YTD:
$ 44,329.59
Budgeted Offerings YTD:
$ 48,333.35
Forward in Mission
Received in 2025: $ 1,095.00
2025 goal $ 2,500.00
Thank you again for your donations. We remain slightly ahead of target to meet partnership goals for 2025. One of these is the Annual Appeal of our synod’s outdoor ministry near Kenora, Luther Village ($150). These funds help the camp to meet its budget.
Cleaning Fund
Received in 2025: $ 1,205.00
Budgeted to date: $ 1,500.00
Thank you for your designated offerings. These enable us to employ a part-time custodian. We have fallen about a month behind our needs. This shortfall in turn lowers our other funds on hand. As you’re able, donations to help erase this shortfall would be much appreciated.
Building Fund
Our gifts help us have a dedicated reserve to maintain our property when the ‘unexpected’ happens. When planning indicates a major project is needed, a Congregational Meeting can set a goal for giving to the fund.
Balance, Jan. 1, 2025: $ 6,791.85
Received in 2025: $ 1,010.00
Expenditures: In Feb. we paid $2,440 for our annual maintenance agreement for our platform lift. Your gifts help ‘pay back’ this amount, for other uses.
Offerings
Envelopes are in the pews. For a bundle of envelopes for 2025 see Linda Sander or call the office. Our offerings are collected in the pews during worship.
Other ways to send your gift:
1.Mail envelopes to the church:
10 Farrand St. Thunder Bay P7A 3H5
2.Drop envelopes off at church
You can drop off envelopes in the mailbox beside the parking lot doors. Calling is appreciated, so that the offering can be brought inside.
3.E-Transfer to:
osimm.office@tbaytel.net
4.Pre-Authorized Withdrawal (PAR)
You are able to have offerings deposited from your financial institution to the church. You can designate it Weekly, Building, and/or Forward in Mission. You can desigate part of ‘Weekly’ for ‘Cleaning’. To sign up, or make updates, call the office.
Next ‘Ambassador’:
Please have articles sent to the office by June 30, for the Summer issue. Thank you!
Blessing of the Fleet
On Saturday, June 28, please be on the water in your vessel, or come down to at the lookout on Pier 3 – the Royal Canadian Navy Pier at Marina Park, the north end near the Naval Memorial. Bring your lawn chairs. At 10:30 a.m. the Macgillivary Pipe Band will conduct a Tattoo and at 11:00 a.m. a short ervice of Blessing will be held, with a parade of vessels. Boaters are invited to take part. For vessel instructions, and info visit
www.missiontoseafarersthunderbay.ca or contact Canon Ed Swayze 807-344-8241.
Summer Reading
Our Saviour’s has two collections of books to borrow for summer reading.
At the coat rack at the bottom of the stairs to Immanuel Hall is the Scandinavian Collection. Created from the holdings of the old Scand Home by the late Elinor Barr, it contains novels, non-fiction, and magazines, all with a connection to the culture and people of the Scandinavian countries, and their emigrants to North America.
In the hallway leading to Immanuel Hall is a collection of books donated by the late Edie Taylor. These were chiefly writings about one’s faith. However, it now contains titles on a wide variety of topics related to the Bible, church, children, and life events. New: daily devotional books and other reading, donated from Pastor Matthew’s library.
ELCIC National Convention
Our national church’s 2025 National Convention is taking place July 10-13, at the Univerity of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB.
For those interested in staying up to date on Convention news, Countdown to Convention is a weekly e-newsletter filled with updates and highlights. Sign up here:
https://elcic.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=995f38ab3f3a9fb43ccc1bc2d&id=ad24529601
National Bishop Discernment Process
In April, the National Church Council's Pre-Identification Committee shared that it had received seven submissions for possible names for election as National Bishop with six names chosing to move forward in the process. The names of these indivdiuals, along with their bios and introductory videos are now available: https://elcic.ca/pre-identification-update/ .
Court of Appeal
Thank you to our member, Kristi Burns, who has allowed her name to stand for nomination to the Court of Appeal of the national church. This body meets as needed to consider appeals to rulings made by other parts of the church concerning individuals, congregations, and church-related organizations.
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