Voicevictorylutheran.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/VV...ond coming of Jesus our Lord. The scripture has prom-ised that He will return at a time we do not expect.So we Christians are

Voice

CALC

Canadian Association

of Lutheran

“Go in peace and serve the Lord”

DECEMBER 2016

Victory Voice Page 2

MAiD

The congregation adopted a policy for staff and others in medical professions concerning Medical Assistance in Death (MAID) at the Annual Congrega-tional Meeting November 20, 2016 as follows: MOTION to establish the policy ad-hered to by the pastoral staff of Victory Lutheran Church. Pastoral staff will support individuals and families during the decision process always advocating for life. The pastoral staff will provide funeral services for individuals who chose this option. The pastoral staff will not be present at the time of the injection as their presence approves

of the action.

Pastors WILL be present during any family discussion con-cerning the possibility of per-forming this procedure.

Pastors, however, will NOT be present during the actual administration of the injection.

Our pastors WILL conduct funeral services IN the sanctuary.

This policy also provides an “out” for any congregational member who works in the medi-cal field if they do not want to participate in the procedure (enabling them to claim a reli-gious exemption). The congregation or pastors are NOT consigning anyone to hell if the participate in this. That is God’s role.

I have a confession to make: I am a Christmas junkie. The Danes even have a word for this condition: julenarkoman (literally Christmas addict). I am the one who does most of the decorat-ing at home.

My Christmas village has be-come a Christmas metropolis. Our nutcrackers are multiplying. In fact this year I put things up during the Remembrance Day long weekend. I love Christmas carols and Christmas songs. Everything stops when “Feliz Navidad” comes on the radio.

But here’s the thing: Christmas in the church technically doesn’t begin until December 25. The famous 12 days of Christmas (and yes I like that song too…even Doug and Bob McKenzie’s Canadian version) are NOT the 12 days before Christmas. Rather they are the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6).

Traditionally Advent is a season of repentance and preparation. The lessons of the season focus on Old Testament prophecies and New Testament visions of the End Times. The Gospels are about preparation such as the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist. But somehow it is hard to pull this off.

It reminds me, as I recently shared in a sermon, about the wedding customs of the Haya people who live in northern Tanzania on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. I attended a wedding reception there with some friends years ago. The bride entered the reception looking positively depressed.

We thought something horrible was wrong. Until someone told us that it was the custom for the bride to look sad. She was leav-ing her parents and joining a new family. To look happy implied she was glad to leave home. The reality though, was she was elated. It became a game throughout the party for people to try to make her laugh. This is a picture of Advent.

We are repentant because we know it was for our sins that Christ came and that he came to die for us. We are joyful because we know the “rest of the story.” Jesus is alive! God is with us!

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Jim

www.victorylutheran.ca

Pastor Jim Bredeson [email protected]

Page 3


Beifus; Publisher Leah Ebelher

& Custodian Shirley Drefs are

all part-time.

Victory Lutheran Church has 8 people on payroll.

Waiting…

Advent is the season of wait-

ing. First, and most important-

ly we are waiting for the sec-

ond coming of Jesus our

Lord. The scripture has prom-

ised that He will return at a

time we do not expect. So we

Christians are always in a pos-

ture of waiting.

It is just the same kind of wait-

ing as the Jewish people had,

as they waited for the coming

of their messiah. When he

came as a baby, born in a sta-

ble, it was not what they were

expecting. God’s promises

were true, but they were not

fulfilled in the way that they

thought it would happen.

In the same way we are wait-

ing now for Jesus’ return.

In the Bible it says….”And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to hap-pen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.” II Peter 3:14-15a Advent is a time to remember that the patience of God is a gift for all of us. We are impa-tient when we have to wait. But God calls us to wait patiently, full of hope and full of peace for the day of His return. Serving Christ together with you, Lila de Waal

FROM THE ANNUAL

MEETING

A good question was asked at

the Annual Congregational

Meeting in November; “who

gets paid here?” Here’s the

answer to that important ques-

tion:

Pastor Jim, Diaconal Minister

Lila de Waal & Church Admin-

istrator/Bookkeeper Judy

Brown. All three are full time.

Senior Visitation Minister Dal-

las Hjorth; Family & Youth Di-

rector Hannah Fairbrother;

SPLASH Coordinator Barb

Diaconal Minister Lila de Waal [email protected]

Prayer 2017

Begin the Year in Prayer

Calling all the people of Victory to 3 days of Prayer –

January 2, 3 and 4th

Monday January 2 – At 1:00 or at 7:00 p.m. Join together in

prayer for our Church

We will pray for our people and the ministries that flow from here

Tuesday January 3 – at 1:00 or at 7:00 p.m. Join together in

prayer for Vision and Revival

We will pray for God’s direction in our church at home and

throughout the world

Wednesday January 4 – at 1:00 or at 7:00 p.m. Join together in

prayer for Healing

There will be an opportunity for individual prayer for healing and

anointing with oil

**if you are unable to come please join us in prayer from your

homes and places of work**

Visit your library

Page 4


church

12:00 p.m. December 6

in the Fellowship Hall

Good food

Good music

Good fellowship

STARRY NIGHT IN BETH-

LEHEM:

Tickets are on sale now at

the Welcome Centre, $10.

per family, $5. single

We need people to help at

the following activity sta-

STARRY NIGHT

Friday, December 2

5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Please purchase your

tickets today

so we can plan how

many to feed.

Sign up to volunteer.

Doors will be locked

until 5:30 p.m.

Come to Bethlehem!

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18

10:30 a.m. worship

service

CHRISTMAS & New

Year Worship Service

Times

CHRISTMAS EVE

Saturday, December 24

5:30 p.m. Family Service

7:00 p.m. Holy Communion


CHRISTMAS DAY Sunday, December 25

10:00 a.m. Holy Communion

New Year’s Day Sunday January 1, 2017

9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. No Holy Communion

ADVENT TEA

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

2:00 p.m. in the

Fellowship Hall

Advent Readings

Advent Wreath

Music

Celina Symonds from the

MH Food Bank

Free will offering

to all those who helped

decorate the church for our

advent/Christmas time. Your

time and talents are very

much appreciated.

Page 5


volunteers prepare 500 to 700 lunches, which are dis-tributed to schools in Medicine Hat for students who come to school with none. Your child’s offering will be accumulated over the S.P.L.A.S.H. year and we hope to make a sizable contribution to the Brown Bag Program. This project was chosen for our children to help other children in the community with less.

In 2017 we will continue our les-sons about “Heroes of the Bible”. Beginning in January the children will learn about David and Goliath and Daniel and the Lion’s Den.

The last day for SPLASH in 2016 is December 18 and will resume on January 8, 2017.

God Grant you:

The light in Christmas,

which is faith.

The warmth in Christmas,

which is love.

The radiance of Christmas,

which is purity.

The belief in Christmas,

which is truth.

The all of Christmas, which is

Christ.

- Wilda English

Barb Beifus

S.P.L.A.S.H.

Coordinator

Registrations for S.P.L.A.S.H. have already exceed-ed last year’s numbers! It is a blessing to see the interaction be-tween the teachers and the chil-dren each week. More importantly, the children are anxious to return to learn about the “Heroes of the Bible” and see what activity we have in store for them.

With growing pains however comes one concern, we need more Sunday school teachers. One teacher and 16 children is not an ideal situation and can cause cha-os. With chaos our attendance numbers could slip. Please consid-er assisting with Sunday school, it is only a two week obligation a few times a year. Please pray on this and speak to Lila or myself as you consider this important ministry.

We had a wonderful time during the month of November. The chil-dren learned about the biblical he-ro Ruth and her gift from God was her friendship and loyalty to Nao-mi. Their activity for this story was making a basket.

As we anticipate Christmas there is so much to prepare. Keeping that in mind, the children made wonder-ful Christmas decorations.

We had three stations and the chil-dren moved from one to the next. I hope they will enjoy their creations in the years to come.

Each year we help with filling shoe-boxes for Operation Christmas Child. What a wonderful feeling to prepare a gift for a boy or girl, who may never, had a gift before! It is an opportunity for us, many thou-sands of miles away to make a dif-ference in their lives.

Preparation is now underway for our Christmas Pageant. Mark your calendar, Sunday, December 18th at the 10:30 worship service S.P.L.A.S.H. will be presenting their annual Christmas Pageant. Be sure to invite family members to come and see this year’s produc-tion. I guarantee you will have never seen or heard anything like this before!

Parents please send an offering with your children. The funds col-lected will support the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank Brown Bag Program. Every school day

S.P.L.A.S.H Coordinator Barb Beifus [email protected]


Legend:

Sanctuary = S

Christian Education Room = CE

Fellowship Hall = FH

Worship Area = WA

Ark Green Room = AG

9:00 Worship Service


Holy Communion Sunday

2:00 p.m. Advent Tea



CHRISTMAS DAY


Holy Communion


Holy Communion


Christmas Pageant

(no Holy Communion)

6:15 p.m. Kids Group

5:45 p.m. Confirmation:

6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. WWJD: S

7:00 p.m. Bethel Series

12:00 p.m. Senior’s Lunch: FH

12:00 p.m. Prayer for

Revival: S

1:30 p.m. Al-Anon: CE

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Coin & Stamp: CE

8:00 p.m. A.A: FH

10:30 a.m. Caregiver’s:

1:30 p.m. VLW: CE


6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Victory Sowers: S


class in 2016, resumes JANUARY 11)

6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Cancer Support:


12:00 p.m. Prayer for Revival: S

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

6:00 p.m. Youth to GSS Caroling

8:00 p.m. A.A: FH



5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Coin & Stamp: CE

8:00 p.m. A.A: FH



5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

8:00 p.m. A.A: FH

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Young Adults: YO

7:00 p.m. Teddy Bear Club: AG

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

6:00 p.m. Elders & Staff: FH

7:00 p.m. Young Adults: YO

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

CHURCH OFFICE

CLOSED

5:30 p.m. TOPS: AG

Monday Sunday Tuesday Wednesday

4

13 11

5 6

12

20 19 18

25 26 27

DECEMBER 2016

www.victorylutheran.ca www.victorylutheran.ca

1:00 p.m. Foundations Band:: S

6:15 p.m.. Victorians: S

7:00 p.m. Jubilee Singers: S

7:00 p.m. Youth Group: YO

8:00 p.m. Victory Quartet: S

11:00 a.m. Al-Anon: CE



CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP

5:30 p.m. Family Service



Candlelights at all services



6:15 p.m. Kids Group

5:45 p.m. Confirmation: YO

6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. WWJD: S

7:00 p.m. Bethel Series








7:00 p.m. Youth Group Hay Ride

8:00 p.m. Victory Quartet: S


10:30 a.m. Caregiver’s: CE

1:30 p.m. VLW: CE

5:45 p.m. Confirmation: YO

6:00 p.m. TOPS: AG

7:00 p.m. Victory Sowers: S

5:45 p.m. Confirmation: YO (last

class in 2016, resumes JANUARY 11)

AG

AG

7:00 p.m. Cancer Support: CE

Saturday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3

8

14

7 10

16 15

9

17

23 22 21 24

28 29

DECEMBER 2016

30 31

1

Doors open at 5:30

5:30 p.m. Starry Night in

Bethlehem

2

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR !!

GIFT SHOPPING AT

VICTORY

For those on your list who are

called to prayer…..

For those on your list who

enjoy history, Lutheran

history…….

Kid’s Group will be December 7, at 6:15 – 7:00 pm. Stay tuned for January Kid’s Group as the first Wednesday of the month will not work.

Caroling at Good Samaritan’s will be December 13. Meet at church for 6:00 pm or at Good Samaritan’s at 6:30 pm.

Youth neighborhood Christmas Caroling in the old truck will be December 15 at 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

The last Sunday morning (9:30 am) teen class before the Christmas holidays will be December 18, and will resume January 15.

The last Monday night Young Adult’s Bible study (7:00 pm), will be December 12, and will tentatively resume January 9. However this is subject to change due to new college class schedules.

The last Thursday night Youth Group (7:00 pm) will be December 22, and will resume January 12.

Have a Merry Christmas ya’ll!! -Hannah Fairbrother

Page 8


Family & Youth Director Hannah Fairbrother

[email protected]

$10. 6 copies

available

$30. 6 copies

available

$30. 15 copies

For sale at

the

Welcome

Centre

December 4: Councillor Julie Friesen, Medicine Hat

Hope Street Church, Pastor Murray Kumm

December 11: Councillor Jamie McIntosh, Medicine Hat

Holy Family Parish Father Philip Le & Father Albert Sayson

December 18: Councillor Les Pearson, Medicine Hat

Christ The King Chapel Padre Nigel Tully

December 25: Councillor Celina Symmonds, Medicine Hat

Grasslands Community Church

Pastor Bart Blair

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Page 9

“By the Way” Article, MH News

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

“Take me to your leader.” So says the mythical visitor from outer space when he emerges from his flying saucer.

Who would you take him to? The mayor? The Premier? The Prime Minister? The UN? Some wags (and certainly NOT this one of course), would take him to their spouse!

The question may be fictional in this context but it is a good question nonetheless. Who IS your leader? How you answer that question in large measure determines the course of your life.

For some the answer is self. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,” wrote poet William Ernest Henley in the poem “Invictus.” It sounds good on paper but in actual practice it leads to broken relationships and inevitable fail-ure. A society filled with self-serving narcissists who live without regard for others is one that treats those less fortunate in a very vindictive way.

Others might answer that ques-tion, if answering truthfully, by saying society. Society and its latest ideas and trends are what determines the lives and fates of many. This too is not a helpful approach to life. Think of the many teenagers who say, “But everyone is doing it.” And think of the countless par-ents who have said, “If every-one is jumping off a cliff, would you do it too?”

God has not created us to be alone nor has he created us to be like lemmings running off a cliff with every whim and


philosophy of society. He has instead “made us to be a king-dom and priests to serve” God. (Revelation 1:6) This kingdom indeed has a leader and that leader is Jesus Christ.

In the more liturgical churches the Sunday prior to the begin-ning of Advent (the season preceding Christmas) is called Christ the King Sunday. It is a day that we reflect on the lord-ship of Christ as we begin to look forward to the birth of our king in a stable in Bethlehem. And, by the same token, we recall that this king is coming again in a most unmistakeable way. He will return as the king of kings and Lord of lords. He is the leader of leaders if you will.

So who is your leader? How would you answer the com-mand to “take me to your lead-er?” You, in fact, take others to your leader by the way you speak and live. This Advent season God is inviting you to a “transition of power” from mor-tal humans (whether self or others) to the Almighty God and Saviour!

Pastor Jim

Victory On

The Go

DEVOTIONS & SPLASH INFO

Victory

Lutheran

Church

DEVOTIONS & CHURCH INFO

Page 10


more precious than all joys and treasures, since gold is the best and most treasured metal. Christ, our dear Lord, He will give us grace unto eternal life.

LUTHER’S ROSE/SEAL

The Christmas decorations are indeed beautiful and in celebra-tion of the upcoming 500 Anniversary of Reformation the Eternity Trees near the front door are decorated with different variations of Luther’s Rose.

First, there should be a black cross set in a heart,

which should keep its natural colour. This will remind me that faith in the Crucified saves us. Because: "If you believe in your heart, you will be justified." Even though it is a black cross, which kills us and causes pain, yet it allows the heart to remain its natural colour; it does not destroy the heart's nature, that is, it does not kill the heart, but keeps it alive. Because "The just will live by faith" - but faith in the Crucified.

Now, although the cross is black, mortified, and intended to cause pain, yet it does not

tend to change the colour of the heart, does not destroy nature, i.e., does not kill, but keeps alive. "For the just shall live by faith,'' - by faith in the Saviour.

But this heart is fixed upon the center of a white rose, to show that faith causes joy, consola-tion and

peace. The rose is white, not red, because white is the ideal colour of all angels and blessed spirits.

The rose, moreover, is fixed on a sky-coloured ground, to denote that such joy of

faith in the spirit is but an earnest yearning and beginning of heavenly joy to come, as anticipated and held by hope, though not yet revealed.

And around this ground-base is a golden ring, to signify that such bliss in heaven is endless, and

Page 11


world wise counsel, calm think-ing, and unselfish aims.

Amid the tumult of disaster, build Your kingdom and turn even more souls to Yourself.

Because of Your grace, we are not altogether lost, but find peace and forgiveness in You O Lord.

Give me the grace to seek You, trust You and confess you.

In Jesus name. Amen

(Lutheran Book Of Prayer page 168)

May you know His love today and always.

In His Service,

Judy Brown

WORK, WORK

Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer. – Martin Luther

Although it is debated as to whether Martin Luther actually uttered these words, they do align with his view of prayer. Luther was a fighter and the man of prayer. The former, to his mind, is the concern of only a part of Christianity; all Chris-tian denominations can, howev-er, lay a claim to the second. In so far as he was a man of pray-er, Luther was truly ecumenical. And what can Luther teach all Christians about prayer? Two essential truths. The first is that prayer has only one valid criterion—the Word and the Holy Spirit who reveals Himself through Scripture. Lu-ther drew all his strength from the Bible and took all his in-struction about prayer from the Bible. In the same way, all be-lievers are exhorted to nourish themselves on the Old and New Testaments, if they wish to pray effectively; there they too will meet with God. The second truth is that the Pater noster (Our Father) con-stitutes the very heart of the Christian life, and for this reason should be pronounced with the reverence and fervour due to Christ's own words. Luther has been described as a man of prayer, and Luther’s spirituality has showed that this is a matter of some ecumenical significance: The praying Luther belongs to us all. He is a truly ecumenical man. He has some-

thing to say and to give to all Christian communities. Luther's first emphasis on prayer was to meet God in his Word by the operation of the Holy Spirit, and this is common to us all, The Our Father is at the heart of our prayer life, and that we should use Christ's own words of prayer.

One of Luther’s prayers recently struck my heart. It is a prayer for his country and I have taken it as my own to pray for mine. I invite you to pray Luther’s prayer for Canada.

AT A TIME OF NATIONAL CRISIS OR CALAMNITY

Heavenly Father, I come to your throne of mercy bowed down and wearied by the weight and suffering and disaster visited upon our country.

I beg you to protect this nation in our hour of need.

I acknowledge my trespasses before you and do not deny my own transgressions of Your Holy Law or the sins of other citizens of my homeland. We are laden with iniquity, but You call us to Your forgiveness, salvation, hope and life.

Turn the hearts and minds of all to You, that they might find peace through the cleaning of Jesus’ blood. Let me not be confounded or dismayed, so that I, a child of Your grace, may courageously speak to this needy world of the hope that is within me. Make me an instru-ment of Your peace in a world of conflict, a witness to the power of faith in a world lost in unbelief, and a bearer of the joy that overcomes the sorrow of a fallen world.

Grant to the leaders of this na-tion and all the nations of the

Page 12

Victory Lutheran Church 2793 Southview Drive SE Medicine Hat, AB T1B 2H1 P:403-527-5617 E:[email protected] W: www.victorylutheran.ca

SENIOR PASTOR: Jim Bredeson

DIACONAL MINISTER: Lila de Waal

SENIOR’S VISITATION MINISTER: Dallas Hjorth

FAMILY & YOUTH DIRECTOR: Hannah Fairbrother

SPLASH COORDINATOR: Barb Beifus

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR: Judy Brown

POWERPOINT/PUBLISHER: Leah Ebelher

CUSTODIAN: Shirley Drefs

Documents

Voicevictorylutheran.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/VV...ond coming of Jesus our Lord. The scripture has prom-ised that He will return at a time we do not expect.So we Christians are