Pastor 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 midweek 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
1
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.
God Bless!
Pastor Brad
2
A Few Words from Pastor Glenn
Dear 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
3
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,
Pastor Glenn
Cradle Roll Statistics
5 infant Lambs were added to the banner
5 infant Lambs were removed from the banner
35 birthday cards were sent out
Kathy Wardekker
4
Parish Planning Council –Executive Director’s Report
As 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:
1) 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.
2) 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.
3) 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.
That 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 Christ
Cliff Kolson
5
2014 HI-LITES
–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
– Dryden Youth Retreat “Heart Graffiti” 6 youth 4 adults attended
-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
-“Do Over” Lenten Home Bible Studies on Romans (2 sessions at church and 2 in home)
-Guest Preacher Rev. Bill Ney L.A.M.P.
-Baptism of Megan Hay
-Penelope Eva born to Adam & Kate Danylyshen
-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 members
-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 begin
-Women’s Movie & Dessert Evening “Love Begins”
-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 & BBQ
6
-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 glory
-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’s
-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 Orleans
-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 Park
-LWML Fall Renewal “Empowering Newcomers” @ Immanual
-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
-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 & Fellowship
-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
7
Board 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.
Staffing
We 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.
Theology
New material for attendees of the New Members class was completed and is on the web site.
Worship
A 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 Issues
A 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 Stuff
A 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.
8
Board of Evangelism
The Board of Evangelism was fortunate to add 2 new members in 2014, giving us 9 committed
volunteers. Members are:
Chris Anderson, co-Chair
Hope Anderson, co-Chair
Sara Bittner
Teresa Dotzlaw
Ian Grant
Lori Hay
Leah Pawloski
Brian Wagner
Pastor Glenn Worcester
The 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.
9

The Board endeavoured to plan events that members could attend and invite nonmembers 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.
Respectfully Submitted,
Chris M. Anderson
Co-Chair, Peace Board of Evangelism
2014 STATS
By Baptism
By Confirmation
Received (transfer, etc.)
Deaths
Removed (transfer)
Actual as of Dec. 31/2014
BAPTIZED
MEMBERSHIP
5
CONFIRMED
MEMBERSHIP
1 adult
6
20
4
2
340
5
4
2
478
Weddings: 5
10
Camp Restore Mission Trip
In 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.
11
Stewardship Report
I 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 Hirsch
Director of Stewardship
12
Board of Properties
Thank 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.
13
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.
The 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. DONE
Respectfully submitted
Karen Pokrant
14
Board 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 CoSuperintendent 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!
Alex Bancroft
Sunday School Report
Respectively Submitted Teresa Dotzlaw and Jody Harris
January 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
15
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.
September 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
16
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
17
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 cosuperintendent of Sunday School due to being overcommitted and needing to focus more on
her family.
Some 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
www.ministry-to-children.com)
18
Survey Question Responses: Sunday School
What 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.
19
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
20
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.
21
Vacation 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.
Alex Bancroft & Sandra Stoyko
VBS Directors 2014
22
Youth Annual Report – 2014
Consistency. 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
23
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.
In Christ,
Pastor Glen
24
55+ SUPER SENIORS
It 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
Mom’s Group Peace Lutheran Church
“Therefore encourage one another and build each
other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1Thessalonians 5:11
Mom’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 Schmidtke
25
LWML ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Continued study of “Sisters in the Faith” with leadership from our
membership
Monthly mite challenges to raise extra funds for Mites
Continue with monthly Sunshine cards for members with
words of encouragement.
60+ Seniors Amore Dinner in February with Old Testament
Apron Fashion Show
Luther Home Birthday Party in February with Praise Band
supplying music
Zone Retreat “Hold Fast to the Word” in Portage la Prairie
Bake Sale for IRCOM in April raised $731.91 + with grant
from Faith Life Financial $500.00
Guest Speaker Dorota Blumczynska from IRCOM at our May
meeting
Hosted Zone Spring Renewal “Accessibilities Beyond Limits”
Speaker Liz Van Reneen
Supplied “Glimpses of Grace” & cards for 6 Confirmands
Wind-up @ Pine Ridge Hollow in June
In Fall began new study “The Heart of Jesus” focusing on Women in the Bible in the
book of Luke
Decorated sanctuary for Thanksgiving & collected food items for Winnipeg Harvest
LWML 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 & ingathering
Christmas Social Dinner @ The Summit Café in Stony Mountain
GROWING IN FAITH
SERVING GOD’S PEOPLE
26
SHARING GOD’S SON
Board of Fellowship
Our 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.
Thank 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 Wardekker
27
Capital 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 19:21
28
Peace Lutheran Church Inc.
Income Statement
For the Period Ending December 31, 2014
Current Contributions
Annual Budget
Actual YTD
2014
December 31, 2014
324,356.00
287,656.08
Expenses:
Board of Christian Education
Board of Church Properties
Board of Evangelism
Board of Fellowship & PR
8,200.00
8,042.69
47,800.00
39,531.45
4,950.00
2,644.74
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
Net Gain/(Loss)
284,738.41
2,917.67
Interest Income
1,312.48
Net Income
4,230.15
Designated Contributions
Capital Campaign
64,204.85
Memorial
1,870.00
Mission –Sachigo
30,275.81
29
Mission - Camp Restore
8,113.37
Youth
1,100.00
Food Hampers
50.00
Sound Board
2,700.00
Stewardship/Mission
240.00
Balcony
Total Designated
Contributions
1,520.00
Total Contributions
399,042.59
110,074.03
Non-Budgeted Designated
Expenditures
Mission - Sachigo (Designated)
13,008.24
Mission Camp Restore (Designated)
Total Non-Budgeted Expenditures
Total Expenditures
5,873.54
18,881.78
303,620.19
95,422.40
Net Surplus
30
Peace Lutheran Church Inc.
Comparative Balance Sheet
As at December 31, 2014
2013
2014
ASSETS
Current Assets
Steinbach C.U. - Chequing
79,356.70
Petty Cash
78,170.59
90.61
300.00
Savings – Local
73,314.64
67,688.81
Equity - Steinbach C.U.
5.00
Term Deposit #1 - Build. Fund
31,283.11
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
5.00
29,564.26
194,045.10
186,090.98
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
Total Current Assets
Fixed Assets
LIABILITIES (CURRENT)
Cont. Ed. Funds - Pastor
Miscellaneous Payable
25.00
31
25.00
Benefits Payable
Source Deductions Payable
44.38
72.23
8,062.27
8,015.88
Accrued Payables
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
8,131.65
8,113.11
LONG TERM LIABILITIES
Mortgage Payable
158,126.14
245,612.96
TOTAL LONG TERM LIABILITES
158,126.14
245,612.96
TOTAL LIABILITIES
166,257.79
253,726.07
EQUITY
Retained Earnings
Current Earnings
1,353,068.82
TOTAL EQUITY
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
95,422.40
79,545.58
1,448,491.22
1,353,068.82
1,614,749.01
32
1,273,523.24
1,606,794.89