No time to sleep

KITCHENER, Ont. - Lives were greatly interrupted over the past eighteen months, togetherness was reduced, and within the church family of Faith Lutheran, members longed to meet. But they also knew that Lord had not forgotten their needs or the needs of others. Member care continued as the church turned to online worship, email, and telephone communications. What was less clear, however, was how to continue reaching out to others.

It was true that members couldn’t do some things; but they learned to balance it with what they could do. “We did not want to sleep for what turned out to be eighteen months,” notes Stewardship Chair Jane Ford.

That outreach came in many ways. Online worship services and Bible studies reached out to members of course, but they also were a way of reaching others too. Someday in heaven, Ford notes, the full effect these efforts had on all viewers may be made known.

The Thanksgiving ingathering helped Kaljas Homes for displaced individuals.

As part of the congregation’s reopening plan, the church included AA groups that depend on the church to serve clients and families. As early as the government allowed, these groups resumed their meetings.

The church has long supported a local home for displaced people. When it was time for the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, the congregation modified food items to match then-current restrictions.

When the LAMP ministry team was unable to return to a community in northern Manitoba as a result of current regulations, winter accessories and other reminders of love were instead mailed to children in the community over several shipments.

Knapsacks filled with a LAMP devotion book and other things were sent to Little Grand Rapids in the latest shipment.

Devastation from two hurricanes and the pandemic in Nicaragua compelled the congregation to fund two large food hampers for 60 church workers, translators, and drivers last December and again in January.

An Advent ingathering helped a women’s shelter, Monica House, which reaches out to women and their children in crisis.

The Ladies Guild blossomed with multiple projects for medical missions, seminarian support, and funding for a local hospice. Their Virtual Christmas Bazaar lifted members’ spirits.

A friendship ministry at a local farm employing Jamaican workers created awareness and respect for seasonal workers. Two ingatherings resulted: one for sports equipment, games, and crafts; the other for fall clothing.

Monica House reaches out to women and their children in crisis.

Advent and Lenten offerings supported Lutheran charities. And members encouraged each other in private endeavours, too—the kind that the left hand does not know what the right hand does.

In the end, Ford says, “God gave us courage to continue His mission to others, and we became a bit too busy to sleep much!”

Respect for farm workers has connected us to those who leave their homes for up to nine months to grow food for Canadians.

Jane Ford, Stewardship Chair