Music Worshop in Hopedale...

Music Workshop
Hopedale
Mainly geared towards junior and senior high school students
July 8th – July 13th 2008
Travel days, July 7 and 14.
(Begin on Tuesday and conclude workshop on Saturday, with a presentation on Sunday.)

The Moravian Church in NL is pleased to sponsor this Music Workshop. It is the brainchild of Bishop Sam Gray and Rita Andersen. Other musician leaders include Glenna Tasedan, Rev. Tim Byerly, Dr. Tom Gordon, and Natalie Fost. Students from each of the four Moravian congregations are invited to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It will be devotional, educational, creative, practical, and fun.

Deadline for applications: June 16th
Registration fee for those travelling in: $75.00

Summer Camp at Gosling Lake...

Summer Camp
For 13 to 15 year olds
June 29th – July 6th 2008
Deadline for applications: June 16th
Registration fee is $75.00 per camper

Labrador Christian Youth Camp
Gosling Lake, Happy Valley-Goose Bay

The Labrador Christian Youth Camp offers a wide range of outdoor activities in the wild beauty of Labrador. The week will be a great opportunity for young people to canoe, hike, swim, play games, learn about God, and many things besides. Participants (5) from Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, and HVGB are invited to attend, along with Moravian leaders from the United States. Bishop Sam Gray will accompany the two returning leaders, Glenna Tasedan and Rev. Tim Byerly. Each community will also send a leader/chaperone.

Bring: Bible, sleeping bag, toiletries, swim suit, rain gear, warm coat, bug repellent, snacks, musical instrument, flashlight.

Anglican / Moravian - is a shared ministry possible?

On April 28, 2008, Archdeacon Geoff Peddle of the Anglican Church, Eastern Diocese of NL, traveled to Makkovik to meet with the MCNL Chair, Joan Andersen. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the possibility of working with the Moravian Church to help deliver the Christian message.

The Anglican Church has received numerous requests to enhance their ministry in Labrador, and in particular northern Labrador. They want to know if there is any way to work alongside the Moravian Church and provide an ordained person to live on a permanent and full-time basis in one of the communities and work with both Moravians and Anglicans to build up the Christian Church in those communities.

As Chair, I find this a very exciting offer. Since I took on this role in January of 2007, my goal, and that of the MCNL Board, is to staff each of our four churches with an ordained minister. We have put the call out to the Moravian Unity worldwide. We have also written to the Arctic Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada, as well as to the Northern Canada Evangelical Mission. What prospects do we have? One person in training in the United States has expressed an interest in coming to Labrador in 2009. We have one Labradorian who will begin study at Queen’s College in September towards a Bachelor of Theology. This offer from the Anglican Church to staff one of our churches by this fall is very encouraging.

The Provincial Board of MCNL, in the preliminary stages, is open to the idea, for these reasons:

• We are both CHRISTIAN churches. The label you put on a church is not as important as its ability to communicate the Christian message.
  


• Our service formats differ, but not all that much.
  


• A person from our own province or country would perhaps adapt more easily to our lifestyle and culture because he/she already shares so much in common.

These questions were put forward to Archdeacon Peddle:

Question: Will our church still be called a Moravian Church if there is an Anglican minister?
Answer: Yes, it will be a Moravian Church. It will simply have a minister who has been trained in Anglican theology. The Anglican Church does not plan to convert members of a congregation, but to minister to them.

It is important to note that Rev. Dr. Brigitte Schloss received her theological training at Queen’s College which is an Anglican School of Theology. Rev. Ray Hunter (deceased) was trained at an Anglican Seminary. His daughter, Sabina Hunter, received her Associate in Theology diploma from Queen’s College. Other Moravian lay persons have taken courses from Queen’s College. Beatrice Hope, our candidate for ministry, plans to study at Queen’s College.

Question: If a person seeks confirmation, will he/she be confirmed as a Moravian or an Anglican?
Answer: If he/she chooses to be confirmed as a Moravian, that is what he/she will be. However, if an Anglican asks to be confirmed as an Anglican, that is possible also.

Question: Would we still use our Moravian hymnals and liturgies?
Answer: Yes. We would not seek to change the way anything is done.

Question: What about our traditions…our festival days, such as Children’s Day, Young People’s Day, Married People’s Day, our lovefeasts, Advent and Christmas traditions? Would we still keep them?
Answer: Yes. The Anglican Church will work alongside the Chapel Servants.
Moravian traditions will continue.

That is not to say that the Moravian Church is a stagnant church and does not want to change. We do like to learn new hymns, for example. As one Board member put it, “It is always very enriching to be exposed to and to share in the differing traditions of our brothers and sisters in Christ.” However, many staunch churchgoers would feel threatened if their institution no longer did the things that they hold dear. The Archdeacon assured us that the Anglican Church wants to work with us.

The MCNL Board will discuss how such a partnership would work. What responsibilities would we have, and what would we expect of the other church. A Memorandum of Agreement would need to be drawn up.

In the meantime, consultation will have to take place at the community level to see if a congregation is open to the idea of a shared ministry. The MCNL Board will decide how to go about this.

The Anglican Church has made it clear that they will only come if they are invited by MCNL. They would only come if there was a chance for the ministry to be a success.

Sr Joan Andersen

Happy Birthday Regula...

On April 27, 2008, the friends and church family of Regula Schule gathered together after the service to celebrate with Regula her 80th birthday.

There were many who came to honor Regula in the years that God has given to her. It was a privilege, for me personally, to take part in this joyous occasion.

From 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m., most of the time revolved around eating and mingling with others. A 10 minute presentation was shown twice during the 2 hours which was created by Greg Matthews. It included pictures of Regula in her very early years on up until the present day, and the various places she has been and her life of ministry to others.

We are truly thankful for the choices Regula has made in her years to serve the Lord. She has been such a blessing to many people and continues to be even to this day.

A big thanks to Evelyn, Wilma and Darla for heading up this celebration and setting everything up for the occasion, as well as to Pearl for her special cake-making skills.

God bless you. Regula, for blessing us with your life and God with your service!

Carl Sonnichsen