King of Kings Lutheran Church

  To everyone who works this Christmas: THANK YOU. It is Monday December 23, 2024. Early morning and I’m in my study with a coffee and advent/Christmas songs playing in the background. I ponder. To all the pastors serving and retired. Thank you. I fondly recall this time of year growing up with the church being an integral and central part of my life. I always remember my mother having worked her last night shift before going back a few days later. She got home on the morning of December 24 and didn’t sleep. She got busy taking care of all the cooking for our family and friends coming over for our traditional no meat Christmas Eve dinner. But in the background, she was juggling all the smells of turkey, dressing, meatballs, gravy, vegetables, that creamy mashed potato all waiting to make their appearance on Christmas Day. My father would come home by four o clock (having set the table with all the fine crystal and chinaware the night before). Guests would be there for five ...

 Christmas Worship Services 2024 Dec. 24 - 4:00pm Candlelight Service (King of Kings Lutheran Church)                    6:00pm and 8:00pm Candlelight Service (Riverbend Lutheran Church) Dec. 25 - 9:00am Christmas Day with Holy Communion (King of Kings Lutheran Church)                    11:00am Christmas Day with Holy Communion (Riverbend Lutheran Church) Home Blessings during the season of Epiphany - contact Pastor Jan for more information.

 December 10  - Council Meeting King of Kings Lutheran Church :  December 24 at 4:00pm - Candlelight service December 25 - Christmas Day - 9:00am with Holy Communion Riverbend Lutheran Church December 24 - 6:00pm and 8:00pm December 25 - 11:00am with Holy Communion “Stir-up” Sunday Chocolate Pudding "Stir up" Sunday Chocolate Pudding History The Last Sunday of the Church Year has historically been known in the Western Church as “Stir-up Sunday,” a name that comes from a long tradition of associating the day with the start of Advent preparations and excitement for the season to come. This term specifically hails from the opening words of the collect for the day found in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Like many of the Sundays of the Church year—such as the ones that fall in Advent, Gesimatide, and Lent—a Latin incipit, or the first words of a particular prayer, has over time become the name associated with the day. In this case it is  Excita,  or “stir up,” which...

  Thanks to Deacon Kathy of Riverbend for all her work in organizing  Vacation Bible School. Thank you to our term from King of Kings. Elaine, Carly, Tracy, Susan, Bob and Pastor Jan

 Read about two news items below: 1) LAMP mission trip 2) The Never-Children Are His Always Children

  Braydan Pastucha, godson and nephew of Pastor Jan and Jeanine, is helping lead a mission trip with LAMP to Gin g olx, a northern community in BC. This mission includes building a relationship with the community, hosting a 1-week VBS each summer, and a variety of evening community events during the same week for at least five years. They are hoping to raise $5000/year for supplies to support the mission. Braydan also asks that King of Kings to join in prayer for the team as they embark on this mission July 12-21.  If you are interested in donating, there are two methods:  Cheques made out to Trinity Lutheran Church - Richmond, with “LAMP Donation” written in the memo line and mailed to 7100 Granville Ave, Richmond, BC V6Y 1N8 E-transfer to lamptrip@tlc-lcc.ca , please include in the message “LAMP Donation”, along with your full name, address, and email. All donations above $20 made by these methods will receive tax-deductible charitable donation receipts mailed out at th...

  The Never-Children Are His Always Children 07/02/24 One still-born baby is one baby too much for a mother. Their unrealized futures, like the Northern Lights, forever a wonder, forever beyond reach. The mother carries the child around in her mind, never abandoning the baby. Yet there is a blank space. Where is the child crying for her, looking up at her? There is only  putu , as the Inuits say, a hole. There is weeping. The earned sorrow of it. Grief sifting through mother-life and father-life. Still-born babies are never-children.  “And so, the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man was made into a living soul” (Gen. 2:7,  trans. mine ). Our children come from the earth. From out of the earth. We don’t need to frack, God will dig them up. Every whittled cell, all the flaky platelets, and each carved limb is in his imagination before he speaks and his words dredge children into existence. But many childr...

 Pastor Brad Schollenberg (Peace Lutheran Church, Winnipeg) continues to recover from double lung transplant. He is improving after a minor setback earlier this week. He is in good spirits (with minor pain from laughs shared with Pastor Jan) and ever so grateful for this gift. As we continue to give thanks to God for Pastor Brad's successful surgery and continued recovery, we also remember that another family mourns the death of a loved with the donation of their lungs. For Families of Donors Generous God, we give thanks for the life of the person, who was willing to donate their lungs and to give the gift of life to another. We thank you for the courage of their family, who support this decision. We pray with thanksgiving and glory to you that Pastor Brad may rejoice in the continued gift of life, with hope in your love. In Jesus’ name, we pray.   Amen. * Pastor Brad and Pastor Jan were colleagues in Winnipeg. Pastor Brad, Pastor Rudy Pastucha and Pastor Jan a...

 May 26 - Congregational Meeting after worship SAVE THE DATES SAVE THE DATE! Group’s SCUBA VBS July 29 – August 2 Riverbend Lutheran Church (mornings) VBS is for children ages 4 to Grade 6. Registration will open in May. We are also planning a Youth (teens) VBS in the afternoons. We will need 30-40 volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering contact Deacon  Kathy Congregational Picnic - Saturday July 13

Holy Week Services Maundy Thursday - 7pm with Holy Communion Good Friday - 10:30am at King of Kings. 8:00pm at Riverbend Resurrection Sunday: 9:00am with Holy Communion Riverbend Men's Group Next Meeting: Thursday April 4 , 7-9pm. Members and friends of King of Kings, you are invited.  Coffee with Pastor Jan - Monday April 8 from 10-11am at Mercato Photos from Pastor Jan's installation can be found on the photos page. *Don't forget about the devotions page.

 To the men of King of Kings Lutheran (and friends)  -  Riverbend Lutheran is starting up a men’s group.  The first meeting is at  7pm this Thursday, March 21 at RLC (495 RHATIGAN EAST RD NW) . This initial meeting is just to get together out and see who’s interested and talk about what may be of interest for future get togethers.  

 Mid-Week Lent Service - Wednesday March 13 at 7:00pm Sunday March 17 - we are moving our worship to Riverbend Lutheran Church ( 495 RHATIGAN EAST RD NW, Edmonton) for this Sunday only. Service time is 10:00am . Pastor Jan will be installed as half time associate pastor for Riverbend.

 Added to his call at King of Kings Lutheran, Pastor Jan has accepted the call to serve as associate pastor at Riverbend Lutheran. Installation service for Pastor Jan will be on SUNDAY MARCH 17 AT 10:00AM at Riverbend Lutheran Church 495 RHATIGAN EAST RD NW, Edmonton We are moving our worship service to Riverbend for that Sunday. We encourage ride sharing or reaching out to one another to offer rides to those who may not be able to drive. Coffee fellowship will follow the service.

Keep A Song In Your Heart - Devotion  Mid-Week Lent Services  "St. John Passion" each Wednesday at 7:00pm Feb. 21 "Two Interrogations"  John 18:12-27 Feb. 28 "What Kind of King Is This" John 18:28-40 March 6 "Whom Do We Follow?" John 19:1-16a March 13 "Wisdom Has a Friend on the Cross" John 19:16b-27 March 20 "Jesus Finishes the Battle for Your Salvation" John 19:28-42 Holy Week Services Maundy Thursday (Holy Communion) - March 28 - 7:00pm Good Friday - March 29 - 10:30am Pint with Pastor Jan and Jeanine: February 25 at 5:00pm (Crown and Tower Pub. 11 Bellerose dr) Installation for Pastor Jan at Riverbend will be on a Sunday in March. The exact date will be determined when we know when the congregation will be back in their building.

 Epiphnay - January 6. Happy Epiphany. Enjoy this 5 minute read - click the link below. EpiphanyAsTheOtherChristmas