COME GROW WITH US!
Our Saviour's-Immanuel Lutheran Parish
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Welcome!

Our Saviour's and Immanuel Lutheran Churches invite you to be part of our communities of grace and faith. United in a parish since 1981, we have been active in Thunder Bay for 101 and 102 years respectively. We seek to continue to be places where people can grow in understanding of God's forgiving love revealed through Jesus. Gathered in to worship, God's Spirit calls us out to share in word and action what it means to be people of God.

  • Our journeys began as the First Norwegian Lutheran Church of Port Arthur and Swedish Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church.  
  • During the 1920s First Norwegian Church of Fort William merged with its sister church in Port Arthur.
  • First Norwegian changed its name to Our Saviour's in 1938, reflecting its changing demographics and outward focus.  (Immanuel officially dropped 'Swedish'  in the 1950s.)
  • From 1906 to 1963, Immanuel formed a joint parish with Zion Lutheran Church of Fort William (Thunder Bay).
  • In 1963, Zion became a parish on its own, and Immanuel became a part of a parish with Zion (later called St. Mark's) Lutheran Church of Port Arthur (Thunder Bay).
  • In 1981, St. Mark's became a parish on its own, and Immanuel became part of a federated parish with Our Saviour's.
  • In 1983,  St. Mark's merged into Our Saviour's.

We are members of the Manitoba/ Northwestern Ontario Synod,  www.mnosynod.org, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada, www.elcic.ca. Locally we cooperate through "Lutherans Together" and the Lutheran Community Care Centre.


 Inter-Church Events

  • ELCIC National Convention:  We are meeting in Vancouver under the theme 'In Mission for Others: Signs of Hope', from June 25-28.  Go to www.elcic.ca for daily updates.
  • 25th Annual Strawberry Festival: The Lutheran Community Care Centre presents this annual festival on Tuesday, July 14, from 3-8 p.m., at Christ Lutheran Church, 47 Walkover St.  Proceeds support the LCCC's Pastoral Care programme.  Tickets are $4 in advance, or $4.50 at the door; children 5 and under are free.


Our Pastor:

Matthew Diegel has served our parish since January 1995, after being pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Windsor.  He was ordained in 1987, graduating from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.  He also holds a Honours B.A. in History from Huron University College (Western).

Matthew enjoys reading, walking, talking, nature, x-country skiing, and cooking.

Matthew is the spouse of Kaija Ranta.  Together, they are the proud parents of Elina, Stacie, and Alexa.

Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

Corner of Farrand and River Streets


Our Purpose is to be Christians gathered together as a family to grow in our relationship to God.

Our Guiding Principles are Jesus is 'Our Saviour', We Learn God's Word, We Live God's Word, We Spread God's Word, and We Share in the Sacraments.


Did you hear about what's happening at OS?

  • To subscribe to our new e-news, 'Awesome News', send a email to osimm@tbaytel.net, with the message line, 'Sign me up!'.

 


Sunday Readings

  • June 7 - The Holy Trinity
  • Isaiah 6:1-8
  • Romans 8:12-17
  • John 3:1-17
  • June 14
  • 1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13
  • 2 Corinthians 5:6-17
  • Mark 4:26-34
  • June 21
  • 1 Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49
  • 2 Corinithians 6:1-13
  • Mark 4:35-41
  • June 28
  • 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
  • 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
  • Mark 5:21-43

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Corner of Pearl and Banning Streets.


Our Purpose is to be Christians linked to God through Christ by love and commitment.

Our Guiding Principles are God is with us ('Immanuel'), We Reach Out To All, We Seek To Proclaim The Gospel Through Word And Deed, While Valuing Our Heritage, We Move Forward, and We Invite All To Join Our Worship, Learning, and Fellowship.


Look what's happening at Imm.!

  • To subscribe to our new e-news, 'Awesome News', send a email to osimm@tbaytel.net, with the message line, 'Sign me up!'.
  • Aug. 30 Congregational Picnic and Fish Derby

 


Parish Youth Happenings: 

  • For pictures from the latest Youth events, click on the 'Youth' tab at the top of the page.
  • 2010 Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth Gathering: London, Ontario. August 19-21, at the London Convention Centre.
  • Saara Vuorela, a member of Hilldale, is our synod's peer minister at LU.  Her plan is to be in touch with every Lutheran student on campus!  Please send names, email addresses/phone numbers to the Parish Office of students at LU or Con College. (For colleges outside Thunder Bay, contact Pastor Matthew. )

 

Worship:

Immanuel:  We gather on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Holy Communion is celebrated on the 1st and 3rd Sundays monthly, plus special times of church year.

Our Saviour's:  We gather on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion is celebrated on the 1st and 3rd Sundays monthly, plus special times of church year. There is a special Children's Time during each service, while Firelight Kids is on vacation until September.

'The O.S. Band' usually leads worship there on the last Sunday of the month, except in December and during the summer. 

Holy Communion in both congregations is open to all the baptized, regardless of Christian background or age. A First Communion instruction session is held as desired. Please contact Pastor Matthew.

Our parish worship style is a blend of traditional and contemporary. To help us in this we use as our main resource the red 'Evangelical Lutheran Worship' book, published in 2006.

LCCC Chapel Services: On behalf of the Lutheran Community Care Centre, Pastor Matthew leads worship at Dawson Court on the 1st Thurs. of the month, at Roseview Manor on the 2nd Weds. of the month, and  at St. Joseph's on the 3rd Weds. of every 2nd month.  All are welcome to join the residents/patients!  If you would be interested in volunteering to help with any of these services, please see Pastor Matthew.


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Learning:

Our Saviour's Firelight Kids is our Sunday ministry for children from JK to Grade 6. We meet downstairs in the Fellowship Hall, at 11 a.m. 

  • Classes are on vacation until September. 
  • Our offerings for the first half of 2009 are going to 'Big Brother/Big Sister'.
  • During Firelight Kids, on Communion Sundays, we come upstairs to share in the sacrament.  On non-Communion  Sundays, we join the end of worship for 'Children's Time'. On special days, we have no classes, as we gather with God's children of all ages for 'Worship Together' Sundays.
  • When Firelight Kids is on vacation, there is a Children's Time at every worship service.

Confirmation is a 2-year programme, related to Baptism, especially for youth in Grades 7 and 8.  Our theme for 2008-2009 has been 'Here We Stand: The Bible'.   Our classes are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, at OS, from 7:30 - 8:45 p.m.

  • We start again in September.

Evangelical Lutheran Women: All women are invited for Bible Study and fellowship. At OS, we meet monthly on the third Monday, at 1:30 p.m. at the church.  At Imm, we meet on the last Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., at the home of one of the members. 

  • OS: see you in Sept.
  • Imm: see you in Sept. 

Master Builders for Men is a Study Group meeting Tuesdays at O.S., from 10:45 a.m. until noon.  We are on vacation until September.

2009 Fall Bible Study: This fall we will be adding an early evening, weekly, Bible Study at O.S., open to all adults.  A start date will be announced during the summer.

Golden Timers, for those 55+, meet on the 3rd Weds. of each month at a local restaurant, at 1 p.m., for a time of fellowship.   Next meeting, tba.

Membership:   Please see Pastor Diegel about becoming a member of either congregation through transfer, affirmation of Baptism, or restoration.

Water Colour Weekend Workshops:  tba

Luther Village:  Luther Village, our synodical camping ministry, is located about a 1/2 hour south of Kenora, on Hwy. 71.  Check it out at www.luthervillage.ca, or pick up a 2009 brochure at the church. 


Service:

We reach out with Christ's love through ministries which include 

  • 'Our Saviour's Cares': We pray that we may serve the Lord and our congregation when and where we're needed. Examples of caring include prayers, visits, cards, meals, phone calls.  Call the parish office for more details;           
  • the Dew Drop Inn soup kitchen: members and friends of OS prepare and serve the meal each Monday, between September and June.
  • the Thunder Bay Food Bank
  • the Regional Food Distribution Centre  
  • the Rotary Shelter House
  • the Lutheran Community Care Centre
  • Christmas Cheer,
  • Faye Peterson Home
  • George Jeffries Centre
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • the ELCIC Global Hunger and Development Appeal 
  • Canadian Lutheran World Relief: for more information, go to www.clwr.org ;

'Baby Bundle': The current project at O.S. for CLWR is Baby bundles. A complete list is at the church, or online at www.clwr.org . Please give completed kits or supplies to Marion Poutanen. .

'Knitters Nook/Crochet Corner': Anyone interested learning how to knit or crochet, or increasing your current knowledge and technique, join us on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., at OS., resuming in the fall.


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