Newsletter for January and February 2026
NEWS FROM COUNCIL
In December council approved the purchase of a new Christmas tree to replace the old one. Sharon Copithorne purchased the tree at the end of December. The original listed price was $1,499 + GST. She was able to get the price down to $999.99 + GST and then she was able to sell the old one for $100. The money came from the Memorial Fund. Next Christmas we will make this into a fun event with carols and refreshments to begin the season of Advent. This will take place on the last weekend of November.
The new amps and hearing assist devices are installed. Should you require the use of a device, please speak to anyone who is in the sound booth at the beginning of the service.
Livestreaming of the services will begin shortly. Kevin Christenson has taken this endeavor on. Thank you, Kevin for all the time and energy it’s taken to put this together.
It has been motioned and accepted that the $20,000 GIC will be rolled over to continue gaining interest on it. Also, $10,000 will be taken out of the operating account and put into the T-Bill account to accumulate interest.
Finally, Megan Tym and the youth group will be hosting a pancake dinner on February 17th for Shrove Tuesday. More information to come.
90th ANNIVERSARY
Plans are underway for the 90th anniversary of Peace Lutheran Church.
We will be celebrating this milestone September 13th.
Anyone who is willing to write a paragraph or two about what brought you to worship at Peace and favourite memories from your time here please send it in to Dreanne. Or, if you’d like to come in to chat, Dreanne would love to take notes for a presentation that day.
We have photo albums full of pictures, but if you have any you’d like to submit, that would be much appreciated.
Please feel free to reach out to Dorothy Gummer at 780-986-6012 or Dreanne Covey at 780-668-7125.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
February 1, 2026
We had a very successful and enjoyable meeting last year. We enjoyed a cup of coffee and some snacks while going through the booklets.
This year we have 3 vacant seats as Deloris Rahier and Megan Tym’s terms end at the end of January. We also had a vacant position open from the previous year.
If you have been thinking of serving and would like to join the council, please let a council member know, we would love to have you.
This year we will have the same format and set-up as last year’s meeting. After the service we will have fellowship and will begin the meeting at 11:30 am in the Fellowship Hall.
FELLOWSHIP
Please stay after service on the first and third Sundays for fellowship and refreshments. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people, visit with old friends and reconnect with people you might not see very often.
If you’d like to help one Sunday, please put your name on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Coffee, tea, juice and cookies are supplied.
If you have any questions about volunteering, please speak with Ali Doherty at 825-966-7980.
THURSDAY BIBLE STUDY FILM SCREENING
The Thursday Ladies Bible Study will be screening the film “Jesus” on Thursday, February 26th. Please be here by 9:15 as the show will begin at 9:30. Popcorn will be provided but you can bring extra snacks if you’d like. All are welcome!
“The story of Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God, raised by a Jewish carpenter. Based on the gospel of Luke in the New Testament, here is the life of Jesus from the miraculous virgin birth to the calling of his disciples, public miracles and ministry; ending with his death by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman empire and resurrection on the third day.”
LETTER FROM THE BISHOP
January 2026
Merry Christmas and New Year blessings!
Christmas is a story of new beginnings and every New Year we reflect on the past and the present. Many congregations sense that “change is in the air!” The ground beneath us feels different than it once did. Questions we once avoided now need to be asked. This moment is not a failure of faith. It is often how renewal begins!
God is always doing something new, even when we struggle to see it. The Spirit whispers through small signs of life, through unexpected joy and quiet faithfulness. We are invited to ask, together, where do we see grace already at work among us? Where does hope shine brightly (or perhaps in a gentle flicker)? What gives us energy? These sightings are not distractions from renewal. They are signs of God at work among us.
Why do we exist? A congregation is more than its history, its building, or its habits. We know we exist to bear witness to God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ! That means churches have a vital role in our communities. Once again, we have the ability to reimagine our vocation as God’s people. God has placed each of us and each congregation in a particular time and place for a reason.
Renewal naturally requires courage. There are losses to grieve and fears to name. It’s not about doing more but about going deeper. How are we forming disciples who follow Jesus beyond Sunday worship? How are we nurturing prayer, generosity, hospitality, and service? These practices shape hearts and open us to transformation – it is the work that has been given to all!
Finally, renewal always turns us outward. God calls us not only to survive, but to be a gift – to give ourselves just as God became a gift in the Bethlehem babe. Who lives around us that we do not yet know? What joys and struggles shape our neighbours’ lives? How might God be inviting us to walk with them, learning as much as serving?
Trust this: God is not finished with any of us. The future may not always be clear to us, but the promise is sure.
May the blessing of Christmas renew our hearts and inspire us in faithful living once again. May the New Year bring us together in proclamation and holy living that the world may know Christ.
Bishop Trish Schmermund
Synod of Alberta and the Territories, ELCIC