Our Ministries and Committees
Faith Lutheran Church
Faith Lutheran Church is a member of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada. We gather for worship, study and fellowship, to be equipped as God’s
people to serve the communities in which we live.
Our membership is drawn from
Oshawa, Whitby, Bowmanville, Courtice and the area beyond. Together with our sister
churches of the Durham region, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Whitby, and Peace
Lutheran Church in Pickering, we seek to share the love and joy of Jesus Christ with all people.
Faith Place
Faith Place is a non profit 12 story senior citizens apartment building complex built in 1981.
There are 163 one bedroom apartments, 17 two bedrooms and special needs units which
are wheelchair accessible. Applicants must be age 60+ and capable of managing independently.
Apartments are shown by appointment only during regular office hours from 8:30 – 4:00p.m.
Monday to Friday. If you would like to fill out an application form or make an appointment
for an interview please contact Lesley James at 905-576-8619.
There are many opportunities at Faith Place to become involved in activities, to volunteer
and to meet new friends.
A hot noon meal is prepared on weekdays and is available to any resident or their guest who wishes to use it.
Facilities include several lounges, a free library, laundry on every other floor, Garbage chutes on
every floor and grocery carts. Wheelchairs and other medical equipment are available for loan. Programs
include foot care clinics, income tax clinics, monthly blood pressure clinics, A Faith Place “Reporter”
newsletter for residents, chair exercise classes twice a week and a crafts afternoon every week.
There is a full service independently run hair dressing salon on the premises. Other programs,
services, and guests speakers are offered when available. We have a Faith Place Residents Council which
sponsors activities such as bingo, euchre, bid euchre, cribbage and shuffleboard. At other intervals, birthday
parties, Day trips, pot luck suppers, barbecues and various other social events are offered. Also Residents
run a fall bazaar annually and hold a special Christmas dinner for residents.
Download the brochure (pdf)
Supportive Housing
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term care funds a supportive housing program at Faith Place. This program
currently services 7 of our residents who have been determined as needing personal care and 24-Hour oversight.
Each resident on the program receives daily scheduled personal care from our team of personal support workers.
The supportive housing program provides its residents with a Lifeline Response System. This system
links the resident to a Personal Support worker 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents on the program
also receive assistance with housekeeping.
The aim of supportive housing is to enable the resident
to “age in place”. It affords them the opportunity to remain in their own homes while receiving the assistance
they need to stay independent.
Faith Lutheran Women (FLW)
Faith Lutheran Ladies provides an opportunity for women to gather together to:
- study God’s Word
- develop leadership skills
- share talents and creativity and
- express faith through action
Women gather for fellowship and fun, Bible study and programs, worship and prayer, community outreach and various relief projects, leadership workshops and conventions.
Faith Lutheran Ladies meet on the third Thursday of the month from September through to June. We meet at Faith Place in Augustana Hall at 7:00 p.m. We welcome all women to come out and join in making these gatherings as interesting and diverse as possible.
Sunday School
Faith Lutheran's Sunday School meets during the worship service the first Sunday of each month.
The Confirmation aged students meet each Sunday for classes.
Our Sunday School curriculum uses a
variety of ways to help our students connect faith and daily living to teach them how to live and share the
Good News every day. Throughout the school year we do many crafts that reinforce the lessons of the church holidays.
Sunday School is available to all students from kindergarten to grade 8.
Mutual Ministry
The Mutual Ministry Committee is in essence the Social Planners for Faith Lutheran Congregation.
Our mandate is to develop more intimate relationships among our members to solidify a feeling of family at Faith
Lutheran Church. It is our belief, that as well as worshipping together, socializing together in various venues,
at various activities will bring this about.
Some of our past events have been: Stratford Festival
Bus trip, Class Act Dinner Theatre, Family Bowling, Oktoberfest Luncheon, Court Whist Card Nights, Lenten Soup
and Sandwich Hour, Oshawa Little Theatre, and Chilli lunches.
We continue to serve our Lord in this
manner in an effort to strengthen our members making up the body of Faith Lutheran Church. We welcome any new
members to our committee to perhaps bring fresh ideas and suggestions, or to help with the planning and detailing.
Our committee meets on an average of 4-5 times a year on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. for approximately 2 hours.
Worship
Faith Lutheran Church offers a variety of worship experiences. Worshipping in Augustana Hall, we celebrate
Holy Communion on the first and third Sunday of each month using a contemporary service on the first Sunday
(the Chicago Folk Service) and a traditional service on the third Sunday (Lutheran Book of Worship).
On non-Communion Sundays we use The Service of Word and Prayer from With One Voice.
We provide other
worship opportunities as well. Twice a year we gather in a member’s home for a service of House Communion, a
service that takes us back to our New Testament roots. These are services of song, Bible reading, and the
celebration of Holy Communion.
On All Saints’ Sunday, we offer a Naming of Names service, an
opportunity for us to light candles and remember in prayer all those faithful and dear loved ones who have died.
During the Lenten season, we hold weekly mid-Lenten services in our chapel. The theme varies from
year to year, but the night is always Wednesday.
During Holy Week we have a Maundy Thursday service
of either foot washing, or a seder meal. On Good Friday we remember our Lord’s death at Calvary with a service
of remembrance.
Easter morning brings the highlight of the Sonrise (Jesus the Son) in the 12th floor
Upper Room. Overlooking the city of Oshawa and Lake Ontario, we echo the ancient words, “The Lord is risen!
He is risen indeed!”
Youth
FLY (Faith Lutheran Youth) meets for a variety of activities and service projects over the year. One of the
highlights each year is attendance at a Youth Gathering, in even years a National Youth Gathering, and in odd years, a
Synodical Youth Gathering.
FLY enjoys hosting a Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday, for both members of
Faith Lutheran Church and residents of Faith Place. They also host a spaghetti dinner, complete with piped in Italian
music.
FLY is open to all youth of confirmation age (grade 7) and up.
Confirmation
The Lutheran Church has a program in which young adults are given intense instruction in Bible and the Lutheran heritage.
This instruction, called Confirmation, is designed to equip the students to be active Christians in the church and community.
At Faith Lutheran, confirmation is a two year program for students in grades 7 and 8. We alternate the study
of the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism by years.
We use an interactive program. We read selected texts,
answer questions and reflect on the text, then respond to the text through skits, art, or poetry. On of the favourite
activities used is the “sock toss” where we learn the books of the Bible through the tossing of a pair of socks (always clean!)
We also try to incorporate several field trips into the program. We visit a funeral home, a homeless shelter,
a food kitchen, hospital chaplain, pregnancy help centre, or other community ministry. This reinforces that God’s people
are active in our communities.
