Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 28, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page b8 Faith Winnipeg free press sunday december 28, 2008 b 8 editor Greg Lockert fax 697 7412 / phone 697 7271 Greg. Lockert free press. . Ca Winnipeg repress. Com announcements for Faith briefs must be in our office by thursday 4 p. Prior to the intended Date of publication. Due to space restrictions publication is not guaranteed. E mail Diane. Pratt free press. . Ca or fax 697 7412 no attachments please. Faith briefs Lynda Randle performs Lynda Randle a Singer with the Gaither Homecoming tour performs dec. 31, 7 p. M., evangelical free Church 500 Lagimodiere blvd. Tickets at hulls bookstores Winnipeg and the Light Christian Bookstore Steinbach or Call 222 3817. $ 17 in Advance or $ 20 at the door. Labyrinth walk a new years Day labyrinth walk will be held on Jan. 1, 7 p. St. Peters anglican Church 755 Elm st. At Grant Avenue. The ritual and labyrinth walk will leave the old year behind and focus on the year to come. Menus Fellowship Winnipeg full gospel business menus Fellowship International meeting Jan. 3, 9 11 a. M., Best Western charterhouse hotel. Roger Armbruster will Tell his personal Story and How god is transforming whole communities. $ 9. Reserve 475 4207 by Jan. 1. Sunday gathering free in Christ ministries inc. Sunday gathering Jan. 4, 7 p. M., the trave Lodge 20 Alpine ave. 480 0938 or film its. Net. Spiritual enrichment aglow Winnipeg Southwest Lighthouse full breakfast and time of Fellowship and Christian spiritual enrichment Jan. 6, 9 30 a. M., Assiniboine Gordon inn on the Park 1975 Portage ave. Guest speaker Marcia Barrett. $ 8.75. Reservations Elaine 269 3680. Prayer and Healing order of st. Luke Westwood chapter ecumenical service of prayer and Healing Jan. 7, 7 p. M., Assiniboia Christian Centre 3390 Portage ave. Service of remembrance a service of remembrance will be held on Jan. 11 at 7 p. at Charleswood United Church 4820 Roblin blvd. Lighthouse meeting aglow Winnipeg North Lighthouse meeting Jan. 12, 7 p. M., 1042 Jefferson ave. Guest speaker will be Anje Vantongeren a holocaust survivor. Call 663 9911 or 663 2923. Supper and video Alpha join us for supper free video and a discussion in a relaxed atmosphere Jan. 15 March 26, 6 30 p. M., Assiniboia Charleswood Community Church 760 Charleswood re. Call Denise and Roger 832 1408. Bilingual service bilingual youth and Young adult service during the annual week of prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 19, 7 30 p. M., pro Vieux Sang Church 200 Kenny st. Archbishop Emilius Goulet to preside and Rev. David Brabant to assist. Reception will follow. Information 237 9851, ext. 241 or Lomelo . Ca. Bless Israel tour Victory missions bless Israel tour feb. 10 19. Call Ken 942 5433 or wow. Outdoor spectacular. Com. Resource for recovery the Harbour a non profit nondenominational resource for recovery. This is a Safe place to develop ongoing relationships experience Complete transparency without shame or judgment and connect with god on your journey of recovery. Small groups Are led by qualified non professional facilitators. Affiliation Riverbend counselling services. $ 2, donations to the Coffee fund and gifts of supporters. The Harbour meets every tuesday 7 p. M., 1110 Henderson Hwy. Information Contact Riverbend counselling. Ca. A Winnipeg based lutheran Bishop Hopes an upcoming trip to one of the worlds hot spots will spark discussions of Faith in her flock Back Home. Bishop Elaine Sauer of the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Synod of the evangelical lutheran Church in Canada is one of 64 lutheran Bishops from Canada and the United states visiting the Middle East from Jan. 6 to 13. I Hope in a Small Way it will be an Opportunity for our congregations and members to build Bridges Between Faith communities says Bishop Elaine Sauer of the Bishops week Long trip which includes visits to congregations and schools and meeting with religious Community and political leaders. Sauer National Bishop Susan Johnson and three other regional Bishops from Canada will travel with 59 Bishops from the evangelical lutheran Church in America As Well As a contingent of staff and spouses. The group will connect with their lutheran counterparts in Jordan and Israel As Well As meeting with israelis and palestinians. Paid for individually by each Bishop the trip is part learning tour part advocating for peace and Justice in the Complex political and religious situation in the Middle East says Johnson. It is also an Opportunity for lutheran Church leaders to connect with each other. Well be meeting with palestinians and israelis and trying to hear All sides that happen in the complicated lives there she says. The american and Canadian Bishops usually gather in Chicago every january for a Bishops Academy for theological reflection discussion and relaxation. This is the first time the entire Bishops Academy has moved overseas. The Middle East trip is intended to strengthen connections Between North american lutherans and those in Jordan and Israel says Johnson who will also travel to Jordan Jan. 3 to 6 with a Small delegation including Rev. Mark s. Hanson presiding Bishop of the american denomination. The evangelical lutheran Church in Jordan and the holy land has about 3,000 members. Because weave made a commitment to partner with this Church were trying to take it seriously and go As deep As we can says Johnson who is scheduled to preach at a Church in Ramallal on sunday Jan. 11. The visit by the 64 Bishops is also meant to be a visible sign of Solidarity with their Middle Eastern counterparts both by their presence and the fact they will Wear their Bishops uniform of Black suits and clerical collars says a spokesman for the Elca. They re encouraged to dress up As clergy during All parts of the trip and we would want them to be seen in that role says John Brooks. We want the Bishops to be seen Over there in their role of supporting the lutheran Church and the Christian Community. Brooks says the israeli government is aware of the Bishops visit and local lutheran organizers Are dealing with Security measures for the group. For Sauer her first trip to places like Jerusalem Bethlehem Hebron Galilee and Ramallal presents both a personal and professional Challenge As she encounters people of Faith in a place considered holy by both jews and christians. Ism a regional Bishop. This is an Opportunity for me to grow beyond those boundaries and learn from a global Community. I cant wait to communicate that to my Synod she says. Ism hoping i can have a much Fuller perspective on the israeli and palestinian situation and that i can communicate that Back Home Johnson welcomes the Opportunity to meet with religious and political leaders in the Middle East and says Sheds anticipating an intense but rewarding trip. Every time ive been in the Middle East what has ended up being the most important thing a snot been expected she says. So i dont think i have expectations this time. Ism just Happy to go and see what the spirit delivers. Brenda Suderman. Com building Bridges to Mideast Winnipeg Bishop joins North american lutheran Mission to holy land Brenda Suderman Marc Gallant / Winnipeg free press archives Bishop Elaine Sauer of the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Synod of the evangelical lutheran Church in Canada is one of 64 lutheran Bishops from Canada and the United states visiting the Middle East Jan. 6 to 13. T he full extent of the Bernard Madoff ponzi scheme is not yet known but one thing is evident he used his religious connections to grow his business. Madoff used his ties to the jewish Community to Garner at least some of his ill used funds wrote the jewish journal newspaper in los Angeles about the $ 50 billion fraud. A lot of jewish charities had investments with him an investor who did not want to be identified told the newspaper. So did a lot of jews. Among the jewish groups caught up in the scheme were Yeshiva University which has lost about $ 100 million from its endowment while the jewish federation of greater los Angeles lost about $ 6.4 million. The Boston based Robert i. Lappin charitable foundation a Charity that financed trips to Israel for jewish youth indicated it had lost All of its operational funds. Here in Manitoba no jewish groups appear to have lost any Money to the fraud. Marsha Cowan ceo of the jewish foundation of Manitoba reports that her organization had no dealings with Madoff or his fund. By trading on his connections in the jewish Community among other places Madoff appears to have run a classic Affinity scam. This is something that christians Are Only too Well acquainted with. From 1989 to 1996, More than 180 churches colleges and charities along with Many private investors lost As much As $ 135 million in the new Era scam. Between 1993 and 1999, the greater ministries scam promised thousands of investors that the Church would double their Money through divinely inspired investments nearly $ 580 million was lost. Scammers find religious groups particularly easy to deceive believers can be so trusting and they want to assume the Best of everyone. They sometimes make the pitch even harder to resist by using former clergy or religious leaders As salespersons someone who worked As a pastor would never mislead you right the scammers also use religious language sometimes suggesting that god not the markets will Reward the investor. These so called gifting ministries Tell investors that a gift now will result in a much larger Blessing later. Verses like Luke 6 38 Are cited give and it will be Given unto you. The problem of religiously based Affinity fraud has gotten so bad that the b. C. Securities and Exchange commission has created a special program to combat it. Called the god squad the program enlists a pair of local spiritual care coordinators who visit places of worship to educate people about How they can protect themselves. We raise the awareness that Affinity fraud exists and that Church groups Are seen As soft targets by fraudsters says squad member Rev. John Haycock. We try to empower people to recognize How these fraudsters work and Tell them that Trust is of but also warn there Are people who will abuse that Trust. Not All fraud happens face to face the internet is making it even easier for scammers. These Are people like sister Mary Williams who seems to like me a lot. I know this because the born again Christian sends me e mails almost every week from Kuwait where she is responsible for $ 1.5 million left behind by her late husband Money she wants to give to my Church to help further gods work. To get the funds All i have to do is Contact her. I have to hurry though sister Mary tells me she is dying of cancer. According to her doctors she will be dead in three months. Sister Maryus e mails Are peppered with Bible verses and filled with religious language. She sounds so sincere but its a fraud of course. Anyone who replies to the e mail will be told to Advance Money to Mary or her designate to pay for fees to release the estate. Once that occurs be told there Are problems that require More Money and then More Money after that. The scam ends when the defrauded party wises up or runs out of Cash. How can religious people protect themselves against scams according to Wilfred j. Hahn of the Mulberry ministry an organization that promotes biblical stewardship people should be cautious if the promoter of an investment Opportunity is a religious Leader or if they try to capitalize on connections in a religious group. And they should especially be on guard when a new member of their Church Springs up out of nowhere with a sure fire investment scheme he says. When it comes to investment advisers dont make exceptions because of religiously implied honesty he adds. Investment advisers who Are religious should be held to the same standards As anyone else in the Industry. People should also test their own motivations when considering an investment if visions of Quick and easy Money dance in your head beware. Those Are precisely the emotions that unscrupulous investment promoters will prey upon says Hahn. In the end the Ages old advice is Likely still the Best if an investment sounds too Good to be True it probably is even if you hear it at Church. Jdl562000@ Yahoo. Com John Longhurst scammers find religious groups easy to deceive Salt Lake City top leaders of the mormon Church have announced plans to build a Temple in Trujillo Peru. The Temple is the third in South America in the planning and construction phases along with others set to be built in manaus Brazil and Cordoba Argentina. Once completed there will be 17 mormon temples in South America. Worldwide the Trujillo Temple will be the 146th for the Utah based Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day saints. The associated press new Temple for Peru a 08_ dec 28 08. Ind b8 1 2/ 27/ 08 4 36 58 pm ;