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Representative
Rachel Sonnenberg |
Canadian Region 2022 Report
My name is Rachel Sonnenberg and this will be my first year taking over the role for coordinating Women’s Ministry for the CLBC. I grew up in Arizona and was part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). I attended WELS schools throughout the bulk of my educational years including Arizona Lutheran Academy (High School) and Wisconsin Lutheran College where I graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2007. After earning my BA, I went straight into a Master of Science program in Marriage and Family Therapy and Community Counselling at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and graduated in 2010. During my time in graduate school, I began attending a non-denominational church. This time in a non-denominational church was very insightful and challenged me to grow in faith and relationship with Jesus in wonderful ways but also showed me how much I really love some of the beautiful more traditional Lutheran practices of the Lord’s Supper, infant baptism, and the depth of security we have in God’s grace. As I started praying for a husband, I prayed for someone who was both Lutheran in theology, but more accepting of some of the worship and practices that I found beautiful in the non-denominational church I attended. Matt and I were married on August 31, 2014 and God has since then blessed us with 3 little ladies [Edith (6), Greta (4), and Linnea (18M)]. Matt accepted a call to serve at Grace Lutheran Church in Okotoks, Alberta in December 2019 and this is where we are currently serving. I am a stay-at-home Mama and teacher of our “Sunny Mountain Home-School.”
Women’s Ministry has always been a part of my adult journey and I’m humbled, and excited about getting to play a role in serving our church body in helping to coordinate this. I think it has a great role to play in the lives of our ladies because the uniqueness with which God created women and the roles He has called us to are consistently being framed by the world as less than, undesirable, and even bad or wrong. I think our churches have the great privilege to offer women a ministry to ultimately reinforce their need for the never-ending outpouring of God’s grace in their lives, but also to be a voice that reminds them of who they are in Christ as women. God made no mistakes in making us women and His plan to complete the good work in us happens for us as women, and there is no shame or disgrace in being anything less than what God created us to be. I am passionate about coming alongside other women in helping them understand that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is for them now in the mess and darkness of their sin; But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Women don’t have to do or be anything else to have access to the grace in Christ that was lovingly given for them.
Areas of Women’s Ministry that interest me are (1) making sure as women we’re in the Word; (2) fellowship, connections, mentoring and discipleship; and (3) I’m very passionate about women embracing their God given femininity, finding joy and freedom in their beautiful role as women this side of eternity.
Because our Canadian churches are geographically located farther apart it makes planning events open to all women of the CLBC harder to coordinate. However, we are trying harder to incorporate women’s ministry events into times the CLBC is already gathered together. As far as I know the only event that occurred last year was the Annual Pastors’ Wives Retreat. This retreat was held October 21-23, 2021, at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. It was a time of reading and studying God’s Word, food, rest, and fellowship. It was a small gathering but was a wonderful time for those who were able to gather. This year we are adding a few new events to see if there is any interest from our ladies. We are having a Women’s Lunch during the 2022 AGM at a local restaurant. We are also going to try having a women’s Cold Brew & Cookies fellowship time at this year’s CLBC Family Camp. And the Pastors’ Wives Retreat is scheduled to take place October 27-29, again at Cypress Hills. I am hopeful we can find creative ways to gather and encourage one another together as women of the CLBC more often. “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11.
Blessings in Christ,
Rachel Sonnenberg
Women’s Ministry has always been a part of my adult journey and I’m humbled, and excited about getting to play a role in serving our church body in helping to coordinate this. I think it has a great role to play in the lives of our ladies because the uniqueness with which God created women and the roles He has called us to are consistently being framed by the world as less than, undesirable, and even bad or wrong. I think our churches have the great privilege to offer women a ministry to ultimately reinforce their need for the never-ending outpouring of God’s grace in their lives, but also to be a voice that reminds them of who they are in Christ as women. God made no mistakes in making us women and His plan to complete the good work in us happens for us as women, and there is no shame or disgrace in being anything less than what God created us to be. I am passionate about coming alongside other women in helping them understand that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is for them now in the mess and darkness of their sin; But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Women don’t have to do or be anything else to have access to the grace in Christ that was lovingly given for them.
Areas of Women’s Ministry that interest me are (1) making sure as women we’re in the Word; (2) fellowship, connections, mentoring and discipleship; and (3) I’m very passionate about women embracing their God given femininity, finding joy and freedom in their beautiful role as women this side of eternity.
Because our Canadian churches are geographically located farther apart it makes planning events open to all women of the CLBC harder to coordinate. However, we are trying harder to incorporate women’s ministry events into times the CLBC is already gathered together. As far as I know the only event that occurred last year was the Annual Pastors’ Wives Retreat. This retreat was held October 21-23, 2021, at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. It was a time of reading and studying God’s Word, food, rest, and fellowship. It was a small gathering but was a wonderful time for those who were able to gather. This year we are adding a few new events to see if there is any interest from our ladies. We are having a Women’s Lunch during the 2022 AGM at a local restaurant. We are also going to try having a women’s Cold Brew & Cookies fellowship time at this year’s CLBC Family Camp. And the Pastors’ Wives Retreat is scheduled to take place October 27-29, again at Cypress Hills. I am hopeful we can find creative ways to gather and encourage one another together as women of the CLBC more often. “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11.
Blessings in Christ,
Rachel Sonnenberg
