70th Anniversary of Martin Luther Church Toronto on Sun Nov 30 + Open House + Christmas Market 1 to 4pm

The celebration began with a worship service in German and English led by Pastor Annika Klappert.

Special guest Rev. Katherine Gohm, Assistant to the Bishop, Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), welcomed everyone, extended greetings from the Bishop, and helped lead the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Music filled the service with Linda Marcinkus on the organ, congregational singing, our church choir, Pastor Annika singing with her guitar, together with Tanya & Sonja, as well as drumming led by Iris. Church members and friends helped with readings and prayers. Special guests included members of St. George’s Evangelical Lutheran Church from downtown Toronto.

Watch a recording of the service on our Church’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/eMbOqgx7Q1o (26.59 minutes)

– Congratulatory Speeches from Community
After the worship service, a few of our special guests remarked on Martin Luther Church’s connection to the local neighbourhood, the German community, and our history of faith and service. A big thank you to all who took the time to say some lovely words about our church, and to Matthias for guiding the remarks.

Speakers:
Jocelyn Sommerfeld, President of Council, Martin Luther Ev. Lutheran Church
Lee Fairclough, MPP Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Ontario
Dr. Anne Wagner-Mitchell, Consul General of Germany in Toronto
Jennifer Ardon, Refugee Resettlement Manager, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, ELCIC
Ron Mayer, Board of Directors, Martin Luther Child Care
Robert Sharkey, Chair of the Mission and Outreach Committee, Wesley Mimico United Church
Iris Schweiger, Past-President of Council, Martin Luther Ev. Lutheran Church, unveiled a new plaque to commemorate an extremely generous 500,000 USD donation given to our church in 2021 from the German United Church in Seattle, Washington, USA. This donation was instrumental in funding our building renovation in 2024. Two families’ names who made this happen are on the plaque, which reads in part: “In memory of Joseph & Agnes Kupferling and Wilhelm & Erika Mandau”

Watch a recording of the speeches on our Church’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/kQt3KKEibiA (27.28 minutes)

 

We celebrated all the people who are “living stones” in the foundation and future of Martin Luther Church. Thank you to everyone who was part of this milestone and for helping our story continue with hope and joy.

Service

– Anniversary Open House
In celebration of our 70th anniversary, the worship space was host to an Open House with information and activities for all ages. Poster boards told the story of the church in milestones and photos from its beginnings in 1955 to 2025 and our plans for the next 5 years. The poster boards also highlighted the Church Choir, Sunday School, Child Care and Camp Lutherlyn over the years. The stories of each stained-glass window were displayed on the east and west sides of the worship space. Photographs of our pastors through the years and a beautiful book of confirmands through the years were displayed in front of the altar space. Christmas play props and costumes were on display at the front of the worship space with an opportunity for children to try on costumes and sign up for this year’s Christmas play. Children of all ages could paint a stone in honour of 70 years of living stones by the lake. These stones will join others painted over the summer and fall in the front garden. Accompanying all of these activities were a number of performances from jazz guitar and popular songs to a Christmas Carol sing along. Coffee, juice and snacks were served in the foyer by Bowls & Blessings volunteers. A poster board highlighting the 5 years of Bowls & Blessings food ministry outreach program was also stationed in the foyer.

Anniversary Open House

– Annual Christmas Market
Huge thanks to all who contributed to the success of this year’s Christmas Market!
It was an exciting day with so much going on to celebrate the church’s 70th anniversary, which meant there was a terrific turnout! The basement was at times filled to the brim with shoppers and attendees with an appetite for the hot BBQ lunch (sausage on a bun, sauerkraut, potato salad, many varieties of soup, Glühwein, hot chocolate, ginger ale/iced tea, etc.). Once bellies were full, people browsed and got started on Christmas shopping, filling their arms with baked goods and handmade crafts, and had fun placing bids on silent auction items and buying raffle tickets. We also had a very special outdoor fire pit and marshmallow roasting event.

Christmas Market

 

Between food and drink sales, bazaar items, and the silent auction and raffle, we have raised over $4,500! We could not have done it without you – everyone from crafters, to bakers and cooks, to helpers, to businesses and shoppers, you are all responsible for making the event a success. Our most sincere thanks for all you do!

– Leanne and Jocelyn, Christmas Market coordinators

Original Post: Oct 16, 2025: On November 30, 2025, we warmly invite you to a special German-English worship service at 11:00 am with Holy Communion and our church choir. The service will be led by our Pastor Annika Klappert and involve Rev. Katherine Gohm, Assistant to the Bishop in the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, as well as our lay preachers, church members and guests. Serving the German-speaking Lutherans across the GTA and the South Etobicoke community since 1955, our mission is to be “Lutherans by the Lake celebrating faith, serving and inspiring people”. We’ll be celebrating this milestone under the banner 70 Years of Living Stones by the Lake. As living stones (1 Peter 2:5), we bring our church building to life with traditions, relationships and creativity.

There will be remarks and acknowledgements after our worship space at 12:15 pm.

We will continue the celebration with light refreshments and welcome everyone to our annual Christmas Market Fundraiser and Open House from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. This will include:

• A self-guided tour to explore church milestones (including Confirmation photos), building features and programs offered in the space.
• Stations to take photos, decorate anniversary garden stones, share favourite Martin Luther Church memories, sign up for upcoming activities like our Christmas Play
• A Christmas Bazaar and Market Fundraiser for the church, showcasing hand-made crafts, home baking, jams, and much more for sale. Start your Christmas shopping early and support a good cause!
• A delicious BBQ lunch and traditional (non-alcoholic) German Glühwein for purchase.
• Live entertainment and music from local talent!

Please share the invitation with your family and friends so that it is a full celebration of our church and community. Please contact the church office if need a ride. We are looking forward to celebrating with you! Invitation PDF