We celebrate the goodness and love of God whenever we worship together and hear the message of forgiveness and of new life that has been freely given to us.  In our life together we emphasize the good news of our salvation through Jesus of Nazareth, whom we confess as Lord. We believe this salvation is available to everyone freely as a gift, allowing us to have hope and confidence and giving us our true worth.  

One of the important ways that God touches us is through the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.  These empower us to be disciples of the crucified and resurrected Christ, live for others and carry out God’s mission in the world.  Inspired by God’s Holy Spirit we try to be faithful to that calling and we invite you to join us in this exciting task.

COME AND WORSHIP  

 The Lutheran Church is known for worship services which center around the Word of God and for its fine musical tradition, expressing faith in the language of the people.  Worship, study and education are important because a personal faith cannot develop apart from the community of the church.

We believe that fellowship and times for gathering, whether to learn or simply enjoy ourselves, are also important.   St. Philip’s offers many opportunities for people to meet, talk and become better acquainted.

ABOUT THE LUTHERAN CHURCH  

The Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant denomination in the world.  Its history dates back.  St. Philip’s (established in 1958) is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, consisting of about 600 congregations across this country.  This affiliation of churches makes possible the world-wide mission work which seeks to reach out to all.

ABOUT OUR STAFF

Pastor: Doug Kramer                                    

Pastor Kramer has been  at St. Philip’s since 1997.  He has a degree in Psychology from Brock University and graduated from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary (M. Div.) in 1981.  Pastor Doug has been in parish ministry in the Toronto area since that time.  He is married to Cheryl and they have one daughter.  With office hours on weekday mornings, and at other times by appointment, Pastor Doug is ready and able to serve you in matters of counseling and faith.   

Intern: Chun Zhang

Our intern for the year 2004-2005 is Chun Zhang. Chun was born in China and received a Batchelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Beijing Polytechnic University. In 1996 he came to North America and worked for one year at the United Nations in New York. Upon moving to Canada, he began attending St. Paul's Lutheran (Mandarin) Mission in Toronto and was baptized there. He subsequently entered Waterloo Lutheran Seminary in 2001. Chun lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario and is enjoying his internship at St. Philip's where he is gaining experience in an English speaking congregation. His hope is to eventually serve in a multicultural context.

Director of Music: Paul Wisniewski 

Paul was born in 1974 in Warsaw, Poland. He began taking piano lessons at the age of six. From 1987 to 1990 Paul studied piano and organ at the Elsner's  Music School in Warsaw. In 1991 he immigrated to Canada. From 1994 to 1998 he studied organ with John Tuttle at the University of Toronto where he received a Bachelor of Music and later, in the year 2000 his Bachelor of Education. During his university years he also studied choral directing with Elmer Iseler. From 2001 to 2002 Paul served as organist and musical director of St. Paul's Basilica, Toronto. Paul was the Finalist of the 2002 Kotka International Competition in Finland. He became St. Philip's Director of Music in October 2004.