Who we are:
St John's Vancouver Anglican Church, Vancouver is a community of Christians dedicated to the exposition and teaching of the Word of God, to the spreading of the good news of the Gospel at home and abroad, and to the application of God's purpose in our own lives and families.
News > 2008 Parish Life Notes > 08.03.30 Parish Life
 |
March 30, 2008
Dear Friends,
Last November a number of us traveled to Burlington Ontario for the first National Conference of the Anglican Network in Canada. It was a great time and laid a very good foundation for our vestry decision and the decision of a dozen other parishes across Canada. On April 25-26 the Network is hosting a National Celebration in Vancouver at the South Delta Baptist Church (where we have gathered a number of times in the past). The Conference is titled Compelled by Christ’s Love and will be a celebration of God’s goodness, and the gospel by which we are saved. Archbishop Gregory Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone, will be joined by a number of leaders from the Anglican Communion, as well as members of the Network from across Canada. We will hear from God’s word and will continue to look to him for our future.
The conference will run from Friday morning, April 25th, to Saturday afternoon, April 26th, and will finish with a special service of celebration, commissioning, and holy Communion. This is an opportunity to hear something of the mission of God from bishops in the Southern Cone and South East Asia, and to reflect on how to serve Christ here in Vancouver. Registration for the conference has begun and there is an early bird rate of $100 up until April 4th. You can register online or mail to Network conference registration, PO Box 71021, 3552 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6N 4J9.
I want to remind you that Jesus himself calls us to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send out workers into the harvest (Matthew 9:38). Next Tuesday we gather to pray as a parish and we will be particularly praying about our mission in May with Rico Tice. Join us.
Warmly in Christ,
David Short
Parish Announcements
Flowers. The flowers on the Credence Table are given to the Glory of God and in loving memory, of his wife, Penelope Ann, by George Littlemore.
Women’s Retreat: April 18-20. Ladies, don’t miss this opportunity for spiritual food, fun and fellowship. This year’s theme is Christ Centred, Christ Scented: The Aroma of Christ. More information is available online or at the registration desk in the Trendell Lounge between the 9 am & 11 am services and after the 6:30 pm service. Full payment of $150 is required to secure your spot. Space is limited for this popular retreat so register early. The registration desk will be open over the next two Sundays only.
Lunchtime Bible Study. A lunchtime Bible study at the church will be meeting this Tuesday in Room 100, led by Olav Slaymaker. The series is entitled Jesus’ use of the Old Testament. All are welcome to come and bring a bag lunch if you wish. For more information call or email Jan at the church at Ext. 28 or Jan@sjvan.org.
Parish Prayer - April 1st. The purpose is to deepen our dependence on God and to see him at work for his own glory. Join us this Tuesday at 7:15 pm (for 7:30) as we seek God’s face with all our hearts, learn better how to pray, hear updates from missions and congregational needs, and praise and thank God our Father.
Lunch and Presentation by Searles - April 6th. Children, chaos, Christ, changed lives... Curious? The Searles invite you to hear about their family’s recent experience volunteering at Roblealto, where hope and light are offered to Costa Rica’s neediest children. On Sunday April 6th there will be a lunch and presentation following the 11am service (incl. great coffee and “tico rice”). On Friday May 30 a similar presentation will be given as part of the Marriage and Parenting series.
Parish Prayer meeting in Tsawwassen - April 8th. Tanya and Tim Hawke will host a parish prayer gathering in their home on Tuesday April 8 at 7:30 pm (the week after Parish Prayer at the church). Call Tanya at 604-948-9910 or email tjwordsmiths@telus.net for address and more information.
Equipped for Spiritual Conversations - April 13, 12:30-2:30 pm Doesn’t Christianity stifle personal freedom? Why do the innocent suffer? Doesn’t science conflict with the Christian faith? Why can’t Christians agree among themselves? Are you interested in journeying with people as they explore the Christian faith, but unsure how to answer some of the questions they might ask? Immediately after the 11:00 am Service on April 13, St. John’s will be running a workshop on how to have ‘spiritual conversations’. This will be a fun, interactive and informative session. Come and hear David Short give the definitive answer to the eternal question ‘Did Adam have a belly button?’ If that’s not enough motivation, lunch will be provided. The workshop is free, but a small donation is requested to help cover food costs. As well as discussing how to talk to people about God, we will also be talking to God at the end of the workshop. To register, email: dc@sjvan.org before April 9.
Baptisms. The following are being baptised today at the 9 and 11 am services: 9 am: Toby Nicholas Graham, Jai Jackson Wong-Moon; 11 am: Georgia Charlotte Thurston. Please keep those being baptised and their families in your prayers.
God & Film. "The task I’m trying to achieve is above all to make you see." – D.W. Griffith, pioneering American director
Movies have become one of our more popular art forms, and these evenings are designed to challenge us beyond merely watching them into something of what Griffith was after. We plan to enjoy each work for its unique merits as we engage them for new recognitions of the nature of God, our world, and ourselves. The evenings will involve a public screening with refreshments, a brief commentary on the filmmaker’s themes, and opportunities for questions and discussion. Join us! All movies are shown at 7:30 pm. Pick up blue invitations at the door to use to invite your friends.
April 4 - The Third Miracle (1999) Ed Harris, Anne Heche
April 11 - The New World (200) Colin Farrell, O’oriana Kilcher
Marriage and Parenting. All parents of teens or “soon to be”, please join us to hear Julie and Ken Moser speak on, “20 things we have learned about your kids from many years of youth ministry”. To be held in the Trendell Lounge on Friday, March 28 at 7 pm. Please bring an appi or dessert to share. For more info contact elizabethsiemens@telus.net.
New » W3 | Working With the Word Starting April 6, a new 10-week theology course on Ephesians will be taught by The Artizo Institute. This course is intended for leaders of small groups and Bible studies or anyone interested in an in-depth study on Paul's letter to the Ephesians. You can take it with or without an exam. Registration required. Syllabus includes:
1. Why write to the Ephesians
2. The big picture of God's salvation
3. The Christian and the Church
4. The mystery in focus
5. The new humanity: in church
6. The new humanity: the old self and the new self
7. The new humanity: out of darkness into light
8. The new humanity: living by God's wisdom
9. The new humanity: living in the overlap of the ages
10. To sum up all things in Christ
Costs are: Adult – $85; Husband/wife using same notes – $125; Concession (unemployed, pensioners, f/t students) – $50; Full-time ministry workers – $50. Payment by cheque only made out to ‘Artizo Institute’. Cost includes course book, international postage and exam marking. *Concession rate available for those who do not wish to write the exam. For further information call Eric Thurston at 604.731.4966 ext. 21
Anglican News
Anglican Network in Canada National Conference Compelled by Christ’s Love - April 25-26
For Christ’s love compels us, because... He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again (NIV, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). The conference will be a time to celebrate God’s provision and leading, a time for rich Bible ministry, and a time to refocus on the mission Christ gave His Church. Please plan to join us - and Archbishop Gregory Venables, Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone!
Dates: April 25-26 (Friday & Saturday)
Location: South Delta Baptist Church, 1988 - 56th Street, Delta (Tsawwassen), BC
Click here to register online OR pick up a registration form from the tables in the Narthex or North Chapel. Sign up early as people will be coming from across Canada and space will be limited.
Community News
Cornerstone Training and Living Waters Canada - A seminar on sexual addiction and internet pornography, the
Christian drug of choice, will be presented April 18-19 at Tenth Avenue Church, 11 W. 10th Ave. Brochures are available in the Narthex or for more information contact Living Waters at 604.301.1470; email at info@livingwaterscanada.org. The impact of sexual addicton and the use of internet pornography have profoundly impacted western culture and the church. This seminar is designed to provide resources for professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers as well as pastors and lay leaders who work with sexual addiction and co-addiction. Treating core addictions such as sex, food, and others has features that are different from drug, alcohol, and other chemical addictions. It is important that clinicians understand these differences and be equipped to address these issues in treatment. Main Presenter: Richard Blankenship currently directs the North Atlanta Center for Christian Counseling; Faithful & True - Atlanta; a program for male addicts, female addicts, spouses, and couples in recovery and Faithful and True Marriages. Richard is the vice-president and director of American Association of Certified Christian Sexual Addiction Specialists (AACCSAS).
Regent Tradition Conference 2008. Please make note of this conference entitled Humanness Lost and Recovered on April 5, 2008. Dr. Houston and Dr. Packer will take us on an exploration of the revolt of the human spirit in the post-modern world, and show us the way toward recovery of humanness in contemporary society.
