Who we are:

Church address:
5350 Baillie Street
Vancouver, BC
(on 37th Ave between Cambie and Oak)

Church office address:
2325 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6J 3J2
604.558.4400

St John's Vancouver Anglican Church 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 > 08.04.20 Parish Life

April 20, 2008

Dear Friends,

In studying Ephesians, we learn that, “It is a high privilege to be saved by grace”, and while we can never earn our salvation, it does come with responsibilities. We have a calling to live up to, and what we do or don’t do is a reflection on Jesus, either good or bad. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he wanted them to know that in order for the church to thrive, they needed to know how to live, how to “Stand apart as different” yet still be able to influence their society. Paul covers a broad spectrum of conduct and relationships, for every part of our life is a part of our calling. He tells us to be imitators of God, a task that would be impossible except for one thing; “We are not alone. We have the Spirit in our inner being and we have the protection of the full armor of God. It is up to us, however, to use what we’ve been given and Paul’s letter instructs us on how to do that.” (Quotations from the Introduction to Ephesians in the Zondervan New International Version Study Bible)

Let us take great delight therefore in the privilege of serving God our Heavenly Father, and one another, here at St. John’s, in this city of Vancouver, and in the midst of this historic time in which He has called us to stand apart for the sake of the gospel. There is an opportunity to do this by attending or helping out at the ANiC Conference entitled 'Compelled by Christ’s Love' happening next weekend, April 25-26. As we look around, we can see God so clearly at work in a powerful way: in the many servants of Christ in this church who give so freely of their time and resources; in the abundance of ministries offered here daily; in the way you care for and love one another; and even in our finances, despite this time of ‘turbulence’. Thank you for your faithfulness in the gospel and for your genuine perseverance in seeking to do what is right and what we have been called to do – to make disciples for Jesus and to be an effective witness for Jesus, not only to those who do not yet know the Lord, but also to one another, so that we might deepen our maturity in Christ Jesus and our love for one another. I encourage you to do this by participating in our upcoming Guest Services with Guest Speaker Rico Tice, May 1-4.

Turning to our finances, we can give thanks to God for His provision as evidenced in our financial results for the First Quarter ended March 31, 2008. Our revenues are up by approximately $30,000 from the same period last year, which is good news, although tracking behind budget. But our expenses are also up from the same period last year and over budget, primarily reflecting staffing levels which were not fully in place in the same period last year. We ended the First Quarter 2008 with a deficit of approximately $105,000 (compared to a deficit of $95,000 in the same period last year). So we rejoice that God knows our need before we ask, but desires for us to continually deepen our dependence on Him. We therefore ask you for your continued generosity and faithfulness in order that we may not take our eyes off the Lord Jesus, whom we are serving, so that God’s purposes may be fulfilled and may continue to flourish here at St. John’s.

Respectfully submitted,
Christine Klukas
Treasurer

Parish Announcements

Flowers. The flowers on the Credence Table are given to the glory of God by Kathryn McNaughton and John Watts on the occasion of their wedding held here yesterday.

Prayer Chain. Crises (loss of work, accidental injury, death in the family, or illness) often come upon us unexpectedly. St. John’s has a prayer chain; the members would be glad to pray for you or your family/friends in your time of need. Please phone the church office to be put in touch with the prayer chain. If you have questions, please speak to Edie Rittinger (ext 24) or Ruth Matheson (ext 12).

Keeping Company with God – a Service of Prayer: Monday April 28, 7:30 - 8:30 pm in the South Chapel. Feeling weary and heavy laden? Come join this “quiet” service, which includes periods of silence, personal and corporate prayer, a reflection on a passage from the Psalms, and music.

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.

St. John’s Seniors Tea. St. John’s Seniors monthly tea will be held on Tuesday April 29th at 1:30 pm in the Trendell Lounge. Edie Rittinger will tell us about her recent trip to Afghanistan. Come and bring a friend for tea and fellowship.
If you need a ride please call the church office.

Summer for Children at St. John’s. This summer, the plan is to have a number of events for children to enjoy with other children in their grade at St. John’s. The purpose of these events is for children to have fun while strengthening their relationships with their brothers and sisters at St. John’s. Interested in helping to plan an event? Please contact Ruth Flannigan at ruthf@stjohnsshaughnessy.org or call the church office (ext 27).

Artizo. We want to give members of St. John’s the opportunity to contribute prayerfully and financially to the Artizo Institute. If you would like to do so, please pick up an envelope which you will find at the doors and place it in the offertory plate. Cheques should be made out to the Artizo Institute. Please do not use St. John’s offering envelopes, as Artizo issues its own tax receipts.

Special Events. Don’t forget to put these dates in your calendar and pray about who you might invite:

May – Rico Tice mission
1 – Stumbling over Happiness (women's brunch)
2 – How to Get Ahead (business lunch)
2 – YouthSURGE
3 – Two Men, Two Destinies (men's breakfast)
3 – God at the pub (Koerner's Pub)
4 – A Fresh Start (morning services)
4 – Satisfying Sex (evening service)
14 – Discovering Christ term starts

See this website for a full explanation of special events.

Anglican News

Anglican Network in Canada National Conference
Compelled by Christ’s Love – April 25-26
(for St. John’s leaders and members)

Register by mail (forms on tables in Narthex & North Chapel) OR on-line at
http://www.anglicannetwork.ca/conference_0408_info.htm

Volunteers needed for:

  • transport (April 24th)
  • registration (April 25th)
  • conference venue set-up and clear up (April 25th & 26th)
  • ushering (April 25 & 26th)
  • and other areas

Sign-up sheets are on Narthex & North Chapel tables OR please phone Norah Johnston (604.224.8986)

Dates: April 25-26 (Friday & Saturday)
Location: South Delta Baptist Church, 1988 - 56th Street, Delta (Tsawwassen), BC

Conference Services:
7:30 pm Friday – Youth participation
2:00 pm Saturday – Holy Communion and Commissioning
All are welcome to these services free of charge.

Sign up early as people will be coming from across Canada and space will be limited!

Community News

Clergy Family from Singapore. The Rev. Lewis Lew is planning to come to Vancouver during his sabbatical to take a few courses at Regent College. His wife and 3 children (ages 9, 11, and 13) will be coming with him. They need free or reasonably priced accommodation while they’re here in Vancouver. They will be here from May 1-20 and June 14-16. If you know of any accommodation, please contact Rev. Stephen Leung at swhleung@shaw.ca or 604.872.1884.