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 > 08.05.04 Parish Life
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May 4, 2008
Why Church? – Part 1 of 5
Dear Friends,
I moved to Vancouver a few years ago, and if there is one thing I have learned about Vancouverites, it is that we are deadly serious about play. Summer is coming, which means most of us are about the serious business of hanging up our skis and taking down our kayaks.
But if you are reading this letter, you are doing a strange thing – you are in church. And the question is: Why? Why on earth would a Vancouverite spend precious daylight hours on a weekend to gather with Christians?
It is a good question; it is an important question. And the simple answer is this: Christians gather together because we value Jesus above everything else in the world.
That simple conviction drives us to church. We value Jesus above everything, so we want to learn about Him, we want to listen to Him speak to us through the Bible, we want to speak to Him in prayer, to worship Him with all our hearts and grow more like him in the process. But valuing Jesus requires that we value other people, so we gather in order to become friends with each other – friends who love each other and serve one another self-sacrificially.
It may be a strange way to spend a Sunday in Vancouver, but when you glimpse the surpassing value of Jesus Christ, and when you begin to love His people, then gathering together will make all the sense in the world.
Jim Salladin
Parish Announcements
Artizo Graduation. You are invited to the Artizo Graduation of David Abels, David Robinson and James Wittenberg on Monday, May 5th, 2008 from 7:30-9:00 pm at St. John’s. David Abels, David Robinson and James Wittenberg have been part of the ministry at St. John’s for the last two years as Artizo Interns. Come and celebrate the completion of the Artizo program with them. If you plan to come please leave a message at 604.731.4966 ext. 21 or email: eric.artizo@shaw.ca (subject line - ‘Artizo Grad’).
Parish Prayer. The Parish Prayer meeting will be this Tuesday evening May 6 at 7:15 pm in the Trendell Lounge. Please plan to join us, in praying for the needs of our ministries and church family.
Parish Prayer Meeting in Tsawwassen. Tanya and Tim Hawke will host a parish prayer gathering in their home this Tuesday May 6 at 7:30 pm. call Tanya at 604.948.9910 or email tjwordsmiths@telus.net for address and more information.
Women @ Ten. Women @ Ten, Thursdays 10:00 am will be hosting a special six week series for women who have questions or are curious about Christianity. The series starts May 8th. Childcare is available. Enquiries to Jan Hobbis at the church office at 604.731.4966 ext 28 or via email to Jan@sjvan.org.
Baptism. The next Baptism services will be held May 25th at the 9:00 and 11:00 am services. The Baptism preparation class will be held May 22 at 7:00 pm and is required attendance for parents and all available godparents. For more information on Baptism, please call Diane at 604.731.4966 ext 19.
New to St John’s? If you are new to St. John’s, we would like to get to know you! Please join us for our ‘Welcome Lunch’ after the 11:00 am service in the Trendell Lounge on May 25th. Please register by sending email to dc@sjvan.org or by calling the church office.
St. John’s Seniors Annual Bus Trip. The annual bus trip will be on Tuesday, May 27th. We will visit Westminster Abbey in Mission with a stop along the way for lunch at St. John the Divine in Maple Ridge. The bus will leave the church at 9:45 am and return at 3:45 pm. The cost is $20. Please call the church office at 604.731.4966 and sign up by May 16th.
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 (604.731.4966 ext 24) or Ruth Matheson (604.731.4966 ext 12).
Christian Reading Book Club. This bookclub meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm in the Resource Centre. All books are Christian focused. Please join us. For more information phone Linda Hewitt at 604.266.4374.
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 at 604.731.4966 ext 27. There will be no Bible camp this summer.
Discovering Christ presents 'Christianity Explored'. A course for the curious, a place to ask questions. The Christianity Explored course meets every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm in the Trendell Lounge for a meal, short presentation (by Rico Tice on video) and discussion. The course runs for seven weeks and is designed for those who are curious about Christianity or are new to the Christian faith. Christianity Explored provides a warm, pressure-free environment to explore questions of faith and life. Please register by sending email to dc@sjvan.org or by phoning the church office 604.731.4966 ext 25. The next course begins May 21. More details are provided on this website here.
Discovering Christ presents 'Taste and See'. If you are curious about Christianity but are not sure if you can commit to the Christianity Explored course, we will have a short ‘Taste and See’ event where you can get a feel for the Discovering Christ programs, on May 14th in the Trendell Lounge. This is a great place to ask some of your big questions about Christianity, participate in a discussion and enjoy a good meal. Please register by phoning the church office at 604.731.4966 ext 25 or sending email to dc@sjvan.org. Please note that the courses are free, but a small donation is requested to help cover the cost of the meal.
Anglican News
Anglican Network in Canada National Conference
Compelled by Christ’s Love
The report and photos of the conference "Compelled by Christ's Love", can be found on the Anglican Network in Canada website at http://www.anglicannetwork.ca/conference_0408_report_2.htm.
DVDs of the conference can be ordered.
Community News
Food Bank. As a congregation we continue to support the Food Bank throughout the year. Please remember to bring in non-perishable items for the boxes in the Narthex (Granville Street entrance).
Hearing Aids. Many British Columbians on fixed incomes or pensions are unable to afford the cost of a new hearing aid. The Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers the “Lend-An-Ear” Loaner Hearing Aid program. They provide a reconditioned hearing aid at a nominal cost to the individual. Please consider donating old hearing aids to 2125 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, V6K 1X9. Phone: 604.736.7391 (Voice), or 604.736.2527 TTY). Please contact Shirley Pearson at 604.926.3488 for pick-up.
