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 > 08.06.15 Parish Life
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Jun 15, 2008
Dear Friends,
A very happy Father’s Day to all you Dads today! I hope you are well thanked for all you do and are, and that you have a blessed time with your family.
Today in our church family we will be particularly thinking about and praying for Mehran Pirbazari. Mehran has been a member of St. John’s, attending the 11 am service since July 2007. Some of you have come to know Mehran over the last year and even eaten at the Donair Spot restaurant at 70th and Granville where he works very long hours and makes very good food. Many of you may have also enjoyed the baklava and Iranian tea he provided for two Sunday morning coffee hours in April.
As a congregation we have been praying for Mehran in our services, at monthly prayer gatherings and in small groups, because he is currently in danger of being forced to leave Canada and return to his native Iran. Mehran is at great risk because through Christian friends Mehran was introduced to Jesus and began attending a Bible Study in his hometown about five years ago. Over the following two years they studied the Gospels of Mark and Luke (which we will all be studying in the Fall!). Mehran became a Christian during this time and began attending a house church during the week. He also began to share his faith at the factory where he worked.
This decision to follow Jesus put Mehran at risk because in Iran, conversion to Christianity from Islam is called apostasy, and is punishable by death. Unfortunately, police began watching the house church he attended and arrested him one day as he left. They took him outside the city where he lived, beat him up and told him that they would kill him if they picked him up again; they then left him to walk home. Shortly after this, with the help of his family, Mehran escaped and flew to Vancouver in December 2005 where he applied for refugee status. Sadly, his application was rejected last year, and Mehran now faces deportation back to Iran to face severe persecution because of his faith. The only way he can stay in Canada now is to file a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) and a Humanitarian and Compassionate (H & C) application, both of which are often rejected. It is a desperate situation for Mehran and so to give him the best chance possible of staying in Canada, St. John’s, since January, has been helping him to retain a very good immigration lawyer for this application. The church committee has also decided on behalf of St. John’s to sponsor Mehran, which will also strengthen his application.
There are ways that you can help Mehran. Next Saturday June 21st, the legal staff of Mehran’s immigration lawyer (who believes very strongly in his case) have volunteered their time to come to St. John’s for the day and help us write individual affidavits on his behalf. It will greatly strengthen his application to have as many affidavits as possible that say he is a practicing Christian and that we know of his dangerous situation if he is sent back to Iran. Please let me know if this is something you can do by talking to me this morning or giving me a call through the week at the church office.
Finallly, the most effective thing we can do is to pray for Mehran. Pray that the gathering of evidence for Mehran will be completed by July 31st, the deadline for his application. Pray for him during this very stressful time that the peace of our Lord Jesus would be always with him. Finally pray that Immigration Canada will accept his application so that he can safely live out his new life in Christ. Mehran is deeply thankful for St. John’s and loves being part of this church family. It is our great hope that he will not be taken from us.
Dan Gifford
Parish Announcements
Flowers. The flowers on the Credence Table are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of F. Michael P. Warren from the Warren family.
How Do I Help My Children Grow in Christ. Monday June 16, 7-8:30 pm - in the Trendell Lounge
You can’t grow your children if you’re not growing yourself. In the fall, we will be studying the Gospel of Luke as a church family in Bible study groups, Sunday morning services and Sunday School. Parents with children in Sunday School are invited to hear Bronwyn Short address the big themes in the Gospel of Luke. Come to get ready for growth through Luke’s account of Jesus, and to be in a good place to grow our children out of what the Lord is teaching us.
St. John’s Seniors Strawberry Tea. Seniors mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 24th at 1:30 pm in the Trendell Lounge. Come and bring a friend to hear Judy Henry, a Celtic harpist, who will entertain us during our last get-together before summer holidays. If you need a ride please call the church office.
Morning Coffee Team Volunteers Needed. A wonderful way to get to know others in the church is to join a team that helps set up for and clean up after the coffee hour between the 9 am and 11 am services. If you are interested we would love to have you as part of this ministry. Please call Brent Smith, coffee hour coordinator, at 604.687.6689.
Do you like to cook or help with the prep? Throughout the year, various ministries require a meal prepared for a group as an ongoing need or as a single event. There are a number of people who serve the congregation in this way, whom we greatly appreciate and don’t want to wear out! If you’d like your name added to a list of those who would be willing to help in some way, either with cooking or set up/clean up, please call Jan at the church (ext 28) or email.
Library. A big vote of thanks to those dear people who have returned books to the library, some of which were long overdue and others not. To everyone else if you find a book that you have had for ages don’t be at all concerned. Just return it to the orange box in the library. We are always happy to be able to re-shelve books.
Operation Baby Bottle (today and next Sunday). Again, many thanks to all of you who are supporting this great fundraising campaign. Please return your baby bottles and donations to Janice, in the Trendell Lounge, during the coffee-time in between the services. Please, do not return the bottles to the Reception or Office. (For further assistance: Call Janice @ 604. 736.0969.
Lost and Found Table. There will be a Lost and Found table set up just outside the Trendell Lounge for the next three weeks. Please come and claim what is yours and what remains will go to charity.
Memo from Dr. Jim Packer. Dr. Packer has written a memo entitled: 1 Corinthians 6 and Legal proceedings regarding properties maintained, occupied and used for ministry by ANiC congregations. You will find it as an insert in your bulletin today.
Summer and Fall
Summer Services Time Change. Sunday, June 29th, will mark the beginning of Summer service times of 8:00 am, 10 am, and 6:30 pm. We will resume our normal service schedules on Sunday, September 7th.
A Look at Luke! As we look forward to studying Luke together this Fall, we are planning a parish day of teaching, led by our own David Short, on September 13. This day is a wonderful way to help prepare us for the sermon series, Sunday school and for small groups. We will have Bible studies available if your group would like to study Luke along with the sermon series. Save the day now.
Community News
Benefit Concert for Earthquake Victims in China. There will be a benefit concert, Tuesday, June 17 at 7:30 pm at St. John’s Shaughnessy in the church, sponsored by the South Burnaby Church of Christ. The program will be classical piano, violin and vocals mostly by young prodigies. All proceeds will go to the Canadian Red Cross and will be matched by the Canadian Government for relief efforts in China. Tickets are $20 each and available at the door. Age 12 and under are free. For further information and a program for the evening, please refer to website: www.sbchurch.ca/SichuanBenefitConcert.
