News > 2008 Parish Life Notes > 08.07.20 Parish Life

Jul 20, 2008

GAFCON – The Stories with Pictures!

July 23rd 7:00 pm. Come to the Trendell Lounge to hear amazing stories from our reps who attended the Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem.

Homosexuality talk – Dr. Gagnon follow-up

Suggested resources in follow up from Dr. Gagnon’s talk on homosexuality on July 15th. http://www.robgagnon.net/ – Dr. Robert Gagnon’s website has numerous resources available: When Homosexuality Hits Home: What to do when a loved one says they’re gay by Jo Dallas. Used by Living Waters, it is a sensitive and practical book to help Christians seeking to love their gay friends and relatives while not affirming their lifestyle. Setting Love in Order by Mario Bergner. This book is focused on journeys of healing and transformation. Manya Egerton, who is very familiar with these resources and the authors, is willing to answer questions. 604.261.7785

Summer Nursery

The nursery and toddler’s room programs will be informal and parent run for the duration of the summer. Parents will be responsible for the supervision and care of their children from week to week, along with some assistance from the youth.

Divorce Care Course

August 25 – Oct 6. This is a seminar/support group for people who are either going through divorce, or who are already divorced. This year we will be offering Divorce Care on a twice-weekly basis for 7½ weeks – Monday and Thursday evenings each week. Cost of the course materials is $20.00, and pre-registration is strongly advised. If you, or anyone you know, would benefit from this very helpful program, please email Edie Rittinger or call 604.731.4966 ext 24.

Forgiveness and Grace

July 24th 7:00 pm: Guest Speaker at St. John’s Richmond. You are invited to visit with St. John’s Richmond and hear Cambodian Soreaksa Himm speak on forgiveness. He watched his family murdered, crawled out of the mass grave, searched for the killers... and forgave them. Come and be challenged by grace! (A brief bio is available on the Ratanak website www.ratanak.org) St. Johns Richmond is located at 8140 Saunders Rd. Richmond. For information call 778.833.1963.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

July 20th Luncheon. We will be hosting a luncheon for Susan Norman who works with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on the campus of Queen’s University. The cost is $5 per person or $10 per family.

Missionaries in China

July 27th Luncheon. Doug and Anna-Marie Graham serve in China and we will be hosting a luncheon for them on July 27th after the morning service. The cost is $5 per person or $10 per family. Please call the church office to confirm your attendance.

New Bible Reading Guide

A copy of the Bible Reading Guide for the next 9 weeks (July 20th to September 20th, 2008) will be included in the July 20th bulletin. This guide is an abbreviated version of the Book of Common Prayer, which was written with the assumption that a person would pray and read two passages from the Bible morning and evening. We chose one of those four readings for this little Guide. If you don’t have a Prayer Book, Norah Johnston (604.224.8986) would be glad to provide you with one at cost. Besides the reading from an Old Testament book, there is a reading from the Psalms. May God bless you as you read His word.

Parish Announcements

Congratulations. Some of you will remember long-time member, Marjorie Stevenson. She can no longer get out to services but is turning 99 on July 23rd. We pray all God’s blessings on her as she enters her 100th year.

Marriage Announcement. Congratulations to Bronwen Fergusson and Glenn Kelly who are getting married
here on July 26th. Please keep this couple in your prayers.

Birth Announcement. Give thanks to God for Lucas Daniel van Tuinen, who was born on July 2nd, to John and Carrie, a baby brother for Zachary.

Dear Friends,

As we continue to God’s plan for His church in Ephesians we have several opportunities in the next week to hear about what God is doing in His church throughout the world. Today Susan Norman will be talking about her full-time ministry on the campus of Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario at a lunch following the 10 am service. You are all welcome to attend, cost is $5 per person and $10 per family.

On Wednesday July 23rd, 7:30 pm David Short will present some of the amazing work that God is doing in churches of the Anglican Communion throughout the world. In Jerusalem our delegates at GAFCON heard many personal testimonies of wonderful faithfulness to God and His Gospel in often very challenging circumstances. Come to St. John’s on Wednesday night and you will be encouraged to see photographs and hear remarkable stories of Gospel ministry in Anglican churches overseas.

And thirdly, next Sunday after the 10 am services, Doug and Ann Graham will speak about their work in China where they have been living for a number of years. God is doing remarkable things in the church in China. You are all welcome to come to this lunch; again the cost $5 per person and $10 per family.

In our own local church, our 10 am August service will, like last year, include children for the whole service. This is a wonderful chance for the 9 and 11 congregations with all its ages to hear God’s Word and glorify God together in one place. There will be one Holy Communion service in August that will take place on August 17th. All of the services will be a bit shorter, they will include some of the songs that the children sing in Sunday School, we will learn some new hymns, and the sermons will be somewhat more interactive with the theme of these five Sundays being the Christian race. This will be a joyful time of learning about what it means practically to live out our life in Christ together.

The theme verse of these services is very good for all of us in our various services at St. John’s to keep in mind this summer: Let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:1

Warmly,
Dan Gifford