News > 2008 Parish Life Notes > 08.09.28 Parish Life

Global Anglican Future Conference

Following GAFCON, Lambeth and recent events? On Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7:30 pm at St. John's, you are invited to a national ANiC meeting that is being repeated across Canada, entitled "Looking to Jesus-in a world of confusion". The evening will explore major recent events in the Anglican Communion and then focus on the future of ANiC in the context of these dramatic developments. St. John's is hosting this and we would like to provide hospitality. If you would like to help, please contact Ruth Matheson, ext 12.

ANiC Offer Specifics

ANiC can receive donations of funds and securities. Official receipts will be issued from ANiC for Income Tax purposes. If you wish to give to the St. John’s project please:
• make cheques payable to 'ANiC – In trust for St. John’s    Project'
• use ANiC Envelopes provided at the back of the church
• place envelopes in the offertory plate or drop off at the church office

Senior’s Lunch

St. John’s Seniors Thanksgiving Communion and Lunch will be held this Tuesday, September 30th. Communion will be at 11 am in the Chapel with Lunch to follow in the Trendell Lounge. Come and bring a friend to hear Manya Egerton tell us of the blessings of worship and fellowship as experienced at GAFCON. If you need a ride please call the church office.

Welcome New Staff

We asked the Lord to provide two people, one person to lead the birth to three ministry and the other to assist with children’s and family ministry. It is with deep thankfulness that we welcome Rachel Prince and Jennifer Martin into our lives and the lives of our children. So if you get a phonecall and hear either of these women asking you to help out, you’ll know it’s your big chance! Thanks to Lisa Somerville and Nerida Patton for stepping into the gap in September while appointments were in process.

Support Group for Men

Struggling with Pornography? Many surveys show that this is a significant temptation for many Christians. You can find help and support in this confidential support group for Christian Men. Call Dan Gowe at 604.228.0326

New to the Evening Service?

If you’ve recently come to St. John’s and want to hear more about the church and especially the Evening Service, we have just the thing for you! After the Evening Service on Sunday, Sep 28, you are invited to a dessert and tea/coffee in room 100. You will meet some of the people connected with that service and ways you can connect. Any questions, please email Manya Egerton or phone 604.261.7785.

Noon hour Bible study at St. John’s – (12:00-1:15 pm)

What do you normally do at lunchtime on a Tuesday? In Room 100 at the church you can bring your lunch, enjoy friendship and fellowship while eating and engage in spiritual feeding by considering God’s word and His purpose for our lives. This fall, (Sept. 30, Oct. 14, 28, Nov. 11, 25, Dec. 9) Olav Slaymaker will be leading the group in a series entitled God’s Creation. If you would like more information, please email Jan Hobbis  or phone 604.731.4966 ext 28.

Ted and Gloria Farewell

After Ten years of faithfully serving St. John’s as the verger, Ted has decided to retire and he and Gloria will be leaving us at the end of September. Ted and Gloria have purchased a retirement home in the booming town of Biggar, Saskatchewan where the slogan is appropriately ”New York is big... but this is Biggar”

We have been very blessed by both Ted and Gloria and they will be greatly missed. We will be sending them off between the 9-11 service, on September 28th. For anyone wishing to make a retirement contribution (non-receipted), please give it to Sandy Harmel, leave it in the church office for her, or place in the offering plate in a separate envelope, addressed to Sandy Harmel. Cheques should be made payable to “Sandy Harmel in trust”.

Church/Youth Musician and Songleader Training Day

October 3-4 St. John’s is hosting a training event for anyone involved in leading singing or playing in a worship band. The cost is $60 and includes lunch and dinner. For more information please email Ken or Julie Moser at youth@stjohnshaughnessy.org

Griefshare

GriefShare is a 13-week support group designed to comfort and support you as you deal with the painful loss of a loved one. Dealing with death of a loved one is never easy, and doesn’t follow a prescribed formula. If you, or someone you know is experiencing such a loss, please plan on attending the next GriefShare session which begins Thursday, October 23rd, 7-8:30 p.m. in Room 100, Church Hall. To register, please email Edie Rittinger or phone 604.731.4966 ext 24.

Home Groups

Most of our home Bible study groups are starting up in the next few weeks. We have a new group starting for young singles/couples living/working in the UBC area. There are also small groups in other areas of the city and Lower Mainland. If you are interested in being in a group please phone Jan at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 28 or via email.

Liveword Women’s Conference

Mark your calendars now and register for the women’s conference on Saturday October 18. We invite you and women from churches throughout the Lower Mainland to attend a day of solid teaching and great music, as three speakers (Carolyn Hindmarsh, Marion Maxwell, and Polly Long) teach from the Psalms. Brochures are available in the church and on the reception desk. For more details visit our website under Special Events or contact Jan Hobbis at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 28 or by email

Parish Announcements

Flowers. “The flowers are placed in appreciation for the beauty of God’s Creation and in gratitude for his Mercy and
Grace.” With thankfulness, Peter Krueger.

Birth. Congratulations to Michele and Brent Clark on the birth of their second child, Cameron William, on Thursday,
September 18th, a baby brother for Ashley and a new grandchild for Blair and Margaret Dymond.

Parish Prayer. Parish prayer will be moving to from the 1st Tuesday of every month to the 1st Monday of every month. The next parish prayer will be October 6th.

Community News

Living Waters. This 24 week program will begin on Tuesday, Oct 7, 2008 at Tenth Avenue Alliance Church (at the corner of 10th and Ontario). This is a Christ centered discipleship ministry that deals specifically with relational and sexual brokenness. The program involves worship, teaching and small group prayer. Email or call the Living Waters office at 604.301.1470 for more information, or to apply. Space is limited. Questions? Call or email Manya Egerton 604.261.7785. All enquiries are confidential.

Arthur Turner Training School. The Arctic Fellowship is hoping to continue support of the ATTS in the Diocese of the Arctic, through your donations of stamps. Thank you to all who already give. For further information please call Grace Turner at 604.872.6031.

Dear Friends, 

A wonderful quote from C. S. Lewis (originally a sermon preached in Oxford in 1941).

It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbour’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary
people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we
love the sinner—no mere tolerance or indulgence, which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.

David Short.