News > 2008 Parish Life Notes > 08.11.09 Parish Life

Discovering Christ presents ‘Big Questions’

At one time or another, we are all faced with life’s tough questions – questions about meaning, purpose and the divine, questions worth exploring, questions that really matter for finding our way in life. This short course provides a relaxed environment for those still investigating the Christian faith to explore Christian perspectives on God and spirituality, suffering and meaning. Over five Wednesday evenings, this course provides a place for you to think and discuss with others interested in similar things. We begin Nov 19 at 7:00 pm in Room 100. The course is free but we do ask for a small donation for the sumptuous dinner we provide at the beginning of each session. To register please call Aaron at the office, 604.731.4966 ext 22 or email him at dc@sjvan.org

Advent Quiet Day! Joy to the world the Lord has come!

Women please mark your calendar and plan to come to our Advent Quiet Day, Nov 22 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. This year Jan Hobbis and Judy Thurston will be leading us as we look at the meaning of Advent. The day will include wonderful music, good food, teaching and time to quietly reflect on both Christ’s coming to live with us here on earth and His coming as our King of Glory to take us to live with him forever. You may: leave registrations at the front desk, mail them to St. John’s, or register in person today and next Sunday in the Trendell Lounge between the 9:00 and 11:00 am services. For more information please email Marion Maxwell.

Keeping Company with God

Are you feeling weary and heavy laden? Needing to come to God for his care and comfort? Then come to “Keeping Company with God” tomorrow, Monday, Nov 10 and Monday Nov 24 at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary.

Bible Study (12:00-1:15 pm)

Due to the Remembrance Day holiday, the noon Bible study at the church will be meeting this Wednesday instead, in room 100. The series is entitled God’s Creation. All are welcome to come and bring a bag lunch if you wish. For more information call or email Jan at the church 604.731.4966 ext 28.

Meet the Artizo interns

Monday, Nov 24 at 7:30 pm please come to the Trendell Lounge to meet the Artizo interns and hear what exciting things have been happening in the program. All are welcome, please RSVP to the church office.

2009 offertory envelopes orders:

We will be ordering our 2009 offertory envelopes very soon. If you would like to order ANiC - St. John’s Project envelopes, please contact the office or see Nancy Williams at coffee hour after the 9:00 am service or in the narthex after the 11:00 am service.

ANiC – St. John’s Project offering

ANiC – St. John’s Project can receive donations, as cheques, cash, or securities. To give via cheque or cash:

• Use the ANiC envelopes provided at the back of the church.
• Make cheques payable to "ANiC – St. John’s Project"

To identify yourself for a tax receipt please do one of the following:

• Write your name and address on the envelope
• Write your St. John’s (Shaughnessy) envelope number on the ANiC envelope.

To donate securites please contact the church office.

Operation Christmas Child

Please bring in your shoebox gifts (with the $7 cheque made out to 'Samaritan’s Purse' inside the box on top) NEXT SUNDAY. This is the final date. If you would like to help transport boxes to Bethel Church Richmond, please let Ruth Flannigan know - via email or at 604.731.4966 ext 27.

Parish Announcements

Litigation update. No court date has yet been set, and the legal team will advise as soon as that has happened. It is possible that the date will be in the New Year rather than late November or December as was previously thought. There are no other developments to report.

Children’s Christmas Choir. Children in kindergarten and older are invited to be in the Christmas Choir. All details are in the letter to families available in Sunday School this morning.

Volunteers needed! We are looking for volunteer receptionists and bulletin stuffers. If you have a few hours a week to volunteer please contact Nancy Williams or Joanne McKinnon in the office.

Community News

Living Waters. Please pray for the 36 participants (including members of this congregation) in the 24-week program as the program begins. The men, who range in age from 25 to 52, come with a wide range of relational issues. Some of their particular areas of brokenness include the past experience of abuse and emotional trauma, emotional or sexual addiction, same-sex attraction, and failing or failed marriages. The women, who range in age from 26 to 64 have come with specific concerns such as fear of men because of experience of abuse, feeling disconnected to God’s love, foster home upbringing/ fractured relationships, and struggling with perfectionism and attraction to “father figures”. Emotional neglect and alcoholic parents are common themes. Please pray that they will come willing to be open to the work of God in the worship, teaching, and small group prayer time. Pray also for the leaders, five of whom are from St. John’s.

St. John’s October Update

I would like to give you the broad strokes of what is going on at St. John’s, what we can be thankful for and what we need to continue to hold before God. Concisely articulating this is frustrating because the beauty and elegance of what God is doing in the lives of individuals and His guidance of ministry and decision details are lost. At this week’s staff meeting, we could not talk about the 50,000 foot level without telling stories of what God was doing within people’s lives, what detailed questions people are asking and the complexity of decisions facing leadership. As you read the following, please know there are numerous intricate stories behind each bullet point and there is much to be grateful for and much to continue to rely on God for. We can be thankful for:

• Ministries - Ministries are growing and there is increasing vision to reach others, in deed and word, with the Gospel and to help each other grow deeper in our knowledge of Christ.
• Missions & Malawi – New initiatives and missionaries are being supported whilst our current partnerships in mission are being strengthened.
• Leadership - The trustees, humbly and prayerfully, are continually working out how to ensure that St. John’s ministry continues.
• Worldwide church community – The Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) is holding its first Synod this week, with 26 churches participating. David Short went to London and spoke to members of Reform, Britain’s network of 1,800 Evangelical Anglican congregations, about our experience with the Anglican Church of Canada.
• Legal Fund – In only three weeks, the local ANiC churches have raised 87% of the required  financial support for the first round of legal costs.
• Financial – Giving continues to be encouraging and we had the opportunity and chose as a parish to participate in some unbudgeted local ministry opportunities.

We need to continue to trust God for and pray for:

• Ministries – There are a number of ministries that are experiencing growing pains such as training and equipping leaders fast enough or managing the logistics of larger numbers and constraints on resources of time, meeting space, and coffee machines...
• Missions & Malawi – A Godly Bishop is yet to be appointed to lead the Diocese of the Upper Shire in Malawi.
• Leadership – To continue to rely on God for wisdom in decision making in a very dynamic environment.
• Financial – Generous offerings are required to meet our budgeted offerings.

Joanne Lawrie