News > 2009 Parish Life Notes > 09.02.22 Parish Life

Ash Wednesday Service

There will be an Ash Wednesday service this week, February 25th at 7:30 pm. All are encouraged to attend.

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, February 23rd at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary. Whatever your need; a quiet time with God at the end of your day, a place to receive prayer support for personal concerns or a desire to hold up this congregation in prayer – this is a place of “prayer care.” We meet every second and fourth Mondays.

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

A lunchtime Bible study at the church will be meeting this Tuesday in Room 100, led by Olav Slaymaker. The series is entitled “The First Twenty Years of Christianity”. All are welcome to come and bring a bag lunch if you wish. For more information call Jan at the church, 604.731.4966 ext 28 or email Jan

Senior’s Tea

St. John’s Seniors are all invited to our monthly tea on Tuesday Feb 24 at 1:30 pm in the Trendell Lounge. Come and bring a friend to hear Professor Ed Mornin speak on “The Saints and the Arts.” Please RSVP to the church office at 604.731.4966

Small Group Bible Studies

We have a number of small group Bible studies that meet in Vancouver, around the lower mainland and at the church. It is a great encouragement to be involved with others in the congregation throughout the week, to study the word of God and pray together. If you are not presently in a small group and would like to be, or would like more information, please see Jan Hobbis at the table in the Narthex after one of the morning services or contact her at 604.731.4966 ext. 28 or email jan

Thank You

We have had many people respond to the need for office volunteers. We are still in need of a receptionist on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you can help please contact Krista at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 19.

Are you looking to get involved at St. John’s? We have two opportunities.

1. Volunteer Receptionist: Being a volunteer receptionist is a great way to get involved in the life of the church and to meet new people. We are currently looking to fill the the following time slots: Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Thursday morning, and both morning and afternoon on Friday.

2. Bulletin Stuffers – join with other volunteers on Friday afternoon to help stuff the Sunday service bulletins.
It’s a good opportunity to serve and make new friends.
If you think either of these jobs might be for you please contact Krista at the church office, 604.731.4966.

Living Waters

Living Waters at St. John’s – There are 24 participants (evenly divided between men and women) in the 8-week introductory program of Living Waters (called Cross Current) this year. Several of the 9 people on the team are from St. John’s. Week 4 of 8 has just been completed and participants have been receptive and open. Daniel Komori, the coordinator of the program has 2 specific prayer requests:

1) There are quite a few participants who have quite a deep need of healing (most of whom are aware of how deep those needs are). Please pray that they would be able to meet Jesus in those deep places, and that they wouldn’t get overwhelmed when facing those areas of their lives. Also pray that they would have the grace to be able to see their journey as just that … a journey, and not to get impatient or angry when things don’t change quickly.

2) There are many leaders who will be teaching for the first time, including three from St. John’s. Please pray for their preparation:

» Feb 19 – How Jesus Bears Our Wounds
» Feb 26 – Becoming Secure in the Father’s Love
» Mar 5 – Loving Others
» Mar 12 – Beyond Brokenness

All those involved in Cross Current would really value your prayers. As we read in our Parish Life Notes last week, “the essence of sin is not (primarily) the violation of laws but a wrecked relationship with God, one another, and the whole created order”. Please pray that God will use this program to bring healing and restore relationships, with himself and others.

Accommodation needed for the Martins

Rev. Sean Martin, his wife Natalie, and two young daughters (3 years old and newborn) , are planning to move to Vancouver on April 1. Sean is an ordained Anglican minister and has been doing university ministry as well as working with a church plant in Dublin for the past few years. They are moving to Vancouver for Sean to work with the Navigators at UBC. They would like to live within cycling distance of UBC, so preferably on the West side. Do you know of a 3 to 4 bedroom house or apartment that they might rent? If so, please phone Ruth Matheson, 604.731.4966 ext 12.

Save the Date! - March 16th

Plan to come to “Voice and Violin”: a wonderful evening of classical music and a benefit concert for “Genesis”, featuring violinist Karen Foster, with guest artist Jane Corrall. Watch for more details to come soon.

Divorce Care

Divorce Care begins on Monday, Apr 6 at 7:00 pm and will be held on a twice-weekly basis, concluding on May 21. If you or anyone you know is experiencing the pain of divorce or separation, this program is proven to be most helpful in moving towards recovery. For more information please contact Edie Rittinger or 604.731.4966 ext 24.

St. John’s Women’s Retreat

Ladies, mark your calendars! Our annual women’s retreat this year will be at Loon Lake Educational Centre on the weekend of Apr 24-26. The theme for the weekend is ‘From Fear to Joy ~ Meeting with the Risen Christ ~ 3 talks on Luke 24’. Plan to come and be wonderfully fed both spiritually and bodily, and for great fun and fellowship with other women of St. John’s. There will be two different options for accommodation this year, for those who may like a little more privacy. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help organize this event, please contact Darrell Thomas at 604.269.9011 or email Darrell

Discovering Christ presents Christianity Explored

The Christianity Explored course meets on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm in the Church Hall for a wonderful home cooked meal, short presentation and discussion. The course runs for 7 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. It’s informal, fun and you can choose to be silent or say whatever you want. No question is too hostile or basic and no knowledge of faith is expected!

If you have any questions or wish to register please email Aaron or phone Aaron at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 22.

Employment opportunity

If you are interested in applying for or want to encourage someone to apply for the following position, please look at the full description. Applicants can email their resume and cover letter.

Ministry Support Coordinator – The ministry support coordinator will have three primary responsibilities: Support Ministry Staff, Event Coordination, donor Administration & Communication.

Friends,

Well, thank you to all those who came to our annual meeting — we just do not seem capable of having dull meetings! I think the effect of the gathering was to include many more in the congregation in something of the complexity of our current situation. This is a good thing. After an excellent question
from the floor, the St. John’s lawyers who were at the meeting put their heads together regarding how to satisfy and fulfil our legal requirements to the St. John’s Shaughnessy Parish Corporation which is in dispute before the courts, while at the same time moving our ministries forward by electing new leaders and officers and passing a budget for the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) St. John’s Project. It was decided that the meeting had a dual purpose: as a duly called and constituted Vestry of the St. John’s Shaughnessy Parish Corporation, and as the ANiC St. John’s Project. So we reappointed the same 2008 trustees to the Parish Corporation, and elected a new slate of leaders to act as Trustees and Church Committee of the ANiC St. John’s Project. If you think this explanation is complicated you should have been at the meeting! Seriously, I am glad that our trust is in the Lord as we move forward.

Two significant highlights:

1. We looked down the track 5 years and laid before God our hopes in the 3 strategic areas of

• Embrace
• Equip
• Extend

God is stretching us beyond our parish boundaries and into the next generation, and I would like an opportunity to tell you more about these priorities and what they might look like.

2. We voted for a budget increase of 8.6% over last year. Part of the background for this is that we have had a flat budget for 2 years and that although we are working toward a new stewardship plan, our trust is in the Lord. This means an increase in our giving. We are conscious that for some, in the midst of the financial crisis, this will not be possible, but for others this is only a starting point.

You see what you missed!

Do pray for the new leaders at St. John’s —
Rector’s Warden: David Avren;
People’s Warden: Lesley Bentley;
Church Committee Chair:
Krista Friebel;
Vice Chair: Wade Larson; Treasurer: Christine Klukas; Members-at-large: Terry Chang, Tanya Hawke, Jeff Spruston;
Vestry Clerk: Leonor Cumming;
Missions Chair: Don Curry;
Evening Service Warden:
Malcolm Ross;
Buildings & Grounds:
Rudy Sawatzky, Gordon Watts; Stewardship: Andrew Konnert;
Lay Delegates: David Avren, Ann Barker, Lesley Bentley, Don Curry, Manya Egerton, Krista Friebel, Julie Lane Gay, Harvey Guest;
Alternate Lay Delegates: Jock Bray, Terry Chang, Norah Johnston, Wade Larson, Mel Reed

Warmly,
David Short