News > 2009 Parish Life Notes > 09.04.05 Parish Life

Parish Luncheon Celebration… Come one, come all!

This Sunday, Apr 5, following the 11:00 am service, we are planning a parish luncheon to celebrate the court decision that allows Mehran to remain in Canada permanently. We will have a delicious middle-eastern meal. It is a wonderful opportunity for our St. John’s family to rejoice in God’s goodness together.

The cost will be $5 for individuals and $10 per family.

Prayer Meeting – Monday April 6th, at 7:30 pm – Mission Focus: Genesis

“There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life. Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Sermon on the Mount, Part 2, p 46).
Dear friends, you are invited to join us at the parish prayer meeting on Monday, April 6, for two reasons: first, that you may be encouraged in your praying for St. John’s ministries as well as for those ministries that are
beyond our walls; and secondly, to encourage fellow pray-ers. Give it a try; you may just want to come back and make it a monthly habit for 2009. Marion Maxwell will be our mission speaker.

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 or email Jan at the church ext 28 or email jan

Join Us in Easter Decorating in the Sanctuary

On Apr 11 between 9:00 am and 11:00 am we will be decorating the sanctuary for Easter. No experience is neccessary and coffee and snacks will be provided. Greenery, especially ivy is welcome. You may leave your
decorations outside the south chapel door.

Easter Flowers and Messages

Donations for Easter flowers, and Easter messages that appear in the Parish Life Notes are being taken in the
Trendell Lounge after all the services today. Please see Edith Winters.

Service Opportunity

The Casserole Ministry is calling on all of those who would like to make some meals! We are looking for casseroles or soups portioned for 1 to 2 people, 3 to 4 people or family size. The Casserole Ministry tries to help out parishioners when they are dealing with an illness, death or stressful time in their lives. If you would like to help and could make a meal please call Carolyn @ 604-263-4465 or Suzie @ 604-271-4750 for details of where to drop it off. Thank you to all of those faithful chefs who help us out throughout the year.

Volunteers Needed…. Enjoy serving in the St John’s greeting ministry

Matthew 10 : 40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one that sent me”. If you are interested in joining or wish to learn more, please contact the Church office ex 15 or Harold Linnington at 604.602.9941

Alpha Marriage Course

We are planning to run a seven-week Alpha Marriage course, beginning Monday, Apr 20. This is a course designed to help strengthen marriages and is suitable for marriages of all ages and stages, whether you are newly weds or have been married for years. If you’d like further information or would like to register, (preregistration is required) please call Jan at the church, 604.731.4966 ext 28 or send email

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.

Interns

Our Ekklesia interns, Andrew and Jessica will be leaving us this summer to study further at The University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN). Please pray for them during this transition as they tie up life here in Vancouver, say goodbye to Ekklesia, sell their apartment, and prepare for life in America. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in buying an apartment close to St. John’s please pass along the word that Andrew and Jessica are selling an apartment – this would be a great help to them! (information at 3591oakSt.com).

Women’s Retreat

Ladies, the brochures for the women’s retreat are now out. You can pick them up at the church office or in the sanctuary. Registration is going to start the week of March 23. You can drop your registration form off at the office, at Women@10 or in between the morning services on April 5, or April 19. Because this retreat fills up fast, avoid disappointment and register early. You must fill out the form and attach payment to secure your registration. Thank you and if you have any questions that the brochures don’t answer, please feel free to contact Darrell Thomas at 604.269.9011

Lighthouse Harbour Ministries Spring Dinner

Lighthouse Mission to Seafarers is having a Dinner-Fund Raiser at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009 at J.P. Fell Armoury in North Vancouver (freewill offering). A captivating video about the lives of Christian seafarers and the music of Michael Hart will be featured. Please call Paul Ratsoy at 604.988.5084 or email: lhouse@beacom.com to book your place.

Volunteer Opportunity

Kingcrest International Neighbours (www.kingcrest.org), a ministry that runs ESL classes and helps many refugee claimants and newcomers to Canada in East Vancouver, is looking for volunteers in the upcoming 10-week Spring Term, Apr 14 to Jun 19, 2009. We need volunteer teachers who can teach 2 hours once or twice a week in the morning or in the evening, host friends to spend time with students and orient them to life in Canada, and helpers to help with Alpha ESOL Bible Study, refreshments, childcare and other administrative work. No previous training or experience is required. Please contact Kingcrest at 604.327.6262 or e-mail info@kingcrest.org. More details about this ministry may be found on the bulletin board in the church hall.

Parish Family News

Birth. Congratulations to Peter and Amy Tippett on the birth of their first child, a son, Benjamin Caleb John Tippett, who arrived on Thursday, March 26th. Delighted grandparents are Jack and Irena Tippett.

Flowers. The flowers on the credence table are placed in honour of God and in loving memory of Daphne, daughter of Ann & Kenneth Fung and eldest sister of Leona, Carol and Michele. Ever Loved and Valued.

Welcome to St. John’s. Today we host a luncheon to celebrate the court decision that allows Mehran to remain in Canada permanently. We will have a delicious Middle Eastern meal. It is a wonderful opportunity for our St. John’s family to rejoice in God’s goodness together.

We are finding that Jesus has a lot to teach us about money in Luke’s gospel—what he says is liberating, challenging and deeply life giving. In Craig Gay’s wonderful book Cash Values: Money and the Erosion of Meaning in Today’s Society, he quotes John Wesley’s sensible advice concerning the use of money for those who follow Jesus Christ.

Wesley counsels

“Gain all you can! . . .
using in your business all the understanding that God has given you”
“Save all you can!”
“Give all you can!”

Wesley invites us:

“consider, when the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being, and placed you in this world …He placed you here, not as a proprietor, but as a steward: as such, He entrusted you, for a season, with goods of various kinds; but the sole property of these still rests in Him, nor can ever be alienated from Him. As you yourself are not your own, but His, such is, likewise, all that you enjoy. Such is your soul and your body, not your own, but God’s, and so is your substance in particular. And He has told you, in the most clear and express terms, how you are to employ it for Him, in such a manner, that it may be all an holy sacrifice, acceptable through Christ Jesus. And this light, easy service, He hath promised to reward with an eternal weight of glory.”

May God continue to give us his grace in this light easy service.

David.