News > 2009 Parish Life Notes > 09.05.03 Parish Life

Family Meeting

On May 11th St. John’s will have a ‘family meeting’ open to anyone in the parish to attend. We will spend time discussing the trial and have time for questions and answers. We will also spend time in prayer and singing as we prepare as a family for the trial. Next Monday, 7:30 pm in the Gym, all are welcome.

May Parish Prayer Meeting Moved to May 11th

The May Parish Prayer meeting will not be held tomorrow (May 4). For this month, we plan to incorporate it with the special parish “family meeting”, on Monday, May 11.

Prayer Opportunity

There are a number of St. John’s people who desire to form a group who will commit to praying for the trial for an hour either at home or in the church. We need to keep constant prayer cover of the trial. Anyone who would like to volunteer or for more information, please contact Joanne M, ext 15 or email

Legal Fund - Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC)

On May 25, 2009 we are seeking clarification from the courts regarding the ownership of our property. We continue to encourage people to donate to the ANiC legal fund in order cover the costs associated with these legal proceedings. Cheques should be made payable to The Anglican Network in Canada - St. John’s Project , and they should be marked as being designated for the legal fund. Donations may be placed in the offering plate, or delivered to the church office. For more information contact Krista Friebel at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 19.

Ekklesia

Ekkelsia is camping in Pismo Beach, California for a time of fellowship and rest. Please pray for safety while travelling and that God would bless their time together. They return on May 6th.

 Operation Baby Bottle

Next Sunday, May 10th (Mother’s Day) Crisis Pregnancy Centre will be running its annual Baby Bottle Fund Raising Campaign. We ask all who are interested in taking part in this exciting operation to pick up a bottle(s) from Janice in the Trendell Lounge during the coffee-time in between the 9 and 11 services.

Lost and Found

Please claim items from the lost and found outside the library in the Church Hall. Unclaimed items will go to charity.

Job Opportunities

There are two positions posted to cover maternity leaves
• Music Ministry Assistant (Part-time)
• Assistant Children’s Minister (Full-time)

For more information please click here

If you are interested or think of somebody that should apply please have them call Joanne Lawrie at ext 18 or email

Used Stamps

Please bring your unwanted used stamps in for the Arctic Fellowship. Thank you to all those who already give. If you have any questions about this ministry, please contact Grace at 872.6031.

Thank You

St. John’s Richmond wishes to thank the St. John’s Shaughnessy Children’s Choir for their visit last Sunday. It was a joy and encouragement to hear you and visit with you. Also, please be assured of our continued prayers for the St. John’s Shaughnessy congregation in the weeks ahead. We are privileged to be partners in the gospel with you.

Opportunity to attend Christianity Explored! A course for the curious, a place to ask questions

The Christianity Explored 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!

Wednesday nights ~ for all: This course will meet at 7:00 pm in the Church Hall for a wonderful home cooked meal,
short presentation and discussion. The course is free, but a small donation is asked to help cover the cost of the awesome food. The next course begins in May. If you have any questions or wish to register please email or phone Aaron at the church office, 604.731.4966 ext 22.

Parish Family News

Condolences. Please keep Sallie and Jurg, Karol and Meriel Boschung in your prayers. Sallie’s mother died last month and her funeral was held yesterday on Vancouver Island.

Luke 12:31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well. Jesus assumes that we are complex people with complicated desires and drives and that our decisions, thoughts and actions are moving toward the things we really seek. So he warns us: “do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind.” (Luke 12:29) This is a particularly helpful word to us in the current economic anxieties. Instead, Jesus commands us to seek his [God’s] kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.

In one sense Jesus is saying that the Christian life is very simple—it is reordering all our desires and drives, our decisions and deliberations, around one truly great reality, the kingdom of God. It is not that following Jesus means we treat everything else in life as trivial or unimportant. Far from it. It is that there is one thing exalted above everything else, and as we exalt Jesus to the highest place, everything else falls into its rightful place and becomes increasingly restored to order.

This is very practical and very deep. In the context of Luke 12 it obviously applies to how we use money and possessions. Yet Jesus has in mind the whole way of living which is animated by spiritual ambitions for the kingdom of God as our first priority over all things. As we look at our lives and decisions we ask: ‘What can I do in this situation which will most promote the kingdom of God?’, ‘What can I do here in this circumstance which will show Jesus Christ as the highest one, over all things?’

It is vitally important for us as a church family to think and pray together in this way as we move toward our court dates starting May 25th. I invite you to a special Family Meeting, May 11, 7:30 pm in the gym, which will be an opportunity for us to share our concerns and to draw one another together around Christ. This is not a parish information meeting—although I will give a brief update. It is not a prayer meeting—although there will be time for unhurried prayer. It is not a parish vestry meeting—but a Family Meeting to share, pray, hear and ask the question together, ‘How can we seek the kingdom of God?’

Of course all of this arises from the fact that God is seeking us! Just a few verses later Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) God our heavenly Father is not just seeking us, he takes deep personal pleasure in giving to us what we most need. That which we seek is a gift to us and not something we have to squeeze out of an unwilling God. He does not give us his kingdom because of our morality or immorality, because of our goodness or badness, because of our performance or lack of it - but because it is his good pleasure. And this is the same good pleasure God takes in Jesus, because in giving us the kingdom, God is giving us Jesus
himself.

David.