Who we are:
St John's Vancouver Anglican Church, Vancouver is a community of Christians dedicated to the exposition and teaching of the Word of God, to the spreading of the good news of the Gospel at home and abroad, and to the application of God's purpose in our own lives and families.
News > 2009 Parish Life Notes > 09.07.26 Parish Life
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July 26, 2009
Family ServicesPlease take note that next Sunday (August 2nd) begins our August Family Services. This means children stay in church for the whole service and there will be no Sunday School. These services run till September 6th and are a great opportunity for the whole church family to worship together. Keeping Company with GodAre you a summer visitor or a member of St. John’s? Looking for 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? Then come to a service called “Keeping Company with God”, on Monday July 27th at 7:30 PM. This is a place to be still before God and receive his good care. The service will be held in the sanctuary at 7:30PM, every second and fourth Monday. If you have any questions, email or call Manya Egerton at 604.261.7785 St. John’s Summer Youth CampThe youth summer camp is taking place August 15-20 at Point Roberts, Washington. Flyers are available at the church entrances and the front desk of the church office. For more information visit our website or contact Chloe Moore or Robert Edwards (email addresses above). To register please email Julie Moser. Help with VYLC (Vancouver Youth Leadership Conference) 31 Aug- 3 SeptWe need cooks for VYLC (held at St John’s) 31 August – 3 September. We need help with morning/afternoon tea and preparing lunch. If you are able to help out for part of the time or all of the time please contact Julie Moser. Help with St John’s Youth summer camp neededWe need cooks for our St John’s youth summer camp 15-20 August at Pt Roberts, USA (across the border from Tsawwassen). If you are able to help out please contact Julie Moser. Synod Travel FundrasierThe ANiC office is asking people to collect Air Miles (not Air Canada Aero Plan) to help with the travel costs of Synod. If you are interested in helping please contact the church office for an ANiC Air Miles card. Community NewsOne Week Housing Needed Regent Public Lectures
For more information, see the poster on the hall bulletin board or go to http://www.regent-college.edu
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Dear friends, The story of the Good Samaritan is well known to all of us – Jesus used this parable to teach us what it means to love our neighbor. It is also an example of pastoral care at its finest. Caring more about the welfare of the “other” than we do about ourselves is likely as good a definition of pastoral care as I can come up with. This is because pastoral care is not easily defined. Yes, it is exemplified in care such as that provided by the Samaritan, but it is also such loving acts as making a nutritious meal for a shut-in; it might be driving a disabled friend to church; it could visiting a sick friend in hospital; going to read the Bible to a friend who has experienced loss of vision; or the simple act of phoning a friend whom you have not seen in church recently – just to make sure they are okay. Pastoral care begins with each of you; you do not need special training and you do not need a University Degree. You need simply to want to “love your neighbour”. If you want to know where to begin – it always begins with prayer! Prayer changes things; prayer moves the heart of God; and as we intercede for others, we become less selfish ourselves. Today we are going to hear from a man whose life was miraculously spared through the prayers of all of you. Sunday after Sunday, we have joined together in praying for Paul Phibbs, and the members of our prayer chain have been unfailingly faithful in prayer for God to heal and restore Paul. God has done just that – and we will wait for Paul to tell us “the rest of the story”. My prayer is that each and every one of you will be encouraged by hearing this amazing story of just one of the miracles which God is performing in and around us all the time. Prayer matters to God. Revelation 8:3,4 tells us “another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel”. My dear friends, let us believe God to do great things for us as we continue to pray for our church, and for one another. With love in Christ Edie Rittinger |
