News > 2010 Parish Life Notes > 10.03.28 Parish Life

Mission Lunch Today

Heather Belamy, who has worked for many years with Samaritans Purse in Afghanistan, will be presenting her ministry at a Missions Lunch in Trendell Lounge after the 11 am service today. The cost is $5 per individual or $10 for a family. All are welcome.

April Parish Prayer Meeting Cancelled

Because of the Easter Monday holiday on April 5, the parish prayer meeting will be cancelled. The next parish prayer meeting will occur on Monday, May 3.

Easter Decorating

First of all, a big “Thank you” to Sandy Ley (and, indeed, the entire Ley family) for gracing all of us with the beautifully decorated church which we have had every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas for the last several years. Sandy has stepped down from this ministry – and it is only appropriate that we express our appreciation to her.
Then – a question: Would you be willing to help decorate our church for the coming Easter Services? Solveig Brickenden has accepted the challenge to coordinate the decorating as Sandy’s successor. She would love your help. Please contact her by email or call the church office at 604.731.4966 and leave your name and phone number for her to phone you back.

Ratanak Team

Our team from Cambodia comes home today. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel and continue to commit their work to the Lord even as they leave. For more information please read their blog at www.ratanak.org.

Mission Lunch Next Week

Heather Belamy who has worked for many years with Samaritans Purse in Afghanistan will be presenting her ministry at a Missions Lunch in Trendell Lounge after the 11:00 am service on March 28. The cost is $5 per individual or $10 for a family.

Help Needed!

There is an urgent need for more people who are willing to serve on the Coffee Team for the morning coffee hour. This is an excellent way to get acquainted with more folks here in the congregation, and an “easy” way to serve. Small group Bible Study people should consider offering to do this as a group – it’s great fun! And, a special appeal to our 11:00 am congregation – please consider coming early, serve on a coffee team, and then come to the 11:00 am service, knowing that you have made a difference that day. To volunteer, please contact Brent Smith by email or telephone 604.687.6689.

Volunteers Needed

Every week some very dedicated volunteers stuff the service sheets. But they need help! Many hands make light work. If you are able to help on Friday afternoons for up to two hours, please contact Joanne McKinnon at the church office 604.731.4966 ext 15.

Please Check the Lost & Found Table

If you have recently lost something at St. John’s please have a look at our lost & found table set up just outside the Trendell Lounge.

Christianity Explored

a course for the curious, a place to ask questions
The Christianity Explored course meets every Thursday night 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 or phone Aaron at the church office on 604.731.4966 ext 22.
The course is free, but a small donation is asked to help cover the cost of the awesome food. The next Christianity Explored course begins in May.

Prayer Book Society of Canada, Vancouver Chapter

The AGM will be held on Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 pm in Room 100 of St. John’s Church Hall. Prior to the meeting, you are invited to attend Evensong at 5:30, followed by dinner at 6:15 ($8 by donation). If you plan to come for dinner, please RSVP to Norah Johnston, Chairman, 604.224.8986. For more information, please pick up a sheet from the tables in the Narthex or North Chapel.

Women’s Retreat

Women’s Retreat- All Ladies, come to a weekend away to be refreshed by God’s word and wonderful company! The retreat this year is going to be April 23-25 and it will be at Loon Lake Educational Centre in Maple Ridge. The topic is Learning to trust God, the journey from entitlement to thanksgiving. Our speakers are Marion Maxwell and Kerensa Symons. Registration starts March 28, 2010. Cost of the retreat is either $155.00 for four people to a room, or $200.00 for two people to a room. If you have any questions please contact Darrell Thomas at 604.269.9011.

Malawi Visitors from the Diocese of the Upper Shire

Newly ordained Bishop Brighton Malasa, and Father Grant Tebulo, the Sunday School co-ordinator, will be visiting St. John’s for two weeks at the end of April. The Malawi committee is planning several events, please put these dates on your calendar.
Saturday, April 17, 6:30 pm – Coffee House. If you are interested in performing, please contact Karen May, by email or phone at 604.324.3134. This is a family event and preformers of all ages are welcome.
Sunday, April 25 - Bar-B-Que Lunch to follow the 11:00 am service.

Job Opening

Saint Matthew’s (ANIC – Abbotsford) is looking for a full time Assistant Priest. Those interested should contact the church office 604.853.2416 or email for a Parish Profile. The cut off date for applicants is March 31, 2010.

Dear St. John’s family,

Despite Olympic interruptions and spring breaks, which have fallen at various times over a two month period this year, it has still been a busy time in the life of the church.

The Valentine’s Day guest service on love in films, which was preached by our resident evangelist, Aaron Roberts, has resulted in a Christianity Explored course with 17 new participants. They are now meeting weekly for dinner and then working their way, with Aaron, through Rico Tice’s course asking some of the toughest questions about faith, life and God.

Beginning just after Valentine’s Day, the Evening Service began a 5 part series entitled “Conversations Between a Christian and a Skeptic”. During the sermon time Jim Salladin represents the Christian view point and Aaron Robert represents the skeptic in an open and frank conversation about some of people’s hardest questions about Christianity. The evening service, which has seen its numbers steadily increasing over the past year, has been a particularly busy place as many more people have come out to hear this series.

We have also seen a number of parishioners off on short and medium term mission trips. A number of our Ekklessia students are as far flung as India, Uganda and Cambodia. Dave Carter is offering post traumatic stress counseling and teaching counsellors in Haiti, and a few more are also off in Cambodia working with Ratanak. These trips provide practical help to the people we visit, help to build gospel relationships with our friends around the world in places where we have chosen to focus our missions spending, and always bring home parishioners with a deeper understanding of missionary work, God’s work in the world, and a renewed zeal for the role we must play in it.

Since the new year we have been visited by all four bishops of the Anglican Network in Canada. Each one took his turn in preaching in our sermon series in Acts, spent time during the week meeting with the many different ministries, cared for our clergy and staff and brought great encouragement to us. This model of bishops caring for the flock, and particularly ministering to clergy is something we are deeply grateful for and we thank Bishops Don Harvey, Trevor Walters, Charlie Masters, and Stephen Leung.

We are deeply grateful to God for his blessing on our church and continue to pray that we will seek his ways in all we do. We also ask that you keep all the newcomers and seekers in your prayers and that you pray fervently for our missionaries.

In Christ,
Lesley Bentley, People’s Warden
Joanne Lawrie, Director of Ministry