News > 2010 Parish Life Notes > 10.05.16 Parish Life

Missions Lunch

There will be a Missions Lunch after the 11:00 am service today in Tthe rendell Lounge. The Cambodia Team (Karol Boschung, Chris Pain, Jan Hobbis and Graham Meakins) will report on their recent trip to Cambodia with Ratanak to work on the “Sanctuary” building. This building is becoming the key centre for the transformation of Svay Pak, a community whose past is deeply linked with child exploitation.

Christianity Explored

The Christianity Explored course currently meets on Thursday 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 contact Aaron by email or phone at 604.731.4966 ext 22. The course is free, but a small donation is asked to help cover the cost of the awesome food.

Legal Update:

The Appeal date has been set for Sep 13 and will be heard by a three-judge-panel over four days. The process leading up the Appeal Trial is as follows:

• May 3 -  Appeal Factum to be filed by the Parishes.
• Jun 28 - Joint Factum and Cross Appeal to be filed by the Diocese
• Jul 26 - Reply to Joint Factum and Cross Appeal to be filed by Parishes
• Aug 9 - Reply to be filed by Diocese
• Aug 16 - Joint Appeal books and Joint Transcripts are to be filed by both parties

‘The Factum’ has been posted on the Anglican Network in Canada website, www.anglicannetwork.ca under News & Events, should you like to read it.

While we continue to regret that the legal process has been necessary, we are thankful to God for his continued guidance and provision through it. We are also thankful that we have received over 80% of what is required (including remaining pledges expected to be fulfilled) to be able to pay all our anticipated appeal costs. Please prayerfully consider participating financially as well as prayerfully.

As we go forward, specifically pray for our legal team as they prepare for Sep 13 and that God will provide three faithful and fair judges on the panel of appeal.

If you do not have context for this update and/or would like to learn more, please visit our website.

St. John’s Vancouver Staff - New Email Addresses

This Mon, Apr 26 all staff at St. John’s will have new email addresses. The nomenclature of the new addresses will be firstname(at)sjvan(dot)org. For example Krista Friebel will now be krista(at)sjvan(dot)org, and Ruth Matheson will be ruth(at)sjvan(dot)org. Please update your address books.

Ordination Services

Today, 4:00 pm at Grace Baptist Church, Hope BC
Bishop Trevor Walters is going to ordain Doug Beattie, an Artizo grad, as Deacon for the ANiC Church of the Resurrection in Hope. If you are able to attend, you would be most welcome. The address of Grace Baptist Church is 949 3rd Ave, Hope, BC.

Thursday, May 27, at 7:00 pm at St. John’s Richmond
Artizo grad David McElrea will be ordained deacon in ANiC at St. John’s Richmond on May 27 at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to
attend the service. St. John’s Richmond meets at Broadmoor Baptist Church, 8140 Saunders Road, Richmond, BC.

Service with Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda) and Yong Ping Chung

You are invited by the Anglican Coalition in Canada to an interdenominational worship service to be held Sun, May 23 at 7:30 pm at Fraserview MB Church, 11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond. For more information call 604-218-3577.

Parish Family News

Condolences
In the 1980s we had a couple of parish missions and Art Bennett, a friend of Harry Robinson, came out from Ontario to videotape those missions. He had a keen interest in our parish and has kept in touch over the years with Ken and Stella Ting, his hosts during the missions. He “has graduated to new life with his Lord, after a lengthy battle with cancer, on Tuesday, April 20, in his 84th year.” Please keep his wife, children and grandchildren in your prayers.

Congratulations and Condolences
Lyndsay Fukushima has two new lovely grandchildren. On April 3, Adam Nikko Flores was born to daughter, Marnie, and son-in-law, Beto, in Richmond, a brother for Kyler (6) and James (3). On April 16, Keira Elizabeth Mariko McMillan was born to daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law, Alex, in Victoria, a sister for Naomi (2). Also on April 16, Lyndsay’s Aunt Marjorie died in Victoria and a memorial service will be held for her at the end of this month.

Community News

Regent College Free Public Lectures – 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm
This Wednesday, May 12, Dr. Rod Wilson will speak on Why is Emotional Intelligence Missing in So Many Churches and Christian Institutions? 5800 University Boulevard.

Regent College Prayer Retreat – Sat, Jun 5, 8:45 am to 4:30 pm. Bruce and Carolyn Hindmarsh are leading this retreat. Cost is $28/person. Retreat is held at St. Helen’s Anglican Church, 4405 West 8th Avenue. To register phone: 604.221.3348 OR email.
 

Where are we now?

Surprise! Just when you thought we had finished the book of Acts last week (after working through it from September last year) we are back in chapter 1 today as we remember the ascension of Jesus to heaven on ‘Ascension Sunday’!
The first chapter of Acts is critical to our understanding where we are right now in God’s plan. Jesus first tells his disciples that in the power of the Holy Spirit they will be his very own witnesses from Jerusalem to the ‘ends of the earth’. Then, as the disciples stand dumbfounded watching Christ ascend to heaven, angels tell them “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” God’s plan for all creation had entered the age in which we now live; Christ in heaven continues his mission of bringing people to him through the work of the Holy Spirit until this age is finished and he returns.

This is where we are now. Though we may be temporarily focused on world politics, our jobs, our mortgages or the Canucks’ next season, there is a much bigger spiritual reality constantly unfolding, which we are all part of. As the book of Acts continues, we see that the first task of the apostles is to preach; to bear witness to Christ; to proclaim the word of God and to do so under the empowering of God’s Spirit. The early church leaders affirm this priority in Acts 6 when they indicate how devoted they are to keep focused on “prayer and the ministry of the word”. It is not surprising that as we came to the last verses of Acts last week we saw Paul in Rome under house arrest continuing to tell people about Jesus, but then... the book abruptly ends! Christ’s ministry through Paul is finished, but Christ’s mission continues in our world until he returns.

Today at the end of the 9 am service we are celebrating the graduation of Tripp Prince and Kerensa Symons from the Artizo Institute ministry apprenticeship program. The Artizo (Greek for ‘to equip’) Institute is committed to identifying, encouraging and training young men and women with gifts for ministry so that they will take up positions of ministry leadership in the future. Artizo addresses the question: “Who will tell my grandchildren about Jesus?” I know many of you have been blessed and encouraged by the ministry of both of these young people as they have been involved in such things as preaching, leading Sunday School, teaching and discipling young adults and youth, participating in missions, visiting homes and leading small groups. Artizo hopes that in God’s mercy they will continue to minister in our age in the God-given pattern of the book of Acts. We pray that these two gifted and godly young people will continue to preach, bear witness, and proclaim the word of God under the enabling power of the Holy Spirit until “Christ returns or calls them home.”

Thank you to all of those whose prayers, energy and financial support make the Artizo program possible.

Eric Thurston
(On behalf of the Artizo Institute Board)