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Groups & Committees |
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Pastoral Care |
23. October 2007
Meeting about this very website
16. September. 2007
This a demo, a work in progress, a solid start.
Join us online later this year. |
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Wheelchair Accessability |
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St. John the Evangelist is proud to offer wheelchair accessability.
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Thanksgiving 2007
Dear Friends,
The summer is slipping away far more quickly than some of us would like. The school season is about to begin, which means that many of us are getting back to the everyday routines of life. I do hope you have had a Blessed summer.
"Blessings!" We sometimes say we have them and hope desperately that they continue, we might even fire off a friendly "God Bless You!" to someone. But what do we mean when we say that? What are the blessings of your life? A "Blessing" is rarely "stuff", an object or a possession. Blessings are those things which enrich our lives and give it meaning. Family, friends, significant relationships, membership in meaningful organizations, even work! can all be Blessings. They enrich our lives, give purpose and make us feel that the world is better for our having been in it. Blessings can even be found in times of difficulty; times when we have to keep going when it is tough; times when circumstances show us that we must change and grow. A Blessing may be a moment when we feel the profound presence of God in our lives. Blessings can be found everywhere, even in those least expected places and moments. This is what I pray for! This is what I mean when I say: "God Bless you". This is what I hope for you today!
One of the greatest Blessings of my life, besides my family, is my call as priest and pastor here. My life, and, I hope, yours is enriched by being here. Much is happening here at St. John’s and I wish to highlight a few situations and events.
First of all, "Rally Day", the usual start-up day for many of our fall activities, will be on September 9th. Parents and children are invited to come early (10:00 a.m.) and register for Sunday School. Following the 10:30 a.m. service we will have a BBQ lunch in the parish hall.
At our last vestry meeting, I spoke of the work of Natural Church Development, a tool we are using to discover our strengths and weaknesses here at St. John’s. Spirituality and Evangelism were discovered to be our greatest challenges. To that end, we have a number of activities planned for the fall. Liz Chaplin recently completed a Master’s degree in Pastoral Care and a course in Spiritual Direction. Liz is offering a 6 week course called "prayer 101". Many admit that they don’t really know how to have a meaningful prayer life; well... this is the course for you. Liz will carefully guide people into the ofttimes unexplored world of Prayer. Join us on Saturdays (9-11a.m.) beginning September 22nd here at the church.
Evangelism, another area for growth, is a "scary" word for most Anglicans. They somehow feel that Evangelism is "in-your-face proselytizing". It is not! Evangelism is the gentle sharing of our faith in Jesus Christ. Evangelism can also be the inviting of others to attend one church or other with the expressed purpose of helping another to find a parish home; a place where they can worship in a comfortable environment. Recently the NCD committee put together a little booklet and invitation card to help you to become an evangelist. All of us have had people say that they might like to come to church. People have said that to me at the golf course. This booklet will help you identify why and how you can become the evangelist God is calling us to be. Take the cards and brochure after September 9th, then invite someone who doesn’t go to church to join you at our Harvest Thanksgiving celebrations. A pot-luck lunch, that we as parishioners will host, will follow the 10:30 a.m. service. Give it a try...become an evangelist. Join us and your friends on September 30 for our thanksgiving service as we together examine the blessings of our lives and give thanks for them all.
2007 is our sesquicentennial year in the Diocese of Huron; we are celebrating 150 years as a Diocese. On September 9 we will have the Diocesan Sesquicentennial Cross with us for Rally day. On October 28th there is a huge service and celebration planned at the John Labatt’s Centre in London (2:00 p.m.). We have reserved a bus for the trip and we still have seats available, so you can still reserve your spot. Please note that the 10:30 a.m. service on October 28th will be cancelled because we hope everyone will go to this event. Join us on this memorable day.
Finally, it is with a great deal of personal pain that I have to tell you that Karen recently tendered her resignation from her position as Youth Minister effective September 30th. As she has contributed greatly to the life of our parish, our children and our young people, we feel that it is only appropriate and right to have a time when we recognize her contribution and her ministry. At the end of the 10:30 a.m. service on September 23rd we will say "thank you" to Karen for all her good work. The wardens are collecting money for a gift to be presented on that day. If you would like to make a contribution toward that gift, please send it to the office.
The reality of parish life is that "ministers" (of every type) move in and then out of the community; ministries start and they end. It is hard when things that we truly appreciate come to a close or when we have to say "goodbye" to an individual who had meant much to us. The obvious challenge facing us now is that we will have to begin the process of re-building our Children’s ministry. This will happen! In fact, it is already happening. We are looking intently in new directions for our Sunday School. We are investigating new curricula which can form part of the new direction. Obviously we are going to need people to help. This week I will be contacting many of our teachers, potential teachers and parents to enlist their help. On September 15th 9:00 a.m. we will be holding a training and information day regarding the new directions which will happen in October. Please feel free to call me for information or interest. Thanks.
Finally, I need to share a major concern. Until the summer months, financial contributions were down, but not alarmingly. As a result of low attendance and contributions, we find ourselves in a particularly difficult financial situation. At the end of August, general givings (offerings) were down $5000 from last year. Expenses are up $6000. The net result is a deficit of $30,694 compared to $18,673 at the same time last year.
We have had difficult times in the past, and we will experience them again in the future. People have responded when there is a need and we are asking that you do so now. The wardens join me in bringing this to your attention and thank you in advance for your generosity.
Again, I wish you God’s richest Blessings. If I can be of any assistance, please give me a call.
God Bless you all!
I remain your Priest, Pastor and Friend
- The Reverend Canon Stephen Haig
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