E-postle – June 4th, 2017

The E-postle

June 4, 2017

“The Parish of St. John the Apostle is called to be

*          A Spirited Community at the heart of Port Moody

*          transformed through the experience of the presence of Christ

*          and sent out to share God’s Love”

– draft mission statement

A Spirited Community

It takes energy to change.   The natural human tendency is to resist something new because the familiar is, well, familiar.  At least we can gauge how much we have to put in to stay in the same spot.  But being stationary is not good for any living organism:  witness how sore your back gets when you sit for too long.  The Holy Spirit stirs us to restlessness, to dissatisfaction with the way things are.  But to overcome inertia, we need both a vision of where we want to get to and courage to take a first step.

Within the transition process, talking is important but talking is not enough.  God is stirring us to change.  It is about letting go of the old so that we have our hands free to grasp the new.  The work is daunting for a few parish leaders.  Each and every member must be part of the change process:  willing to make room inside to be filled by the Holy Spirit.  The gifts given at Pentecost are here among you:  wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, and interpretation.  Bring them forward and share them so that your leaders may be strengthened and renewed.  Every voice is needed to engage in our identity and priorities.  Every ear is needed to listen for God in what others say.  And every hand is needed for first steps.  The depth of your engagement will determine how quickly the Spirit can drive us forward.

Or for those of you who like mathematics:

C      =      D              x               V              x               F               >         R

change                        dissatisfaction                                    vision                                      first steps        resistance

Yours in Christ,

Stephanie+

Readings for Pentecost, June 11th, 2017  

Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

 

Prayer Cycle

In the Anglican Communion- Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Primate of Canada Fred Hiltz, BC & Yukon Archbishop John Privett, our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, Bishop Brent Alawas, and especially the people of our twin church at St. Johns Mission, Bila, Mountain Province;

Diocese of New Westminster Bishop Melissa Skelton, and this week:

Holy Spirit Anglican Church, Whonnock

St. Columba, Pitt Meadows

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada- National Bishop Susan Johnson, BC Bishop Greg Mohr;

 

The brothers and sisters who share our worship space: The Port Moody Korean Presbyterian Church and the Polish Evangelical Church.

 

Upcoming Dates

June 4- Pentecost: wear RED (or orange or yellow)

June 5- 7 pm Website focus group in Parish Ministry Centre

June 6- 7 pm Stewardship Team meeting

June 7- 9:30 am-12 noon, Coffee & Crafts in the church hall

June 10- 10 am- 12 noon Liturgy Workshop for those with roles in worship

June 11-17 Diocesan School for Parish Development

June 15- 6 pm, ACW Wind-up Dinner with food from the Wokking Dragon

June 17- 1:30 pm, EfM Graduation service at St. Stephen’s West Vancouver

June 17- 1:30-4:30 pm, Indigenous Justice Fair at St. Stephen’s Burnaby

June 25- 11:30 am-3 pm Deanery Picnic at Blue Mountain Park

June 26- 7 pm Parish Council in the Parish Ministry Centre, all welcome to attend

 

Stewardship Reflection

“Our Baptism calls us into a life of stewardship.  As individuals baptized into the church of God we have made some significant promises. Our lives are spent learning to live into these promises… The Baptismal Covenant (Book of alternative Services, page 158-159) asks us to live in ways which obey the teachings of Jesus. This is a six-part rule of life, this is living the life of stewardship.”

–        From the book Draw near to God,  by Glen Mitchell

In living out these promises we obey the teachings of Jesus, recognizing that all belongs to God; that we are called to manage all these gifts according to God’s will, which leads to transformation of
life.  How does the Holy Spirit sustain you with the courage to will and persevere?

 

Liturgy Workshop

On Sunday mornings, the work of the people we know as worship is sustained by many roles.  On Saturday June 10, all those who help with the services are strongly encouraged to come to review what you do, encourage and train others, and share ideas for change.  If you are one of the following: sacristan, server, crucifer, intercessor, reader, greeter, or healing prayer person, you are needed from 10 am to noon.  If you feel the stirrings of an interest in helping glorify God through worship, come and see what it’s about.  Coffee, tea, and muffins will be ready for 9:30 am. For more information, speak to one of the clergy.

 

Gauging interest for Convening a Garage Sale

Is there a parishioner who is ready, willing, and able to coordinate a parish garage sale this summer?  The feasibility of this event depends on someone to be a convener and enough warm bodies to help.  Please contact one of the wardens if you are passionate about this as a fundraiser.

 

Focus Group for Website

Those interested in testing out upgrades to our parish website are invited to join a focus group on Monday June 5 at 7 pm in the Parish Ministry Centre.  Check out what we have now at www.stja.ca and email your comments on ease of use and content to the parish office at  stjohn7@shaw.ca

 

Deanery Picnic at Blue Mountain Park

On Sunday June 25, 2017, Anglicans from across the Tri-Cities North Burnaby Deanery will be gathering for worship, food, and fun at Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam.  The festivities begin at 11:30 am with a joint worship.  There will be a regular 8:30 am service and shortened 10 am service at St. Johns this day to allow people to choose to either come and have Eucharist here first or sleep in J and go directly to the park.  Following a “Prayer and Praise” in the park, lunch will be shared at the picnic shelters.  Participants are invited to bring lunch for themselves and something to share, e.g. vegetable sticks, cookies, watermelon, cheese and crackers, drinks.  That way, any guests or newcomers can be warmly invited to attend and to eat, drink, and be merry!  Those who have outdoor games suitable for any age are encouraged to bring them along (perhaps mark your name and phone number on the equipment).  Lawn darts or full contact croquet, anyone?

 

Yes You Can go to Camp Artaban!

St. John’s has financial assistance available for a family or young person to attend a residential camp on Gambier Island.  The family camp is a wonderful introduction for children too young to attend on their own and makes a great family vacation with meals and accommodation provided.  Please speak to a warden or Stephanie about how you can make your holiday happen.

 

EfM Graduation Service 

St. Christopher’s, West Vancouver on Saturday, June 17 at 1:30 pm.  Bishop Melissa will preside and present the certificates to the grads which include two from the St John’s group.

 

Upcoming TRC Events

Thursday June 8th COMMUNITY STORIES OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION David Lam campus (Coquitlam)Douglas College. This is organized by Community Volunteer Connections with the First Nations Support and Healing organization and Spirit of the Children. The event is free (donations encouraged to the Spirit of the Children) It begins at 5 pm with a reception, guest panel at 6 pm, a moderated Q & A session at 7.  Register at  www.volunteerconnections.net under festivals and events.

 

Saturday June 17th at St. Stephens Burnaby (Cameron St by Lougheed Mall) 1:00 – 4:30 Indigenous Justice Fair & Performance; Hosted by DNW Anglican Indigenous Circle.   “All are welcome to an oppotunity to meet and share your work for Indigenous Justice and learn about the work of others. We will begin with tabling and sharing information in the hall and move to the church for a mask theatre performance of Qwalena with Dallas Yellowfly of Three Crows Productions. https://www.3crowsproductions.com/ This powerful piece makes connections with one family’s experiences of residential schools and will be followed by a community conversation.  All are welcome. NOTE: Content refers to residential schools, physical and sexual abuse and violence within families. Please contact us if you are considering bringing a child under the age of 12.” (from DNW Indigenous Circle Facebook page).

A.C.W. News

St. John’s A.C.W. will meet on Thursday, June 15th for their Chinese Take-Out, ‘wind-up’ dinner. The cost will be $15. All women of the Parish are welcome to attend.

At our May meeting, we resolved, as usual, to disburse funds raised throughout the year to various outreach projects. These are the projects that we chose to support this year and the funds they received: St. John’s Church (Capital Improvement Fund) $1,500, Syrian Refugees $300, Bird’s Nest $300, L’Arche $300, Mission to Seafarers $300, St. Jude’s $300, Annual Fund  (VST) $300, The Home-Coming Society$300,Tri-Cities Women’s Shelter $300.

As you are aware, the ACW hosts a bazaar in November of each year.   We have been very fortunate to have had this event coordinated by Ferne Malcolm for a number of years.  At this time, Ferne feels the need to pass on the torch and we thought it best to address this issue to the entire parish rather than just members of our ACW, hence this letter.   The bazaar is not just an ACW event but, indeed, a parish event.  As Stephanie mentioned a few weeks ago during our Parish potluck, in many instances the same people have been involved in the same tasks for a very long time.  She also mentioned that moving forward it is sometimes good to get new people to step up to the plate which would also bring “freshness” to the table as we all have different strengths and ideas.  We are searching for a person or persons who would be interested in coordinating the bazaar henceforth with, of course, help from the ACW members and Ferne will be available to assist, if needed, for this current year.  If you feel this is your calling, please speak to, or phone one of the following ACW members as soon as possible: Sue Hall (president), Antoinette Woodman (treasurer),Sylvia Bradley (secretary).

 

An Invitation to the Coffee & Crafts Group

You are invited to come for fellowship, creative ideas, and light refreshments.  Whether you are eager to explore your artistic side or bring fumble fingers to assist with ongoing projects, you are most welcome.  The group meets the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30 am to noon.  Upcoming meeting Wednesday June 7th.  For further information, contact Ferne through the parish office.

 

Important Contact Information

Interim Priest- The Rev. Stephanie Shepard rev.seshepard@gmail.com or 778-773-6816

Parish Office- Karen Evans stjohn7@shaw.ca or 604-936-7762

Wardens- Geri Grigg gerigrigg@gmail.com Terry Walton terry&joanne_walton@telus.net  Maureen Simons mesimons@telus.net or through the parish office

Treasurer- Chelsea Belyk chelsea.belyk@gmail.com

Parish Council- Adelaine Miller, Secretary adelainemiller@shaw.ca

St. John Prayer Circle- Sue Elliott elliott.sue1@gmail.com

Pastoral Visiting Ministry- Joanne Walton terry&joanne_walton@telus.net

or Alma Oldenburg almaolden@hotmail.com

Anglican Church Women (ACW)- Sue Hall 604-936-0176