The E-postle November 17, 2019

23^rd Sunday after Pentecost

E-postle

November 17, 2019

 

“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”

 

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, November 19           10:15am–12noon – Bible Study (in the Parish Hall)

Thursday, November 21         1pm – ACW meeting

Sunday, November 24            after 10am service – Welcome Coffee Hour for ReSponse Refugee Family

Monday, November 25           7–9pm – Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, November 28         5:30–7:30pm – Family Advent event with Inlet United Church

Sunday, December 1               8:30am – regular Eucharist; 10am – Advent Lessons & Carols service

 

Stewardship Reflection

“Have Faith in God” – author unknown

 

Have faith in God; what can there be

For Him too hard to do for thee?

He gave His Son; now all is free?

Have faith, have faith in God.

Have faith thy pardon to believe

Let God’s own word thy fears relieve;

Have faith the Spirit to receive;

Have faith, have faith in God. I

Have faith in God and trust His might

That He will conquer as you fight,

And give the triumph to the right;

Have faith, have faith in God.

Have faith in God press near His side,

Thy troubled soul trust Him to guide;

In life, in death, what’er betide

Have faith, have faith in God.

 

Rector Away

Vivian is away for vacation and spiritual retreat from Friday, November 15 through Friday, November 22. Please connect with Sarah in the parish office at administrator@stja.ca or 604-936-7762, or Geri or Ruby at rectorswarden@stja.ca or peopleswarden@stja.ca for routine parish matters during this time.

For pastoral emergencies, to be connected to the on-call priest, please call the office at 604-936-7762 during business hours (Tues/Wed/Thurs 9am-1:30pm; Fri 9-11:30am) or Ruby at other times.

We are grateful to the Rev. Michael Chin, serving as presider and preacher at worship services on Nov. 17.

 

Online Survey Re: Marriage at St. John’s

A reminder, if you haven’t already, to fill out Parish Council’s short online survey by this Sunday, Nov. 17. The brief survey gives parishioners an opportunity to indicate anonymously where on the spectrum of agreement you currently fall, and to give any further comments. Paper copies are also available at church.

[NOTE: Please be sure to fill out either online or paper – not both! Also, we invite each adult person in a household to fill out a separate survey.]  

Thank you to all those who have given feedback to Parish Council on marriage at St. John’s through this online survey, the Parish Forum last Sunday, and to Council members directly. We are glad to be receiving this wide representation of parishioner voices, and will be prayerfully considering all of this information at our November 25 meeting. As always, please feel free to speak directly with any Council member if you have any questions (The Rev. Vivian Lam, The Rev. Anne Anchor, Geri Grigg, Ruby Ng, Cedric Miller, Mary Lou Kyle, Adelaine Miller, Tony Pellett, Sheila De Vaal, Rosa Wiesensel, or Brian McGlashan).

 

Financial Status

Statement of Income and Expenses as of YTD to Sept 2019

	ACTUAL	BUDGETED
INCOME	$ 156,619	$ 160,200
EXPENSES	$ 163,611	$ 160,200
Surplus (-) Loss	-$ 6,992	$0

 

Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) Meeting

The next A.C.W. meeting will be held on Thursday, November 21st at 1pm.  Please note a change of time from our usual evening meeting.

We will be collecting the shoe box Christmas gift parcels and stuffed toys for the Mission to Seafarers at this meeting.

 

A.C.W. Calendar Fundraiser

The 2020 Anglican Church calendars are available to purchase for $7. Please see Sharon Cooper at the 8:30am service, or Antoinette Woodman or Joanne Walton at the 10am service if you would like to buy one.

 

Joint Family Advent Event with Inlet United Church – Thursday, Nov. 28

We are excited to be partnering with our neighbours at Inlet United Church (formerly known as St. Andrew’s-IOCO) on a family-friendly event to get us in the spirit of Advent! We will be gathering in St. John’s parish hall on Thursday, November 28, from 5:30-7:30pm for supper, story-telling, music, and wreath-making. It will be a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with our United Church sisters and brothers – please come join us and invite friends and family!

Please RSVP by next Sunday, Nov. 24 with Sarah in the parish office at administrator@stja.ca to help us plan well for food and setup.

And if you are interested in helping out at the event, please be sure to let Sarah know too!

 

Refugee ReSponse Update – Nov. 24 Welcoming Coffee Hour

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, our refugee family arrived at Vancouver Airport! The family (including 4 children) were greeted by their parents/grandparents and other relatives.

Over the next several weeks, the family is being invited to visit with all the parishes in our deanery who have been involved in their sponsorship. We look forward to welcoming them here at St. John’s during our 10am coffee hour next Sunday, Nov. 24. Please join us that day to meet the new arrivals and celebrate a new beginning in their new home country.

Please also connect with Mary Lou Kyle if you/your family would like to spend some time with the family. Our responsibility as sponsors is to assist them in getting to know Canada. This includes things like taking them on outings to places like the library, rec center, parks, to local community events, perhaps a visit to downtown Vancouver or Fort Langley or out for a walk and a coffee. The adults would have some time during the week but events with the children would need to be on weekends. They require assistance taking transit until they become comfortable travelling on their own. One adult and a couple of the children speak some English but it is suggested that you load Google Translate on your phone to communicate with them in Persian.

 

Call for Volunteers – Cold Wet Weather Mat Program

During the month of January 2020, St. Laurence Anglican Church—together with the Hope for Freedom Society—will offer hospitality of overnight shelter and meals to those in need. Help will be needed for staffing of morning and evening shifts and for providing food, clothing or a financial contribution.

An Orientation and sign-up meeting will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 10:00 – 11:00 am at St. Laurence (825 Saint Laurence Street, Coquitlam).

Anne Anchor will be attending this meeting and selecting certain dates for providing lunch sandwiches. If others wish to attend to sign for an evening meal or working a shift, you will be more than welcome. If you are unable to attend and would like Anne to sign-up on your behalf please contact her at deacon@stja.ca.

 

An Advent Taste of Silence at St. Laurence – Saturday, November 30

You are invited to enter Advent within a setting of grace, stillness and reflection on Saturday, Nov. 30,

10am-3pm at St. Laurence Anglican Church (825 Saint Laurence Street, Coquitlam). The deep silence nudges us to say yes to what really matters in our precious lives. The day’s focus is on individual and personal relationship with God.  Further information is posted on the bulletin board or contact Christine Kesans at

604-944-7447 or chris.kesans@gmail.com or visit the COGV website: http://www.cogv.org

 

Reconciliation and the Welcome Post Project Continues

A new Welcome Post project begins. Grandmother cedar is at Noons Creek Hatchery and all are invited to see the progress of the work. The post carving story has been created in consultation with the Kwikwetlem people. These words below are of Carver Brandon Gabriel, a gracious person with whom I spoke today. Our journey on the path to reconciliation will continue through this carving and into the spring as new programs become available. What an amazing experience.

• Anne Anchor

“Day 2 (Monday, October 21st, 2019), Noons Creek Hatchery, unceded Tsleil-Waututh and Kwikwetlem territories, in the City of Port Moody.

Jonas Bige and Brandon Gabriel Art are hard at work with Dave Bennie, on the 600-year-old old growth cedar log that fell naturally, and was not a purposefully harvested log. Never in my dreams did I ever think I would ever be walking in an intact old growth cedar rainforest to go and do ceremony to bring a log down to the valley to create artwork for anyone, let alone a project that is honouring the entire Kwikwetlem First Nation and their ancestral home. Seriously, I know some of my artist friends who have been doing these projects for years, who might be a bit jaded because of all their years of experience doing this work. But it never gets lost on me. The magic of creating and working on things like this will never get old for me. I truly love it. Thank you to Tasha Faye Evans, Xwalacktun, Chief Ed Hall, Councilor George, the Kwikwetlem elders, the Kwikwetlem youth, The Port Moody Ecological Society, the City of Port Moody, and the volunteers at Noons Creek Hatchery for giving us this amazing gift to do this work for you. Thanks to my family in Kwantlen for supporting too!”

 

Proteins needed for St. John’s Food Bank

Protein-rich foods are often the most expensive items for families to purchase when grocery shopping. People on limited budgets often cannot afford them and make do with stodgy foods to fill stomachs. Please help those who need them by donating the following to St. John’s Food Bank.

• tinned salmon, tuna, chicken, beef (not all can eat pork products)
• shelf stable nut butters
• dried or tinned beans and peas
• powdered or shelf-stable milks
• meaty stews or soups
• cans of vegetables

Bring your offerings on Sunday, arrange with the office to drop off during the week, or give some money to this ministry towards the purchase of fresh products.

 

Prayer Cycle

The Anglican Church of Canada – the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate, and the Most Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, Archbishop, and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon.

And this week:

*        St. Hilda, Sechelt – The Reverent Ayoob Adwar, The Venerable Bruce Morris

*        St. Clement, North Vancouver – The Reverend Philippa Segrave-Pride, The Reverend Elizabeth Mathers, The Reverend Peggy Trendell-Jensen

*        The Deanery of Oakridge – The Reverend Marion Wong, Regional Dean

*        Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, Bishop Brent Alawas, and especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan;

*        The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – National Bishop Susan Johnson, BC Synod Bishop Greg Mohr;

*        The brothers and sisters who share our worship space: The Port Moody Korean Presbyterian Church

 

Readings for November 17, 2019 – 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 3 – Isaiah 12:2–6 (in place of the Psalm); 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19

 

Readings for November 24, 2019 – Last Sunday after Pentecost: The Reign of Christ

Jeremiah 23:1-6; Canticle 19 – Luke 1:68-79 (in place of the Psalm); Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

 

Important Contact Information

Rector – The Rev. Vivian Lam – rector@stja.ca or 604-936-7762

Deacon – The Rev. Anne Anchor – deacon@stja.ca

Office Administrator – Jennifer Green (currently on leave)

Interim Office Administrator – Sarah Golding – administrator@stja.ca or 604-936-7762

(Office Hours during this interim time are Tues/Wed/Thurs, 9am-1:30pm & Fri, 9am-11:30am)

Rector’s Warden- Geri Grigg – rectorswarden@stja.ca

People’s Warden – Ruby Ng – peopleswarden@stja.ca

Treasurer – Cedric Miller – treasurer@stja.ca

Envelope Secretary – Sheila de Vaal – envelopesecretary@stja.ca

Parish Council – Adelaine Miller, Secretary – parishcouncilsecretary@stja.ca

Altar Guild – Brenda Binns – altarguild@stja.ca

St. John Prayer Circle – Sue Elliott – prayer@stja.ca

Pastoral Visiting Ministry – Joanne Walton/Alma Oldenburg – pastoralvisits@stja.ca

Anglican Church Women (ACW) – Sue Hall – 604-936-0176 or ACW@stja.ca

Children’s Ministry /Godly Play – Christina Anchor – children@stja.ca

Prayer Shawls – Rosa Weisensel – administrator@stja.ca

Bible Study – Lynne Milner – biblestudy@stja.ca

Food Bank – Lynne Milner – foodbank@stja.ca