The Epsitle Lenten Edition 05 March 2006
News and Notices From the Parish of St. John the Evangelist
Contents / Quick Links
Rector's Letter
" I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God."
Book of Alternative Services (p. 282)- The service for Ash Wednesday
Last week I started to do a job that I put off for as long as possible. I had to sort through the paper piles on my desk to find a particular document that we needed for our annual return to the diocese. After an hour of sifting I had a full garbage can but no letter. I next turned to the file cabinet and my newly created stack of material to be filed. In this process I finally found what I was looking for and I also discovered where everything else is! However now I had the bug, so I came in on Saturday morning and started to sort through the bookshelves to find enough space for the accumulation of new books that has been growing over the past year. In the end all was neat and tidy and I had more space than ever - and I had filled six large garbage bags.
The point of this account is not to tell you that the mild winter has caused an early bout of spring cleaning in the parish office, but that this burst of organization has a parallel in the church year - the season of Lent. This season is very much about finding what is most important to our lives and in the process, sifting through the stuff we are continually accumulating. It is about 'letting things go'. This theme is seen, in its simplest form, in the old tradition of giving something up for Lent. The church has for many centuries taught that Lent is a time of self-discipline and this is still evident in the invitation at the beginning of the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Alternative Services.
What we often miss is the reason for this 'giving up' or 'letting go'. It is not so that we may boast about our discipline or celebrate a few pounds lost before Easter. Your doctor may tell you that forsaking chocolate, chips, cigarettes or alcohol for six weeks are all good things for your health, but the church asks: What are the spiritual toxins that need removal? We are asked to let go of the things that pile up in our lives, that prevent us from growing in God's grace. Lent is a good time for a spiritual housecleaning.
The other great theme of the Lenten season is the call to study and to pray. Our parish is offering a variety of study programs for this season and there are lots of good books that you can read on your own. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus, spent 40days in solitude as he wrestled with God's call. Make space in your life to ask the questions and wrestle with God's call to you. In what ways do the life, the teaching, the death and resurrection of Jesus impact your life? "I invite you to the observance of a Holy Lent..."
Yours in Christ's Service,
Archdeacon Ron Cutler
Rector
PARISH NEWS & NOTICES
PROGRAMS FOR LENT
Monday Morning Bible Study
Mondays 10:00am. "12 Moments in Every Woman's Life" a study of the book of Ruth.
The study will take place at the homes of the participants.
Check the weekly bulletin for location.
Wednesday Morning Study
"Living Covenant" at 10:00am. at the Parish Hall.
This year the theme of 'Covenant' pervades the Sunday scripture readings.
What does it mean to be in a covenant relationship with God?
Lenten Luncheon
Each Wednesday during Lent there will be a Luncheon served at the Parish Hall, from 11:30am. to 12:30pm.
Everyone is welcome, young or old. On March 15 there will be a special lunch in honour of St. Patrick's Day - Corned Beef and Cabbage! (You need to sign-up in advance for this meal).
Luncheons will take place from March 8 - April 5.
This year the money raised at the Lenten Luncheons will go to the P.W.R.D.F. program "For a Generation Without AIDS"
Mid-Week Eucharist
Every Wednesday at 7:00pm.
Sunday Night Study
"Chocolate for Lent"
We will be using themes from the movie 'Chocolat' to reflect on self-discipline,
acceptance, transformation and maturing in Christ. 7:00pm. at the Parish Hall.
Beacon House
Please remember to bring your donations for Beacon House to the Church.
Some suggestions of items: Canned Soup & Stew, Macaroni & Cheese, Canned Meat & Fish,
Canned Beans, Dried Pasta, Noodles & Rice. Pasta Sauce, Peanut Butter,
Canned Vegetables & Fruit, Canned/ Powdered Milk, Breakfast Cereal, Baking Supplies.
Please check the labels for expiry dates as Beacon House cannot distribute any outdated
products.
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES FOR HOLY WEEK
The worship for Holy Week will permit us - to enter with Jesus into the city of
Jerusalem - to eat with him in the Upper Room - to pray with him in the garden -
to be crucified with him - to rise from the dead with him.
April 9 - PALM SUNDAY
8:30 am. Holy Eucharist
10:00 am. Holy Eucharist, Blessing of Palms and dramatic Reading of the Passion Gospel.
April 10 - MONDAY
7:00 pm. Compline
April 11 - TUESDAY
7:00 pm. Service of Healing
April 12 - WEDNESDAY
7:00 pm. Holy Eucharist
April 13 - MAUNDY THURSDAY
5:30 pm. Seder Supper, St. John's Hall
7:30 pm. Holy Eucharist, "footwashing liturgy" and stripping of the altar
April 14 - GOOD FRIDAY
Noon Family Devotion
2:00 pm. Celebration of the Lord's Passion
(There will be a time of fellowship at the Basement Hall
in between the services)
April 15 - HOLY SATURDAY
8:00 pm. Easter Vigil Service
- Blessing of the Paschal Candle, Baptism, and Holy Eucharist
April 16 - EASTER DAY
6:00 am. Holy Eucharist
8:30 am. Holy Eucharist
10:00 am. Holy Eucharist
Mother's Union
Mother's Union Meetings Take place on the 4th Monday of each month- 7:00pm. for worship,
the meeting starts at 7:30pm. at the church basement. Some upcoming programs:
* March 26 (The 4th Sunday in Lent) "Mothering Sunday".
* March 27, 'Lady Day' service, Corporate Communion,
we will be joined by members of St. Francis by the Lakes M.U.
Guest speaker will be Betty Bowdridge from Emmanuel Church,
who will speak on Meditation.
* April 24, Guest speaker from the R.C.M.P.
who will speaking about crimes against seniors
- how we can protect ourselves.
* May 8, Auction Night. At the Parish Hall. Viewing starts at 6pm.
Auction starts at 7pm. Lunch provided.
* May 29, Election of Officers for 2006-2008
* June 4, Closing Dinner
For more information call the branch leader, Geraldine Conners
The Altar Guild
The Altar Guild will meet on Wednesday March 8, 8:00pm. at the Church basement.
Palm Crosses
The Altar Guild will be gathering to make Palm Crosses on Wednesday April 5
at the Church basement, following the Mid Week Service
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities (at Phoenix Youth Programs) are you interested in volunteering
with at-risk and homeless youth?
Phoenix Youth Programs requires meal preparers, tutors, maintence workers and more!
For information, please contact: Karen at 405-3198 or kdamtoft@phoenixyouth.ca
We Need You!
Our parish has a number of committees that plan and carry out the work of the church.
We are always looking for people to help.
Over the next few weeks we will be passing around a list of the committees at the weekly
worship services. If you would like to sign up or find out more information,
put your name on a list or call the Parish Office.
Here is a brief description of our committees:
Spiritual Development- Worship, Christian Education for all ages.
Pastoral Ministry & Outreach- Caring for members: of the church, the community & the world.
Property- Taking care of our buildings and property.
Finance & Administration- Keeping track of income & expenses, overseeing all financial aspects of our church life.
Personnel- Hiring staff, creating "function descriptions" for volunteer and paid positions.
Stewardship- Visioning for our future as a congregation and keeping the need
for adequate resources to achieve our goals, before our members.
Cemetery- Taking care of the cemeteries
Special Events- Planning and conducting fundraising events.
Parish Council
Parish Council meetings are open to all parishioners.
The Council meetings normally take place on the 4th Tuesday each month,
beginning at 7:00pm. at the Church basement.
'Leap For Faith' Campaign update
The Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island launched a Capital campaign in
May 2005. As of January 31, the campaign, has reached pledges of $2,633,545.
The goal is $3.31 million. For more information on how you can participate,
contact the parish office or the Campaign office at 422-8318
Dinner Theatre
At St. Francis By the Lakes "It's a Hill Billy Wedding!"
March 31 Apr. 1, Apr. 7, Apr. 18 starting at 6:45pm. $20 per person.
Appetizer, Main Course & Desert. Call the church for more information.
Introducing our Theological Student
My name is Kevin Frankland, and I come from the Parish of Grand Manan in the
Diocese of Fredericton. I am in my first year in the Master of Divinity program at
Atlantic School of Theology, in preparation for ordination.
My background is in Education and Church Music.
Please be patient with me as I try to learn names - I guess I am more "visually oriented",
as I seem to retain names better if I see them written down.
I would like to thank the people of the Parish of St. John the Evangelist for welcoming
me into your community, and I pay God's blessing upon you all.
The parish has established a Lay Resource Group to help Kevin reflect on his
experiences in the parish.
The members are: Al Horwood, Ruth Townsend, Kelly Messervey and Gail Tattrie.
A Special Service
A Special Service will take place at the Cathedral Church on Friday April 21 7:30pm.
to mark the formal launch of plans for the Diocesan Celebrations in 2010
Bishop Fred Hiltz will preside and Bishop Bruce Howe (Diocese of Huron) will preach.
The logo for the 2010 theme, "A Journey Just Begun", will be unveiled at the service.
The 'Goat Fund'
In the Advent Newsletter (December) we reported on the program of the Fellowship Lunch
group tp buy a goat for a family in a developing country.
Their work resulted in the purchase of 4 goats, 3 piglets, supplies for a classroom and
emergency food supplies for a family for 60days.
These items will be distributed by World Vision.
Thank-you to everyone who helped!
P.W.R.D.F.
A special worship
OA special worship service took place at St. John's on Sunday February 26.
Our choir was joined by choirs from Peace Lutheran, Knox United and
Lucasville Baptist Church in a evening of music, scripture and prayer.
The offering at the service - $500.00 - has been forwarded to the PWRDF project
"For A Generation Without AIDS"
For those with internet access
You can see some of the work supported by Primate's World Relief and Development Fund
at http://www.pwrdf.org/news, or contact Sue Heenan, our parish P.W.R.D.F. co-ordinator.
Parish Officers for 2006
at the Parish Annual Meeting, February 5, the following persons were elected to
parish offices:
Wardens: William Gardner,
Jeff Reid
Warden in Training: Peter Simpkin
Treasurer: Colette Lawrence
Secretary: Sheila King
Envelope Secretary: Doug Banfield
Parish Council Members:
Megan Sheen, Brad Simpson, Judy Marsh
Jennifer Dimmof, Susan Morris, Maxine Simpkin
Karen Strickland, Ann Slauenwhite, Judy Carey
Synod Delegates: Peter Townsend, Sue Heenan, Clarence Penwell
Synod Youth Delegate: Emma Simpkin
Regional Council Delegates: Peter Townsend, Ruth Townsend, Sue Heenan,
Megan Sheen, Peter Simpkin
Beacon House Board Rep.: Tom Hill
Diocesan Times Rep.: Ruth Gamble
Hall Bookings: Martin Lewis
Memorial Fund: Pat Huntley & Bunny McConnell
Parish P.W.R.D.F. Rep.: Sue Heenan
Special Events Committee Chair: Cliff Heenan
Cemetery Committee: Tom Hill (chair), Martin Lewis (treas)
members: Al Horwood, Jeff Reid, Peter Simpkin and Darryl Spidell.
PASTORAL MINISTRY COMMITTEE
'Shut-In' Tea
Planning is now underway for a 'Shut-In' Tea to be held on Saturday May 13.
More details later.
Please let us know
know If you, a member of your family or someone you know is sick.
We can't visit or pray for you if we don't know!!
Our Pastoral Care contact is Mrs. Pat Huntley.
If you would like to receive Holy Communion at home please contact Archdeacon Cutler
at 864-3154 (Parish Office).
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
A visit
A visit to Shaar Shalom Synagogue has been arranged for Saturday April 1st. Learn more about the faith to which Jesus belonged. More information is on the sign-up sheet at the back of the Church or call Brad
Simpson
Sunday School
There will be no Sunday School program on March 12 due to the start of the March Break Holiday.
For more information contact our superintendents:
Kathy Lockhart or Jean Woodend
Confirmation
Please remember in your prayers those who are preparing for Confirmation:
Adam Hollett, Lina Murphy, Robert Park, Blair Skinner, Jessica Spidell,
Samantha Strickland.
Confirmation will be celebrated on Sunday March 12 at St. John's as a part of
Bishop Hiltz's parish visit.
Holy Baptism
The next celebrations of Holy Baptism will take place on:
* April 15 at the Easter Vigil Service
* June 4, 10am. Pentecost Sunday
For more information on Baptismal Preparation, please call the parish office.
Cursillo
Cursillo is a short course in Christianity.
It is one method of renewal in the Church and it has the support of our bishops.
Cursillo provides an opportunity for personal growth;
Christian leadership training experience and an opportunity for the ongoing support
of a Christian community. A Cursillo weekend begins on Thursday and ends late on Sunday
afternoon. Consists of fifteen talks (some by laity, some by clergy) and includes
services of worship. This year's weekends will take place on April 27-30 (men)
and May 4-7 (women) .
If you are interested in Cursillo, please talk to Archdeacon Cutler.
The 'Prayer Chain'
The 'Prayer Chain' is a group of people who pray daily, at home, for individuals and
concerns within the parish.
If you have a need for prayer for a particular situation contact the co-ordinator
(Marsha Park ) who then passes the information along to the "links" in the chain.
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
A Copy of the most recent full financial statement is posted on the bulletin board
at the back of the Church.
Pre-Authorized Giving
If you have automatic debits going from your bank account to pay for insurance,
cable TV, taxes, fuel or mortgage then you understand the PAG principle.
PAG is a program by which your regular donations to St. John's are automatically
withdrawn from your account at your financial institution.
St. John's now offers this convenience.
To start giving by PAG: Decide on the amount of your monthly offering.
Fill in the authorization form (available at the back of the church) and
attach a sample cheque marked 'void'.
Return to the treasurer in the envelope provided by placing on the offering plate.
If you have questions contact Mrs. Colette Lawrence, our treasurer.
PROPERTY COMMITTEE
Parish Hall
Upgrades Over the past week almost half of the wiring in the Parish Hall has been
replaced and upgraded. This was made necessary when the interior wall on the north
side of the building was removed last year.
We are now ready to replace the interior wall in the Sunday School Classrooms.
SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE
Parish Supper
A Turkey Supper will be held at the Parish Hall on Saturday May 6 .
More information will appear in the weekly bulletin
YOUTH
Vacation Bible Camp
Camp There will be a meeting on Wednesday March 15, 8:00 pm. at the Church basement
to begin plans for the 2006 Vacation Bible Camp.
Last year we held V.B.C. at Barrett's Camp over a weekend.
Those who participated enjoyed it so much that we will be looking at running a similar
program this year.
If you are interested in helping to plan the program please come along.
If you would like to help but cannot attend the meeting, please call the Parish Office.
Teans Encounter Christ (TEC)
Is an Anglican based weekend for youth ages 16-21 to gather together for fun,
learning and fellowship.
Through a series of talks, discussions, and through live worship you will learn about
and experience Jesus Christ.
The gathering takes place May 21-23 at the Anglican Diocesan Centre, Halifax.
Fees for the weekend are $60.00 Applications can be downloaded from
http://www.geocities.com/ tecnsandpei/candidateapplication.html or
from Archdeacon Cutler.
There is only room for 30 participants Application are accepted on a first come,
first served basis.
Youth Music Ministry
Youth Music Ministry under the direction of Jason Giles, practices on Sunday
after the 10am. Service.
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
"Where there is no vision, the people perish"
Proverbs 29:18
When our parish was restructured in the year 2000, we started by preparing a vision for our parish life. The document 'A New Beginning' was created through much discussion among a large group of parishioners meeting over a period of six months.
It seems clear that the vision we developed at that time needs to be re-visited. One of the significant signs of this reality is the discussion that we have had over the past year about the number and timing of our Sunday worship services. Scratch the surface in this discussion and we find other issues: the size of our building and its inaccessibility for anyone with a mobility problem, the ongoing problems of parking and crossing an increasingly busy Old Sackville Road. The tension between contemporary and traditional forms of worship, the challenge to provide youth and children's programming.
None of these issues is threatening to destroy us. Our finances are healthy, there are many programs taking place in our parish and there is a positive attitude in the congregation. However there are signs that the future may not be so rosy.
As the Stewardship Committee begins to look at our vision, we must be open to the possibilities that God has for us in this community. Our history provides a starting point, not an end. What is God calling us to do now and in the future.
The Committee will hold its next meeting on Sunday March 19, 12:30pm. at the Church. We invite anyone who is interested in the continued growth and vitality of our parish to get involved.
Please Remember That 'No Scents Makes Good Sense' Strong perfumes and colognes and other similar products can cause serious health problems for some of our members. Please respect the health concerns of others when you are attending worship at St. John's.
Parish Office: 934 Old Sackville Road. (902) 864-3154
Mailing Address: P.O.Box 567, Lower Sackville,
Nova Scotia, B4C 3J1
Rector: Archdeacon Ron Cutler
Associate Priest: The Rev. Gloria Lee
Wardens: Mr. Bill Gardner, Mr. Jeff Reid
e-mail: sjecrevs @chebucto.ns.ca
Website: http//www.stjohnevangelist.chebucto.org
How can we help you?
(Please detach this form and give it to the greeters at a worship service or mail to the Parish address above.)
__ Sickness
__ Would like clergy visit
__ Would like more information about volunteer opportunities, groups or organizations
__ Offering envelopes requested
__ Change of address
__ Newcomer, Please add my/our name(s) to the parish list
Name: _________________________________________________________________________
Address & Phone #______________________________________________________________