Sunday Morning
Services
10:30 am
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Affirming Church Committee. UPDATE: April 22, 2007: The members of St Johns have voted in favour of becoming an affirming congregation. The Affirming Church committee was formed with a mission "to discern whether St.  Johns
United Church should become an Affirming Congregation." Through study, workshops and
participation in a variety of activities here and at other churches, we have reached
the conclusion that St. John's should become an Affirming congregation -the final step
in a faith journey that began three years ago. Last year Session voted overwhelmingly
in favour of Same-Sex marriages, and several have taken place, as well as the baptism
of children of Same-Sex couples; we feel this has been a positive development for the
church. We make our recommendation based on several factors: - We believe that Jesus ministry calls on us to work with groups that are the victims of discrimination. - The "Sex in the Bible" classes in recent weeks at the church have shown that there is no biblical basis for gays and lesbians to be shunned. We are all children of God. - Social assumptions change, and this is an idea whose time has come. Remember, there were protests when women were first ordained ministers in the United Church. - Dozens of United congregations in Canada have already taken the step of becoming Affirming. - We are a small congregation, in need of young families, who are generally more accepting of issues of gender difference. We need to think of the future of St. John's. - St. Johns has a reputation as a congregation with a deep social conscience. A vote in favour of affirming strengthens this tradition. - The cost is minimal (Bedford United pays $100 annually to Affirm United.) - We have already met most of the criteria-there is very little else to do. - Gays and lesbians are the most discriminated against group in the country--recently the Globe and Mail revealed that 17% of Canadians did not want to live next door to a gay person (compared with 6.5% who preferred not to live next to Muslims or Jews). - Within the Christian Church community, gays and lesbians have been discriminated against for decades. This was the case over residential schools and First Nations children, it is time to set the record straight. - We believe that, as Christians, we need to follow the example shown by the parable of the Good Samaritan. If we approve this idea, we recommend forming an "Inclusivity Committee" to continue our work in order to support people facing barriers because of physical and mental challenges, age, economic status or race. St. John's has come a long way in dealing with this issue, bravely voting in favour of Same-Sex marriage. For further information, please contact John Kirk, co-chair of the committee at kirk@dal.ca. Other members of the committee are: Marion Jay, co-chair, Cyndy Allen, Alyda Faber, Sean Foreman, Bob Gaudreau, Noni MacDonald, Alan Stewart, and Debra Wilson. KAIROS The word kairos comes to us from the Greek word for time. Contrasting with chronos, meaning ordinary or chronological time, kairos means holy or God-given time, time laden with meaning and choice. Kairos signals a time of crisis and new possibilities, a time of repentance, renewal and decisive action. This can be a pinnacle moment, such as the current challenges to churches and communities presented by globalization. Kairos can also be a stream of moments, daily injustices that call us to act in God’s name. Every time we read the signs of our world and see injustice, the very meaning of faith is at stake in our response. Recognizing kairos means acknowledging that the time to act for justice is now. KAIROS unites eleven churches and religious organizations in work for social justice in Canada and around the globe. We engage in research, policy development, education and advocacy on a wide range of justice issues. St John's Session has voted for our church to be designated a 'commercially-bottled- water-free-site'. This decision follows the United Churches' General Council vote last summer to discourage the purchase of bottled water. People are encouraged to use tap water in reusable bottles. Bottled Water: Nectar of the Frauds? This is the catchy title of an on-line article by Abid Aslam (oneworld.net) It certainly seems to capture much of the information presented by  Kairos, by Roger Burrell and Carl Yates in their Minutes For Mission, and by Linda in sermon and Childrens’ Story. All of these caution us to be better stewards of our precious water resource. They have reminded us that our Halifax tap water is safe, secure, and better controlled than many bottled waters. And in many cases, all that is in the plastic bottles with the fancy labels is tap water that has come from some municipal water supply. If we buy bottled water, our money covers advertising, bottling, manufacture of the bottle and, of course, profits for the company. Filling our own bottles at home from our own taps can save us money and can prevent environmental damage.
Someone has pointed out that we could borrow the liquor industry’s slogan:
DRINK RESPONSIBLY.Consider these figures: *United Nations estimates indicate that if the world took half of what is currently spent on bottled water ($100 billion annually) and invested it in water infrastructure and treatment, everyone in the world could have access to clean drinking water. * 1.5 billion barrels of oil are consumed each year to produce the plastic for water bottles, enough to fuel 100,000 cars. * The Container Recycling Institute reports only 14 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled. * A plastic water bottle will take over 1,000 years to biodegrade. Mission & Service Fund- How it does God's work with partners worldwide Click here to download the M & S Canadian Ministries pdf file. The Pastoral Care Team of St John's United Church In response to the example and teachings of Jesus, we are called to be a caring presence. Co-chairs: Caitlin Murray and Donna Spicer Secretary: Tracey Medynski Committee Members: Dianne Dubowski, Elaine Frampton, Gail Golding, Barbara MacKinnon, Herb Morrison, Bonnie Murray, Margaret Smith, Ellen Taylor, Reverend Linda Yates The Pastoral Care Team of St John's United Church was formed in October of 2006. The  team is
providing the ministry of visitation to people in the congregation who may not otherwise receive a number
of regular visits or who may not be able to come to church. Reverend Yates continues to make all visits
dealing with crisis and serious illness. The team assists the minister with other routine visits both by
telephone and in person. We have been participating in ongoing training at each subsequent meeting.We want to thank the St John's Knitters for their wonderful Pastoral Care Shawls that are now being distributed. New members are always welcome! Training and support are provided. For more information, contact Donna Spicer at bellringer@ns.sympatico.ca or call Rev. Linda Yates at 423-8498. Social Action Committee We attempt to represent our church members by responding to the needs of people and groups in our community. The emphasis is to work for social justice, to be advocates of those in need, to raise awareness in the congregation, and to supply practical help when called upon. Chair: Liam Petrie Committee Members: Brenda Carnell, Bobbie Carter, Elizabeth Conrad, Elaine Fraser, Gwen Hawkins, Sharon Hawkins, Marion Jay, Mollie MacGregor, Doreen Parnell, Glenda Rosborough, Lisa Woolaver The Social Action Committee continues to be active in many ways. Under its auspices is St. John's support of Brunswick Street Mission. Currently there is a drive to obtain men's clothing, with an emphasis on footwear suitable for labourers so that men can accept work that may be available to them. St. John's will be providing some of the breakfasts at the Mission during the summer. And, of course, the sale of Mission Beans at St. John's late each Friday afternoon in April gives financial support to the mission and its programs. Currently the Social Action Committee is also requesting two types of specific products needed in the community: formula and infant/toddler products as well as Ensure/Boost nutritional supplements.  Oxford School Breakfast Program. The breakfasts continue to ensure that students get a good start to their day by providing them with nutrition and companionship before school begins. The daily dedication of Liam Petrie and Sharon Hawkins to this important project is outstanding, but they have lots of willing helpers each morning.
Bayers/Westwood Family Kitchens Project. The kitchens provide an opportunity for communal selection of menus (with stress on economical and nutritious choices), shared purchasing of ingredients, and shared preparation. Fellowship, education, and economy are as important as the meals that are taken home. Although participants and their famili |
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St. John's United Church 6225 Willow Street Halifax Nova Scotia Canada B3L 1P1
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es share expenses for particular recipes, the organizers wanted to provide the basic ingredients that are usually kept on hand on pantry shelves.
Through the generous support of 18 members of the congregation, three large
boxes of "pantry" type food items were collected over two Sundays and made available to the project. The coordinator at that time expressed sincere thanks for, and surprise at, the level of support. Thank you to those who participated in this worthwhile project. The congregation again will be approached when basic supplies run low.
