THE EPISTLE
Volume 59 Issue 5 May 2016
Sun. May 1 – Quilt Sale
Fri May 6 – Mother Daughter Banquet 6:00 pm.
Wed. May 11 – Council Meeting 7:00 pm
Sun. May 15 – Confirmation
Tues. May 17 – Glenwood Lunch
Fri. May 20 – Street Ministry
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St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
12145 Laity Street
Maple Ridge, BC V2X 5A7
Tel: 467-4343
Email:
Abbotsford, BC: May 9 & 10 BC Baling Days
Mennonite Central Committee facility, located at 201-33933 Gladys Avenue, Abbotsford, BC
Lutheran churches in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia will once again gather in Abbotsford and rally in support of children and families in need in Nicaragua.This year's shipment will support CLWR's and Lutheran Church-Canada's mission partners at Iglesia LuteranoSinodode Nicaragua. The container will support children and schools in the Chinandega area.
We are looking for volunteers of all ages to join us May 9-10 to help sort, fold, count, tape, weigh, label and load all of the supplies into an international cargo container.
Baling Days is a great opportunity for fellowship, to learn more about the work of CLWR and to make a significant contribution towards the alleviation of poverty and suffering. Please call 1.800.661.2597 or email CLWR to let us know if you are interested in signing up as a volunteer. Coffee and cookies will be provided and there is a cafeteria on-site to purchase lunch.
Pastor's Column
On Saturday, April 16th, our congregation partnered with the Westridge Community Association and held a plant swap in our parking lot.
If you are not familiar with a plant swap, simply put, people arrived in their vehicles, set out some plants in front of their vehicles and then gave those plants away to whomever wanted them. At the same time, those who were giving their plants away, were swapping and shopping for plants offered by other neighbours.
In addition to the plant swap, our congregation offered a bake sale and there was a considerable amount of baking that arrived. Thank you to all who contributed so generously! Not only was there baking, but a group of women gathered a week earlier to make perogies and those were a big hit as well. We estimated that about 70 people showed up for the plant swap; at one point the first row of parking spaces was filled with vehicles. People in the neighbourhood left their houses and came over for a look. We sold $820 of baking and perogies and coupled with the $500 matching grant from Faithlife Financial, we were able to gift the Friends in Need Food Bank with $1,320. Needless to say, it was a wonderful day.
Question is: “How did we arrive at that day?” The genesis of this experiment came from one of my meetings with the group of clergy that I have been gathering with over the past 2 years. As part of the BC Synod’s Renewal and Redevelopment program, we have gathered to look at our leadership skills and continually challenge ourselves to lead our congregations into a different future. Returning from a meeting last summer, I met with an employee of our City’s Parks and Leisure Services who put me in contact with the Westridge Community Association. It was during my meeting with Shanti of Westridge Community Association that we identified this common project, the plant swap.
So, in the grand scheme of things, what was this all about? Ultimately this involves 2 questions. What is God up to in our neighbourhood? How is God calling us to respond to the needs and challenges of our neighbourhood?
As we try to get in touch with God’s activity in the neighbourhood and our calling into that effort, there are two very important components in the process: hospitality and listening.
It isn’t enough to point out to our neighbourhood that we are here at the corner of Laity and Wicklund; the neighbourhood can see us. Our involvement goes beyond, to hospitality, to open ourselves up to the neighbourhood. We have an asset that no one else in the neighbourhood has; a parking lot and a big building. How do we extend our hospitality with these assets?
The second component is equally important; we need to listen. On Sunday we did a little debrief of this event during our Announcements. When it came to listening to the neighbourhood, we asked ourselves what we had heard. Those from our congregation who were in attendance heard lots of great conversation; people were sharing all kinds of things from plants and gardening to more personal things. People need to be heard; we need to listen to others and in the conversation we will hear more hopes and dreams, needs and desires.
Finally, all of this takes us back to the original and most important question, What is God up to in the neighbourhood? Such a question cannot be answered readily; we need to extend more hospitality, we need to listen more. The questions, the discovery will not end and that is a good thing.
Don’t forget to listen to each other; tell others what you saw, what you heard and what you experienced. This is not the final product, we are in the beginning; we are entering into God’s realm and God’s purpose and who knows where it will lead us. We don’t know, but one thing we do know, we are living in God’s neighbourhood and God will guide us along to fulfill God’s purposes for this neighbourhood.
Thanks be to God!Pastor Roland
Council Corner and Financial Update
I am doing double duty this month in that it is my turn to write on behalf of counciland I also intend to update you each month on our financial position. I was told that I could write whatever I thought was appropriate. Also I do not believe discussing the church's financial affairs as being a dirty unspoken topic. I believe we should always have open and transparent communication. Financial support is one part of our stewardship responsibility to St. Paul’s and the larger church.
As of March 31st we have an operating deficit of $4,688. We have $4,178 in our general account (these are the only funds available to us to pay our ongoing expenses) however we have unpaid bills/outstanding payables of $9,544. Simply put we are short $5,366 in being able to cover all of our bills. As we have no cash reserves, eachmonth we withhold funds to ensure we are able to cover at least the first payroll for the next month. Our monthly payroll, to our very dedicated hard working staff, is approximately $11,000 per month. This is why our payables are higher than you may have expected given the funds in our general account as of month end. We have had no unexpected expenses this fiscal and our expenses are in line with our approved budget.
We continue to raise funds for a badly needed roof repair/replacement. You have faithfully given $15,414 towards this project which we are very thankful for. Our lowest estimate to fix the roofis just over $22,000. We are going to ask the professionals to come in again and have a second look at the roof to see if we could reduce this cost even further. We would like to getthe roof done as soon as possible.
I have been asked a couple of times if I think the fundraising being done towards the roof is negatively effectingdonations to our general account. I think there may have been some effect but I do not believe ithas been significant. The roof fund is only one of the designated funds we have. It is however part of a larger question;
I am sure you have asked yourself, as I know I have asked myself: "When I make a donationto the church where do Iwant it to go? Give to the general account or to a designated project or fund? "
Your answerto this question isa concern to me as your treasurer. I am always concerned that there is enough being given to the general account to cover the bills. However I am also concerned that the designated projects we support are being funded properly as well. I am concerned about the number of projects we may have on the go at any one time. And I am concerned thatmonies that would have normally been given to the general account may be giveninstead to a specialproject. To be clear I assure you as Treasurer I have a responsibility to ensure,without question, that any money givento a designated project /account goes to that project and will make sure this happens. It is always one hundred percent your decision.
I look at the church treasury as a tree with the general account being the trunk of the tree and the various designated accounts/projects being the branches on that tree. Neither one will survive for long without the other. The trunk will die if it does not produce branches which reach out to feed and help the trunk survive and grow. The branches of the tree do notexist for long if they are not attached to the trunk. However as all gardeners know too many branches will damage the trunk and not allow it to survive and grow. This is always a delicate balance.
We are very grateful for your prior support and please continue to support the church as you are able to, both the general account and our designated projects.
Thank you
David
Treasurer
ST. PAUL'S ELW
All things are possible with God.....
We are becoming perogie experts. 9 women came to mix, peel, mash, roll, stuffed and fold perogies for a morning. We would like to thank Nancy for the use of her freezers and packaging of the perogies. Enjoy.
9 Women attended April's meeting. We had a busy planning meeting. There are several events coming our way. Details to come as they are finalized.
CLWR lists are out in the mailbox areas and on the ELW bulletin board. Items can be given to Linda or left in the secretary's office. If you'd like to donate money, that can be given to Nancy. Sarolta has a call out for receiving blankets and sleepers for the Baby Bundles. ELW has purchased CLWR bags and buckets for shipping. Baling Days are
May 9th&10th.
ELW would like to Thank the Congregation of St. Paul's for their support and prayers.
Mother / Daughter Banquet May 6, 2016 at 6:00 pm. All Women of St.Paul's are invited to come. Dinner is potluck there will be a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Dinner will be followed with an exciting program. All Men of St. Paul's are in invited to come and serve and clean up 'dinner', oh yes clean dishes too. Please bring an item for the Friends In Need Food Bank.
Nothing is impossible with God.....
May all those who have bread hunger for justice,
May all those who hunger have bread.
Respectfully submitted by Laura
Ooooh La La On the Inside
Mother-DaughterBanquet
May 6th at 6:00 pm
We will enjoy a potluck dinner provided by the best
cooks - YOU – and served by our very capable men. If you haven’t yet chosen a fashion outfit from the purple box on the Narthex counter to wear and share, there is still time. Be sure to put your name on the signup sheet. Also, consider presenting your talent in words, music or art. Again, please sign up on the sheet. Don’t forget to bring a photo of you and your mother/you and your daughter of days gone by for the picture board guess. It’s alright if other people are also in the photo. Please put your name on the back and give pictures in an envelope only to Heide, either before May 6th or at the dinner that night. The picture board will be displayed on a table with the guessing sheets.
Have questions? Ask Shawna, Nancy, Heide or Sarolta.
Join us and we will have a funtastic time!
CONFIRMATION 2016
This year we rejoice with
Alexia and Mary
who will Affirm their Baptism in the Rite of Confirmation on Sunday, May 15th.
They has completed the two year program for Confirmation and we pray God’s richest blessings of grace and love on them as they continue their faith journey.
St. Paul’s would like to thank FaithLife Financial for their support of our bake sale, with a $500 matching grant. In total we raised $1,323 for the Friends In Need Foodbank.
Faithlife Financial Chapters across Canada have helped to build a better world one project at a time!
Last year, Faithlife Financial approved more than 600 grants providing opportunities to reach out to those in need around the world, sending youth to camp and conventions, upgrading church buildings, providing for children's programs and other great causes. Together we reach out and made a difference.
A YEAR OF GRATEFUL LIVING!
Stewardship through international relief
For the past 8 months St. Paul’s Stewardship Committee (Charisse, Linda, Sarolta, Sue & Pastor Roland) have been providing you with a year-long stewardship emphasis entitled, “A Year of Grateful Living.” On Sunday, May 1st, our Year of Grateful Living will continue with the theme of stewardship through international relief.
We will be mainly focusing upon Canadian Lutheran World Relief and using some of their worship resources.
In addition, we are going to provide a unique opportunity in the fellowship hall after worship. We have in the past provided you with some activities and conversation starters as you munch on the wonderful selection of cookies and square and vegetables and scones.....
On May 1st we are going to do something very different! Instead of the usual sweets and other good things, we are going to provide you with another good thing: a RATION MEAL. The World Health Organization has identified a typical ration meal in East Africa which consists of: 450 grams of cereal, 50 grams of beans, 50 grams of oil, and 5 grams of iodized salt per person PER DAY.
The types of food vary from place to place, but the general quantities stay the same. For our purposes, the cereal you will receive will be a “porridge” made from ground maize (corn meal) which the people of East Africa call, UGALI
We hope and pray that Sunday, May 1st will give you a real sense of the plight of peoples around the world who struggle to get enough good food to eat on a daily basis. At the same time we want to convey the efforts of our own Canadian Lutheran World Relief as they work to alleviate suffering in this world.
May we be inspired to participate in the ministry of our Church as we seek to be good stewards of God’s gifts through international relief.
St. Paul’s Stewardship Committee
Scrapbooking /Stitcherymeets every Tuesday
from 9:00 am –2:00 pm.
Come and work at your own projects and have a chatting good time. Please join us!
Bernd Kaufmann
Memorial Bursary
Is awarded to a student who is pursuing post-secondary education. Preference given to students planning studies in Bible/religious education/Church work, but is open to any Post-secondary student.
To apply, please write a letter stating:
- Current education and/or work status.
- Intended course of studies & school planning to attend.
3. Church & community involvement.
4.Brief statement outlining how the award would help achieve educational goals.
Deadline to apply is June 30, 2016
QUILT SALE
The Quilters Semi-annual Sale will be held on Sunday, May 1st.
Glenwood Elementary Hot Lunch will be served on Tuesday, May 17.
Watch for the volunteer sign-up sheet on the Narthex counter.
The office is in the process of updating the directory. If you have a new address or other information that should be included, please let Lynn know.
A policy regarding designated donations for specific purposes was adopted by Council. This will apply to all such donations made from this point forward and states:
“Spending of funds is confined to programs and projects approved by St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Should a donor choose to restrict a contribution for use in a particular program or project, that restriction will be honoured, with the understanding that, when the need for such a program or project has been met or cannot be completed for any reason as determined by the Council of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, the remaining restricted contribution will be used where most needed.”