A Place of Refuge in an Increasingly Busy World

2014

21557 Richmond St P.O. Box #129 Arva ON NOM 1CO P: 519-660-8177 F: 519-660-0946 E: stjadmin@bellnet.ca
Rector: Revd Wendy Mencel Honourary Assistant: Rev'd Kate Hathaway

Message from Our Rector

I am the Resurrection and I am the life, says the Lord. Whoever has faith in me shall have life. ~ John 11
Whoever has faith in Christ will have life. What does that mean as we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour? Many different interpretations abound, countless books have been written, sermons preached and debates continueWhat is life? What is the meaning of life? It is the Eternal question that visits all human beings through the course of their lives. Some find the answer, others search until death; Christians find the answer in the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holy Week and Easter remind us of Gods promise to be faithful to us during the good times and the bad. This promise gives us hope when we despair, friendship when we feel lonely, love when we feel rejected. Jesus died on a cross and returned three days later to change our lives forever. Our meaning of life was answered through His sacrifice. There is no person in this world that is not worthy of Gods love. However, in order to feel Gods love, we must be open to receiving it. We must trust and have faith that when we bring our hopes, dreams and fears to God through Jesus Christ, we will receive guidance from our loving Creator. So may you feel Gods love and the joy of Christ in your lives this Easter Season. In Christ, Rev. Wendy Mencel Rector

Wednesday April 16th at 7:00 PM Lenten Study: Last Session Thursday April 17th at 5:30 PM Maundy Thursday Potluck Dinner & Worship Service Friday April 18th at 10:00 AM Good Friday Morning Service Sunday April 20th at 9:30 AM Community Breakfast Sunday April 20th at 10:30 AM Easter Sunday Saturday April 26th at 1:30 PM Jockey Person-to-Person Fashion Show Saturday May 24th at 8:00 AM Spring Garage Sale, BBQ & Bake Sale

Outreach Update
As part of our Outreach efforts at St. Johns, we have been collecting pennies for years for Sleeping Children Around the World! First the Ladies Auxiliary and then the Sunday School took on the task! It is a wonderful charitable organization, formed by Murray Dryden (Ken Dryden's Father). Murray was a world traveller and on his travels, especially in the developing world, he saw hundreds of children in slums, sleeping on the streets. He wanted to help. His travels inspired him to form this organization, which is entirely run by volunteers. Murrays goal was to supply children with Bed Kits as he felt every child deserves some sort of comfort, especially when sleeping. A kit consist of: a foam pad, blanket, slippers, a small toy, toiletries, warm clothing or a mosquito net, depending on the country. The kits are assembled within the country they are needed. Volunteers travel around the world and hand out the kits. Every child gets their picture taken with the kit and this picture is sent to the donor of the funds. Now that the penny has been taken out of circulation, we will be changing our collection to that of nickels and dimes. Our former motto was 'Pennies from Heaven'. Given the currency change, well need a new one! Please send suggestions to our Parish Administrator, Rose. The total cost of a bed kit is $35.00. By just collecting pennies, we've managed to donate quite a few over the years! This small gesture comes with huge rewards. We thank you for your past donations and continued support. Jo Trudgen Coordinator

Stewardship Update
Recently, representatives from churches in the London area gathered for the workshop, Making Room. You may be wondering, Why do we need to make room? or Who do we need to make room for? The workshop was actually a platform for discussing making room for new ideas: How do we make room for the next generation? How do we move our church into the 21st century?
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A Place of Refuge in an Increasingly Busy World

2014

21557 Richmond St P.O. Box #129 Arva ON NOM 1CO P: 519-660-8177 F: 519-660-0946 E: stjadmin@bellnet.ca
Rector: Revd Wendy Mencel Honourary Assistant: Rev'd Kate Hathaway

Too often, we only think about getting more people into the pews to share the work (and expenses!) of keeping our church functioning. We need to look beyond these immediate needs to rediscover and re-energize our Christian calling. We must find fresh new ways to carry out our mission: To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom; To teach, baptize and nurture new believers; To respond to need with loving service; To seek to respond to unjust structures of society; To challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation; To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Creating new ways to engage others in this important work of our church is at the heart of preparing for the future. This will require us to make room for hospitality. We belong to the Body of Christ because of someones hospitality. Someone invited us, encouraged us, received us and helped us feel welcome. It will require us to make room for generosity. We are the beneficiaries of those who came before us - those who were touched by the generosity of Christ. They gave graciously so that we could experience the truth of Christ working in our own lives. We will need to make room for new leadership and new ideas. We will need to risk trying new things and doing things differently. Here at St. John the Divine, we have already taken solid strides toward making room. Our planning for 2014 established the following goals: 1) Develop the position of Parish Administrator to enhance social media presence, coordinate volunteers & rentals and operate our website 2) Design a new church logo and website to provide a fresher, more interactive internet image 3) Establish a monthly contemporary service on Saturday evenings 4) Expand the number and type of workshops provided at the church to interest a wider range of people 5) Continue to develop the youth program and find new ways to engage the young people of our parish We are seeking to discern Gods will in reaching the hearts of those new to the way of Jesus, while nourishing those steeped in the Christian tradition. Taking this to our Lord in prayer will provide us with insights for future direction. Please share your ideas and suggestions. Paul Townshend, Fran Dyson, John Mencel, Heather Cabral, Doug Gould & Rev. Wendy Mencel Stewardship Committee

Dont Miss Out!

Regular Service: Sundays at 10:30 AM

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Bible Study: Wednesdays at 10:00 AM

Easter Newslinks 2014 @saintjohnsarva