News Update and Service Sheet for August 15th, Pentecost 12
Sunday, August 15th - Pentecost 12
Please join us this Sunday, August 15th at 10am for our in-person gathering for the Holy Eucharist.
If you are not able to be with us, the service will be livestreamed on our Facebook page.
For the last few weeks we have focused on Jesus, the living bread, the true bread, the bread of life. What does it mean to be spiritually hungry or spiritually satisfied when we are unable to partake of that nourishing Living Bread? Perhaps we may come to understand it a bit as we consider the drought being experienced on the prairies which is causing havoc with crops. If there is a scarcity of wheat for flour, where would we seek out that staple of bread. At the height of the pandemic, our Sunday gatherings were severely curtailed and our main service was one of Morning Prayer, without the Eucharist. How did we all fare during that time?
We continue to wish all those on vacation well and hope you experience a time of relaxation and restoration.
Please, let us all stay safe and well. If you have not done so yet, you are encouraged to be vaccinated for the Coronavirus. We are working together to overcome this pandemic. Please continue to pray for health care workers at this time.
As we are in the midst of raging wild fires, please do pray for all who are working to fight these fires. There are a lot of people working very hard on behalf of all of us.
Welcome Back Sunday - Less than a month away now, we hope to see you on Sunday, September 12th at our 10am service for a huge welcome back. The service will be followed by a potluck meal for us all. Please get this into your calendar and plan to attend. Please do bring your favourite dishes to share with others. Everyone will be doing the same so it will be a great time of welcoming each other back and sharing in fellowship around a wonderful meal. There will also be roasted corn on the cob to enjoy. The parish will provide the corn for roasting.
Last Sunday of our Rector – Our Rector, Steve is retiring and his last Sunday with us will be Sunday, September 26th. A potluck luncheon will follow the Sunday service that day with the opportunity to say goodbye.
Flowers for the Altar - Each week the flowers on the altar are donated by a person or family who wish to remember someone who has died or give thanks for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, a special blessing in their life or anything else for which they wish to express their gratitude to God. If you would like to donate the cost of the flowers on any particular Sunday, please be in touch with Heather Herd who keeps tracks of the flower donations. You may make your donation by cheque made out to St. Helen's Anglican Church and send it in the mail or leave it in the offering plate on a Sunday. You may also make your donation using Interac e-Transfer.
The email address to transfer electronically is giving2sthelen@gmail.com
Please indicate on your cheque or in the email that it is for the flowers.
Cameras for the Church Grounds - CCTV Surveillance – We are presently getting quotes for equipment and installation. There will be more information about this in the coming weeks. Donations for this work are requested. Thank you to those who have donated already toward this project. Your donation to St. Helen's may be made by cheque or by electronic transfer. Please earmark a cheque or the electronic transfer for the CCTV system.
The email to contribute by etransfer is: giving2sthelen@gmail.com
Extreme Heat, Wildfires and Crops - Please do remember to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Stay in the cool. Sit it a cool bath. Heat can be very overwhelming. Sometimes we do not realize that we are overheated and simply collapse. Please do not let that happen to you.
There are still many people all over BC who are dealing with the ravages of wildfires bringing about the fear of the loss of homes, livelihood, and community. Please do remember to pray for them and, as we do, take actions by donating to their relief in the many ways that are made available to us to do so. One of these is the fund set up by PWRDF for the community of Lytton which was so devastated.
There are also many farmers who are experiencing drought conditions for their crops throughout western Canada. Please keep the farmers and all others who are dependant on the bounty of the earth for their livelihood, for food (including ourselves) in your prayers. They, along with all those who are displaced by the wildfires will be going through emotional pains and struggles.
You are encouraged to visit the PWRDF website form more information about their work and in particular how we, as a whole church are helping in what is a very devastating situation for many people at this time. Your donation can make a huge difference. You can go online to give or phone in a donation. PWRDF is now accepting donations to the Territory of the People as it supports recovery from the fire. Give online to Emergency Response and type “Lytton Fire Emergency Fund” in the comments field. You may also donate by phoning Donor Relations Officer Mike Ziemerink at 416-822-9083, or leave a voicemail toll-free at 1-866-308-7973 and we will return your call. You may also send a cheque to PWRDF at 80 Hayden St., Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 3G2 and mark “Lytton Fire Emergency Fund” in the memo field.
Sunday Ministries and other Opportunities to Help – More of our congregation is returning for live-in-person worship which means we need people to step up to take on a Sunday ministry as more people become comfortable to return for in-person worship and other gatherings.
Reading a lesson, greeting at the door, helping with refreshment set-up as well as helping with the altar guild and flower arranging. If you would like to help out in any of these ways, the people to contact are:
John Palmer for reading and greeting.
Lynn Turner for helping with refreshments for the short term.
Heather Herd for altar guild and flower arranging.
If you do not have contact info for John, Lynn, or Heather, please send an email to the parish office or leave a phone message. Your name will be passed on to them. We do not give out phone numbers or email addresses of individuals in the parish. These can too easily be made public.
Other Ministries – If you think there is some other ministry you might be able to step into which you would like to undertake, handle, or help with, please speak with one of the wardens, Lynn Turner, Rector’s Warden or Roy Francis, People’s Warden.
Daily Prayer - Please join us weekdays Tuesday to Friday for Daily prayer livestreamed on our Facebook page. This begins at 9:30am and can be watched anytime during the day if you are unable to join us right at that time.
Baptisms Taking Place – Baptisms are taking place on Saturdays over the summer to accommodate the number of people who like to attend as family and friends. If you, your child, or a member of your family, would like to be baptized, please be in touch with me at your convenience. We can accommodate a different day if you wish, The time of day can be negotiated as well. Please contact the church office by email or phone. On Sunday, September 12th, we expect to welcome the newly baptized at our Welcome Back Sunday for a celebrational gathering of those who were baptized.
Prayer Requests to the Prayer Circle – please be in touch with Judy Nicholson who will receive and forward your prayer requests to the prayer circle. If you do not have her contact details, please send an email to the office email address and it will be passed on to her for distribution.
Blessings, peace, and well-being for the week ahead,
Steve