WEEKLY BULLETIN FOR Sunday January 17th, 2021 Second Sunday after the Epiphany PRAYER INTENTIONS THIS PRAYER MINISTRY IS MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW! Your prayers DO MAKE a difference. Please take additional time in your day and in you daily prayers for those most vulnerable and in need of healing.
We are honoured to hold in prayer – family, friends, loved ones, and all in need. We pray especially for those listed in the bulletin and those in our hearts this day.
HTSSM Prayer List If you would like to have yourself; a family member; or a loved one, included on the Prayer List or Long Term Care list we are now asking for a new submission to be sent directly to our new dedicated email at: HTSSMPrayerList@gmail.com. 1) Please indicate which LIST the person is to be allocated, and 2) as a new addition, please further advise if you’d like to provide the initial of their Last Name to be included. Sincerely and Respectfully, Allison G.
Prayers for those in need of Health and Healing: Mike, Joan, Marilyn A. , Nancy, Judi S., Colin S., Len W., Al & Yvonne, Kelly M., Sandy M., Dianne, Linda R., Steve I., Kathryn H., Kathy G., Molly Rose, Susan U., Luke, Lucy, Jill, Jennifer A., Edi, Jerry, Carol, Hiba, Petra, Hailey, and Jeff P.
Prayers for those in Long Term Care or Seniors Homes: Margaret K., Wayne, Betty, Diane, Noreen, Jim, Gene, Evelyn, Dave, Shirley, Rhiannon, Junia, Cliff, Shirley Mac, Florence, Leona, Laurie, Gloria, Joannie, Hazel, and Bob.
Those noted below have a place of importance for us as a parish family to honour and remember.
JANUARY ALTAR FLOWERS: Jan 3 - Given to the Glory of God by Anne Buchanan in memory of her Father, John B Nesbit. Jan 10 - Given to the Glory of God by Colin & Carol Shutt in memory of their parents Don & Kay Shutt and Al & Laura Adie. Jan 17 - Given to the Glory of God by Dave & Marnie McEwen in memory of Dave’s parents, Harold & Florence, and brothers Jackie, Lloyd, Bill, and Ted. Jan 24 - Available for dedication. Please contact Anne Buchanan for details. Jan 31 - Available for dedication. Please contact Anne Buchanan for details.
Christmas Memorial Flowers THANK YOU I would like to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who contributed to Christmas Memorial flowers. Because we couldn’t actually have flowers, the monies will be used towards HTSSM Outreach projects. Your loved ones are always remembered. Hugs Anne.
CHATTER BOX Phone Team The Chatterbox Phone Team have been calling parishioners who have been unable to come to services. Now that we are in lockdown, we will be expanding our lists to include ALL parishioners. As you can imagine this will be a large endeavor! If you are able to help us out, please contact: Beth McKinlay at: (c) 519-709-2123 ( h) 519-681-9530 or beth_mckinlay@hotmail.com
HTSSM Building Announcement With the declaration of a State of Emergency for the province of Ontario beginning at 12:01am on Thursday, January 14, 2021, please note that the church building is closed. Please do not drop into the building for any reason without prior authorization from the wardens. Please contact either of them at: Beth McKinlay 519-709-2123 or Harry Harris 519-681-8529. Offering envelopes and messages may still be placed in the mailbox. Do not leave cash in the mailbox. The building is checked every day. The next few weeks will be difficult in many ways but we are not alone. God is with us, “an ever present help in times of trouble.” May you feel God’s presence with you during these during these days. Rev. Rob+
2021 CHURCH ENVELOPES The 2021 Church Envelopes are now received and the Wardens' will hand these out at each Church Service. Please note that your envelope number has changed. Due to increased Givings by e-transfers and automatic withdrawals, less envelopes are now required and therefore renumbering became necessary to keep the cost down. If you are a neighbour of a Parishioner that is not yet attending due to Covid etc., it would be appreciated if you could please deliver their box of envelopes by putting it in their mailbox. Should you have any questions, wishing to change your method of payment, or increase automatic withdrawals, please let me know by calling the Church at 226-456-8776. Thanks, Jeanette Maloney.
HTSSM 2021 VESTRY INFORMATION The parish of Holy Trinity St Stephen's Memorial will hold our annual Vestry meeting Sunday January 31, 2021 at 1pm on Zoom. Information on how to access Zoom and participate is forthcoming. For those who do not have access to a digital device or internet at home, you will be contacted with options as how to participate. If you have been asked to submit a report for the Vestry booklet, please submit your reports to the office by Tuesday January 19 at 5pm. All reports can be emailed to holytinityststephens@gmail.com. (No handwritten reports) Vestry booklets with reports and nominations will be sent to all Vestry members via email Wednesday January 27. We will not be taking nominations from the floor this year. If you would like to nominate someone for a position on Parish Council, please submit your nomination to Beth McKinlay or Harry Harris no later than January 22. Nomination must include. Name of person being nominated Position on Parish Council (e.g. Deputy Warden, Parish Council member, Delegate to synod) Your name and the name of someone who has agreed to second the nomination. More information about Vestry coming in the next few weeks.
Parish Council Reminder The January meeting of Parish Council is scheduled for Tuesday January 19th at 7pm on Zoom. All are welcome! To register, email robhenderson@diohuron.org
Virtual Morning Prayer and Coffee Hour Rev Rob will again be leading a time of prayer and conversation every Wednesday morning from 8am-8:30 on Zoom. All are welcome! To register, email robhenderson@diohuron.org
2020 MITTEN TREE THANK YOU!! I wish to thank everyone who contributed to the great success of this year's Mitten Tree. Our tree broke another record with contributions and it was once again beautifully filled with generous gifts. Pat received every week what was appropriate for her age group; Joanne Crow received what was for the Chaplaincy before Christmas; and the school will be given theirs as soon as they are back in session. Thank you to everyone’s efforts for your continued donations. Hugs to All Many Blessings, Sharron Y
OUTREACH UPDATE Many programs have struggled to maintain their existence during this pandemic. The Bread Program (Glen Cairn Community Resource Centre) and food bank at St. Paul’s Cathedral have however continued to function. Appropriate changes in compliance with health regulations needed to be put into place at both of these locations resulting in clientele being serviced outside and staff bringing food items to them. Donations dropped off at the church were/are being delivered to St. Paul’s and GCCRC. The snack program at C.C. Carrothers P.S. was put on hold mid March-June and resumed activity in September, expecting once again to start up when the schools re-open. Food donations can be left at the church once on-site worship is allowed. Alternately designated monetary donations for St. Paul’s food bank and the bread program continue to be accepted. Thank you for your contributions and caring. Sincerely, Heather Gough and Bill Yeomans Outreach Contacts
New Daily Bread Daily Readings Booklets We have received the NEW Daily Bread Reading Booklets for Dec/Jan/Feb. They are on the table as you exit the Church by the side door. If you have not yet felt comfortable attending Church and would like a copy, please call the office at 226-456-8776 and we will get a copy to you. Take care and stay safe. Thanks, from Jeanette.
C. C. Carrothers SNACKS PROGRAM The Cereal Program is "on hold" until further notice. (breakfast program n/a) Snacks can still be donated. Please Note: MUST BE PACKAGE SNACKS ONLY. All donations can be left in the "plastic tote box", labelled "CC Carrothers." By the main church entrance, up the stairs in the right hand corner. Thank You, Liz.
REQUEST FOR SEASONAL ITEMS – Fall Edition London Community Chaplaincy continues to need warmer clothing, coats, hats, scarves, boots, bedding, blankets; AND on a creative note, LCC is embarking on a few creative projects. Therefore if anyone has any unwanted fabric materials, please contact Joanne Crow by phone: 519-681-1158 or via email: jocrow446@hotmail.com for drop off details. Thank you for all you do! From Joanne. CLOSED CAPTION - YouTube VIDEO OPTION: Did you know that if you are viewing the Sunday Services online, there should be a symbol on your computer, cell phone or iPad that shows a symbol indicating CLOSED CAPTION? If you click on the symbol you will be able to read what is being said.
Photo Directory NEW Update The latest update on our parish photo directory is that the company that is producing the directory (IPC) is now reopened and has received all our files for production. Thank you for your continued patience and we will keep you updated when we know more details!
Sunday Service Volunteers Needed! How to sign up: Please contact Kathy Belshaw, (Sunday morning Volunteer Coordinator) by email kathybelshaw@hotmail.com or phone 519-685-0975. Indicate the date, service time, and position you can fill. Please note that some positions may already be filled when you contact Kathy (that’s a good thing!) We need the following roles at 9am and 11am Services: Welcome Desk Greeters; Ushers; Cleaners; and PPT operators.
Various options are always available for regular tithing & contributions! Are you looking to ensure that you are still able to contribute on a regular basis? Here are some options available to you at any time for your convenience. 1) Pre-authorized payments on a recurring monthly date of your choosing. Please contact Jeanette in the church office for more information for set up. 2) If you would like to make your regular offering to the church directly from your bank account you may do so by using the Interac e-transfer option through your banking institution’s website. Simply select the ‘Interac e-Transfer®’ option, and then for the Recipient, please enter our parish email address: holytrinityststephens@gmail.com. You may then specify your giving under “Comments” (e.g. Easter offering; Bread program; general offering; Crown the Lounge, etc.) If you should have specific questions or require additional instructions please consult your personal bank for further assistance. 3) Regular envelopes may still be mailed to the church or deposited in the church mailbox at 727 Southdale Road (cheques only please). Your contributions are always continually appreciated. Thank you for your faithful stewardship!
Further to one of Rev Rob’s previous Wednesday's check-in, here are the authors and a few titles that he suggested for personal reading: John Collins (Intro to Old Testament) Bart Ehrman (The New Testament), N T. Wright (Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian) N T. Wright (God and the Pandemic) Marcus Borg (The Heart of Christianity) , Brian McLaren (The Great Spiritual Migration) Brian McLaren (We Make the Road by Walking), Henri Nouwen (Wounded Healer, Return of the Prodigal Son)
In addition to the above suggested readings, here are a few from other parishioners: Allison G’s reading list: Nancy L. Bieber (Decision Making & Spiritual Discernment: The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way) Rachel Held Evans (Searching for Sundays; Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again) Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community)
Colin Shutt’s reading list: Frederick Buechner (pronounced buckner) Wishful thinking: A seekers’ ABC; Whistling in the dark: A doubter's dictionary; Peculiar treasures: A biblical who's who Rowan Williams - Being Christian
Community Outreach - Being the Church in a Time of Crisis There is still much need in our communities for us to find ways of being the hands of Jesus in the world, especially for the most vulnerable of our neighbours. The latest newsletter, Spring 2020, was sent from Rev. Pam Cullen at the London Community Chaplaincy and you are encouraged to read it, especially the section titled "Serve". For those who have the means, this is a wonderful way ‘to be the church’ in our neighbourhood. A copy of the newsletter is available for download from our Community Outreach page under the Ministries Menu.
Local Community Food Banks are still in need of donations! The Food Cupboard at Westminster Park Community Church on the corner of Southdale and Millbank is still open and currently accepting food donations at their front door. If you are able to help, please drop off your donation and ring the doorbell for pick up in order to observe physical distancing. Their most needed items are: cereal/pancake mix, peanut butter, canned meat/tuna, Kraft dinner, pasta and pasta sauce, soup and crackers and of course…toilet paper! You can find more information at their website: https://londoncommunitychaplaincy.com
St. Paul's Social Services Food Bank St. Paul's Fellowship Centre is currently closed for Lunch Distribution due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, but the Food Bank is still open and the staff and volunteers are dedicated to assist the community during this difficult time. Food and Monetary donations are always welcome and accepted. For donations please visit their website: http://stpaulssocialservices.ca. For the safety of staff and clients, they are offering service and intake by phone and web. For inquiries please call: 519-673-3242 or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/St.PaulsSocialServices
Check out the Vicars' Crossing Podcasts: Itunes, YouTube or Soundcloud OR simply go to Rev Rob's Blog page listed under "Rev Rob's Corner" and click the link to view the many podcasts available.
During current Pandemic restrictions, all meetings are temporarily suspended until further notice. Recurring Meeting Times: Next Euchre & Games Night: Thurs at 7pm Next Crafts & Laughs: Thurs at 9:30am Next Open Prayer Group: Tues at 9am Next Camp Committee Mtg: Thurs at 7pm Next Parish Council Mtg: Tues at 7pm Next Family Movie Night: Friday at 7pm Next Ladies Coffee Hour: Tues at 10am
