WEEKLY BULLETIN FOR Sunday August 9th, 2020 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 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.
PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to request prayers for someone, please fill out the Prayer Request Form in the bulletin and place it in the offering plate or submit to the office, or email to: holytrinityststephens@gmail.com. Our prayer team will include your loved ones with their allotted intercessions. First names will printed in the weekly bulletin.
Prayers for those in need of Health and Healing: Nancy, Jill, Lucy, Roseanne R., Phillip, Rebecca, Kyra, Diane, Barbara, Lisa, James, Hiba, Petra, Hailey, Carol, John & Val, Kristen, Kylee, Molly Rose, Catalina, Soledad, Bea, Linda, Sandra, Luke, Peter, Diane, Peggy, Evan & Family, Edith, Jerry, Cheryl, John, and Krista
Prayers for those in Long Term Care or Seniors Homes: Marg, Diane, Noreen, Helen, Jim, Peter, Gene, Evelyn, Dave, Shirley, Rhiannon, Janet, Junia, Cliff, Shirley Mac, Florence, Leona, Laurie, Gloria, Joannie, Hazel, and Bob.
Although there’s no actual Altar Flowers to assemble, those noted below still have a place of importance for us as a parish family to honour and remember.
SUMMER ALTAR FLOWERS: August Aug 2 - Given to the Glory of God by Dave & Sharron Pirrie in Memory of Dave’s parents John & Eliza Pirrie Aug 9 - Given to the Glory of God by Agnes Comeau in memory of her husband George Aug 16 - Given to the Glory of God by Anne Buchanan in memory of her husband John and her mother Margaret Aug 23 - Given to the Glory of God by Olga Stewart in memory of parents Dimitri & Mary Yadlowski Aug 30 - Given to the Glory of God by Jan & Allison Gortzak in memory of Jan’s mum Janine, and their beloved daughter Jordan Aleena.
UPCOMING BOOK STUDY What do Christians have to say about God in the midst of this pandemic? What is the role of the Church at this time? How should we think about God? How do we recover. What can we learn about ourselves and the world? These questions and more are addressed by N.T Wright in his new book God and the Pandemic. Just an update on the book study dates: Wednesdays in August. (5, 12, 19, 26) 10am or 7pm on Zoom. Please email Rev. Rob and indicate "10am" or "7pm” robhenderson@diohuron.org Books available on Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, Zondervan.com, e-book or audio format.
Crown The Lounge - UPDATE: Dear Friends: We are happy to announce that we've moved into the next stage of our Crown the Lounge Campaign. With funding now secured we have hired H&N Roofing to replace the roof over the fireside lounge. We hope it will be completed by September. If you are at the church during the month of August, please use caution around the construction. More news to come as we continue more capital projects this summer and fall! May we continue to pray and work together as we participate with God in Gods mission to our community through the Parish of HTSSM. Blessings, Rev. Rob+
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!
BABY ANNOUNCEMENT From Kelly Kirkpatrick!! We thank God for the safe arrival of [Grandson] Kai Edward who was born on Wednesday July 15th at 645 pm and weighed 7.5 lbs. Nikki and Kevin are overjoyed, as well as a little tired! His little playmate and cousin Bo can't wait till he's a little bigger to share toys with! Lol Congratulations to Kelly and her growing family for many years of happy memories together!!
THANK YOU to Everyone for Supporting the Brain Tumour Walk! On June 27th more than 3,600 people across Canada participated in the walk, raising an incredible $1.1 million in donations! Congratulations to Kathy and all those involved in such an amazing achievement!!
REQUEST FOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Asking our church family if anyone has bedding, blankets, household items or anything they would like to purge from their homes for the families in Southdale. Please contact Joanne Crow for drop off details. Thank you for all you do! Joanne
Daily Bread Daily Readings Booklets We have received the Daily Bread readings booklets. We will distribute 15 at a time in our front mailbox at HTSSM, and once depleted we will add more. Parishioners can come by and pick one up from our mailbox. If there are none at the time, please call the office and they will be replenished. Take care and stay safe. Thanks, from Jeanette.
YARD SALE UPDATE We thank you for your contributions for the Yard Sale; however due to the current Covid-19 conditions this event has been cancelled for June 2020. Regrettably, at this time our storage space at the Church is now exhausted and we cannot except any additional donations until further notice. If at possible, please keep your items until collections can resume for our next Yard Sale (hopefully 2021). Thanks, Jeanette & Marg
Pop Tins Unfortunately, due to space availability, Pop can collection has been put on hold! We would ask that if you still would like to donate tins, please hold at your residence until we are able to advise when this program is up and running again!! Thank you for your ongoing support! The Wardens
Photo Directory Update An update on our parish photo directory. The company that is producing the directory (IPC) is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were hoping to receive our directory this spring but it will more likely be sometime in the late fall. Thank you for your patience and we will keep you updated!
2020 Vacation Bible School: UPDATE Please be advised that in consultation with Parish Council, it has been decided to cancel this year’s Vacation Bible School, which was scheduled to take place August 17-21. The health and well being of the children and volunteers is vital. As well, Covid-19 rules regarding how a day camp might function are yet to be defined. In fact, day camps may not be permitted to open at all. We would like to thank everyone for stepping up to help with VBS 2020. This is a disappointing outcome but a time will come when we can restart our efforts to reach out again to the children of our community. “This too shall pass.” Blessings, Chuck
UNDIE SUNDAY UPDATE A great big thank you and hug from Beth and I to our wonderful parish family. We actually had 184 pairs of undies donated, 32 pairs of socks and 2 T-shirts. On Tuesday, June 2nd Beth and I sorted everything between the Chaplaincy and C.C. Carrothers School. Anova had explained to Beth that they weren't accepting soft materials during this time. The Chaplaincy received theirs today and the school will receive theirs when they reopen (whenever that may be). Many heartfelt thanks, stay safe, stay healthy and God Bless. Beth and Sharron ♡
CONNECTING WHILE APART! "For what it matters, now is the time to act with compassion, kindness, and cooperation." This is a time of loneliness and anxiety for many people, young & old; please consider calling an elderly neighbour, long-distance relative, or friend in self-isolation. Do a wellness check, chat for a moment, listen to each other, maybe tell a joke, share your time and your compassion. Wishing everyone Blessings and Prayers. Stay safe, wash your hands, be socially responsible through physical distancing, and BE KIND! We are being called by God to do our part and share our faith!
Parish Council: The 2020 Vestry Report has now been posted to the website under Warden’s Page. Please contact a Council Member if you have any questions and concerns to be addressed.
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) 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: 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.
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