St. John’s Vancouver Things happening in the life of our church and in our community July 21, 2019
What’s up at St. John’s FLOWERS
CONTACT INFORMATION
The flowers today are given to commemorate what would have been the 54th Wedding Anniversary of Dr. Edward and Mrs. Lotte Gentis on July 17th. Lotte would like to give glory and honour to God for the gift of sharing over 53 years of marriage together with Edward, a most wonderful and loving husband, father and grandfather. He is deeply missed.
Has your contact information changed in the last couple of months? You can let us know by visiting our website – sjvan.org/ contact. At the bottom of the page is the button “Update my Contact Information.”
CONDOLENCES Sharyn Thomson’s mother, Gloria, passed away last Sunday, July 14. The date of the memorial service, which will likely be this Thursday, July 25th, will be formally announced on Sunday.
JOB OPENINGS ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST Do you want to use your skills in administration and organization to contribute to the mission of the church? Want to spend time with an amazing team of people and Terry’s adorable puppy during your nine to five? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you should apply for the Administrative Specialist position at St. Johns! Send your resume to jobs@sjvan.org to apply.
SAVE THE DATE: LIFE EXPLORED INFORMATION/TRAINING SESSION Are you thinking of inviting a friend to our new Life Explored program in the Fall, but want to know more about it? Do you have friends or family that you want to introduce to the gospel, and are looking for a program that you could do together in your own home? Are you interested in helping to lead a Life Explored group? Please join us on Saturday, September 7 as Kevin Allen, from Christianity Explored takes us through the program. Details on time and location to follow shortly.
SUNDAE SUNDAY Join us for sundaes on Sunday, July 28 after the 6:00 pm service. BABY ANNOUNCEMENT Congratulations to Alex and Elisa Munro, who welcomed their son Luke Hsieh Yin Zhi Munro to the world on July 16th at 9:23am. Luke is 8lbs and he and Elisa are doing well.
In our Community Calendar
REGENT EVENING PUBLIC LECTURES Throughout the summer Regent College offers thoughtful lectures that engage with a range of challenging issues. Explore scripture, theology, and culture with Regent faculty and visiting lecturers. These are all free and can be attended in person or livestreamed. Lectures begin at 7:30 pm in the Regent College chapel. Wednesday, July 24 // N.T. Wright (SOLD OUT - Livestream Only) Jesus in Space, Time, and History: Natural Theology and the Challenge of Talking about God Monday, July 29 // Malcolm Guite Ordinary Saints
MONDAY, JULY 22 6:00 pm
Youth Hang Out @ Locarno Beach
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 6:30 pm
Ekklesia (18 to 20-somethings)
SUNDAY, JULY 28 Psalm 148 8:00 am Holy Communion
SUMMER READING LIST Looking for a good read this summer? We recommend the following: Andy Crouch, T he Tech-Wise Family* Timothy Keller, Prayer* Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus* Susan Orlean, The Library Book* Louise Penny, any of the books in the Gamache series* Mark Sayers, D isappearing Church
10:00 am Morning Prayer 6:00 pm Holy Communion LEARN MORE AT SJVAN.ORG/CALENDAR
*available at the Vancouver Public Library
PRAYER POINTS 1. For wisdom and guidance as St. John’s hires new people. 2. That God would draw people to attend the Life Explored course that is launching in the fall. 3. For hearts filled with a desire to share Jesus with our friends and family.
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Prayer Stories In the Christian life, we know that prayer is an essential practice. Prayer keeps us connected to God, relying on him for every good thing. However, it is often difficult for many of us to keep prayer as a daily priority. Over the next few months, we will be sharing stories where prayer is the central theme. We hope they will encourage your prayer life and remind you of where you’ve seen God at work. Emma Song-Carrillo writes our first story. Emma and her husband Leo lead worship at the Evening Service and lead a Missional Community. “When Ben Short started a Missional Community (MC) five years ago, the prayer time, which he dubbed “family time,” was the most awkward and brief segment of the night. Surrounded by non-believers and seekers, few prayer requests were offered, and the prayers were kept short to accommodate those to whom “family time” was a foreign experience. A year later, the community had grown and weekly family time was clocking in at about an hour most Tuesdays with at least 30 minutes spent in prayer. From those early days, family time became central to the identity and mission of the MC. Leo and I took over the leadership of the group two years ago, and we have been delighted by the ever-changing group of people who gather week after week in our living room. At times, we still experience fear when we begin family time, inviting non-christian visitors to share prayer requests. But God, our Heavenly Father, changed our hearts about praying for and in the presence of those who don’t know Him and has taught us a lesson in trust and obedience in the process. We can confidently say that God has heard and answered many of the prayers raised during family time, whether for material provision, help in our relationships, physical healing, or opportunities to evangelize. Week after week, we open our family time with a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s real presence and intimate involvement in our lives. Regularly we see prayer answered within 24 hours of our Tuesday night gathering! Every week, before we start the prayer, one of the leaders will say “We have a Father in heaven, who loves to hear us pray. So let’s pray to Him.” And every week, we rejoice in the reality that God does love to hear us pray, and in His grace, responds to the cries of His children.” We’re confident that each of us have stories of prayers answered, and we’d love to share them. If you have one we can share please email Brie, brie@sjvan.org. We’re looking for stories between 250 and 300 words. St. John’s Vancouver Offices: 2325 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J2 | Phone: 604.558.4400 | stjohnsvancouver.org Stay informed: facebook.com/stjohnsvancouver | Engage with each other: facebook.com/groups/stjohnsvancouver