St. John’s Vancouver Things happening in the life of our church and in our community September 1, 2019
What’s up at St. John’s SERVICE CHANGES Next Sunday we will move to four Sunday services: 7:30 am 9:00 am // 11:00 am 6:00 pm LIFE EXPLORED INFO SESSION // SEPT 7
A NOTE OF THANKS FROM DAVID SHORT I have been off work recovering from a concussion I received earlier in the summer. Thank you for your understanding and prayers. While some symptoms persist, I am feeling stronger and I plan to make a gradual return to work in September.
Registration closes tomorrow morning (Sept 2). This spring we hosted an informational session in order to learn a little bit more about Life Explored, the evangelism program that we’re beginning to use as a church. We’ll be hosting a second session on September 7, with the same trainer, as we prepare to roll out Life Explored in October. Whether you are curious about the program, or have already been through it once with us this spring, this session will provide a helpful context to explore content, and to work through questions you might still have about how to make the most of Life Explored. The session will be held in the Cedar Room at VanDusen Garden, from 8:30 am-1:30 pm. Coffee, snacks, and lunch will be provided. If you’d like to attend please register online. MATTHEW BIBLE STUDIES Guides are now available for “The Great Wisdom of God,” our upcoming sermon series in the gospel according to Matthew. This term there will be two different guides offered: a shorter discussion guide, designed for a quick dip into the passage of the week; and a longer study guide, designed to encourage deeper reflection prior to the group meeting. The discussion guides will cost $3, and the study guides will cost $5. You can purchase them in the foyer this Sunday or next, from our community groups coordinator Joel Strecker. DO YOU KNOW OF A JOB OPENING? Earlier this year the Abdul Satar family, the refugee family we sponsor, was able to move to Vancouver. In the past months, Farhad, Homa and their children Marve (8) and Arsham (4) have begun to settle well. At the moment Farhad is eager to work and is looking for fulltime work in the day so he can attend English classes in the evening. If you know of possible employment for Farhad, a former soldier with basic English skill, please contact Owen Underhill, underhil@sfu.ca.
FLOWERS The flowers are offered today to the glory of God from Anna and Michael Kwan in celebration of the marriage of their daughter Megan to Tommy Nixon. May God be their guide and honoured guest in their new home. IF IT’S BROKEN AND / OR SHARP... If you happen to break glass or have something with sharp corners that needs disposing, please do not put it in the garbage bins at church. We don’t want someone to get hurt when dealing with the garbage. Instead of putting it in the garbage, set it aside and let Marion know. EKKLESIA Ekklesia is back at UChapel this week. We’re going to have a meal, meet the new leaders, and have a time of worship. If you’re between 18 and mid-20s and looking for a small group, come and check us out.
Calendar ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY IN THE FALL? This fall we will be offering morning and evening small groups for women! Our evening program will be meeting Wednesday nights at the church office beginning later in September.
WED, SEPTEMBER 4 6:30 pm
Ekklesia (18 to 20-somethings)
SUN, SEPTEMBER 8
Our Thursday morning study will begin September 12 with a welcome brunch. Kids@10 will continue to run alongside this Thursday morning study for children from 18 months – 5 years old. If you are interested in being part of a group please register online soon (sjvan.org/women) as these groups fill up quickly.
9:00 am Morning Prayer
Any questions? Email women@sjvan.org.
11:00 am Morning Prayer
DIVORCECARE // STARTS SEPT 26 Most people feel that separation and divorce are the most painful and stressful experiences they’ve ever faced. It’s a confusing time when you feel isolated and have lots of questions about issues you’ve never faced before. To help, we run DivorceCare. It is a 13-week group that helps those who are feeling the pain of separation or divorce. The group is open to anyone, not just those who attend St. John’s. If you know someone who would benefit from it, please let them know. This fall DivorceCare will happen Thursday nights at 7:00 pm, starting on Sept 26. The cost is $20, which covers the cost of the book. To take part, please register online. If you have questions, contact Margaret, margaret,@sjvan.org, or 778-838-7400.
Matthew 16:1-20 7:3 am Holy Communion
6:00 pm Evening Prayer LEARN MORE AT SJVAN.ORG/CALENDAR
WEDDING // SEPT 6 Mark van Bommel and Olivia Smyth are getting married on Friday, September 6 at 10:00 am at the church (5350 Baillie Street). Everyone is welcome to attend the service and celebrate with them. There will be ice cream afterwards! SUNDAY SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Prayer Points 1. Pray that more women would attend Ekklesia, the young adults ministry. We’d also like to ask God for one more female leader. 2. Pray that Farhad will find full-time work that will allow him to also study English. 3. Pray that we would have the courage to invite people to attend Life Explored.
Do you love children? Are you passionate about sharing the Gospel? If so, the Children’s Ministry team is looking for volunteers to join our Sunday school team. No experience necessary. If you’re interested email Jessica, jessica@sjvan.org for more information.
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Over the summer there have been a few transitions and we have welcomed new people to the St. John’s team. As we head into the fall, we want to let you know about the changes. admin Julie Boechler has taken on the role of Admin Specialist within the St. John’s office. She comes to the role with a background as a dental assistant and then dental administration. Julie has been attending St. John’s with her family for the past 15 years and you can find them at the evening service. Contact Julie: julie@sjvan.org care James Wagner is taking an education leave this fall and will be returning in December. In his absence Lyn Unger, who just finished a masters in counselling, will be joining Margaret Wilson on the pastoral care team. Contact Lyn: lyn@sjvan.org children Earlier this year we announced earlier that Jeremy Graham was moving into the role of Assistant Minister. That change happened at the start of summer and he is now focusing his time on family ministries and the gospel application pillar. Contact Jeremy: jeremy@sjvan.org Jessica Fehr is filling Jeremy’s former position as the Director of Children’s Ministry. She has been working in children’s ministry at St. John’s for the past three years while completing her MA of Theology at Regent College. Contact Jessica: jessica@sjvan.org Will Gray has accepted the position of Children’s Ministry Assistant and will be helping to oversee weekly Sunday School classes, focusing primarily on the intermediate levels and helping with special events. He has moved with his family from Winnipeg where he worked at St. Aidan’s as the Family Ministries Co-ordinator. This fall he will also begin studies at Regent College. Contact Will: will@sjvan.org curate A curate is a minister being trained in all aspects of ministry in order to one day lead an Anglican congregation. Through the bequest we are able to hire two curates for the upcoming year: Joel Strecker and Dan Glover. Joel will be focusing on small groups and Dan will be spending his time with the young adults ministry – Ekklesia. Contact Joel: joel@sjvan.org Contact Dan: dglover@sjvan.org youth We are pleased to announce that after a thorough hiring process conducted by the Student Ministry Hiring Advisory Committee, Leo and Emma Song-Carrillo have agreed to fill the position of Student Ministries Directors at St. John’s Vancouver for a one year period with the hopes that this will become a long term position. Contact Emma: emma@sjvan.org Contact Leo: leo@sjvan.org 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