St. John’s Vancouver Things happening in the life of our church and in our community December 8, 2019
What’s up at St. John’s FINANCIAL UPDATE TO DECEMBER 1, 2019
CONDOLENCES
We thank God for all of you who have generously donated to the ministries of St. John’s in 2019. Below is an offerings update:
On Tuesday, November 26, Madeline Dujardin passed away. Madeline was a longterm member of St. John’s and a faithful Christian. Please keep her husband Ray in your prayers along with their children Michelle, Andrea, and Michael as they grieve her loss. The memorial service will be held on December 19 at 11:30 am at St. John’s Vancouver, 5350 Baillie St. All are welcome.
Total 2019 offering budget Offerings to December 1
$2,225,000 $1,720,338
In order to reach our budget we will need to receive $504,662 by December 31. If you have any questions about your offerings or the St. John’s budget please contact either Krista Friebel, krista@sjvan.org, or our Treasurer, Christine Klukas, through the church office. WHAT’S NEW WITH THE 2020 OFFERING ENVELOPES Because of new forms of giving, there has been a marked decrease in demand for the traditional boxes of offering envelopes with individual giving codes stamped on each envelope. As a result, we have increasingly had to recycle untaken and unused boxes at the year-end. We felt this was neither a good use of our money nor good for the environment. For 2020 we have decided to do something different. If you are a regular donor and would like a boxed set of envelopes, they are available in the foyer. The difference is that we have ordered far fewer boxes and they don’t have pre-printed giving codes on the envelopes. If you use the envelopes and would like a charitable tax receipt for your donation, please put your name and address on each envelope, so your donation can be recorded accurately. If you have any questions about the change please contact: Krista Friebel, Director of Church Operations krista@sjvan.org 604-558-4400 ext. 233 SENIORS CHRISTMAS COMMUNION // DEC 10 @ 11:00 AM Seniors are invited to join us on December 10 at 11:00 am in the church chapel for Christmas communion followed by lunch. Please RSVP to Margaret Wilson, margaret@sjvan.org or 778-838-7400. JOB OPENING: COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Do you have proven experience in communications and graphic design and want to use your skills to advance the gospel of Christ? If so, you might be interested in applying for our full-time job opening for a Communications Specialist. A complete job description is on our website at stjohnsvancouver.org/jobs. We will begin interviewing qualified applicants as we receive applications.
CONDOLENCES Please pray for the Hewitt family as they grieve the loss of their mother/mother-in-law/ grandmother. Norma passed away peacefully with family members present on November 14. She will be greatly missed. By request, there will be no service. EVENSONG // DEC 10 Evensong will be on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 pm. We will meet in the lower level. Evensong is a time to gather over a meal, followed by prayer, singing, and hearing from God’s word. Everyone is welcome.
Calendar WOMEN’S RETREAT // JAN 31-FEB 2 Each year women of St. John’s enjoy a weekend away together for fun, fellowship, rest, and sitting together under great bible teaching. Connally Gilliam will be joining us again in 2020, helping us (re)discover how God’s eternal goodness is present in the gritty tenderness of daily life. Join us for next year’s retreat at Cedar Springs from Jan 31 to Feb 2, 2020. The early-bird discount ends on Dec 20.
MONDAY, DEC 9 Little Years @ 10:45 am Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre 7:30 pm
TUESDAY, DEC 10 11:00 am
In our Community MISSIONS FEST 2020 // JAN 31 & FEB 1 The theme for the upcoming Missions Fest is Altar Vision. The festival will explore the topic of surrender and its connection to mission. Missions Fest is the largest annual missions conference in North America, highlighting local and global mission opportunities. General Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register visit missionsfestvancouver.ca. WINTER COURSES AT REGENT COLLEGE Regent College isn’t just for theologians and pastors. It was founded to help people ask their knottiest biblical and theological questions in community, supported by wise, reliable guides. This winter, Regent is offering a wealth of distance, condensed, weekend, and evening courses to make learning more accessible than ever. Find out more at rgnt.net/courses.
Prayer Points Children: Please pray for our Sunday school children during the season of Advent. We ask that this season will be a time of celebrating the Good News of Jesus’ birth and a time to learn what it means to wait in eager hope for him to come again and make all things new. Get our weekly email with all events happening in our community by subscribing to the parish email list at sjvan.org
Expecting Emmanuel Seniors Christmas Communion
5:30 pm Evensong WEDNESDAY, DEC 11 7:20 am Men’s Bible Study Ekklesia (18 6:30 pm to late 30s) @ UChapel THURSDAY, DEC 12 7:00 pm DivorceCare FRIDAY, DEC 13 6:00 pm
Youth // Serve the City (grades 7-12)
SUNDAY, DEC 15 1 Peter 1:8-13 8:00 am Holy Communion 10:00 am Holy Communion 5:00 pm Evening Catechism 6:00 pm Carol Service 7:15 pm Soup Sunday Learn more at sjvan.org/calendar
Throughout Advent there are several ways to celebrate the season at St. John’s. We hope you will invite your family and friends to join us as we prepare for Christmas together. Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at St. John’s Vancouver, 5350 Bailie Street, and are free to attend.
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EXPECTING EMMANUEL
7:30 pm This is the time of the year when we are all much to busy. There are expectations and pressure of our “Happy Holiday culture” while we also long to meet the Christ of Christmas. For some of us, the burdens we carry seem to harder to bear in this season of parties and celebrating. If you’re tired, burdened, or just in need of a time apart from all the hustle and bustle – a time to meet Emanuel, come to Expecting Emmanuel.
EVENING CAROL SERVICE
6:00 pm Join us for our “Nothing but the Hits!” carol service. We’ll sing favourite Christmas carols and hear readings from the Nativity story. Then we’ll head downstairs to enjoy soup together.
BRASS & ORGAN CONCERT
7:30 pm // Kerrisdale Presbyterian Celebrate Christmas with music from the VSO Brass Quintet with organist Terry Fullerton. Tickets are available at the door only. Adults $20 // Students $15 // Children under 12 free
FIRST NOEL
1:00 pm // VanDusen Garden Join us for First Noel at VanDusen Garden as we celebrate Christmas. With crafts, singing, and a telling of the Christmas story, First Noel is a simple and warm way for families with children to celebrate the season. The program and crafts are ideal for children twelve and under.
LESSONS & CAROLS
4:30 pm This classic Christmas service intersperses Scripture readings with carols sung together and by the choir.
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