St. John’s Vancouver Things happening in the life of our church and in our community December 15, 2019
What’s up at St. John’s FINANCIAL UPDATE TO DECEMBER 1, 2019
CHRISTMAS DAY
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:
Join us on Christmas morning at 10:00 am for Christmas Communion.
Total 2019 offering budget Offerings to December 8
$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, krista@sjvan.org or 604-558-4400 ext. 233.
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 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. 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.
In our Community GIVE THE GIFT OF NOURISHMENT Crop failures caused by a blisteringly hot summer and late monsoon season have left many families in Helping Point’s communities struggling to feed their children this year. To offset the impact of this drought, Helping Point will be providing weekly meals to children who attend our Daycare Centres in the most affected regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in India. Helping Point is aiming to raise one years worth of meal funding for our most affected Daycare Centres, to help the communities through this difficult time and beyond. We have a fundraising goal of $12,000. Please consider how you may be able to give this Christmas season. To find out more about giving visit helpingpoint.org/christmas-2019.
Calendar MONDAY, DEC 16 Little Years @ 10:45 am Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre TUESDAY, DEC 17 Brass & Organ Concert @ 7:30 pm Kerrisdale Presbyterian WEDNESDAY, DEC 18 7:20 am Men’s Bible Study
CHRISTMAS CARDS FLOODING YOUR (LITERAL) MAILBOX? As the Christmas cards arrive this month consider saving the stamps to support ministers in training. The Arthur Turner Training School, in Iqaluit, Nunavut trains ministers for the Diocese of the Arctic and you can support them by donating used stamps on their trimmed envelopes, or small stamp collections. If you have donations or questions, connect with either Grace Turner, or Glenn Howell (778-840-1779).
Ekklesia (18 6:30 pm to late 30s) @ UChapel SATURDAY, DEC 21 1:00 pm First Noel SUNDAY, DEC 22 Hebrews 10:19-25 8:00 am Holy Communion 10:00 am Morning Prayer 4:30 pm Lessons & Carols 6:00 pm Compline
Ideas for Invitation The Christmas season is a natural time to invite people to church or Christmas events. We have a number of events at St. John’s ideal for invitation. We realize that each of us will invite differently, so these are just a few suggestions to get you thinking: • Invite people to an event (see the back page) and pair it with dinner or dessert. • Invite friends to First Noel and visit the lights afterwards. • I nvite people to join your Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner, after one of our services. Get our weekly email with all events happening in our community by subscribing to the parish email list at sjvan.org
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.
15 17 21 22 24
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.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Celebrate Christmas Eve with us at one of our three unique services: 5:00 pm Contemporary Carol Service – with the Evening Service band 8:00 pm Traditional Carol Service – with the choir and organ 10:00 pm Holy Communion – with the choir and organ
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