Thursday, February 02, 2023

Happy February Everyone!

That’s a wrap for January! Now we continue to move through the winter season. There’s no better way to ‘warm up’ than to join us on Sunday for our Chili Lunch! We’ll be enjoying some great connection and community building around the tables with some great food directly following the service. Please feel free to bring a friend along! Contact Sheila McKelvie if you have any questions - sheila.mckelvie@gmail.com 

We had a wonderful gathering at Maplewood Place last Sunday evening. It was heartwarming to see many of those residents who have eagerly returned to joining us for our monthly worship service. We had close to 40 residents come out! We have set the third Sunday of the month as our regular service time there. The next service at Maplewood will be Sunday, February 19th at 7:00pm. Contact Mary Rowe: mary.rowe@gmail.com 

Our Quirky Quilters sewing day is on Saturday February 11th from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the church. New people are welcome. Please contact Donna Nolan 229-0005 for more info about this ministry.

We’re holding a “Super Bowl Sunday” event on Sunday February 12th. Come on out and watch the game on the big screen and enjoy some great food and fellowship. Details about the time of this event will follow. If you can bring along some snacks to share, great! Contact Quenton Currie - quenton@reddoorhearing.com

We’ll be having our monthly Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, February 25th at 9:00am in the Brian Coldwell Room at the church. All men are welcome to bring along a friend! Contact Albert Kenway - abkenway@gmail.com

Calling all Ladies! We are having a “Paint Night” featuring artist Mikayla Ryan who will lead us through creating our own works of art! This event is set for Monday, March 6th at 7:00pm. Details to follow! Contact Mary Rowe for more information: mary.rowe@gmail.como 

Our Board has set the date for our Annual General Meeting and Celebration! This will happen on Saturday, March 18th. (More details to follow) We are intentionally holding this event on a Saturday so that our Gander congregation will have an opportunity to join us. This will be a great evening of gathering together as “one church,” both sites connecting and celebrating what God has done in the past year. On Sunday, the 19th, we are planning a “one church” worship service with both sites coming together. It’s going to be a great weekend!

***Save the Date!***Ladies Retreat, April 14th & 15 with our own Sheila McKelvie as our Speaker. The theme of this Retreat is: “Strength Will Arise” Isaiah 40:31. So, mark your calendars and more details will follow!

Tonight is our weekly Thursday Night Prayer Gathering at 7:00pm via Zoom. All are welcome to come join us for an hour of friendship, devotion and prayer. “ For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”Matt.18:20. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9617245634  Contact Mary Rowe: mary.rowe@gmail.com 

Here’s information from Pastor Kendalyn:

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It’s an exciting week here in our Children and Youth Ministries as we are in full swing! Friday Night our Launch and Youth Programs will be meeting at 7 pm! Keep an eye out for details from the coordinators. 

Then on Sunday, our Nursery, Kid’s Program and Jr. High Sunday School Class are all taking place during the service. If you or your student are involved in these programs this Sunday, please be sure to stop by the Check In Desk to be signed in! 

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Hello from frosty Gander!

The weather may be frigid but that doesn’t keep us from moving forward! We have another exciting week coming up. On Sunday, we will have our regular worship service at 10:30 am with Communion. Then on Sunday evening, we are joining with St. Matthew’s again to have a joint fellowship service at 7 pm. There will be singing, a brief devotion led by me and refreshments following the service. You won’t want to miss it.

Then, on Tuesday, we are thrilled to be starting a new event called Conversation Cafe. It will be held on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm for the next 8 weeks and we will have a short video to discuss around the table along with a chance to enjoy a warm beverage. We are hoping to bring new people “to the table” as we discuss faith issues that we encounter in our lives today.

I’m glad it’s February and I look forward to warmer days to come and lots of growth in our church family!  - Pastor Kim 

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Lots going on in the life of both of our congregations!

Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, so we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together - if you’re joining us online, be sure to have your elements prepared. Also, as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month, as part of our worship in giving, we designate all loose offerings to our Care for Community Fund. This fund allows us to respond to requests from those who are in need in our community. Thank you for your generosity!

Also on Sunday, we’ll continue our message series, “Following Jesus Through the Gospel of Mark.” We’re moving through the second half of this series quickly! You can read ahead if you like: I’ll be summarizing Mark 12:13-17, and we’ll go deeper into Mark 12:18-27 featuring the Sadducees - another religious group who want to trick Jesus with their question. This message will bring home the importance of reading/knowing God’s Word. Hope to see you all there!

I was reading from Matthew 5 and was reminded that we, as his people and his church, are the light in this world: 

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

May we be Jesus’ light today as those around us witness our good deeds and glorify him! Let your light shine!

Blessings,

Carolyn