February 2021

 

Seedlings
Lenten Season - Making the Invisible Visible

Arts Committee

Heather Swallow, Chair

  • The Committee met one week before the online coffeehouse scheduled for February 20 to iron out final details. As a post-meeting note, the event itself was very successful with 33 attendees/performers and a wide variety of “Pandemic Projects” shared. Thank you to our host, John Maclachlan, all our performers, and Jane Shumka and Heather Swallow, who coordinated.
  • An Easter outdoor installation is being planned, and Players are cooking up an Easter play and seeking actors and script writers, videographers, etc. Contact Susan Dickson

Children, Youth and Family Committee

Irene Griffiths, Chair

  • Operation Hearts Together families delivered seven packages containing valentines, baking, tea and other small items to senior congregation members the week of Valentine’s Day and followed-up with telephone or a video connection. Anyone interested in connecting or offering connection through Operation Hearts Together can contact Cathy Cryder
  • Cathy delivered Faith at Home Kits with Lent and Easter activities to 23 families (41 children) in the week prior to Ash Wednesday. Committee members prepare and deliver kits four times a year during pandemic distancing.
  • Mardi Gras Pancake Supper took place over Zoom on Shrove Tuesday, February 16 with 12 households attending. Participants modelled Mardi Gras masks (made from supplies in the Faith at Home kits) and enjoyed pancakes they had made at home.

Coordinating Minister's Report

Maggie Enwright, Coordinating Minister

  • Lenten activities include an invitation to open one link each day of Lent to get a glimpse of some activities going on in our congregation “behind the scenes” such as doorstep visits with congregation members we have not seen on any Zoom gatherings, in hopes to inform and connect us as a community.

  • The Visioning Exercise has generated various concerns from congregants. The core team is encouraged to consider these when mapping out a process and engaging a facilitator.  Mark Paetkau is in the process of approaching individuals to explore their willingness to serve on this Core Team.
  • Garden Plots in front of the gymnasium may become community gardens again this spring. Sabina Harpe and Judith Ann Donaldson have volunteered to help coordinate this effort, which includes reviewing the 2014 guidelines. Plots go first to congregation members, and then to the wider community.
  • PIE Day is March 14th and will include a sermon by June Joplin, Baptist minister and a transgender woman who was fired from her job when she came out to her congregation last spring. Shaughnessy Heights and Pacific Spirit United Churches will have access to the same sermon.
  • Rejuvenation Work has begun in the East-West Room in the Memorial Centre. Guidelines for respectful and careful use of the sanctuary are being prepared.

Finance Committee Report

Julie Poznanski, Chair

  • The committee noted that the purpose of the Legacy Fund, once well established, is to expand ministry opportunities and suggests we begin to look more broadly at ways we can have impact, particularly in outreach and important community initiatives. There may even be room to look at a specific project for 2021 given major crises in our city right now.

Stewardship

  • Lively conversation around money ensued at last Sunday’s coffee time spurred by a 6-year old’s question to her grandmother. Bud Phillips shared a personal story of how his parents instilled thoughtfulness around the use of money. This made us think there is a stewardship opportunity here to continue to explore the subject of money and our spiritual calling. We will consider a book study for the fall. 

In Reach Report

Sally Ball, Chair

  • The In-reach committee met via Zoom to report on Doorstep Visits with congregation members for The Invisible Made Visible Lenten project. Committee members and those we visited experienced much pleasure in the experience. We hope you enjoy seeing friends on the Newsletter links.

Ministry & Personnel

Jacqueline Kelly, Chair

  • The M&P Committee met with Rev. Maggie Enwright to talk about how things are going for the staff, what she thinks the next number of months would look like and how the M&P Committee can be supportive to staff.

Spiritual nurture

Chris Epting, Chair

  • The Library Committee continues to organize the library and is exploring how to allow the congregation to borrow books safely at this time.

  • Hosted Virtual Coffee Hour will be Sunday, Feb 28th

Worship

Merrilee Thompson, Chair | Paul Westwick, Council Rep

  • The Worship Committee met via Zoom on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. As usual, we reviewed the past month’s worship services considering elements that were experienced as uplifting and thought-provoking. We wish to highlight Irene Griffiths’ sermon on VST Sunday. We consider the quality of our services to be excellent and thank all ministry team members for their vision and wisdom.

Two new initiatives:

  • Increasing peoples’ response to services via comments on the YouTube channel or in coffee groups. There are good conversations taking place at virtual coffee groups and elsewhere. On occasion, a slide will appear at the end of the worship videos encouraging people to share the video link with friends and neighbours.

  • Including Communion in Sunday Zoom Services Communion will form part of zoom services (next on April 11) and/or at the beginning of virtual coffee. 


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