Highlights May 3, 2015 Easter Season

Transcription

1 Highlights May 3, 2015 Easter Season Highlands United Church 3255 Edgemont Blvd. North Vancouver, BC V7R 2P

2 Highlands Upcoming Events and Programs This list does not include rooms booked for outside rentals (Guides, AA, Alanon etc). Highlands Event Calendar can be viewed on our web site at: To book a room, contact the church office at: churchoffice@highlandsunited.org Sunday, May 3 9:30 am Welcome Café in the Foyer 10:00 am Sunday Worship Service 11:15 am Birthday Celebrations, Fireside Room 11:15 am Newcomers Orientation with Colleen Blair, Narthex 11:30 am New Members Q & A, Room 201 Monday, May 4 9:00 am Highlands Quilters, Choir Room 9:00 am Sandwiches for First, Kitchen 1:00 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry, Choir Room 7:00 pm Guitar for Fun, Fireside Room 7:30 pm Badminton, Gym Tuesday, May 5 9:00 am Flea Market Sorting, Lower Hall 9:30 am ESL / ELL Beginner Class, Faith Room 9:30 am ESL / ELL Class, Room :00 pm ESL / ELL Country Dancers, Room 201 Wednesday, May 6 7:30 am Men s Breakfast, Eighties Restaurant 10:30 am Seniors connection, Lower Hall 4:00 pm Tai Chi, Gym Thursday, May 7 9:30 am ESL / ELL Class, Room :00 am Healing Hands, Chapel and Choir Room 12:30 pm ESL / ELL Speakers Group, Room 201 3:30 pm Building Committee Meeting, Sanctuary 5:30 pm Thursday Community Meal (Cancelled for the term, back in September) 7:00 pm Eight Deadlies Rehearsal, Chapel 8:00 pm Spirit Singers Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary Friday, May 8 Saturday, May 9 8:45 am Tai Chi, Gym 12:00 pm G2 Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 1:00 pm Saturday Lunch, North Shore Neighbourhood House Sunday, May 10 Mother s Day 8:45 am G2 Rehearsal, Sanctuary 9:30 am Welcome Café in the Foyer 10:00 am Sunday Worship Service with Genesis Too Choir 11:15 am Mother s Day Lunch, gym 11:15 am Newcomers Orientation with Colleen Blair, Narthex 2:30 pm Marcus Mosely Chorale Concert, Sanctuary (see poster) 2

3 Belonging Membership made Accessible Membership at Highlands United Church has many different levels and expressions. Over the next few weeks there is an opportunity to become a formal member. A member is a person who does some intentional reflection and who makes a public affirmation within this community, to be a follower of Jesus. It is akin to the difference between people living together (informal membership) and people getting married (public declaration). We have designed a series of Sunday services that will fulfill the requirements of formal membership and we are inviting everyone in the congregation to participate. For some it will be a refresher for others it will be new material. On Sunday, May 31, we will formally receive those who wish into formal membership in The United Church of Canada and Highlands United Church. 3

4 Highlands Church Library April is Poetry Month Poetry books on display shelves outside the Church Library door. Earth Day display on the red library cart. Sunday Morning Greeters: If you enjoy welcoming people, join the team of greeters who gather at 9:15am on Sunday morning to prepare to welcome folks as they arrive. Orientation provided. Sign up for a month, at the action table. Speak to Colleen Blair for more details. Birthday Celebrations Sunday, May 3, Fireside Room 11:15 am Are you celebrating a birthday this month? Join us for cake (or fruit option) and fellowship after the worship service in the Fireside Room. For more information contact Debbie Sigsworth at (604) or dsigsworth@shaw.ca Paper Napkins Needed If your drawers hold a stash of half-used packages of paper napkins, the monthly Birthday Celebrations Committee would be delighted to receive them. Birthday ones, seasonal themes, solid colours...everything is welcome and will add to the festive air of our congregational celebrations! - drop the off in the Church Office. 4

5 Members of Higher Ground Women s Ensemble May 6 5

6 Wellspring: Moving Forward on Climate Justice Report #3-Climate Change an Intergenerational justice issue Christine Boyle completed an MA in Religious Leadership for Social Change at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is director of Spirited Social Change and Fossil Free Faith: Canada's Interfaith Divestment Network. This is an excerpt from her theme address at the Wellspring conference. Climate Change is a serious intergenerational justice issue. I m 30 years old. I have an 11-year-old stepdaughter. And a little 8- month-old baby. For the last 27 years, nearly all of my life, each year has been warmer than the one before it. Dangerous and unpredictable weather events are increasing at an alarming rate. As you all know, the stats are terrifying. We don t know exactly how much time we have to act. Except that every time the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produces a report, they find that we have less time than they had previously thought. And every time, it s within my lifetime. I will see the very real results of our action or inaction in my lifetime. I m unsure quite how to describe the fear and the urgency I hear from other young folks about the climate crisis. We don t have the luxury of avoiding the issue, or being too polite, or procrastinating taking action until some theoretically future date when our budgets are more stable, or the economy is stronger. We need to change course, to do a U-turn and begin reducing the carbon dioxide in our air, within my lifetime. Climate change is a serious intergenerational justice issue. Young people are leading the climate justice fight, through various creative means of challenging power and building alternatives. These young people who we yearn to have fill our buildings again, who we hire bands and set up Facebook pages to attract. These young people are learning to raise their moral voices, to speak to the conscience of a country yearning for something better than the status quo. These young people too are fighting for their lives. The challenge is for faith institutions to take them seriously. And to be bold enough to follow their lead. 6

7 Christine s article can be found on Highland Website under Resources ( And her recent United Church Observer article on climate change here: divestment_strategy/ Climate Change Event: Dr Katharine Hayhoe at UBC, May 7 Dr Hayhoe is a well-known climate change scientist; she is also an evangelical Christian who is trying to convince her church of the reality of climate change. For info and tickets: Biography: Globe and Mail article on the controversy she s stirred in the US: QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Comparison of present atmospheric CO 2 concentration to the level required to limit warming to a safer 2 C. Image courtesy 350.org 7

8 Helping Hasna to Highlands! Hasna Mohamed is a 27 year old Oromo single woman from Ethiopia. Hasna sought refuge in Egypt and is considered to be at high risk by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), as a victim of violence and torture. She has now been approved to be sponsored to Canada by Highlands. Your generous donation to the Highlands Refugee Fund will contribute to Hasna s settlement and living costs for the 12 months of our sponsorship, including accommodation, food, clothing, furniture, basic household needs, transportation, medical and dental fees. Donation forms available Sundays at the Action Table or weekdays from the Church Office and will receive Income Tax receipts. We have no details yet on Hasna s arrival; however we will let you know as soon as we are updated by United Church of Canada. Oromo Fundraising Lunch! Sunday, 14 June 2015 (after 10:00 am service) All are Welcome! Tasty Oromo Foods Silent Auction Oromo and Ethiopia Info As a fundraiser, this lunch will be paid for differently than the usual Sunday meals. We will be asking individuals or families for donations for their lunches, rather than the usual charge for cost-recovery at a set price and Highlands will give tax receipts for donations. Enjoy great food and camaraderie as you Help Hasna to Highlands! Our research has shown that the Oromos consider their food distinct from that of predominant Ethiopian culture. We ll present our best renditions of Oromo cuisine, to suit available Canadian produce and local taste buds!. Please visit the Action Table or call Catherine Alkenbrack ( ) with any questions. 8

9 V{ Çt VâÑ ftäx Sunday, May 3 rd 11:15 am in the Gym Our Flea Market China Department has an abundance of china cups and saucers. A delightful assortment will be on sale this Sunday in the Gym. What a lovely gift for Mother s Day! And if you re a little bit crafty you can make some cute Mother s Day gifts using china cups: China Cup Pincushion: Glue cup to saucer, stuff cup with fiberfill, top with decorative cotton fabric and glue to the inside of the cup. Decorate with a little bow and voila, a handy and pretty pincushion for mom! Tea Cup Fresh Flower Arrangement: Place wet Oasis snugly into the cup. Trim three roses to length and poke into the Oasis. Add Baby s Breath or Sedum to fill in the spaces, add a bow and you re done! Tea Cup Succulent Gift Drill a drainage hole in the bottom of the cup Fill cup with soil and insert a succulent of your choice. Water lightly and decorate with a bow! 9

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12 Highlands Employment Opportunity Highlands United Church is seeking a full time person to Co-ordinate the children, youth, young adult and church social media ministry. This person will be responsible for the successful coordination of a full range of programming for children, youth and young adults at Highlands United Church and managing the social media needs of the church. Applications will be received until May 15, 2015 with an anticipated beginning date of July 1, Applications shall be directed to: Search Committee, c/o Rev. Cheryl Black Highlands United Church, 3255 Edgemont Blvd., North Vancouver, B.C. V7R 2P1 In church talk, this is a Congregationally Designated Position. Full position description is available on our web site at Mother s Day Lunch Next Sunday, May 10 th After the 10am worship service Everyone Welcome! $5/person / $20/family 12

13 United Church Response to Nepal Earthquake The United Church of Canada is calling for prayer and welcoming donations for Nepal Earthquake Relief in response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the south Asian country on April 24. The United Church has contributed $7,500 from its Emergency Response Fund to ACT Alliance to provide emergency aid in Kathmandu and surrounding areas. The Canadian government will match, dollar for dollar, donations to registered Canadian charities (including the United Church) made between April 25 and May 25. Pray We pray for the people of Nepal, tens of thousands of whose lives have been suddenly and violently shattered, their loved ones, homes, and livelihoods lost. We also pray for the Nepalese who are now living in Canada, in particular members of Knox United Church in Winnipeg, and for those Canadians whose loved ones were in Nepal when the earthquake struck and are still waiting to hear if they are safe. A Prayer for Nepal Donate Now Your donation to Nepal Earthquake Relief will be applied directly to support relief, rehabilitation, and restoration efforts in the country. Here s how you can donate: Online via our secure donation page. Phone ext or toll-free ext and use your Visa or MasterCard. Send a cheque, money order, or Visa or MasterCard information with donation amount to: The United Church of Canada Philanthropy Unit Emergency Response 3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300 Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4 Please be sure to note Emergency Response Nepal Earthquake Relief on the face of your cheque. For More Information 13

14 Community News fñü Çz VÉÇvxÜàá Laudate Singers Mystics & Love Friday, May 8 at 8pm at the Blueshore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts at Capilano University, North Vancouver. Tickets: or info@laudatesingers.com / Higher Ground Women s Ensemble Messages Tuesday, May 19 th 7:30 pm Mulgrave School, 2330 Cypress Bowl Lane, West Vancouver Tickets: $ Concert in Honour of Mothers Sat. May 9 th at 2pm at St. David s United Church, 1525 Taylor Way, West Vancouver Three choirs with guest musicians. Tickets: by donation proceeds donated to Fresh Start program at First United 14

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16 Camps are filling-up! don t delay Register today on-line at: 16