St. Matthew’s United Church eBulletin Jan. 5, 2020    Epiphany

  News

  • What's coming up
  • Communion, Benevolent Fund offering next Sunday
  • First Potluck Church of 2020: Wed. Jan. 15
  • Book Club meets Jan. 21
  • Thanks to …
  • Make some New Year's Resolutions for St. Matthew's
  • Keep in your prayers …
  • Canadian Church calendars
  • A prayer for the people, animals and land of Australia
  • In the Community

 

 What's coming up at St. Matthew's  (* see below for more information)

Thu. Jan. 9                              Choir rehearsals resume

Sun. Jan. 12                             Worship Service with communion, 10:30 am

                                                - Quarterly meeting Sunday (Session, Stewards, Official Board)

Wed. Jan. 15                           Potluck Church, 5:30 pm *

Sun. Jan. 19                             Worship service, 10:30 am

Tue. Jan. 21                             Book Club, 2 pm *

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Communion, Benevolent Fund Offering next Sunday

Our congregation will celebrate communion on Sunday Jan. 12. Communion Sundays also are an opportunity to make special donations to the Benevolent Fund, which sets aside a little money for the minister to respond to people in great need.

 The Benevolent Fund is not part of the church budget, but rather a money-in-money-out fund. The minister only spends what we donate (about $800 per year), and money typically goes to people who come to the church for special assistance (e.g., to pay a power bill). Contributions are welcome; an envelope will be available in the bulletin, and donations are eligible for a tax receipt.

 

First Potluck Church of 2020: Wed. Jan. 15

Join us for fellowship, fun and a good meal at the first Potluck Church of 2020 on Wed. Jan. 15 at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary. There will be a bit of singing, talking, and listening. The theme, aside from food, is "Where would you like to be on holiday at this time?" Bring something to share and a good appetite.

 

Book Club meeting Jan. 21

The Book Club meets Tue. Jan. 21 at 2 pm at 1470 Summer Street. The book is The Boy on the Beach by Tima Kurdi. The author wrote: "My nephew, Alan Kurdi, was a young refugee. He washed up dead on a Turkish beach in 2015… with this story I will plant in your heart the hope for a better world." For more information contact Elaine Murray at edamur50@gmail.com

 

Thanks to …

  • Hunter Haché, trumpeter, and Matthew Fraser, organ/piano, for their leadership in worship last week while Wayne Rogers was on holiday.
  • Craig Wallace, who each week provides tech support for the worship services (and often takes up collection too)
  • Sunday volunteers – ushers, readers, counters, singers, Fellowship hosts, Sunday school teachers, and breakfast hosts – who, while often unnamed, are incredibly important to the smooth running of our time together. You are the best!
  • Tim Matthews (Official Board), Dora Stinson (Clerk of Session), Greg Bent (Chair of Stewards), Ian Austen (Chair of Property Committee), Dan Campbell (Chair of Trustees), Allan Mills (Treasurer), Johan Geldenhuys (Envelope Coordinator) and Kim Moors (Sunday School coordinator) for their leadership, time, and talent in keeping things moving smoothly.

 

Make New Year Resolutions for St. Matthew's

  1. Fellowship Time – Sign up to volunteer to host a Fellowship Time in the coming weeks. This is important work, coordinated by volunteers, that offers a pleasant time of refreshment and conversation after worship services. All you need is an extra half-hour before church for set-up, and after church for clean-up, and the work is done. More hands are needed! Contact Linda Campbell lindacampbell@ns.sympatico.ca if you can take a turn.

 

  1. Ushering – Volunteer to greet people, distribute bulletins, supervise the sanctuary, take up collection. Online sign-up: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=17186169

 

  1. Review your PAR contribution – Most of the congregation donates to St. Matthew's by pre-authorized remittance (PAR). If you are a PAR donor, please review your contribution and make any adjustment you feel is warranted by the wonderful staff, programs, outreach, and mission of our downtown church. If you are not a PAR donor, consider becoming one – the church office has all the details.

 

  1. Volunteer! – There are many ways you can volunteer to help out at St. Matthew's.

Choirs – contact Wayne Rogers

Sunday reading – contact Brenda Wallace (choir)

Sunday Breakfast – contact Carol Smillie (choir)

Ushering – Sign up online (see above)

Fellowship Time – contact Linda Campbell (see above)

Sunday School – contact Betsy Hogan

Stewards, Elders, other Administration – contact Laura Stiles-Clarke or Betsy Hogan

 

Keep in your prayers …

  • The people of Australia, devastated by loss of life, wildlife, and property in the wildfires
  • The people of Iran, thrust into crisis by an unprovoked act of aggression

 

Canadian Church Calendars

2020 Church Calendars can be purchased ($6) from our Minister of Music, Wayne Rogers.

 

A prayer for the people, animals and land of Australia

—A prayer in response to the Australia wildfires by the Right Rev. Richard Bott

 

We pray for gentle rains,
and no wind;
we pray for cooling skies,
and water in abundance;
we pray for the burning land,
we pray for the four legged,
and the winged,
for the koala and the kangaroo,
and all of their neighbours;
we pray for the people who are trapped,
for the people who have lost their homes,
for the firefighters and the first responders,
for the exhausted and the tapped out,
we pray for Australia,
from east, to south, to west, to north,
and all the places in between.

In this world of changed and changing climate, God,
we ask that you would help us
to help those who are in immediate danger;
may we use what we have to help and to heal -
then call us to repent of all the ways
we continue to make this world
a place of death, rather than life.

Help us, O God... because we
don't seem to be able
to do it on our own.

In Christ's name,
on the wings of the Holy Spirit,
we pray.   Amen.

 

 

In the Community

RCCO Halifax Centre concert – Sat. Feb. 22 at 7 pm at St. Matthew's. Jean-Willy Kunz, contemporary and jazz organist, in recital.

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Administrative Stuff

Church office: (902) 423-9209, stmatts@ns.sympatico.ca  

Pastoral care: Rev. Betsy Hogan, (902) 423-9209, stmatts.betsy@ns.sympatico.ca

Sunday Worship: 10:30 am

Minister of Music: Wayne Rogers, (902) 429-1680, humber@ns.sympatico.ca

Student Organist: Matthew Fraser

On the web: www.stmatts.ns.ca

 

Ushering – Click this link to open the sign-up page

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=17186169

 

EarthSpiritAction Resources for Thinking About God's Green Earth: www.stmatts.ns.ca/about/earth-spirit-action-eco-team

 

Meeting Schedule 2019-20

Congregational Meeting       May 3, 2020 (budget)

Session, Stewards, Board       Jan. 12, Mar. 8, Apr. 26

Worship and Music                Feb. 2

 

Regular Activities

Sunday Free Breakfast  – Sundays 8:30 am

Thursday Noon Bible Study – TBA

Choir Practices – Thursdays – Handbells 6:15 pm, Sanctuary choir 7:30 pm

Lunch Bunch community choir – Fridays at 12:15 pm

St. Matthew’s Book Club  – Third Tuesday

Melville Heights Service – Third Sunday at 2 pm at Melville Heights retirement lodge

Potluck Church  -- Wed. Jan. 15

 

Enjoy St. Matthew’s United Church weekly bulletin. Contact the office to add your email or to unsubscribe: stmatts@ns.sympatico.ca or (902) 423-9209