St. Matthew’s United Church eBulletin March 17, 2019

 News

  • What's coming up
  • Keep in your thoughts and prayers ...
  • St. Matthew's Book Club
  • Going down the Lenten Road
  • Ushering
  • Congratulations to …
  • Meeting dates changed
  • How you can help the Out of the Cold Shelter
  • In the Community
  • St. Matthew's activities

 What's coming up

Tue. Mar. 19      Book Club, 2 pm (see notice)          

Thu. Mar. 21      Bible study at noon, in the parlour 

Sun. Mar. 24      Third Sunday of Lent

Sat. Mar. 30       Restorative Justice Inquiry, 7 pm (see In the Community)

Tue. Apr. 2         Potluck Church, 5:30 pm

 

Keep in your thoughts and prayers …

  • The Caswell family, Graham Sarah (née Metherall), and Sybil, mourning the loss of Graham's mom, Caroline, on March 12 after a brief illness
  • Marg Arklie, continuing to recover at home
  • The victims and all affected by the Christchurch mosque massacre

 

St. Matthew's Book Club

The Book Club will be discussing Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro on Tue. Mar. 19 at 2 pm at the home of Anne Marie Dalton on Roberts Street. For more information, contact Elaine Murray, edamur50@gmail.com

 

Going down the Lenten Road

Lenten Watch: For those who would like to set aside 1 hour each week of Lent to pray with Scripture. Begin the Lenten Watch by taking off your shoes, lighting a candle, observing silence for at least one minute, and opening with a prayer for grace. Then pray with Scripture (one per week), and close with the extinguishing of the candle.

Luke 4:1-13                 The Road to the Wilderness where the Holy Spirit leads us into emptiness

Acts 9:1-19                 The Road to Damascus, where life is given a new direction

Luke 15:11-32             The Road Home, where the prodigal son discovers wisdom

Luke 10:25-37             The Road to Jericho, where the Good Samaritan cares for one in need

Luke 10:38-42             The Road to Bethany that leads to the home of Martha and Mary

Luke 9:51-62; 19:28-40           The Road to Jerusalem and following Jesus

 

Ushering

Thanks to all who have offered to usher. Your generous response has resulted in Sundays being covered into May, with only a few donating their time on more than one occasion.

If you have not signed up yet, more ushers are welcome. The few practical tasks include distributing bulletins, escorting some to seats, inviting all to coffee, collecting the offering, and counting the congregation. If you have not ushered before, experienced ushers are willing to pair with newcomers and/or to answer any questions. 

Contact Anne Marie Dalton & Carol Lee for more information. Try the online sign-up system, since you know when you are available. This link will be available at the end of the eBulletin each week.   https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=17186169

 

Congratulations to …

  • The Lunch Bunch Community Choir, recent guests at a conference on healing body, mind and spirit. This community choir is an outreach ministry of St. Matthew's, led by Wayne Rogers, that attracts folks who just like to sing for the joy of it. They meet Fridays at noon for music, fellowship, and the pleasure of making music.
  • The members of Xara Choral Theatre, directed by Christina Jarvis Murray, the daughter of Gordon and Elaine Murray of our choir. Xara has been selected to participate in the World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand, in summer 2020. Xara is one of only 25 choirs selected from 179 applicants from 44 countries to participate in this international festival. The only other Canadian choir attending is the Hamilton Children's Choir.

 

Meeting dates changed

In order to avoid meeting on the long weekend in May, the dates for the following have been changed.

  1. The next meeting of Kirk Session and of the Official Board will take place on Sunday, May 26 following the morning service and Fellowship time.
  2. The Congregational Budget meeting will take place Sunday, June 2 following the morning service.

 

How you can help the Out of the Cold Shelter

The Out of the Cold Shelter is open nightly until April 30 in the Sunday school area of St. Matthew's. The Shelter offers 15 beds for those who need a place to stay, and provides hot meals, sandwiches, and some necessities to guests and others who drop by.

 Financial Support to St. Matthew's – St. Matthew`s provides space, heat, lights, washroom facilities, etc. for guests. Your donations help cover the operating costs that allow the shelter to stay open all winter long.

 Requested items – OTCS recently appealed for deodorant -- $5 gift cards – bus tickets – waterproof gloves – socks – underwear – face wash and soap – shaving cream and razors – face cloths and hand towels – reusable bags and backpacks – and gently used and clean sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, winter coats, and waterproof boots.

 OTCS lists current requirements on its website outofthecoldhalifax.org and on its Facebook page. Donations can be dropped off on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the lower level of the church between 8:30 am and 5 pm. OTCS is a peanut-free zone and cannot accept donations of mouthwash, aftershave, or hand sanitizer.

 In the Community

Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Restorative Justice Inquiry – Sat. Mar. 30 at 7 pm (doors open 6:30), Paul O'Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library. Guest speakers are: Dr. Fania E. Davis (PhD in Indigenous Knowledge), a leading voice on restorative justice, a long-time activist, civil rights trial attorney, restorative justice practitioner, writer, professor and scholar; and Margaret Burnham, a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, founder and director of the university's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, and a humanitarian who has served on human rights missions to more than 30 countries.

Some of us from St. Matthew's were able to attend the Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission when it was in Halifax to hear the testimony of past students and their families. Creating space for these stories to be heard is the work of restorative justice. The goal is precisely the individual and social healing that Jesus embodied in his life and ministry, and this inquiry seeks to contribute to the healing of Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children residents and our wider community. This is a tear in the social fabric of Halifax, and Nova Scotia, and this event invites us to intentionally engage a process of healing. Betsy will be attending, as will Jennifer Llewellyn of our congregation, who has been instrumental in the building of this process of part of her vocation as a professor of Law at Dalhousie. It would be wonderful to see many from St. Matthew's attend this session.

Ogo-Oluwi Sobukola flute fundraising concert – Tue. Apr. 30 at 7:30 pm at St. Matthew's. Ogo-Oluwa Emmanuel Sobukola, 23, is a young Nigerian flute student who attends Dalhousie University where he studies with Symphony Nova Scotia flutist Patricia Creighton. His financial position is precarious, so St. Matthew's is offering him a recital opportunity with a freewill offering for him to help cover basic expenses like tuition, housing, and food. More details will be available soon, but mark your calendar and plan to come support this dedicated, talented, and deserving young musician. 

Bereavement Support – Contact the Hospice Society of Greater Halifax at 902-446-0929.

St. Matthew’s Activities

REGULAR EVENTS

Sunday Free Breakfast  – Sundays 8:30 am (If you are interested in joining a Breakfast Team, please email Carol Smillie at carolsmillie@hfx.eastlink.ca)

Thursday Noon Bible Study in the Parlour (enter by glass doors)

Choir Practices – AcabellA handbells Thursday 6:15 pm; Sanctuary choir Thursday at 7:30 pm

Lunch Bunch community choir – Fridays at noon

St. Matthew’s Book Club  – Mar. 19

Potluck Church  Tue. Apr. 2; Thu. Apr. 18 (Seder)

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

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

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

Caritas Service – Second Sunday at 2:30 pm for Victoria Hall Residence for Senior Women, now at the Caritas Building, Mount St. Vincent

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

 

MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2018/19

Congregational Meeting      June 2

Session, Stewards, Board    May 26

Executive                                 Mar. 24, Apr. 28

Worship and Music               May 5

 

Administrative Stuff

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

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

 

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