1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

The Link
St. Mary’s Road United Church
Sunday Worship Services
10:15 am
You are welcome to join us!
www.stmarysroad.ca
www.facebook.com/smruc
-Christmas Eve
-Rainbow Ministry
-Affirm
-Jesus Christ Superstar
-Vacation Bible School
-Angje Farewell
January 2015
Welcome to St. Mary’s Road United Church!
Whether this is your first time, you are back for a second look, or you
have been a member for years, we are glad you have chosen to
worship with us today! If you have questions about anything to do
with our church, you can talk to one of our greeters - or just turn to
your neighbour!
coffee station
The Link is published
monthly by the
Communications Group of St.
Mary’s Road United Church.
Link Editor:
Margaret Wilcock
Submissions and
suggestions for the link can
be sent to
thelink@stmarysroad.ca
Deadline for the February
edition of The Link
is January 30th, 2015.
Circulation date is Sunday,
February 8th, 2015.
St. Mary’s Road United Church
613 St. Mary’s Road Winnipeg, MB R2M 3L8
Phone: (204) 257-0678 Fax: (204) 233-3105
smruc@mts.net www.stmarysroad.ca
Office hours: Tuesday-Friday 9-5.
SMRUC STAFF
Tim Crouch
Minister - Family & Youth
Philip Read
Minister
Alice Szemok
Minister
Rhonda Abraham
Office Administrator
Eric Lussier
Music - Tree of Life
Chuck Kroeker & Jon Wong
Music - Journey
Welcome to
St. Mary’s Road United Church
Happy New Year! It seems like we celebrate a new year a lot in the
church. We celebrate the start of a new year in September as we return
from our various summers. We celebrate the start of the new liturgical
year at the end of November, when we move from the Reign of Christ
Sunday to the waiting period of Advent. And we celebrate the secular
New Year as December flips into January, and 2015 is upon us.
Why all the New Years?
In a world where we think progress (whatever that means) is everything
– where direction is what matters, where forward reigns – there is
something sacred about the endless cycle of a new year becoming old, to
be reborn again. The movement through the months, through the
seasons, through the Christian calendar; it is a reminder that the Christ
cycle of life, death, and resurrection moves through all things including
time.
This month we have a number of new and old events happening at the
church. Events that are a regular part of our life and new directions that
keep us moving forward. Family Movie night picks up again following
our Christmas break with the kids’ hockey movie, The Mighty Ducks.
The growing Young Adults’ group will have a skating night. The Youth
Group will be going to a mosque to learn about Islam. Bible Studies,
the Food Bank, Theology on Tap, and Pastoral Care, these are just a few
of things happening at SMRUC in January. And all of it being capped
off by our Visioning Team that will be exploring who we are and where
we are going.
So On behalf of the Congregation and the staff,
Welcome to St. Mary’s Road United Church!
Rev.Tim Crouch
Theology on Tap
Drop in on a casual basis or come regularly.
Theology on Tap is a group
who explores faith through conversation.
What is our relationship with the sacred? Who are we?
Where do we fit?
A bite to eat, a beverage or coffee make for an
enjoyable time.
They meet the first Thursday of the month.
Call the SMRUC office for the time and location.
_______________
God does not call people as a favor,
but because He has something for them to do.
WELCOME RADICALLY
WORSHIP TOTALLY
HOPE STUBBORNLY
LOVE WASTEFULLY
LIVE INTENTIONALLY
Friday mornings at
10:00 am for
1 1/2 hours.
Coffee pot is on!
Worship Paths
Tree of Life
west sanctuary
the
journey
east sanctuary
Rainbow
Nursery (beginnings)
Chapel (tots)
Basement (kids)
Youth Room (youth)
The Tree of Life worship path celebrates the strong
roots of our traditions. This service offers praise to
God through hymns, anthems, prayers, scripture
readings, and sermon. Musical leadership is
provided by Eric Lussier on organ and keyboard
and by our choir.
The Journey worship path weaves together
Christian faith and holy strands of popular
culture. In the Journey, we experience God in
ways that move and touch us every week.
Music in the Journey is led by the journey band
directed by Chuck Kroeker and Jon Wong.
Rainbow Worship uses the curriculum called
Godly Play. This curriculum engages what is most
exciting about faith-filled learning: God inviting us
into—and pursuing us in the midst of—Scripture
and spiritual experience. Godly Play practice
teaches us to listen for God and to make
authentic and creative responses to God’s call in
our lives.
In Rainbow Beginnings we provide a safe,
loving environment for children up to 2 .
In Rainbow Tots your 3-4 year old will be
welcomed and introduced to the Christian Story
in a friendly fun-filled space.
Rainbow beginnings (0-2 yrs.) in the Nursery
Rainbow tots (3-4 yrs.) in the Chapel
Rainbow kids (grades K-5) the lower level
Junior Café (grades 6-8) in the choir room
Senior Youth (grades 9-12) in the Youth Room
The Spirituality and Prayer group will be meeting
every first and third Thursday evening from 7-8 pm
for prayer and exploration of spiritual disciplines. If
you are hungering for a deeper connection to the
Holy in your life, please consider joining us. This is
an open small group, meaning that you are
welcome to come for once, once in a while, for
the whole year, or for a particular season in the
church year or your own life. We will meet in Alice’s
office.
&
Spirituality
Prayer
Alice’s office
1st and 3rd
Thursdays
@ 7:00 PM.
See later comments
for prayer group.
Belief, Faith,
Journey.
IN
A SPIRIT OF ONENESS WITH ALL OF
GOD’S
BELOVED CREATION
EVERYONE IS WELCOME AT OUR CHURCH
–
ALL AGES, ALL ETHNICITIES,
REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, FAMILY STRUCTURE,
OR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
IN
CELEBRATION, IN GRIEF AND IN ORDINARY TIMES,
WE
CLAIM
GOD
AND
GOD
CLAIMS US.
Worship in The Tree of Life
Communion
January 4th, 2015
with
The Three Kings
in the
Tree of Life.
Prayer Group…
Prayer is a powerful weapon in time of despair but also it is an important
tool in encouraging and uplifting others.
Our prayer group invites and encourages everyone to share prayer needs
and offer prayers of praise, petition and thanksgiving to God. It is a safe
place for you to share your concerns, joys and heartaches.
The main purpose of our prayer group is to come together to seek the
Lord, to pray for one another, and to learn of God’s will for our lives,
our church and our community.
We will meet on the first and third Thursdays at 7pm of each month.
Rev. Alice Szemok
The first meeting of the newly forming Visioning Team
of SMRUC will be mid-January. Information will
follow in the months ahead.
_____________________________________________
Worship in the Journey
Rev. Philip Read is on vacation from January 11th—25th.Worship will be
led by a variety of guests supported by the Journey Worship Team.
January 11th
January 18th
Janiuary 25th
Rev. Tim Crouch
Rev. Cole Grambo—Spirit Path United
possible combined worship
___________________
-Movie Night
-Diligence
-Affirm
-Pet Dedication
-Fall Feast
-Fly & Camel
RAINBOW
Rainbow Ministry
Rainbow Ministry is one of the Sunday morning worship
streams at St. Mary’s Road United Church. From infancy
to high school, we have worship paths for all ages. The
nursery welcomes children up to the age of two. Rainbow
Tots is a time for stories for children ages 3-4. For kids in
Kindergarten through grade 5, Rainbow Kids is a time for
worship and reflection on scripture passages. The Sr.
Youth Group is for teens in High School.
This month we are taking a closer look at the Jr. Café.
This is the newest group in Rainbow Worship. Kids from
grades 6-8 begin Sunday mornings in Journey Worship
upstairs.
Following some songs and sharing in the life and work of
the church, they break off into their own group. With hot
chocolate in hand they talk about a variety of issues.
Five adult leaders, Laurie and Brad Humphreys, Arthur
McLeod, Ted Parnell-Best and Terri Bowser, take themes
and engage the youth in different aspects of faith.
YOUTH GROUP
From social justice issues to song-writing, these are some
of the ways the Jr. Café explores where our lives and our
community meet.
Youth Group
Tuesday night youth group started up again on January 6.
Senior and Junior youth meet every other week for a time
of community, games, and other activities.
Tying into some of the work the Sr. Group is doing on
Sunday mornings, this month we will be taking a trip to a
local mosque with hopes of exploring interfaith questions.
If you have any questions talk to Tim.
Young Adults’ Group
Our next pot luck supper will be on Friday February 6 at
5:30 pm. All are welcome.
2015 River Trail at The Forks,
Winnipeg
www.theforks.com/rivertrail
YOUNG ADULTS’
This month the Young Adults’ Group will be skating on
the river trail and going for hot chocolate on January 16.
Montessori Thank You
The Montessori teacher and families are very blessed
and fortunate to be part of this community. This year
we were able to show our gratitude by inviting our
families to support the Harvest food bank.
The many lessons learned from the act of giving of oneself to others can
leave a deep and lasting impression on the mind of a young child. Our
many thanks to you all for allowing us the opportunity to participate in
this valuable life lesson.
Thanks to Rhonda for always being so kind to our students, to Philip
and Tim who visited with us and told the children the Christmas story in
its purest form; that it is one of love.
Happy New Year.
St. Vital Montessori School
The Capital Campaign is pleased to announce that this
year the congregation has raised approximately $95,000 through
fundraisers, individual donations, and grants to cover 73% of the cost
to repair the roof. This is an incredible accomplishment in a short
time.
We would like to thank everyone who has already given or donated
time or talent to this fundraising campaign. We truly appreciate
everything you have done so far. We must ask that you not sit back
and relax yet. We would love to be able to report at the Annual
General Meeting in February that the campaign is complete. If you
have not given yet, please look at what you can do to help us achieve
this goal.
If you have ideas for fundraisers that you are able to help organize or
questions please see any of the Capital Campaign team. Leanne
Douglas, Jason Einarson, or Eric Walli. Thank you.
Jason Einarson
Some Highlights of Winnipeg Presbytery in 2014
Presentation on social media and steps towards involvement.
Presentation addressing the apology to Disjoined Deaconesses &
Married Ordained Women.
Hiring a fund developer for 1Hope Winnipeg.
Presentation addressing gender identity and expression.
Report on work and initiatives of Spirit Path United in
SW Winnipeg.
Two funds established:
Winnipeg Presbytery Christian Service Fund to be applied to
improving the lives of disadvantaged persons in Winnipeg.
Pastoral Charge Development/Redevelopment Fund to
support new pastoral charges or new initiatives in existing
pastoral charges..
Come and celebrate
Dave Venema's 80th birthday!
When: Saturday, January 17th, 2015 from 2-5pm.
Where: SMRUC Journey space.
Come-and-go reception.
Refreshments.
Please, no gifts; but if you wish, kindly bring a
non-perishable food item for the SMRUC food bank.
Please RSVP Alix Venema at 204-254-5577
or gehornby@mymts.net by January 14th
if you plan to attend.
Topic for our Times
Tuesdays, 1:00 pm
The focus in January will be on the book
Blood: The Stuff of Life by Lawrence Hill.
Reference the 2013 CBC Massey Lecture.
If this is of interest to you come for a day, or
a month or a season.
The next U.C.W.
meeting will be at
1:30 pm, January 19, 2015,
with new members
welcome.
Three hundred dollars of the
proceeds from the November Bake
Sale went toward the new roof, to
match $300 already given by U.C.W.
earlier in the year.
While chatting over coffee,
it is easy to conclude that
there are folks at SMR who
have unique experiences,
be it travel, participation in
an event, volunteering or
skydiving. Sharing that
experience with readers of
The Link would be most
welcome. Anyone care to
share?
St. Mary’s Road ARCHIVES
Archivists: Alix Venema and Br enda Batzel
Dealing with the church archives is one of those
behind-the-scene tasks that not everybody knows about and,
perhaps, fewer care about. You have to be a bit of a fussbudget
with a passion for detail and for bringing order out of muddle,
and a tolerance for a certain amount of tedium. All because you
believe that preservation of historical records is important to show us
where we came from and where we might be heading.
When Norwood, Regents Park and St. Vital churches amalgamated in
2003 to form SMRUC, an avalanche of boxes was dumped
in the choir room. In them were council and committee
minutes, financial records, bulletins, programs of events,
church histories, photographs, etc., etc. It took about three
years of sorting, disposing of duplicates, searching for
missing bits, identifying photos, all according to a list of
criteria posted on the wall. Not all decisions about whether to keep or
dump were clear cut. When properly labeled and recorded, things were
re-boxed and sent to the United Church Archive at the University of
Winnipeg. And with the backlog cleared, the job became easier with only
an annual sort, cull and box up.
Much of the material can be—well—boring. Council and committee
minutes can be a ho-hum read in large quantities. The reward comes with
finding more personal material. Sometimes these items do not meet the
criteria of records to be kept. Yet they are often the most interesting items
because they put flesh on the past. Here are some things you might not
know about. You can find more in the local archive binders in the library.
A headline from the Bridgewater, NS Bulletin in 1973 reads “First Scout
Master in North America Honoured.” That person was the Rev. T. Arthur
Mosley who was a student minister at Regents Park in 1912-13. The
story, as he tells it in his unpublished autobiography, is that the teacher of
the boys’ Sunday School class (unidentified) visited his mother in
Leicester, England in 1909. While there, he attended a meeting at which
Lord Baden Powell spoke. He returned enthusiastic to start a group for
Regents Park boys and others in the community. This was the first Scout
troop in Winnipeg, and according to the headline, in North America. Rev.
Mosley became Scout leader at ?’s request and he the assistant. The troop
built a log Scout hut on the banks of the Red River. Mosley later became
a padre for the Winnipeg Rifles in the 1st World War. His wife, Ethel, a
graduate of the London School of Music, was the first soloist to sing over
the CBC radio network.
The Sunday School statistical report from Norwood Methodist Church
(located at Marion and Kenny) for 1921-22 shows 277 children enrolled
with 28 teachers and an average attendance of 190. That was
before church union in 1925. Neighboring Norwood
Presbyterian (at Eugenie and Kenny) may have had a similar
enrolment. After union the new United Church congregation
met in the former
Presbyterian building. Where did they put them all?
In the early 1930’s St. Vital United had an active and energetic Young
People’s group. In 1930-31, the YP bought the lot to the west of the
church, then located at the site of St. Mary Magdelene Anglican on St.
Vital Rd. They cleared the bush and Jim Tod’s team of horses pulled the
stumps. They laid out a tennis court and formed a tennis club, variously
known as the Rocky Road, Rocky Glen or St.Vital United Tennis Club.
Nora Alexander reported that, “after all that construction gang activity,
they were too tired to play.” Minutes show that signs reading “Tennis
Shoes Only” and “Members Only” were posted. The latter restriction
must have been relaxed because later non-members could play for 10
cents a day.
The St. Vital YP also put on a number of plays in the ‘30s that helped
pay the power and light bills. “These plays were not musicals as
everyone wanted to speak.” Hmm. Titles such as Norah W ake Up,
Paying the Fiddler, and Johnny Be Careful give an idea of the fare
presented. Tickets cost 25/35 cents. In one play, Joe Sneddon, the
director, told Nora Alexander that she would have a “sister.” She replied,
“I told him thank you very much. You did more for me than my mother
did.” Marion Tod’s little girl would always sit in the front row to watch
her Aunt Elsie perform. The little girl thought all the action was real and
would wring her hands and say, “Poor Aunt Elsie.” From which we can
guess that Aunt Elsie’s roles had some dicey moments.
Keeping archives is changing. Now that so much is done
electronically, records are, ironically, more ephemeral. What the
future will be in preserving church history is not clear. Meanwhile
keep those paper records coming until we figure it out.
Brenda Batzel
Ed note:
Those local binders in the library are inviting us to some quiet review and
reflection on our past. Thank you Alix and Brenda.
January 2015 — Calendar of Events
1.What do you call a snowman in the summer?
2.How does a snowman get to work?
3.What is the fastest way to double your money?
Answers later in this issue.
BIRTHDAYS
ANNIVERSARIES
1 – Shirley Parsons
Jan. 7 – Rolfe & Gina Miner
1 – Hendrik Schippers
2 – Theodore Read
2 – Pat Leathers
January Celebrations
4 – Diane Tod
5 – Lenore Linton
5 – Lilja Best
5 – Xander Woo
PASSINGS
Nov. 21 – Baldur Oliver
Dec.
8 – Peter Funk
Dec 26 - Verna Bowes
5 – Julian Read
6 – Brett Miller
8 – Brad Ellis
9 – Riley Krahn
9 – Charlotte MorinFournier
9 – Myrna Hill
10 – Norm Leathers
13 – Enare Ssengendo
13 – Aimee Patterson
14 – Marion Allen
16 – Jeanne Armstrong
18 – Scott Knight
18 – Bernice Leadbeater
20 – Jenna Champagne
21 – Liam Klassen
24 – Grace Venema
25 – Sandy Popham
31 – Dana Kowal
How do I get on the list?
Part of being a community is sharing
celebrations and big life events with
each other. That of course needs to
be tempered with people’s right to
privacy. So the best way to tell us
about important dates (birthdates
etc.) is to fill out a privacy form. This
form covers everything and lets you
tell us what you would like shared and
what you would like kept private!
It also gets you on the weekly email
list (should you choose).
Privacy forms can be found at the
reception desk.
Special Church, National and International Observances
January
2015
Jan. 4
Epiphany Sunday
Jan.12
Baptism of the Lord
Jan.18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
February 2015
Black History Month
Feb.15
Transfiguration Sunday
Feb.17
Shrove Tuesday
Feb.18
Ash Wednesday
Feb.22
First Sunday in Lent
March 2015
March 6
World Day of Prayer
March 8
International Women’s Day
March 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
March 29 Palm/Passion Sunday
Notes from your Leadership Team
The leadership team had set the date for the annual AGM. It will be
February 22 2015. We ar e asking all small gr oups to submit
reports to Rhonda by February 1. We will be searching for two new
leadership team members to be voted in at the meeting as well, so if
you are interested, please let us know.
In other news, the visioning process is under way in January. The new
year will also see West Broadway putting the $2000 that SMRUC is
providing to them to support a project called "Helpings of Hope". This
will support the program for more than two months.
A huge thank you goes out to the Funeral Planning and Memorial
Society. This organization has been dissolved and has decided to
donate $3482.90 to the SMRUC roof fund.
The cleaning contract has been extended as all has gone well in the
first months of the contract. The leadership team would like to remind
any groups that dishes and kitchen mess are the responsibility of
individuals using the facilities, and not a part of the cleaning contract.
As we start a new year, stay tuned for updates on new outdoor signage
and the SMRUC website.
Happy New Year from the Leadership Team!
PAR, or Pre-Authorized Remittance, is a
“direct debit” program that allows people
to support their church through an
automatic monthly withdrawal from their
bank account. The United Church
administers the program following the
giver's wishes. PAR was introduced to the
United Church in 1976 as a convenient way
for members and adherents to provide
consistent, year-round financial support for
their local church.
Ministry & Personnel Report
The Ministry and Personnel Committee (M&P) provides ongoing
liaison between St. Mary’s Road United Church and its Ministers and
staff.If you have any comments, questions or concerns in regard to any
staff relations or the work of the committee, please use one of the
feedback forms available at the church.Your concerns will be
treated confidentially by M & P.
Phil will be on vacation from January 11th to 25th inclusive.call the
office if you are in need of ministry or pastoral care.
The Leadership Team has approved a 4-day work week for Rhonda.Her
days of work will be Tuesday to Friday.If you wish assistance on
Monday, please call and leave a message on the church voice mail.
Congratulations to Jon Wong and his wife Heather on the birth of
their baby boy, Robin Skelton Wong,
who was born on Sunday December 21st, 2014.
Brenda Dyck
Age is a matter of mind.
If you don’t mind;
It doesn’t matter.
Walking Group
Fridays at 2pm and continuing
weekly. We will star t with a
short meditation, then share
conversations as we walk to
gether. To conclude we will have
coffee or tea and share our
thoughts and reflections.
Property Suggestion Tool
Box
@ the Reception Desk
Please feel free to drop your
comments, suggestions,
recommendations, etc. in the
SMRUC Tool Kit located on
the reception desk.
The Property Group
review these items
on a regular basis.
Peace Angels
The proceeds from the ceramic angels made by
nancybloklandpottery are being donated to
Refuge in support of the Syrian families.
$200 has been raised to date. Large and small angels
are still available through January and February,
prices under $10.
They can be found by the administration desk.
The power of an angel...
tuck one into a gift you will give this year.
**********************************************************************
Art Auction Roof Fundraiser
There is art work displayed in the space adjacent to the
entrance to Journey. It has been donated to SMRUC
for the art auction, with funds raised going to the roof
campaign.
To bid on one of the coveted pieces, fill in a card found on Rhonda’s
desk and place it in the box “BIDS FOR ART AUCTION”.
To donate art for the auction
contact Phil Read at phil.smruc@gmail.com
**********************************************************
Gift Cards are still available!
Cards may be purchased during the week
from Rhonda in the office, or before /after
worship on Sundays.
Help the church meet its goals by buying gift
cards to purchase the groceries you use
everyday!
The Green Page
Recycling A to Z
Many of us are looking for ways to recycle items that we no
longer need and that cannot be put in the City recycling bin.
The Green Manitoba website provides an easy to use A to Z list
of these products and tells us where to take them.
http://greenmanitoba.ca/a-z-list/?page=2
Some common items from the A to Z list are:
Household hazardous waste
Millar Environmental Corp at 1803 Hekla Avenue in North east
Winnipeg accepts hazardous products such as paints, cleaners,
oil, fluorescent lights, medicine, personal care products, e-waste
and much more. They are open weekdays and some Saturdays.
204-925-9600
E-Waste
E-Waste is collected by the Electronic Products Recycling
Association. Items in good working condition can be donated to
the Computers for Schools program. The drop off is located
near Dugald Road but phone first @ 204-988-1799 or check the
website http://www.cfsl.mb.ca
Plastic bags
Safeway accepts plastic bags for recycling at retail locations.
Plastic bags do not break down easily in landfill sites. Therefore,
please reuse them to the maximum before disposal.
Appliances and building products
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore accepts home decor and home
building products and appliances that are in good repair from
individuals and local businesses at 60 Archibald 204 233-5160.
Outreach
Meals Ministry…
SMRUC provides support to individuals and families going through a
challenging or busy time due to illness, job loss, childbirth or whatever
life can bring. We offer delicious homemade meals, for pick up at the
church or delivery whenever possible.
To contact us, please email meals.smruc@gmail.com
_________________________________________________________
SMRUC supports the Outreach Ministry at West Broadway. Last
year there was a wonderful response from our church collecting socks.
This year, West Broadway is requesting donations of adult hats,
scarves and mittens.
With the cold weather upon us and a need for this winter attire, we
hope the members of the congregation will generously contribute to
these requests.
________________________________________________________
With the cold weather here, Fred Douglas Lodge and Heritage House,
our United Church personal care home and supportive
living facility are in need of hand-made lap throws, blankets and
shawls to be used by residents.
To contribute to this outreach opportunity, please contact Paul Peters
Derry, spiritual care coordinator at 204-586-8541 (135) or
ppderry@fdl.mb.ca
_________________________________________________________
Out & About
Todd Thomas in Recital. Sunday, Jan. 25th, 7:30 pm
Westminster United Church 204-784-1330 ext. 107
Children at Risk, Partnering for Change. Sat, Feb. 7th,
2015.
Windsor Park United Church 204-256-8792
Do you want an inexpensive sporting activity to attend, perhaps with
a young person? The University of MB and University of Wpg sports
teams play on a regular basis….basketball, volleyball, hockey. The
schedules are on the websites. Lots of energy-fun to cheer.
Stewardship
“An oppor tunity to live out Beliefs, to live out Priorities
and to live out What Matters To Us”
The Stewardship Group continues to watch with interest just how
envelope givings, PAR, general donations have increased through
2014. We give thanks for this generosity within our congregation as
we move forward with plans for our church with much hope.
St. Mary’s Road United Church has benefitted a great deal through
past years with legacies left to our church through Wills. The
Stewardship Group plans to offer a discussion time for people
interested in leaving a lasting legacy to the church.
Watch for a date in the next month or so, as we invite Kathryn Hofley,
a United Church national office staff person in Winnipeg, to give us
information on this topic.
Clare Simpson
Men’s Spirituality
What does it mean to be a man? This is a huge
question, one that the culture around us tries to answer
in various ways. But it will be the starting point for a
new Men’s Spirituality group here at St. Mary’s Road
United Church. This group will gather for an hour and
a half once a month. We are looking for 5-6 men to
participate. Once we have our numbers set we will
discuss a gathering time. If you are interested in
participating, talk to Tim.
The United Church Observer
Did you know the United Church Observer is the oldest
continuously published magazine in North America and the second
oldest in the English speaking world?
Have you read it lately? Where else can you discover what the
wider United Church of Canada is saying and doing?
To subscribe, call Rhonda at the office.
Have you ever attended a church meeting, small group, or
been talking with people in the Junction and a name pops
into the discussion that you have heard before but you
couldn’t quite place the face to the name?
These dedicated folks are the Leadership Team.
Pleae note that Pat
Adams has joined the
Leadership Team as of
October.
Erin Hertz
Chair
Leadership Team
Terri Bowser
Secretary
Leadership Team
Ken Phernambucq
Treasurer
Susan Bernjak
Leadership Team
Leadership Team
Nancy Blokland
Amy Butcher
Leadership Team
Leadership Team
Brad Humphreys
Eric Walli
Leadership Team
Past Chair
Leadership Team
Leadership Team at SMRUC
Andrea Bellamy
RKLMNK:
This group of faith and secular community members
was organized in June 2014 to bring 3 Syrian refugee
families (6 adults and18 children ranging in age from
2-15) to Winnipeg. It is working with Westworth United Church and the
United Church of Canada, a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) with
the government of Canada. Members of the Refuge steering committee
and supporting organizations include several United Churches
(Westworth, SMRUC, St. Andrews, Young, Sturgeon Creek), the
Unitarian Church, the Syrian Association of Manitoba, and the Manitoba
Islamic Association. Volunteers who have offered to help come from a
variety of faith backgrounds, including Christian, Jewish and Muslim
faiths.
Background: Over 3 million Syr ian r efugees have fled Syr ia and live
in camps outside their country, especially in Lebanon and Jordan. With
the Syrian civil war entering its fourth year, the plight of most people is
desperate. When the Canadian government agreed in July 2013 to resettle
1,300 refugees by the end of 2014, it said it would take responsibility for
resettling 200 "extremely vulnerable" Syrian refugees whileanother 1,100
would be privately sponsored. While refugees sponsored privately may
take as long as 5 years to arrive in Canada, working with a SAH, such as
the United Church of Canada, expedites the process, though it may still
take as long as 24 months.
The families: The three families of refugees are among the 1.3 million
people who escaped from Syria to Lebanon. Currently 1 in 4 people
living in Lebanon is a refugee. The three families are living in shacks in
Beirut, Lebanon. None of the shacks have doors, and the families must
crawl through a window to get in or out. These families have experienced
deprivation and trauma. They have close relatives who have been killed
or incarcerated and they are therefore targets of the current regime. They
cannot legally work in Lebanon and survive on meagre aid from the UN,
when it is available. Each family consists of a mother, father and young
children. One child has a prosthetic leg following an injury sustained
when he was run over by a Syrian army vehicle when he was 10 years
old. Due to the overwhelming numbers of Syrians who have fled to
Lebanon, the families are in danger of being deported back to Syria by
Lebanese authorities. These families are close relatives of a Canadian
citizen who lives in Winnipeg.
Financial support: RTUVWT must be able to support the families for 12
months, providing basic needs of food, shelter, etc. Because privately
sponsored refugees are granted permanent resident status upon arrival in
Canada, they will be eligible for a Social Insurance Number, Manitoba
Health Coverage, Pharmacare and family doctor services. For this
group of 24 people, Refuge must raise $120,000 ($40,000 per family for
the first year in Winnipeg).
Other support: When the r efugees ar r ive, which may take up to 24
months, RTUVWT will provide support for housing, food, clothing, and
furniture. They will also provide guidance and mentorship, and help
with transportation, school enrolment for the children, English classes
for the adults, orientation to Canadian culture, Winnipeg weather,
shopping, and essential services.
Donations and volunteers are needed to make this happen.
The most urgent need currently is for help raising the $120,000.
Please consider making a donation to Refuge. Pledge forms are
available on the white board or from the church office. Donations
are eligible for a tax receipt.
Please see Sue Bernjak if you have any questions about Refuge.
Email: refugewinnipeg@gmail.com
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/refugewinnipeg
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 18th-25th
“In order to unite one another, we must love one another;
In order to love one another, we must know one another;
In order to know one another, we must go and meet one another.”
These words, known as the ‘Testament of Cardinal Mercier,” are the
impetus for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The week
(eight days) has been celebrated continuously since 1894. The dates of
January 18-25th cover the days between the feast of St. Peter and the
feast of St. Paul.
The theme for 2015 proposed by The Canadian Council of Churches is
“Jesus said to her: ‘Give me a drink’” (John 4:7)/
The United Church of Canada website.accessed 03Jan2015
We are invited to be in community, be part of the praying and be open
to the challenge. The first service is at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral on
January 18th at 7:30 pm. It is a chance to experience different traditions
of Christian Spirituality.
For a schedule of services throughout Winnipeg during January 18-25th
see the bulletin board or access stjohnscathedral.ca website.
JUSTINE'S UGANDAN ORPHAN FUND
Justine's Ugandan Orphan Fund supports the education of an extended family
of Ugandan children and youth left orphaned. You can contribute by sending
a cheque made out to: Justine's Ugandan Orphan Fund
(no charitable donation receipts can be given)
Justine's Ugandan Orphan Fund
c/o Justine Kiwanuka
191 Woodlawn Ave.
Winnipeg MB R2M 2P7
WORD FIT— Can you fit the words into the puzzle? Time yourself.
4 letter words
ARIA
TREK
5 letter words
BASIL
BROKE
ENDED
EQUAL
IGLOO
LITHE
LIVID
OLIVE
PAUSE
RAVEN
6 letter words
ASPIRE
ELDEST
RARELY
SHAPES
SHERRY
SLEIGH
7 letter words
ADDRESS
INSIPID
LOCATED
PROSPER
SCIENCE
STUDENT
UMPIRES
VACCINE
8 letter words
DECLARED
INVOLVED
SMRUC Emergency Food Box
...so important during these cold months.
LINK SUNDAY is January 18th.
This is the time we remember to share
The Link to let others know about SMRUC.
DETAILS
Did you know that SMRUC has an
emergency food box located in the Junction space? It is for
use by those people who might walk in needing an
emergency supply of food prior to the regular Food Bank
day. It is sorted and some may be sent to West Broadway as
well. Sometimes our box gets very low on
supplies.
Please bring non-perishable food whenever you can to keep it
full. [ Items like tuna, soup, beans, peanut butter etc. ]
Coffee Groups
Fellowship is an important part
of worshipping together.
Groups responsible for January are as follows:
Jan.11-group 4; Jan.18-group 5;
Jan.25-group 6; Feb.1-group 7;
Thanks to all the helpers for such good treats!
PARKING
The parking lot immediately north of the church
belongs to the WRHA Birth Centre. SMRUC
owns two spots bordering the front sidewalk
and has use of spots # 35-39 only 7 days per week.
The two spots by the front sidewalk are particularly accessible.
Please respect these directions in ongoing cooperation
with The Birth Centre.
1.a puddle
2. by—icicle.
3. fold it in
half.
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