Keeping in Touch - September 9, 2016
Good morning, James Bay United Church,
For those of you who may be visiting our website for the first time, welcome! By clicking on some of the links within today's note, you will find your way into some other places on the site. Do have a good look around and come back soon, for there is always more to discover.
Big news this week: Our student intern, Ryan Tristin Chapman is about to arrive ... very likely as early as September 19. You may recall that one of our responsibilities as a congregation in becoming an Supervised Educational Ministry Site is to form a team of people who will meet regularly with Ryan Tristin to offer support, encouragement, feedback, creating a forum for reflective conversation where experiences can be processed and learnings integrated. We have a wonderful team ready to go. Many thanks to Eunice Davison, Cheryl Hanna, Tom Kerr, Duncan Mclean, and Amber Rainshadow for agreeing to serve in this important capacity. Following our service this Sunday, I'll be joining that team, as will Ryan Tristin, for a training workshop, to help us get oriented to the task. If you haven't already been holding in prayer this learning-growing adventure for us all, now would be a good time to begin!
There is much I am personally looking forward to about this internship. For a start, we'll be doubling our ministry staff time, which means expanded possibilities for programs, new initiatives, and additional support for our current ministries. We'll be welcoming someone with fresh insight, eagerness and openness, and with a Ryan Tristin Chapman way of engaging the world, and growing in faith and in hope and in love. I am confident we have much to look forward to, much to learn and to gain, and something special to offer as we enter into this year, all of us, together.
You may also recall that in voting resoundingly in favour of having a student intern, we agreed to finance the endeavour! -- in part through a bequest we received, in part through grants we are applying for, and in part through our personal donations. If you have been intending to make your donation but haven't yet done so, or if you are just now becoming aware of the call for support, please be in touch with Vanya in the office for guidance on how you might go about making a tax receitptable donation, whether by PAR, a monthly or one time donation. Vanya can be reached at 250 384 5821, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 9-noon.
Before signing off, there 3 events on the horizon that come highly recommended. Next Saturday, September 17, the Victoria Foundation, with it's mission of "connecting people who care with causes that matter" is celebrating 80 years of good work in our city. We're invited to join in that celebration. For details, click on this link Victoria Foundation Day .
Then, the following Saturday, Cynthia Bourgeault, wisdom teacher, mystic, writer, and teacher of centering prayer, is speaking at UVic. Click here
And on Sunday afternoon, September 25th, John Bell, of the Iona Community, who writes some of the small songs and hymns we've come to appreciate, he'll be leading a session in which quite miraculously the gathered company finds itself singing songs they've never met before in beautiful 4-part harmony! It's a joy. Details here: Ancient Gifts for These Times
This Sunday, we'll be gathering once again in the hall downstairs for worship. Something tells me we're going to miss that setting when we move back up to the sanctuary. Would you jot me a note if you are able to come early (9:40) to give a hand with setting up this Sunday. Thank you.
Grace and Peace, Karen