Thursday, 1 October 2015

 
Welcome to St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish E-News for Sunday, 4 October, 2015.  Should you no longer wish to receive this weekly message, please contact the Parish Office by return e-mail.   We are very excited about our ‘Blessing of the Animals’ service this Sunday at 4 pm.  We hope to see lots of you and all the creatures, great and small, that you bring along.
 
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WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
4 October, 2015
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
 
        8:00 am        St. Stephen’s, Chester         -   Holy Communion
                11:00 am        St. Stephen’s, Chester         -   Parish Family Worship
                 4:00 pm       St. Stephen’s,  Chester         -   Blessing of the Animals
                    
    Readings: Job 1:1, 2:1-10; Psalm 26; Hebrews 1: 1-4, 2:5-12;
Mark 10: 2-16
 
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
THANKSGIVING FOR THE FOOD BANK
 Donations of food items which would help create or add to a Thanksgiving meal (eg cranberry sauce, stuffing) would be very much appreciated. 
 
REQUEST FOR HELP
 The Pastoral Committee is working to help raise funds for PWRDF.  The committee is looking for small empty water bottles (with the screw tops) which will be used to collect donations.  Bottles can be dropped off at the Parish Centre.
 
REFUGEE SUPPORT MEETINGS
There will be a meeting following each of the church services on Sunday, 11 Oct to discuss a support plan.  Please contact Robert at rcmkam@eastlink.ca with specific questions before 11 October, 2015.
 
SHOREHAM VILLAGE
  is offering two volunteer orientation sessions.  They will take place at 10:00 am in the OT Room at Shoreham on Wed, 14 Oct
and Fri, 16 Oct.  For more info contact recreation@shorehamvillage.com or call 902-275-5631 ext 233.
 
PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS
The Canadian  Mothers’ Union is helping to promote a parenting program called ‘Parents Supporting Parents’ (http://canadianmothersunion.ca/parenting_program.html). Anyone  interested in seeing this program running in this area may want to consider taking the facilitators course to be held in October in the St. Margaret’s Bay area.  The 4-day course will take place the weekend of 16-19 Oct.  The cost of the course is $50.  Snacks, lunches, and dinners will be provided for the 4 days and the organisation will try to supply billeting if required.
 
DINNER THEATRE
  “On The Air” - Saturday, 24 October at the Little Red School in Canaan.  Doors open at 5:00 pm, show starts at 6:00 pm.  Dinner served will be salad, roast beef and dessert.  Tickets $25.00.  To book tickets, please contact Maxine at 902-275-3496 or 902-275-3777.  Proceeds to three local churches.  Book soon - tickets go quickly!
 
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    THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
 
MUSICAL FRIENDS - Mon, 5 Oct, 1:00 - 4:30 pm, Tuck Hall.  All Welcome!
BIBLE TALK - Wed, 7 Oct, 10:30 am, in Tyler Grant Room.  All welcome!
CHOIR PRACTICE - Thurs, 8 Oct, 7:00 pm in Tuck Hall.
 
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WORSHIP NEXT WEEK
THANKSGIVING SUNDAY
11 October, 2015
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
 
   8:00 am        St. Stephen’s, Chester         -   Holy Communion
9:00 am        St. George’s, East River        -    Holy Eucharist
11:00 am        St. Stephen’s, Chester           -      Holy Eucharist 
  4:30 pm        All Saints’, Canaan                -   Holy Communion
                    
    Readings: Joel 2: 21-27; Psalm 126; 1 Timothy 2: 1-7
Matthew 6: 25-33
 
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LEARNING ABOUT OUR ANGLICAN WORSHIP
 
As part of the training of our Lay Reader in training, we will be holding seminars on Saturday evenings, 7-9 pm in the Tyler Grant Room that open to all.
 
The topics will follow the Lay Readers training video series, a series of short video introductions that we will watch at the beginning of each session.  Many of the topics may be of general interest to many parishioners whether you think you might want to be a Lay Reader or not.  There is no obligation to follow the whole program; just drop in to any session that interests you
 
October 10:        Introduction, Anglican Ethos - Who are we?
October 17:        Bible basics - what it is, how to read it, how to share it
October 24:        Dinner Theatre Canaan.  No session
October 25:        Anglican Doctrine (Sunday 1-3 pm)
October 31:        All Hallow’s Eve - no session
November 7:      Church history - especially Anglican History
November 14:    Worship Books and using them - Part 1
                           Part 2 will be a practical session at a separate time TBA
November 28:    Prayers of the People and Spiritual Discipline
December 5:      Homiletics, that is, preaching
 
Sundays @ 4
 
A series of special services/events - in addition to our regular service schedule, around special topics
 and intended to be accessible and attractive to unchurched people as well as active members. 
Worship/activity and refreshments.
 
October 4 :    Blessing of the Animals – chips, sweets
November 1 :    Saints & Sinners Messy Church
December 6 :    The real St. Nick Messy Church  
 
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STEWARDSHIP THOUGHTS
     
    “Let the children come to me . . . after all, God’s domain belongs to people like that.” A faithful steward aims at and works towards simplicity — in all aspects of their life.. (Michael Pollesel)
 
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PARISH TRANSITION PRAYER
 
    O Faithful God, as your people, we cherish our memories and our history as a sacred gift. We ask you to guide us in our time of transition. Bless and direct the parochial committee as it carries out the work of finding a new rector, that through your Holy Spirit they may make wise decisions on behalf of the parish. Lead all parishioners in Your wisdom, that we might be receptive to change and growth. Give us Your grace to redirect our hearts that we may be willing to offer ourselves in joyful service. Do not allow fear, ignorance or pride to limit the work of your Spirit, nor allow tradition to prevent the creativity within us from bearing fruit. Open our hearts to the call of the Gospel. Give us courage and renewed hope, that we may meet the challenge of being the church of our time. We ask this in Jesus’ name.   Amen
 

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