2008-12 Hpc Newsletter

Ha ne y P r e s b yt e r ia n C h ur c h

Ad ve n t 2 0 0 8

HPC Newsletter Watch Out! Be Alert! Keep Watch! At a recent ministerial meeting one of the pastors told us with great excitement that their church is doing something new this year. They’ve decided to have advent! I was caught by his enthusiasm. Advent for us is not an exciting new thing. It is pretty much standard tradition. We are used to having advent; almost to the point where we have to ask, so why are we doing it again? Why are we having advent? Advent is a time of remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ. We remember the events that led up to the birth of Jesus, who is Emmanuel. And we are reminded of the reasons why God sent his Son to earth – the sins of people and the love of the Father who would not give up on this world. We celebrate advent and prepare ourselves for Christmas. It becomes increasingly clear to me though that advent is not just a time of remembering the historical events that surrounded the birth of Jesus. We are also reminded of the gospel promise – Christ will come again. Advent then becomes a time of waiting, anticipating, and preparing for his coming in glory. During advent we are keenly aware that we live in in-between times; of the already-butnot-yet nature of our lives in Christ. We wait, we anticipate, and we prepare ourselves. Jesus uses imperatives when he talks to his disciples about his second coming (Mark 13): Watch out! Be alert! Keep watch! These are good words for our advent celebrations especially since it is so easy to get caught up in the sentiment attached to the season. The niceties of the season can easily dull our sense of purpose and destiny; we busy ourselves with preparations for our festivities and forget what it is all about; we forget that we are living in end times. Jesus has three words for us: Watch out! Be alert! Keep watch! Pay attention to what God is doing in and around you. Take time to pray. Use the opportunities you have around this time of the year to give witness to Christ, the Lord. And remember that the time of his coming is near. The Lord be with you. CONTACT US:

Christmas Eve Services This year there will be a 7 pm Christmas Eve Family Service And an 11:15 pm Candle Light Service You are invited to attend this evening of worship as we share together the wonder of the Christmas story!

11858 - 216th St. Maple Ridge, BC V2X 5H8 Phone: 604-467-1715 Fax: 604-463 -1730 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.haneypreschurch.org

Ad ve nt 2008

P age 2

Website Update Prompted by an article discussing how congregational websites communicate, our Internet presence has undergone an evaluation process during the past six months. Feedback was requested from all groups within the church and sincere thanks is extended to those who responded -- the Board of Managers, Men's Breakfast Group, Ladies Evening Fellowship, Monday Crafters, Thursday Evening Bible Study Group, Manna Cell and the Women's Group. We were sorry to lose the very capable assistance of Margot Gowans Barry when she and Doug and their

family moved to Fort St. John during the summer. Margot helped update the site and posted the weekly sermon for several years. Thanks, Margot! And thanks, too, to Dave Newberry who has stepped forward to pick up where Margot left off. Dave and Carol will work together over the next couple months to revamp the website in an effort to ensure it is an accurate reflection of the current vision of our congregation. Carol Garvin Dave Newberry

Music Notes

Unusual Church Transfer

After a search that lasted almost ten months, we welcome Ellen Lewis as our new choir director. Ellen has been singing in the choir for many years and has often acted as director when Carol or Brian could not be there on a given Sunday. She has had to make all kind of arrangements to fit this in and we are truly grateful for her willingness to serve God and us in this manner. We look forward to many years of wonderful music, Ellen!

talked to the minister about

At the same time we want to say thank you to Brian Beattie who took on the role of interim choir director after Carol resigned earlier this year. This was no easy task, but Brian did it with his typical enthusiasm and joy. Thank you very much Brian. May God bless both of you.

A very special thank you to Margo Barry, who not only kept the website updated by posting the weekly sermons, but also spent countless hours as HPC’s Librarian.

After the service a couple joining the church. The pastor hadn't met the husband before, and asked what church he was transferring from. After a short hesitation, he replied, "I am transferring from the Municipal Golf Course."

CAROLLING Each December we take the music of Christmas to four care facilities and we invite you to join us! On Thursday the 11th we will meet at the church at 6:45 pm and then go to Willow Manor after which we will return to the church for fellowship and refreshments. Then on Friday the 12th we will meet at the church at 1:00 pm and then go to Beckman House, Rosewood Cottage and Royal Crescent Gardens. Please join us for either or both of these ministries of our congregation. Bob Garvin

HP C News let t er

P ag e 3 CONFIRMATION CLASSES St. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians strikes me as relevant: “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.” One of the best ways we have of growing our love and preparing for daily Christian living is to have “holy conversations”. By this I mean conversations that allow us to focus on God and God’s work in our lives. Ideas and opinions about God abound, and there is a great deal of bad theology out there. How can we discern what is best? Young people and adults are invited to a series of conversations starting Wednesday January 14th at 7:00 pm. This will prepare you to make a public profession of faith and become a member of the church. For more information call Gerard at 604-467-1715 or e-mail: [email protected] A sign-up sheet is posted on the church bulletin board.

Mexican Migrant Workers Endless acres of blueberry bushes are bare, cranberry bogs are silent, lights are off in the seasonal housing units... Two hundred plus local migrant workers are being happily reunited with their wives and children back in Mexico after many months of separation in a cold, wet and rather alien land. Each travels home with his own unique collection of bitter-sweet impressions: Interaction with cultures and a language he doesn’t comprehend, unanticipated adventures, periods of happy conviviality, encounters with deer and black bears. Also often drudgery, dawn to dusk and beyond, hunched over blueberry bushes or waist-deep in muddy cold water in cranberry bogs, all for a very basic wage. Are they happy? Well, most say they hope to be back next year. The truth is, all share a common driving force: economic desperation, as they strive to better the live s of their children. One father with a third grade education will be able to buy a laptop for his two teenagers in high school. Another hopes to start a small business in his village so he won’t have to be away from his family for most of each year. Some are building houses that won’t be blown away

in the next hurricane; some more bricks and a few more sacks of cement each year. HPC has been able to help in some measure to smooth the rough edges of these young fathers’ sometimes trying experiences in these unaccustomed surroundings. And they have uniformly been immensely grateful for our tangible help and also for our recognition of them as God’s children and worthy contributors as temporary residents of Maple Ridge / Pitt Meadows. A personal thank you to all of those in our congregation who have contributed so generously of goods, time and effort in this endeavour. Almost all have now gone. But it’s not over. The first wave is due back January 8 “si Dios quiere” (if Good wills it). So please don’t discard your suitcases, men’s and children’s clothes, bicycles etc. Because once again the fields will be “white unto harvest”. --- Roger Page

Memorial Fund Did you know that our congregation has a Memorial Fund? This special fund was established several years ago to receive monetary gifts given in memory of family members and friends. Often in obituary notices we read, “in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to....” Our Memorial Fund receives such gifts.

The donors receive a note of thanks and receipt. The family in due course receives a letter sharing with them the names of people who gave memorial gifts.

book to record bequests given to our congregation.

There is a Memorial Book in the display case in the Narthex. This records the people remembered and the projects made possible by the fund. There is also a section in the

The accumulated funds are used for specific memorial projects such as the Memorial Book Display case.

Ad ve nt 2008

P age 4

Contemplative Retreat I invite you to join me for a weekend contemplative retreat on the theme A Servant Way of Life. Spiritual growth takes time. It requires unhurried listening, and close attention to God’s Word in the company of others who also seek God’s will. The retreat will offer you time to quiet your soul, to give focused attention to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your life, to connect with other Christians on a deeper level, to receive spiritual guidance, and to consider what it means to be a servant of God in today’s world. One of the unique words used in Scripture for the people of God is “servant”. Jesus himself lived and died as a servant. “I am

among you as one who serve,” he said to his disciples (Luke 22:27) And to us he says, “Whoever wants to be first must be the last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Come and explore with me what Christ means when he calls us to a servant way of life. When: Friday January 30, 2009 (starting at 7:30 pm) to Sunday February 1, 2009, (finishing at 1:30 pm) Where: Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre, 3690 152nd Street, Surrey, V3S 0L3 Fees: The fee of $170 per person (single occupancy) or $150 per person (sharing) includes accommodation for two nights, as well as five meals and all refreshments.

Commuters are welcome. The daily commuter fees are: $20 p/ person (no meals), $35 p/person (1 meal), or $50 p/person (two meals). Retreat Leader: Gerard Booy There is room for 30 people only, so please register early. Registrations are due on December 31, 2008 and full payment is due by January 15, 2009. For more information, contact Gerard 604-467-1715 ([email protected])

Healing... The topic of our Thursday evening Bible studies the past few months were “Healing”. Amidst wonderful stories of healing it can be challenging to keep faith when our prayers for healing are not being answered. We often view healing as only physical and neglect to consider and pray for emotional, relational and spiritual healing. In some instances God may even use physical illness to bring about emotional or spiritual healing, forcing us to review our priorities and motives. A wonderful book on the subject is

Marva Dawn’s Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity. She explores the struggles and challenges when living with chronic illness or disabilities, such as the worry and guilt, the loss of meaning, as well as the loss of confidence and trust that God is present and personally loving.

this illness is to accomplish.

Here is an excerpt from her book:

In my illness help me to see that I am truly well when I remember that I belong to You….

"Merciful and healing Lord, for some reason which I do not understand the usual pattern of my daily life has been disrupted… Lord, sit beside me now and help me to learn the purpose which

Help me to see how much and how often I have relied on my own strength, my own cleverness, my own ability. Forgive my pride that will not let me depend on you.

Fill me with the life of the Spirit, that in Christ I may be blessed and be a blessing to others. Hear my prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.”

HP C News let t er

P ag e 5

Women’s Group

Lines By A Soldier

Due to busy lives, trying to balance the many work and family demands, the Women’s Group is committed to find easy, yet meaningful ways of connecting and serving. We feel it is important for Christian women to have a chance to meet and share and we just had our second annual Christmas Potluck Dinner last week to do just that.

Karin Breuer passed on this poem that she received from her sister, who lives in Quesnel, indicating that she found the outpouring of the soul of a man who suddenly finds that God is real very moving. Apparently a local veteran kept it in his Bible - his family found it there after he died, and it was published in the local paper. The identity of the soldier who wrote it isn't known, but apparently it was found on his body in Italy by a soldier from New York.

Thanks to the hard work of Tina Bucholz, our recipe book was ready in time for the bazaar and quite a few were sold already. Thank you Tina! We are also in the process of collecting food items and Christmas gifts for two

Christmas Wish Lists Gift Certificates for  Food  Jeans / Sweatpants  Sport Clothing / Accessories  Football Cleats  Snowboarding coat and pants  T-shirts / Sweatshirts  Shoes  West 49 / Stitches  Music  Mom & daughter activities      

needy families in our community. The first family is a young mother with a 3-month old son and the second a big family of 6 (mom, dad,teenage daughter of 15 and three sons of 14, 11 and 9). We welcome all contributions, please see the “wish lists” below. Please join us every 4th Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the Church Library. Contacts: Kayla Gaudiuso ([email protected]) Tina Bucholz ([email protected])  Baby For-

        

mula Enfalic Birth Plus Teething toys Baby Toys Hair Dryer Hair Straightener Alarm Clock / Radio Last 3 books of the Twilight Series Sports stuff Piggy Bank Sports Theme “Bed-ina-Bag”

Microwave (received) Other Ideas... Perfume (received)  Picture Frames / AlBookcase bums Shelving  Disposable Camera / Baby Wipes Film Developing Diapers (size 3 and up)  Chocolate

Look, God, I have never spoken to you, But now I wsant to say "How do you do?" You see, God, they told me you didn't exist, And, like a fool, I believed all this. Last night from a shell hole I saw your sky I figured right then they had told me a lie. Had I taken the time to see things you made, I'd have known they weren't calling a spade A spade. I wonder, God, if you'd shake my hand; Somehow I feel that you will understand. Funny I had come to this hellish place Before I had time to see your face. Well, I guess there isn't much more to say, But I'm sure glad, God, I met you today. I guess the "zero" hour will soon be here, But I'm not afraid since I know you're near. The signal! Well, God, I'll have to go; I like you lots, this I want you to know. Look, now, this will be a horrible fight Who knows, I may come to your house tonight. Though I wasn't friendly to you before, I wonder, God, if you'd wait at your door. Look, I'm crying! Me! Shedding tears I wish I had known you these many years. Well, I have to go now, God. Goodbye! Strange, since I met you, I'm not afraid to die.

Have you kids colour the picture of Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus and discuss as a family:  What is the real gift we are celebrating at Christmas?  What gifts can we bring this Christmas and every day of the year (especially things that do not cost money)?  How to create family traditions that avoid secularism and focus on the real meaning of Christmas. (Consider for example getting a Nativity Set and using an Advent Calendar to discover the Bible story and truths.

Senior Youth: Book 20 December A progressive dinner (in South Africa called a “Safari Dinner”) is planned for the senior youth on the evening of December 20th. Please mark you calendars and sign up in the narthex. The initial plan is for a dressed up occasion, but more details will be provided. Please sign up now so we know how many people to plan for. If you have input to share or any questions please contact Ricky Newberry at 604 465 7065.

Junior Youth Group (Grades 6 - 8) We invite all youth grades 6 through 8 to join us every second Friday 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the more the merrier. The junior youth group has been running since the Spring of 2008. It is a time for the

younger youth to get together and socialize. Worked into our Friday night schedules is a bible study, snacks and games. Presently we are working on a music video for the Christmas Service, reenacting the Christ-

mas story. We will be having meetings two Fridays in a row starting on the 5th of December. PLEASE JOIN US! Johnathan Booy & Andrew Newberry