Hpc Newsletter Summer 2009

HPC Newsletter

Summer 2009

For the sake of the gospel

Summer 2009

―Why are you doing this?‖ The question had all of us on the personnel committee silenced for a while – for quite a while actually. It cut to the heart of the matter. Why are we investigating the needs and possibilities for creating a second ministry staff position? We slowly started to list some of our reasons. We had good reasons. We talked about gaps in our current ministry, ministry loads, changes in the congregation, investment in relationships, and about the future of the church. What would happen if we don’t do something? Can we afford not to expand our ministry? And besides, we care about our children. As things are now, no-one is commissioned to take overall responsibility for discipling and supporting them. And youth ministry done well takes time and commitment. No arguing there. Then Frances said, ―For the sake of the gospel. You are doing it for the sake of the gospel.‖ Once again she had us silenced. It seems so obvious – of course we are doing it for the sake of the gospel. But why didn’t any of us think about it? Is it really that obvious then? I’m afraid not. Biblical and church history gives proof that even when they are reminded, people quickly forget what they are about, replacing God’s gospel purpose with their own agendas. That we do it is not obvious, but Frances’ remark is profound and puts things in perspective. We may be able to list many good reasons for doing what we do in church, but if our deepest motivation is not ―for the sake of the gospel‖, then we are fooling ourselves and others. This is a question we have to ask each other over and over again. Whether we plan for the future, develop and fill out questionnaires, organize ministry fairs, call elders, paint the hall, serve on the board, worship on Sundays, sing in the choir, lead Sunday School, attend Bible studies, make banners, attend group meetings or organize bazaars, our purpose is to seek the Kingdom of God. If we can’t say with honesty that we do ministry for the sake of the gospel, we have no business doing whatever it is we do. A number of things are happening in the congregation: The personnel committee is discerning the needs and possibilities for establishing a second ministry staff position; we are calling new elders; the Christian education committee has a task force that is taking our Sunday School and youth ministries under review; the groups are all working together to put on a ministry fair in the fall and are calling for people to consider their involvement. Are we doing it for the sake of the gospel? I believe so. Our purpose is not to build a bigger and/or nicer church. Our concern is not comfort. We are concerned about growing the faith of children, youth, young adults and adults alike; about discipling our youth; about supporting parents and grandparents in their roles as spiritual mentors for their children; about growing the church’s ability to make a difference in people’s lives and in our community; about developing and mentoring leaders; and about relationships. But let us keep asking each other: Why are we doing this? Is this really for the sake of the Gospel? To God be the glory as we continue to serve Him. Gerard

Summer 2009

THE BETHEL SERIES You are invited to join me on a journey of adventure and discovery this fall as we embark on a journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Have you ever wondered how it all fits together? What the relationship is between the Old and New Testaments? How the Christian faith has evolved through the centuries, beginning with Abraham, down to the present day? How much the Christian faith is informed and shaped by our Hebrew roots? If you have ever had questions such as these, as well as others, then this course of study is for you. When finished, no matter where you are reading in the Bible, you will be able to see that part in relation to the whole overarching theme that ties the Biblical story together. No prior Biblical knowledge is necessary or expected. Someone who has never read the Bible will be at no disadvantage to someone who has read it. We will simply start at the beginning and work our way through the Biblical narrative and seek to understand it in both its historical and cultural context as it unfolds. We will learn what it means to ―think Hebrew‖ and discover meanings the words are intended to convey, rather than read them in a wooden literalistic manner. (It is the next best thing to a trip to Israel!) The method of teaching will largely be by lecture, but there will be time for questions and some discussion following each lesson. The study will be presented in 6 7-week sessions over two years. The first semester will run from Thursday, October 1st through to Thursday, November 12th, 7:30 -9:00 p.m. We will have to order materials so I would appreciate it if those interested in joining me on this journey would sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board in the narthex. If you have any questions or want more information please get in touch. Yours in Christ’s service, Dorne (604-466-6019) TAKING TIME FOR PERSONAL STUDY AND DEVOTIONS THE ELECTRONIC WAY In today's busy lifestyles finding a moment for daily devotions can sometimes be a challenge. Planning quiet times for meditation, prayer, Bible reading and worship takes discipline. But even then, unexpected crises and interruptions can topple your intentions. The Haney Church website can help! Wherever you are, at home, at school or at work, if you are near a computer you can quickly access the church's newest web page, "Devotional Aids". There you will find a new-each-day devotional message, the daily prayer requests from "Presbyterian Prayer Partnership", suggested Bible readings from the Lectionary, a link to the PCC Web "Daily" devotional message and even a search tool to look up Bible topics and verses in any translation. It doesn't get much easier than that! We'd like to know what you think about this newest tool for your personal study and devotions. Please check it out at http://www.haneypreschurch.org and click on "Devotional Aids" in the sidebar. Share your reaction with Pastor Booy or any of the elders. Or you can e-mail the webmaster, Carol Garvin, at . We'd really appreciate your feedback. Summer 2009

Missions MISSIONS????????????????????????? What does that word mean to you? Think about it this summer, meditate on it, study out what the scriptures have to say about it. Then drop into the Missions booth at the Ministry Fair this fall. Check out what is going on at with missions at HPC. If there is something happening, involving Missions, that you feel called to participate in, then please join in and God bless you. Or if while you are at the fair, and you do not see what you are looking for, talk to someone in the Missions booth, share your ideas and what is on your heart and maybe together we will find the next new mission that HPC will be taking on. Enjoy the gift of summer that God has prepared for you, partake of it fully, the warmth of His weather, the fruits of His earth, the pleasure of unstructured time with Him and those He has given you to be with. Enjoy and be recreated in His name and we will see you in the fall to start our Mission journey again together. Dennis Howard HPC Mission’s Committee

“I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT” – Matt. 25 Three o’clock in the morning and they are already busy moving the many hundreds of beehives to other fields before the occupants can wake up to protest. The blueberry flowers are now fading, the cranberries blooming. They have long since tilled the ground and finished the pruning, planting and fertilizing. In a few short weeks the harvest begins. Once again a small army of Mexican migrant workers are providing a vital link in this part of our food chain, working six, and often seven days a week. This year their need is more urgent than ever. For us the current economic crisis has been an ongoing concern, in some instances even cramping our lifestyles. For rural Mexicans, it has proven devastating, particularly since they were already existing at a base subsistence level. So no one on the fields is complaining much about the long hours and tough conditions. What they send home makes the difference between tolerable circumstances for their families and grinding poverty. And once again, the folds at HPC have been pitching in, providing support and encouragement in the form usually of the much sought suitcases and family clothing plus the occasional bicycle for the workers’ use here. Their gratitude to all of us is heartfelt and often profuse. My own thanks go out to all who have helped these workers – and helped me too. Roger Page

Summer 2009

A Blast from the Past – Who do you think this is?

The choir has had a busy season practicing on Wednesday evenings, learning new music and practicing older favourites for Sunday anthems. My thanks to the choir and music team for their contributions and support.

Why Go To Church? A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

We were involved once again in the 10th annual Festival of Praise, hosted this year by Cooke's Presbyterian Church in Chilliwack; that was well attended and well received by all. Thank you to everyone that came out to support this wonderful event. (I speak for the choir in saying that it is an amazing experience to sing with all of choirs involved, in the masse choir pieces). We will soon wind down for the summer, and plan to meet again for practices on Wednesday Sept 16th and will happily welcome any new choir members that would like to join us. Practice starts at 7:30pm and usually goes until about 9:00pm. Respectfully submitted, Ellen Lewis

All right, now that you're done reading, I think everyone should read this! "When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?

Summer 2009

We continually remember before our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

A Ministry Fair! “What is a Ministry Fair?” you ask, “and why should I be interested in it?” A Ministry Fair is a time when all our church ministries can showcase what they do, thereby inviting members of our congregation to understand their purpose and goals and to become involved. Many of us are active in one or more ministries, but few of us really know all of the ministries that are working in our church and unless we are participating in the work, we know very little about why they exist. On Sunday, May 31 representatives from various ministries met after church to give support to this event and take back to their respective groups information about what needs to be done in preparation for the fair. The enthusiasm was contagious! What a way to celebrate all our gifts and our call to serve. On Sunday, June 15 a Ministry questionnaire was handed out to everyone in attendance. The purpose of the questionnaire was to help our congregation examine all the potential opportunities for service that is afforded by Haney Presbyterian Church, and to allow the committee to see how we might best organize the day of the fair. The Fair will be held in September after church—look for announcement of the date later this summer. We hope that everyone will make that a priority to attend. To that end, we’ll have sandwiches and cookies, along with the coffee tea so that no one will go hungry. We’re also planning some activities for the children to keep them entertained while parents are informing themselves about the work of our church. And we want you to invite a neighbour or friend that Sunday, who is currently not attending a church, to give them a warm opportunity to check us out. A thought from the Personnel Committee meeting held on June 1: While we reviewed the work that had led us to this day, Frances said “You need to think about hiring a second staff person in the same way as you thought about the building addition—you are building, only not with boards and paint but with people.” This was followed up by John who said “In a way we are building a legacy.” Then we spoke about legacies. There are hundreds of churches which are now empty shells—legacies which were once the dream of the church planters now being sold to house pubs and boutiques. That made us thoughtful. We too are at a crossroads. We can continue as we are and look to closing our doors perhaps ten to fifteen years down the road, or we can build on the passion and the legacy left to us by those who believed that God called them to serve the people of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows at Haney Presbyterian Church. Their legacy was a building where we can meet, worship and serve. Ours must be a legacy of people who meet, worship and serve. Our vision, our legacy must be to build a people for God in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Karin Breuer

Summer 2009

Haney Adult Fellow ship Group Our annual H aney Ad ult Fellow ship Group STEAK BARBECUE w ill take place this year on Saturd ay, July 4 at 5:30 pm at the hom e of Bob and Carol Garvin. Those of you w ho have attend ed in previous years know that this event is a great tim e of food and fellow ship. All ad ults are encouraged to attend . Baked potatoes, bread rolls and choice of salad s w ill accom pany our barbecue. Dessert, tea and coffee w ill follow . The cost is only $9.00 per person. Please sign up on the sheet posted in the Church N arthex. This w ill help us to ord er and prepare the righ t am ount of food . Rem em ber to bring your ow n law n chair, plate, m ug and utensils. Getting to Bob and Carol’s is easy… just head east on Dew dney Trunk Road tow ard s Mission. After you pass the ―Welcom e to Mission‖ sign, you w ill see Carr Street (the first corner to the left). Turn left and head north up to Taise Place. Turn left again and , at the top of the hill, turn right onto Send a Court. Bob and Carol’s hom e is the first house, is 12225 Send a. Maps show ing the route are available in the N arthex. (Call the Garvin’s at 604-4620858 for d irections if you get really lost). See you there!

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The Monday Crafters have been hard at work since February getting ready for the annual Haney Presbyterian Family Bazaar. So as you are packing your tents and bathing suits and stuffing picnic baskets with goodies for the beach or park—remember to make some time for our bazaar. Pick berries, knit a sweater, put a box in your closet for the treasures that you find as you rummage around the house. Once September comes, it seems that we can hardly draw our breath before the Ladies’ Evening Fellowship goes into full swing organizing that wonderful community outreach. The crafters are also taking the summer off, but we’ll be back every Monday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 after Labour Day. Come and join us whenever you are free—no special skills needed. We have fun and are able to accommodate anyone who drops in. (Flora is missing from the picture because she volunteered to be the photographer.)

Summer 2009

Kid’s Korner

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica- where do they go? Wonder no more! It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life. If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried. The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing: "freeze a jolly good fellow."

Summer 2009

Thanks! Vacation Bible School is scheduled for the week of August 17th21st and runs from 9 am to noon all week. Ask your children / grandchildren to bring a friend. We will be exploring the markets and house churches of Rome while learning from St. Paul's letter to the Roman church. We will enjoy crafts, games, Bible stories, music and worship. All ages are welcome! Registrations will be available Sunday June 28th. Volunteers to help in the kitchen, or to accompany the children through their program are always needed. Contact Rebecca Simpson at 778-899-4525 or at [email protected]

To Dave and Ricki Newberry for 14 years of service as Sunday School superintendants. They did an awesome job and will be missed.

And a big thank you to all the Sunday School teachers and helpers that volunteered this past year. They all did a great job of teaching our children. Thanks again!

Congratulations to all our grads!! Congratulations on a job well-done! Rebecca Simpson

Curtis Bablitz

Susan Lee

Kaitlin Shields

Elisha Barry

Rudolph du Toit

Riley O’Connor

Ryan Plasman

Matthew Shields

Jenna Toll

“The best mirror is an old friend.” George Herbert, Welsh poet & Priest

Summer 2009