Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Rev. Richard is away for two weeks of well-deserved rest and relaxation, and Rev. Michelle and Pastor Sarah are busy holding down the fort. Our prayers are with Rev. Richard and all of our church family who are away travelling this summer! We look forward to some unique encounters with Flat Jesus along the way!
Most recently, Flat Jesus, was spotted celebrating Annie Simpson’s 100th birthday, in Hillsborough NB. We hope to see even more of Flat Jesus and where you are taking him in the month of August! Send any photos of you and Flat Jesus to flatjesus.stpauls@gmail.com so that we can keep track of where Jesus goes this summer. Keep your eyes peeled every Tuesday as we post one of the many places Christ has been!
This past Sunday, July 29th, marked the end of our time at Wilmot United for another summer. However, Downtown United will still be going strong as we continue to gather in worship and praise to God at St. Paul’s for the month of August. We hope that as many of you as possible can join in worship this coming Sunday at St. Paul’s.
*** Important Dates and Events ***
– Sunday, August 5th, don’t forget to come to worship at St. Paul’s, as Downtown United changes to our location this week! Worship is at 10:30am and nursery care/Sunday School are provided.
– Our community pantry is opening back up in the month of August, and as Sunday, August 5th is the first Sunday of the month, it is also Pantry Sunday – we encourage everyone who will be joining us for worship this week to bring a non-perishable food item (or a few!) to help restock the pantry for what’s left of the summer.
– Prayers in the Parlour has changed time and format for the summer. Join us with a brown bag lunch on Wednesdays 12:15-12:45pm as we break bread and pray together. As with before, we will gather in the Ladies’ Parlour
-Shannex Worship at both Governor and Frederick Halls will take place on Thursday, August 2nd at 10:30am. We hope you can join the ministry team in this community building and expanding work with those who are members but have a hard time getting to Sunday worship.
– Theology On Tap is an initiative of Forest Hill United Church, to get people of all beliefs together to discuss issues of interest to anyone. We may not agree with everyone, but we will find we have a lot in common. We come together with the goal of listening to learn from each other rather than listening to reply. This month, Theology On Tap will be hosted/facilitated by St. Paul’s United Church on Monday, August 20th, from 8-10pm at Dolan’s Pub downtown Fredericton. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you there!
– During the last week of August (August 27th-31st) St. Paul’s, in partnership with Wilmot, will be hosting Vacation Bible School. This year’s theme is “Rolling River Rampage: Experience the ride of a lifetime with God!” This program is geared towards children and youth from 4-12 yrs, and will run each day 9-12noon, with an early drop off option at 8:30am. Call or visit the church office (458-1183) to register today! (Volunteers are always welcome, please reach out to Rev. Michelle if you can help!)
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Update from the 43rd meeting of the General Council of the United Church of Canada:
Many important decisions about the governance and business of the church were discussed and decided on this past week at GC43. Check out #GC43 on social media, and the United Church of Canada official Facebook page to watch live streams of the process and get the cole’s notes version of events: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedChurchCda
From the UCCan eNews:
The United Church of Canada has elected the Rev. Richard Bott, 49, from Vancouver as its 43rd Moderator from a field of 10 nominees. Meeting in Oshawa, ON, over 300 commissioners (delegates) from across the country have gathered this week to decide on a wide range of church business that includes the election of the Moderator, who will be the church’s spiritual leader for the next three years.
The Rev. Bott recently served as the minister for Pacific Spirit United Church in Vancouver and was in the process of moving to a new congregation. But that changes now that he has been elected Moderator, which is a full-time position in the church.
Born in Marathon, ON, the Rev. Bott has served churches in Ontario and British Columbia. He is well known for his skills as a leader, writer, and educator. An early adopter of social media, he manages a Facebook group of over 700 United Church ministers.
Looking ahead to the next three years, the Rev. Bott says, “I am excited about the possibilities that are in front of the church and hopeful that we are going to live into them together.”
Unlike leaders in other denominations, the Moderator does not set policy or doctrine. Those decisions are arrived at by committees of clergy and lay people in the church who bring them to one of the triennial General Council meetings, where they are voted on by people chosen from all regions of Canada and from Bermuda. The Moderator-elect will be installed as the new Moderator on Friday, July 27, at the closing worship service of the meeting.
We will close this eNews with a prayer from our new Moderator, offered at the close of General Council last week:
As I rise out of my bed
(as yet, more than a little sleepy)
my prayers are for the Commissioners
of the 43rd General Council
of The United Church of Canada,
as they travel to their homes and families…
Creator, thank you for the gifts that have been shared,
of time, of discernment, of experience, of hope,
and of more –
so much more;
Christ, may we carry the stories
of your presence
in the easy times and the difficult ones;
Holy Spirit, may your wings
buffer us, when safety is needed,
buffer us, when we need to be changed,
and we aren’t sure what to do next;
and bear us safely home.
Amen.
Yours in Christ,
The St. Paul’s Ministry Team
(Pastor Sarah, Rev. Michelle, & Rev. Richard)
The bulletin for this week is also available for download here.