Kindred in Christ,

With a new year, comes a new way to get the news from St. Paul’s! We will continue to send out weekly notices, but the format is changing.

From now on, near the top will be title information, and if you scroll down to the corresponding number, you will find more details on the subject.

Weekly Announcements for January 14th, 2021

  1. Information to join us for worship through Zoom
  2. Out of the Cold information from the Board
  3. 2021 Envelopes
  4. Annual reports
  5. Submitting Announcements in the new year
  6. Message from the FundScrip Team
  7. Brown Bag Lunches need everything
  8. UCW rummage sale Fundraiser
  9. Preaching this Week

Scroll down to see more information on these announcements

 

  1. Information to join us for worship through Zoom: We continue to live into a hybrid worship, where we have seats available for those who would like to worship in-person, but will continue to offer streamed worship through Zoom. However you join us, we are glad to have you!. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85811548808 The password for this meeting room is: 200188 For those who would prefer to call in the number is: 1 647 558 0588 then use the Meeting ID: 858 1154 8808, and then enter the passcode 200188 when prompted

 

2.   This winter, as for the past number of years, there is a significant number of our brothers and sisters in our city who find themselves homeless.  Each of these people is someone’s child, a sibling, and in some cases, a parent and grandparent. Each person is a child of God. It’s heartbreaking to see people sleeping on the streets in our harsh Fredericton climate.

 

The past two winters St. Paul’s responded to this problem by offering space in the downstairs gym for people to sleep. With the outbreak of COVID-19, we closed St. Paul’s to all activities early in March.  When the fall rolled around and none of the organizations involved in providing shelter approached us, the Board assumed that the new shelter on Brunswick Street was able to handle the demand and moved on.  

 

We have many reasons we should not be in the shelter business right now.  We’re very short staffed (we had 5 full time people when this started in December of 2018 and we currently have one); the COVID cleaning requirements are almost impossible to maintain with a drop-in population (and the basement washrooms are pretty hard to clean at the best of times) and our St. Paul’s volunteer base is spread very thin already. 

 

In recent weeks, at least one person who is very concerned about the well being of people who are currently sleeping outside has approached a number of St. Paul’s members about re-opening the space.  The Board considered the matter again on January 10th and decided not to make the space available for overnight shelter subject to input from the folks at the Out-of-the-Cold Shelter. I consulted with the Executive Director of the John Howard Society earlier this week, and in addition to our admittedly self-serving considerations noted above, he provided an additional perspective. 

 

Although it was called an “overflow” shelter, many of the users of our space were people who couldn’t adapt to the environment at the official Out-of-the-Cold shelters.  These folks are often described as “high acuity’. They are dealing with complex mental health, addiction and physical issues.  It is a great tribute to our dedicated volunteers that they were able to safely sustain the operation of our overflow space and to share some of the kindness that every person deserves.  However, it is also dangerous to everyone involved.  

 

Professional, trained staff is a basic requirement for John Howard shelter spaces (they use volunteers in conjunction with staff) and these folks are in short supply. Within the more formalized shelter system, enforcing rules is very difficult and attempting to convince guests to follow COVID safety requirements has added another level of difficulty and potential conflict.

 

The Board has taken the position that if a governmental or not-for-profit agency approached St. Paul’s with a plan to use our space, we would be happy to work with them to provide a safe overnight sleeping space for those who need it.  But in the absence of a “lead-agency” partner, we will be keeping the space closed.

 

We’re called to look after those in need and it feels wrong to not use what we have to provide an immediate solution to a terrible situation.  Chronic homelessness is a terrible scourge in a country as wealthy as Canada and there is a screaming need for systemic and sustainable solutions.  Please, when and where you can, use your connections and expertise to support those seeking such solutions.  And in the meantime, please support the agencies that are providing services to those in need, including our Pantry and Brown Bag Lunch missions.  

 

Jane on behalf of the Board

 

3   2021 Envelopes are available for pick up in the Narthex on Sunday morning. Contact the office 458-1183 to pick them up during the week.

 

4   Annual Reports are due please submit them to the office by email stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com Thank you very much.

 

5   Submitting Announcements in the new year: To get your announcement in this weekly notice, we ask that you submit them to the office with a small paragraph of detail by Wednesday of the week you want your announcement to run. Also include the number of weeks that you want this announcement in our weekly notice.

 

 

6                                    Message from the FundScrip Team

 

Did you use up all your gift cards over the holidays? Do you use gift cards to pay for your groceries and other everyday needs? We’re ready to place our next order! The deadline for your order is Sunday, January 17. I will call you when the cards arrive to arrange pick-up or delivery. If you have any family birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations coming up in the next few weeks why not consider a gift card for a favourite store. And don’t forget Valentine’s Day (February 14). We won’t have another order before then so order a card now to treat your sweetie. Order forms are available at the church office, in the Narthex on Sunday or you can print a copy by clicking here http://www.stpaulsunited.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/POF_46258_NB_20210107105919197.pdf

FYI – Roots has increased its rebate to 15% (from 10%) for the month of January. New retailers now available: Aldo and H&M.

If you haven’t taken part in this program before, here’s how it works. FundScrip is Canada’s most successful Gift Card Fundraiser. The process is simple. You purchase gift cards through the church office to cover all your shopping needs . . . groceries, gas, hardware, restaurants, etc. Cards from over 200 retailers are available in different denominations from $5 at Starbucks to $500 at Staples, Home Depot and Home Hardware. Each purchase automatically includes a donation to St. Paul’s calculated as a percentage of the card’s value. There is no cost to you for this donation. You receive the full face value of every card you purchase. Just fill out an order form, take it to the office during the week or bring it to church on Sunday, and pre-pay by cash, cheque or e-transfer.

Shopping is fundraising for St. Paul’s!

 

 

7   Brown Bag Lunches need everything! pop top proteins including soup tuna ham chicken also juices and snacks. thank you very much.

 

 

8   The UCW are participating in a fundraiser with Value Village called FUNDrive. Think of it as a Rummage Sale without all the work. Our target date for gathering in goods is Monday, March 15th. We are collecting clothes, accessories, household textiles (blankets, sheets, towels, tablecloths, curtains), small household goods, kitchen items, decorations, knick-knacks, toys and games, small electronics, etc. No large appliances or furniture please. Think of the items you would normally see at Value Village. Please have clothes and household  textiles items in bags, and small household items in boxes. We are paid by the pound in the different categories. Items may be dropped off at the Church. They will be stored in the purple Sunday school room by the elevator. If you have many items, you could always just keep them at home and meet us at Value Village on the drop off date (March 23rd). Why move everything twice?

Just a bit of calculation – to make $500.00 with 50 people participating, we would each need to collect 4 garbage bags full of items. So ask your family, friends and neighbours. This is the perfect time of year to declutter. If it works out well, we might do it again in the Fall. Any questions, please telephone Donna Chauvin 458-5885  work 458-1898

 

9   Preaching this week is Mike Bravener