One of my favorite songs from More Voices has been in my head this week. It has been drawing me into reflection so I thought I would start off today by sharing the first verse
“I have called you by your name you are mine,
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you; all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called and chosen you are mine.” MV 161
Do you think of yourself as called? Chosen? Gifted? So many times, we downplay our own skills, impact and worth. Whether we do this because we have internalized the negative messages that we are unimportant or unskilled from the past or because we are worried about what others may ask of us if they knew what we could do, the end result is the same. The gifts we have been given by God, go unused and the body of Christ suffers.
This week in our Sunday scripture, we come across the famous words of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Yet another gift from our great God! A costly gift or as Detrick Bonhoeffer put it, costly grace. Costly as Jesus gave of himself for us, literally costing him his life.
Bonhoeffer also talked about Cheap grace, when we accept this gift of grace Christ offers but we abdicate our role as disciples. In doing so, we refuse to connect our salvation with the cross and align our lives with Jesus way of self-giving love. Once again, the body of Christ – the church – suffers.
It takes us all to have a healthy and properly functioning church. It takes discipleship, people willing to offer themselves and their time to committees, engagement in ministry tasks and projects and the deepening our relationship with Christ. Faith was meant to be costly, to impact our lives and change us and through us the world. This kind of engagement, unlike cheap grace, leaves us richer and fuller even as we give.
Which leads me to my point today, you have been gifted and called by God to be disciples of Christ, followers of Jesus. Your discipleship matters. In the office we are preparing for the annual meeting and finishing off year end. Which brings the question what will this year bring? The answers to this depend a lot on your response to God’s call and grace.
So, I am asking you to spend some time thinking about what you are good at and what you like to do. If you are having trouble discerning what God has gifted you with, then take the Spiritual Gifts Inventory found at https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/women-leadership-spiritual-gifts-growth-service to help you figure it out. Then pray, asking God how can I use these skills and gifts for our church? Then listen with your heart. Is there an established committee you feel could use you? Are you being called to deepen your relationship through faith formation? Is there something new God is inviting you to bring forward?
Let us pray,
When we are feeling overwhelmed and stretched
Lord, it is hard to think of adding one more thing.
Help us to understand that you call not just for one moment,
But for our entire lives and that you have already given us all we need.
Make us over in your image, yet again Holy One as we respond to you
And embrace the truth of your word which says that
you so loved the world that you gave your one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Grant us, that full and abundant life in the church today,
And in the future which belongs only to you. This we pray. Amen.
1) Sunday January 23th – Worship
2) Office Hours
3) Virtual Bible Study
4) New Building Safety & Security Measure
5) Brown Bag Lunch Program
6) Pantry
7) Annual Committee Reports
8) Nominations for Board and Committees
9) Offering Envelopes
10) 2022 Budget
11) FundScrip
12) Upper Room Daily Devotional
13) Faith in Action
1) Worship January 23, 2022
With the move to level 3 we are back to Zoom only worship. I want to apologize for the music issues last week, my test worked fine when in practice. Well you know it didn’t go so smooth. This week we are making some changes. You will need to either print the bulletin from the website or pick one up from the church. To facilitate this, we are placing a pick-up envelope at the Charlotte Street entrance with copies, in case the office is closed – if you need one printed off and left, please let Meghan know. If you would like to borrow a hymn book for lock-down, you can sign one out from the church office as well.
Zoom Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86854718551 Passcode: 165090
See you this Sunday!
2) Office Hours: Just a friendly reminder that the office hours are from 8am – 3pm Monday through Friday. Please note that Thursday is a big day in the office, if you could shift your business to another day, it would be appreciated. Thanks!
3) Virtual bible study – Join Rev Michelle on Wednesdays at 11:15am for bible study. This was previously held in person but due to restrictions we have temporarily moved online. Generally, sessions are 45min-1hour. This week’s Scripture will be John 4:1-42.
Zoom Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86854718551 Passcode: 165090
4) New Building Safety & Security Measures: Starting Thursday January 13, each person entering and exiting the building will complete the new Daily Building Security Record in the binder at both the York and Charlotte Street entrances. This will allow for better safety and security of both the building and people in it should an emergency happen. Please remember to sign both in and out regardless of your nature in the building.
5) Brown Bag Lunch Program: Drink boxes continue to be a priority, as well as Proteins including canned meats (with flip tops), desserts (pudding, fruit cups), and granola bars for our brown bag lunch program. Drop off anytime during the week. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
6) Pantry: The pantry needs some vital items including: cheez whiz, L size juice, dish & laundry detergent, instant coffee, sugar, pudding cups, fruit cups, pancake mix & syrup. Donations can be dropped off anytime during office hours or on Sunday. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
7) Annual Committee Reports: Thank you to Property Committee, Trustees and the Board for getting your reports in. If you are a committee chair, please forward your year-end reports to Meghan in the church office at stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com by January 30th.
8) Nominations for Committees and Board: Beginning at the Annual Meeting we will identify and affirm those who have been called to leadership at St Paul’s. Help discern the path forward for the congregation by offering to serve on the board, be part of the hands and feet response to needs of our church through a committee. God called Abraham and Sarah in their 90’s, God called the boy Samuel as a child – you are neither too old or too young to serve! The big question is what are you passionate about? Talk with Rev. Michelle or Member of the board today!
9) Offering Envelopes: Your offering envelopes are available for pickup or delivery! Please contact Meghan to arrange a suitable process to get them to you in the near future.
10) 2022 Budget: We are preparing our new budget! The first step involves receiving your suggestions to Increase Revenue! This is crucial so we can estimate our expenses. Please contact me at 454-4628 or by email at rnaugler@bellaliant.net so we may receive YOUR VALUABLE INPUT!
11) FundScrip: The deadline for our first FundScrip order of the new year will be Sunday, February 6. We will be happy to welcome back our regular supporters and look forward to receiving orders from new participants. Haven’t taken part in the program yet? The process is simple. Here’s how it works. You purchase gift cards through the church office to cover your shopping needs . . . groceries, gas, drug stores, hardware, restaurants, etc. Cards from over 200 retailers are available in different denominations from $10 to $500. Each purchase automatically generates a donation from the retailer 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. You can pre-pay by cash, cheque or e-transfer. Order forms are available from the church office, in the Narthex on Sunday or click here. Deadlines for future orders will be the first Sunday of each month. Cards arrive in a few days and are available the following Sunday at church or at the office during the week. Remember: Shopping is fundraising for St. Paul’s.
12) Upper Room Daily Devotional: Start off the New Year right, spending a few moments with God every day. The January-February 2022 Upper Room Daily Devotional has arrived. The Upper Room is a short inspirational reading, with a suggested bible reading. It can be purchased for $2 in the Church office today!
13) Faith in Action: Emergency Warming Centre at Wilmot United Church starting tomorrow Fri Jan 21 and Sat 22. This warming centre access is a community endeavour to keep people safe who are most at risk in harsh and harmful weather. We are continuing to recruit people who would be comfortable with this homeless population & also with COVID situation. (safety of volunteers will be priority as will the guests) We will provide N95 masks for volunteers & surgical for guests. Volunteers need to be fully vaccinated with at least 2 shots & if they have had booster that’s better. Thank you for your interest & willingness to volunteer. Feel free to spread the word. Please contact Judy Coates at 454-5631 c- 429-6540 or email at judycoates@rogers.com