Hey folks. Our annual VBS is coming up, July 1 – 5th. Last day to register your child is Thursday June 26th as we are almost at full capacity. Contact Jodi:
[contact-form to=’jodi.wcv@gmail.com’ subject=’VBS Inquiry’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]
Register Here (click on the image):
Well, it seems like summer is finally here and our schedule is adjusting accordingly. Our Sunday Gatherings during the summer months are special times because they include all the children throughout the whole service. Because of this, we tend to make sure the overall service is about 1/2 hour shorter (10 – 11:15am instead of 10 – 11:45am). We do this by shortening the sermon and cutting out announcements altogether. June 29 will be our first shortened service without organized kid’s church.
Also, we are going to be having just one main gathering downstairs from now until September. The Upstairs Gathering has been a great addition to our regular gathered life together. We’ve observed tremendous value in it and it provides us with lots of room to grow. However, during the lower attendance summer months, it makes more sense to consolidate into one gathering, then begin again with two gatherings in the Fall. June 8 was our last Upstairs Gathering until the Fall.
Another note about children in services: On June 15th we’re going to be celebrating baptisms during the service. The elementary aged children will be part of this service. There will be kids’s church June 22 – which will be the last kid’s church until the Fall.
Finally, we encourage you to continue to find ways to connect, relax and rejuvenate yourself this summer. If your still making summer plans, consider the Enlive National Vineyard Celebration (they only happen once every 4 years!) in Kitchener, ON. It will be a blast.
VBS is happening from July 1 – 5, make sure you check this out and register now.
Also, we’ll be heading out to the farm a few times this summer (July 27 & August 24). If you’ve never been there before, make it part of your plans!
Most of our faith journey is exactly that – a journey. It is the path we walk as we follow Jesus. The early Christians called it “the Way” because they recognized that the path of discipleship was a journey. For most of us, growth happens gradually as we navigate
the twists, turns, ups and downs of our lives. There are, however, punctuated moments and critical junctures along this journey that can play a major role in determining the kind of path we are on and the kind of disciple we are. These events can define our intentions and expose the state of our hearts. Our current series on Peter is designed to explore some of the moments of discipleship Peter faced in his life.
Baptism is one of those moments. One does not slowly become baptized. It is a singular point in one’s history. In fact it’s more than just a moment – it is an act of obedience to anyone who has decided to follow Jesus (often another moment). Jesus, Paul and Peter all had significant things to say about baptism (Mark 16, Romans 6 & 1 Peter 3 respectively). This sacrament which Jesus even participated in himself, is in God’s plans for every one of his children. We explored some of the reasons for baptism and the symbolism behind it in the sermon a few weeks ago (here). Participating in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are the primary realities demonstrated through baptism. Somehow we can access his post resurrection life now – it can become part of us. This is possible only through his death (which we celebrate during the other primary Christian sacrament of Communion). When we are brought up out of the water, we are cleansed and born into a new community, and are participating with Jesus in his new life! This is why there is often a fresh sense of being filled with the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism.
We are going to have a baptism on Sunday, June 15. If the weather looks good, we’re going to haul the dunk tank out into the Green Space and celebrate together out there after the Sunday gatherings are finished. There will also be a BBQ – yes we know it’s father’s day – but what better day to experience the Father’s love, just like Jesus did at his baptism, than on Father’s day?
If you’ve never been baptized and are a follower of Jesus, we invite you to consider it. Call or contact the office if you’re interested and we’ll be in touch with you.
Four times a year we set aside the whole Sunday morning to worship together. One goal, one purpose – to simply gather and worship God together. This coming Sunday is one of those times. We want to explore being with God, together. It’s one thing to worship on your own, but its a whole other deal to do it in community, with no agenda other than to give God glory. Something good happens when we re-orient ourselves towards him and his purposes. Sometimes this takes awhile. Sometimes we need to sit and be still for a long time. Sometimes we need a whole Sunday morning to begin to see God again. When we open ourselves up to his loving initiative, we are changed. When we see him, we can see ourselves and our world in new ways.
We always celebrate communion right in the middle of the morning together. We also tend to have various stations that are designed to facilitate meeting with God in a variety of ways.
They are always great mornings and this one will be no different – but you never quite know what God has in store for us… Come expecting to meet with him!
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Ok WCV – there are many results from our Nepal Fast, but one of them is that we were able to send $1,250 to the Himalayan Region Vineyards to be spent on food for the hungry. The team who was there took all the kids out for a special treat of Momos (a perogy style food filled with buffalo, chicken or vegetables). There were about 15 children – including the boys and girls who live at the church who have been brought in off the street or rescued from pre-child trafficking situations in the mountain villages. They went to a cafeteria run by one of the church people who used to live on the street with her family. With assistance from the Kathmandu Vineyard, she has been able to grow her business into a thriving cafeteria serving the best Momos in Kathmandu (according to everyone at the Vineyard!). Then on Saturday after church the team and a number of leaders from the Kathmandu Vineyard went down to the riverbed where many destitute families live. They are squatters and most barely eke out a living. They prayed for many and handed out bags of food. These two events cost a little over $100. The rest of the money will be spent on buying food for people in various situations over the next month or so. Thanks for giving!
You can click on the pictures below to see the photo album view.
This post is written to parents, but is applicable to any household, with or without children. Let’s get on it people… Do the work and make a plan! There is no household with any kind of internet access that is immune.
Read it here in this excellent post.
Jesus has risen from the dead, has made a mockery of evil, has defeated death, and is alive! Now he says, “Look! I am making everything new!” (Rev 21:5)
Film from The Work of the People.
Today is the last day of our fast – tomorrow we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! But for today, reflect on what God has whispered to you this past week. What has he done in you? Where has he lead you? What has he given you? What has he said?
This is what we (the School of Justice) ate for lunch on our first day here. It’s rice, dahl (lentil soup), a potato/vegetable dish, and an onion/chili pickle. The entire plate of food costs 200 rupees ($2.26) and is considered a typical middle class meal here. It’s a vegetarian meal; if it had chicken or eggs (for around an extra 100 rupees) it would be considered an upper class meal.
Today, let’s calculate what we saved on our grocery bills this week by eating less and simpler. Bring in the money you saved and give it to the church (designate it “Nepal Fast”) and we will give it to our sister churches in the Himalayan Region. We can tighten our belts, so they don’t have to tighten theirs. We can eat a little less and more simply, so that the hungry there can be fed. This is the kind of fast Isaiah 58 talks about. This is the kind of fasting that get’s God’s attention!
Blessings on you as you give! And may God hear your every prayer and come quickly to answer you (that’s a promise from Isaiah 58!).
Today is the Friday that’s called Good. The day Jesus was crucified. Everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord must also “take up their cross” and follow him (Mt 16). We are to follow his lead and embrace the path he travelled. Jesus was crucified and went on to defeat death. Thankfully we don’t have to defeat death (that’s already done) but we are still to follow him on this path. What does this mean for you? Where is Jesus leading you? Pray that he gives you the strength to follow and remain faithful as you follow his lead.
You can contemplate this on the Walk of the Cross today from 3pm – 5pm. Wear your walking shoes.
This is what we (the School of Justice) ate for breakfast today. It’s chapatis (bread) with a potato dish. The entire plate of food costs 150 – 200 rupees (CAD $1.70 – $2.26) and is considered an upper class meal because it was cooked with fresh ingredients and clean water. Noel told me (Suhail) that it’s a “quality breakfast.” Those who are poor may eat this dish but it will not be with the same ingredients or the same level of freshness, and therefore not be of the same quality.Pray for the leadership of the Himalayan Region Vineyard churches, that God would provide for all their needs as they trust Him and as many have had to sacrifice a great deal to pursue God’s call on their lives.
Manitoba’s new tourism slogan is “Canada’s Heart… Beats.” It’s a good one. It makes me think of the drum and how it echoes God’s heartbeat. His heart beats too, and the reverberations go far beyond the borders of our Province to reach every nook and cranny of creation. It’s not an irregular rhythm, nor is it random. It is a singular thumping for the restoration of relationship between himself and us! Can you hear it? Can you feel it? His heart beating for you. Who else is it beating for? Who in your life is God drawing your attention to now in this moment? Pray that they too would draw near their Creator.
When we (the School of Justice) went on outreach to Champi (a small village in the mountains just outside of Kathmandu), a woman who’s the mother of the first believer in the village served this to us. It’s popcorn, black soy beans, dried mustard pickle, and sweet potato. Noel said it would cost around 150 rupees (CAD $1.70) for the entire plate, which several of us ate from.The bible says that it is impossible to draw near to God without drawing near to others. When asked what commandment was the greatest, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mt 22). The linking word between the two commandments is homois which is translated “is like it” and means “of the same substance”. It’s where we get the word homo from. The commands are not the same, but they’re pretty darn close. If you’re not doing one, you won’t be doing the other. Today, pray for opportunities to love God, through loving your neighbour.
As we (the School of Justice) were walking in the street (in Kathmandu), a man had a little food cart where he was selling different kinds of chapatis (bread) with eggs and potato. This is called Aloo Paratha and is a popular breakfast dish or snack in Nepal and India. It’s unleavened bread stuffed with a spiced mixture of potato, and all kinds of people buy it from street vendors. This version of it costs around 30 rupees (CAD $0.34).Pray for the many who are poor in Nepal and who either don’t have access to food or don’t have access to nutritional, healthy food.
