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Prayer for our Gatherings

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Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Prayer changes things. It changes the world around us, and it changes us. Various kinds of prayer are part of our regular practices here at the Vineyard. Prayer Ministry, Intercession and Prophecy are three of our Core Practices that relate to prayer. Like we often say, “can I pray for you?” and “will you pray for me?” are two questions we want to hear often in our community.

Pre-Service Prayer is a meeting before our gatherings for our gatherings. It is an intentional time of prayer that we all benefit from. The prayers that are prayed and the things Gods speaks in that prayer time directly impact our gathered times together. Prayer really makes a difference.

Pre-service prayer is a time we all benefit from.

We’re going to change this time up a bit to make it a more accessible, visible and focussed – we invite you to participate!

Every Sunday morning, at 9:45am a group will gather on the stage to pray for everything related to the gatherings that morning. This will be led by the Prayer Captain for the morning who will ensure the meeting starts on time and stays focussed. It’s ok to request prayer for something unrelated to the service that morning… just not at the Pre-service prayer. We’re going to keep it focussed on our gatherings. We pray – which means both speaking and listening. Often God gives nuggets that have significant impact on the ministry times during the service. It is one simple way we can devote ourselves to prayer that we will all benefit from!

 

>> Pre-Service Prayer – Every Sunday, 9:45am on the stage.

 

Hot Button Evening Recording on LGBTQ

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For those people who are part of WCV and who were not able to attend our Hot Button evening on Feb 11, we want you to know you missed a beautiful thing. People deeply listening to each other from opposing perspectives is a sacred thing. If you missed, no problem – you can still listen in. However, due to the sensitive nature of the material, and to protect those who shared, we won’t be posting the audio in a public forum (like this website). If you would like to access the recording, please contact Vanessa and request a link to the audio file. We only ask that you use this for your own personal use and do not share or post it anywhere else. If you’re not part of WCV we’re sure you’ll understand that this is part of a long process we’ve been on as a community – this was kind of like very personal family business that we’re only sharing with other WCVers. Thanks for understanding!

Invitations to Lent

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Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer. ~ 1978 Book of Common Prayer

Today is Ash Wednesday. Today, we begin the season of Lent – a 40-day preparation for and pilgrimage towards the Holy Triduum (the three days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday) – where we celebrate Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

During Lent, we are especially reminded of the divisive and destructive nature of sin – of the ways in which it dilutes, distracts, and outright opposes loving relationship with God, our neighbours, and creation. Through the illumination and power of the Spirit, we are invited to a vigorous time of struggle against temptation and sin – reminiscent of the Israelites’ 40 days in the wilderness and Jesus’ 40 days in the desert – that we may be led more fully into the life and joy set before us.

This life and joy is the real theme of the season. The English word “Lent” comes from the Old English word lencten, which means “lengthen,” and refers to the time in spring when daylight begins to lengthen. We consider, struggle with, and repent of our sin because God is making all things – including us – new. The glorious daylight of his kingdom is coming and Lent is a way for us to respond to and participate in this exciting renewal.

Christians throughout history have taken on several practices during Lent in order to facilitate this renewal. I commend the following to you as concrete rhythms through which you may more fully enter the heart of the season. May the Father’s love, Jesus’ truth and grace, and the Spirit’s conviction and comfort be with you.

  • Examination and Repentance
    • With his help, ask God where have you sinned against him in thought, word, and deed, by what you have done, and by what you have left undone? Where have you not loved him with your whole heart? Where have you not loved your neighbour as yourself?
    • Trusting in his immeasurable kindness and unquestionable grace, ask God for forgiveness and mercy.
    • Ask God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen you in all goodnesss that you may be led in the way of life everlasting.
  • Prayer, Fasting, and Generosity
    • Fasting is a form of self-denial whereby we voluntarily set aside something for a time in order to intensify attention to and awareness of God (this attention and awareness is prayer). The things we are most reluctant to set aside are the very things that probably get in the way our life with God.
    • Fasting is a helpful, practical way to focus prayer and realize that God – not food, Facebook, friends, or what have you – is the real source of all pleasure, goodness, and satisfaction.
    • In tandem with fasting, Christians have often given special attention to generosity (“almsgiving”) during Lent as a way to avoid self-absorption and to inspire self-giving in love and service to others (e.g. fasting from food might give you more money to share with those who don’t have as much food).

“Beating Through the Wall” – A poem by Sherry Ansloos

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The following piece was written in response to the call for artistic submissions about the Hot Button Topics.

I thought we were together, but after some clumsy words about an assumed similarity,

I found that we were not as together as I had originally thought

I was “here” and you were “there”

I said “this”

Then you said “that”

Then I said “this” again but louder so you would listen

Then you said “that” even louder to me, as if it would somehow make me understand

 

Instead of agreement

I felt an invisible wall slam down between us

As though there were some cosmic line drawn in the shifting sand of relationship

that would stop us from ever being together again

 

On my side of the wall

I felt alone yelling my truth

Pounding my fists in futility

Feeling my cheeks flush hot with indignation

You not listening

 

You kicked hard on the other side

Defending your truth

Spitting words with an equal ferocity

Oblivious to my assertions

 

This fire of division burned for a while,

But like the promise of a calm after a storm

The fire and brimstone we threw at each other

Became flickering embers at our feet

 

I leaned against that wall in exhaustion

You did the same

Our backs to each other

 

I was still and so were you.

In the quiet we listened to the silence

 

Then suddenly

I felt a subtle tapping against the wall

My irritation bristled,

I thought you were at it again with your reasoning and contentions

Your pointing and kicking

So I climbed up that wall in anger to let you have it

 

Little did I know, you felt it too, that tapping on your back

Assuming it was me, you jumped to give me a piece of your mind

Up that wall you clamored ready to go at it again with renewed conviction

 

Our eyes met at the top of the wall.

I yelled for you to stop kicking

And you screamed at me to stop pounding

 

I said in confusion, but I didn’t pound

You said in bewilderment that, you didn’t kick

And there we were

Eye to eye

Chest to chest

Hanging on our sides of the wall

 

Out of breath from the exertion, we stared at each other

In that moment, I saw my friend

And you saw me too

I remembered the time we laughed so hard until we cried about some silly joke between us

You remembered the days when we were inseparable and we had each other’s back

Then once again, we both felt that rhythmic tapping

Steady and strong

 

Sometimes revelation comes in silence

Like a gift left at the door

It surprises and delights at the same time

And leaves you indebted by love

 

When we stopped the noise

We could feel each other’s heart

It was our hearts beating through the wall

 

Then a wave of remorse came over me

And regret overtook you

A swell of connection, in spite of our differences

 

And in this face to face

The dividing wall seemed to shift and disappear

There we stood

Connected by our humanity

 

I thought we were divided, but after some clumsy words about an assumed difference,

I found that we were not as divided as I had originally thought

I was “here” and you were “there”

But we were in it together

I said “this”

Then you said “that”

And we listened to each other with our hearts

Then I said, “I love you friend”

And you said, “I love you too”

Sherry Ansloos

Vineyard Canada National Gathering – “Portage: when the church seeks first the Kingdom”

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Make your plans! The quadrennial Vineyard Canada National Gathering is this summer in Montréal. July 23-26. We’re calling this time together “Portage – When the Church seeks first the Kingdom”. In this video, National Director David Ruis unpacks this for us. Register here.

 

 

Listening In & Speaking Up

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Speaking Up

Thank you for all your participation in our series thus far. Many of you have voiced appreciation, apprehension, curiosity, concern and a whole host of other feelings and related thoughts. We deeply appreciate this. These are all signs of engagement. We also deeply appreciate your prayers. They are critical. However, we’re also aware that we haven’t heard everybody. We know that there may be some who are waiting silently in the wings – waiting to see what we’ll say, how we’ll act, waiting for courage…

We know that there may be some who are waiting silently in the wings

There is a small piece of graffiti on the wall in the church sanctuary. It’s on stage left and is obviously from another era. Well before our time in the building. It reads “Don’t go away mad. Just go away.” Can I encourage us all not to do that! Part of our vision statement is to “build a safe community”. Can we try to be that for everyone in these conversations? Can I encourage you, if you’re one of those waiting in the wings, who haven’t voiced your thoughts or feelings to anyone in leadership – when you’re ready, we’re ready. For real. Even if you’re not in the wings, so to speak, if you need to chat with someone in leadership, please know that we’re all ready for that – we welcome it. The pastoral and lay elders are here to hear.

Listening In

Also, we are keenly aware that we’re being watched. Not in a creepy way, but there haven’t been too many churches in our circles who have attempted to do what we’re doing. There are some and we’ve learned from their mistakes and successes. However, this also means that we want to be careful about the audio we post – especially the audio from our Hot Button evenings. For the first Hot Button evening we posted a recording of the two people doing GYVE together as well as the commentary by the facilitator. However, we did not post any of the discussion afterwards. If you came you’ll know that the discussion was rich. If you missed it, you can request a link to the audio, but we will not be sharing it with anyone outside of WCV.

For the 2nd Hot Button evening on Feb 11, we will not be posting any of the audio. However, if you’re part of WCV, you can certainly request a link to the audio.

Thanks for understanding!

 

>>Here is the audio from our first Hot Button evening.

 

>>If you want to request the conversation afterwards, email Vanessa at the office.

 

 

The Bible Series at Drop-In

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For the last year or so, we have been celebrating communion every Tuesday at drop-in. The hope was that it would be an accessible and intentional way for us to connect our lives with the life of God, and to be filled with his life-giving presence.

After reading the passage on the Lord’s supper from the gospel of Matthew, there’s often a wonderful, holy silence as we prayerfully consider where in our lives we need Jesus’ forgiveness, where we want or need him today, and imagine the beauty of his return. Afterward, often before the invitation to come to the table has been extended, people walk forward to take the sacraments. They frequently describe a sense of the Spirit’s peace and power – one man said that receiving communion felt like “a shot of whiskey to his heart” and told me he felt this for days following.

People are hungry for encounters with the living God. Even more, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are hungry for encounters with their people.

Our drop-in team has been sensing the Spirit nudging us towards an even more intentional spiritual focus on Tuesdays. To this end, beginning in February, we are going to be screening the ten-part miniseries “The Bible.” It’ll be an accessible (and exciting!) way for us to experience the Word of God, and we believe this will be transformative. During these ten weeks, we are going to forego our usual big lunch in favour of snacks (things that people can enjoy whilst watching each 50-minute episode) and will finish our mornings with discussion, prayer, and communion.

All are welcome to join! And if you’d like to contribute healthy snacks or baked goods for people to enjoy whilst watching the episodes, that’d be brilliant. Please contact the office or talk to Suhail for details.

THE BIBLE: A 10-PART TV SERIES
10:30 am every Tuesday, Feb. 6 – Apr. 10, 2018
Winnipeg Centre Vineyard

Imaginative Prayer

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Hey parents of kids Grades 1-7!

We’d like to help you understand how the Imaginative Prayer book can power you up in spiritually leading your kid/youth/family.

What we’ve been doing: After a wonderful season in Gifts4God, we are back in our regular rhythms in Kids Church and Youth Sundays. We are really excited about how we’ve been exploring the Imaginative Prayer book with the Grade 1-4 class @ WCV. The Grade 5-7 class are also following along! The first six weeks we’ve had various leaders lead in the Imaginative Prayer in the large group. All four of us who have led in some way so far, have been a part of Spiritual Direction in these last two years. What a delight it is to now be able to lead the kids in this. Jared Boyd, the author of Imaginative Prayer, was our teacher and is our friend! Thanks to Gloria Fligg and all of our small group leaders in Kids church.

Using the “Imaginative Prayer” book to power your spiritual leadership:

The parent or mentor section: It can be easy to go through our week, not giving time or space for God to speak to us, especially with the busyness of our schedules, but the book can save you time by giving you something to build off of. We encourage you as parents to briefly/deeply look at the “parent or mentor” section of the chapter with your kids.

This past week: Small group leaders led the kids in week 8. This coming Sunday, Jan 28th, we are exploring week 9. Dig in and find out how you can follow up and discuss with your child. See Jodi if you do not yet have a copy of Imaginative Prayer.

We’re in sync: If you have kids in elementary and youth (grade 1-7), you will be happy to know we are in sync with them, so we’re using the same chapter on the same week.

Talk to Jodi if you have any questions. As the spiritual influencers in your home, we pray that God would lead you and nudge you as you parent your most precious gifts.

Outer Circle Update

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A few quick notes about the Outer Circle:

  • We have postponed the January Outer Circle due to the Hot Button Evenings that are scheduled for Jan and Feb. We didn’t want to overload people’s evenings any more than necessary.
  • The next scheduled Outer Circle is March 10. This is also our Annual General Meeting night.
  • If your are currently in a Triad, please keep meeting, praying for each other, and connecting / encouraging each other as normal!
  • To those who participated in the Outer Circle survey, thanks! We will be in touch regarding 2018 plans for the Outer Circle soon.

Join the Conversation – Hot Button Evenings

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We’d like to remind you – and invite you – to join the conversations around the Hot Button topics. We know that many of you are having conversations among yourselves. This is great! Please keep having them.

Also, please make sure you participate in our two Hot Button evenings. We’ve intentionally tried to keep the next two months free of any major community events in the evenings (postponed the Outer Circle for example) in order to make it as easy as possible for as many people as possible to participate in these. It would be best if you came to both. One of the primary purposes of these evenings is to model how to do GYVE well. You’ll recall that GYVE is a tool for how to love well in diversity – it’s about listening deeply to someone from another position and uncovering some of the underlying values and stories that formed their values, which has led to their position. It’s a wonderful model, and often amazing things happen as people submit to the Holy Spirit in this process.

>>Jan 21, 7pm – Creationism & Evolution (Our origins)

>>Feb 11, 7pm – Affirming & Traditional (Human sexuality & gender)

P.S. We may schedule more Hot Button evenings at a later date. Let us know what you think!

 

>>Listen to the sermons here.

>>Read the articles here.

>>Read about GYVE here (or download it as a booklet).

Here’s the complete schedule our our series:

  • January 14: Introduction & Call to Prayer
  • January 21: Creationism & Evolution
  • January 21 Evening: Doing GYVE with Creationism & Evolution.
  • January 28: Nailed it, Failed it
  • February 4: Affirming & Traditional
  • February 11: Nailed it, Failed it
  • February 11 Evening: Doing GYVE with Affirming & Traditional
  • February 18: Celebration Service
  • February 25: Poverty & Prosperity

Worship Pathways

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Anyone who is interested in being involved in worship at WCV is invited to join us for three successive evenings on February 15th, 22nd, and March 1st, 2018 at the Ansloos’ home from 7-9 pm. We will worship together, share an overview of Vineyard values in worship, and give information about our worship teams & opportunities at church. Youth and those already serving in worship at church are also welcome!