NEWSLETTER # 33

Welcome to Stewardship newsletter #33

For the next few editions, we are going to focus on various ministries in the church – explaining what they are and how they work. We have been delighted to welcome some newcomers recently and this will be a kind of orientation, or in some cases, a refresher course!

To start, the focus is on the Parish Council, or Church Committee, as it is sometimes known. The Parish Council is a requirement of both the Diocese and our Constitution and is there to make decisions about the day-to-day running of the Church. It consists of the Vicar, Wardens (2), the Treasurer, Synod Delegates and Alternate Synod Delegates and Members at large.

The number of Synod Delegates depends on the size of the Parish, and we have 3. In St. John’s, we decided last year to trial a format where Alternate Synod Delegates and Members at large are merged, so that the Committee is not too large, which may also help to increase efficiency.

This format will be discussed at the next Vestry meeting, and we will decide whether to continue it.

Parish Council meets once a month, except in the Summer, but special meetings can be called when necessary and we also correspond by email.

We have a “position description” for a Church Committee Member, which is based on a sample on the Diocesan website. Some of it is obvious, such as “Attends and participates in monthly meetings”, but of real value perhaps are these requirements:

“Participates in the life of St. John’s, listens to and talks with parish members, newcomers and visitors and brings their ideas/ comments to Church Committee meetings.”

“Shares information and ideas”

“Seeks to understand the perspectives and interests of others and respects differences where they may occur”.

Here is a link to the sample “Member at Large” description on the Diocesan website: Church Committee Member at Large.doc (sharepoint.com)

Synod Delegates, as the name suggests, attend the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, which happens every other year unless a special Synod is called (E.g. to elect a new Bishop).

So much for the basics! I decided to interview an experienced Committee member who has served several terms at different times and is currently a member of Parish Council – Bonnie Allan.

Bonnie’s different terms on Council, have included Synod Delegate and Alternate.

She first went to Synod when the regular delegate couldn’t make it and then became the official delegate for the rest of her term. We both agree that attending Synod is an interesting and broadening experience – worth doing if you have the opportunity.

Bonnie first agreed to serve on Council because she wanted to know how decisions are made and learn how the Parish is run.

She feels it is important for every Parishioner to have access to information about how money is spent and the general workings of Council. (Note: monthly minutes are posted if you wish to read them). Accountability is crucial to her.

The purpose of Parish Council, Bonnie believes, is “to keep things running smoothly” and to direct the future course of Parish life. There can also be one or two special sub-committees, such as the newly formed one on land acknowledgements.

Bonnie made two further points – don’t forget that every Parishioner is a member of Vestry and has the right to vote on motions and elect officers once a year.

Also, she says that not everyone has a lot of money to contribute, but everyone can give their time and talents to be a part of the ongoing life of our community. Thank you, Bonnie!

Perhaps this a good place to share our Vision Statement:

          Our vision for St. John’s is:

• a warm, friendly, and welcoming place where people experience the love of God.
• a vibrant church where prayer is our foundation; a parish committed to God’s mission in the world.
• a community which creates a safe environment through openness, inclusiveness and respect for all.
• a place where people are nurtured with learning on their spiritual journey.
• a place that is open to embracing healthy change and honouring our Anglican heritage and our traditions.
• a growing church family that is thriving and debt-free.
• an excellent music ministry which encourages everyone’s participation.
• a place with strong collaborative leadership, where experience is valued, and individual gifts celebrated.

And since it’s still the season of Epiphany…

RECIPE:

For those of you who enjoy the occasional recipes in this newsletter, the dark, cold days of January call for comfort food. Here are some scones that would go nicely with soups or stew:

CHEDDAR SCONES

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups All purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup cold butter or margarine

¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together:  flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese, then add yogurt. Stir with a fork to make a soft, sticky dough. Do not overmix. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 6 times until smooth. Pat dough into 1” thick circle. Cut out scones using a 2” round cookie cutter. Gather up scraps, pat out and cut dough again (about 14 scones)

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes until puffy and golden. Cool on racks or serve hot.

AN EPIPHANY PRAYER:

Father God, the star that led the Magi to the stable announced to the world that its Saviour was born.

Today we live in a world that is still covered by darkness, and still needing to make that journey to the stable door.

May our lives reflect your light day by day, as we seek to serve where you have placed us. That we might be the means through which others can encounter Jesus Christ.

 Amen

(from faithandworship.com – John Birch)