The Harcourt Herald
The life and work of the
Harcourt Memorial United Church community
Guelph, Ontario
September, 2014
Wired
Worship Spiritual Spaces: Where Do You Find God?
In this issue:
Worship Schedule 5 Community 16 Council News 5 Men’s Breakfast 31 Caroline Harcourt Women 6 Youth 27 Committee and Group News 9 Announcements 33
Harcourt Memorial United Church An Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Canada
We are a people of God called together and sent forth by Christ to
Rejoice... Renew... Reach Out
Our Mission:
Inspired by the Spirit, we participate in Christian practices that strengthen us in the building of just, compassionate, and non-violent relationships
Our Vision Statement: To be an authentic community of spiritual growth and service
Our Core Values: Risk...Respect...Responsibility...Vulnerability...Trust
Our Purpose: To welcome and strengthen in community all who wish to serve God and follow the way of Jesus
Harcourt Memorial United Church Harcourt Herald 87 Dean Avenue, Guelph, Ontario N1G 1L3 Published 10 times each year Office Hours: by the Monday to Friday, 9am-noon; 1pm-4pm Communications Committee Phone: 519-824-4177
Fax: 519-824-9448 Email: [email protected] Web: www.harcourtuc.ca Your contributions are welcome! th Deadline: 20 of each month Ministers: The People with Sept-June Reverend Wendy Brown (ext. 222) Editor: Gillian Joseph [email protected] [email protected] Reverend Jim Ball (ext. 223) Printer: Anne Purkis [email protected]
Director of Music Ministry: Alison MacNeil (ext. 225) [email protected]
Church Administrator: Anne Purkis E-Comm Coordinator: Nick Swan [email protected] Custodian: Darko Cikovic
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FROM THE MINISTERS’ DESK by Wendy Brown
On a warm summer Sunday in June, we celebrated and gave thanks in worship for the many ways in which our congregation has lived out its purpose, vision and mission through the sharing of our time, talent and resources throughout the past year. Many people have asked me to share again the words that I had prepared for that day and that led into the acknowledgment of the many and diverse ways you have offered yourselves into our life and work and, through this congregation, into the life of the world. As September and a new church season begin to unfold, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves of what it means to be faithful stewards of our gifts and committed participants in this common life that we share as together we welcome, strengthen, create community, serve the world and, in all the ways that we can, follow the way of Jesus. Here’s what I wrote, with a few extra words I’ve inserted, ones that come from our United Church of Canada statement of faith.
“Simply Love. This is all that Christ, or any other enlightened master, has ever asked of us.
Love fully, freely, generously and well. Love one another. Love the earth and all who live on it. Love to make a difference, whether in one life or in the life of the world.
“Love in Motion” could not happen without the generous sharing of the time, talents and energy of all the people. Harcourt’s ministry and mission would not happen without each one of you offering yourselves, in ways large and small, into the life and work that we have discerned is important to God, important to us and important to the well-being of creation.
In many different ways, at many different times, we hold up hope and share with one another and with others the transforming, healing, hope-bringing love of God.
As our United Church of Canada (2006) Song of Faith says:
‘We are each given particular gifts of the Spirit. For the sake of the world, God calls all followers to Christian ministry. In the church, some are called to specific ministries of leadership, both lay and ordered; some witness to the good news; some uphold the art of worship;
some comfort the grieving and guide the wandering; some build up the community of wisdom; some stand with the oppressed and work for justice. To embody God’s love in the world, the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship of all believers.’
This morning we give thanks for the witness and work of this congregation and for all the ways you have offered your time and talents - your gifts- into our common life and ministry this year: sharing your passions and compassion, taking on tasks, attending to administration, reaching out into the community and the wider world, praying and supporting one another, and encouraging the various ministries and the ministry team of this congregation.”
Robert Schnase (2010) in his book Five Practices of Fruitful Living, outlines what many people have come to understand are the core practices of healthy, dynamic, creative and faith-filled congregations today. His research indicates that people are searching for churches shaped and sustained by radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service and extravagant generosity. Such churches are intentional and committed, open and inclusive, welcoming the gifts of all who are a part, for the good of the community and for the health and well-being of the world. At Harcourt, we are working together to be this kind of church.
As we move into this new season and the year to come, Jim and I hope that you will find your way into (re) claiming your place in our congregational life and ministry – finding and following your passion, strengthening and using your gifts and talents. There are many opportunities for being involved and for making a difference, some of which you can read about in this issue of the Herald and all of which fall, one way or another, into the following categories: Hospitality and Welcome; Worship, Justice and Outreach; Spirituality, Formation and Growth; Pastoral Care; Administration.
Welcome to September. It promises to be another challenging and exciting year.
References:
Schnase, R. (2010). Five Practices of Fruitful Living. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
United Church of Canada (2006) Song of Faith. http://www.united-church.ca/beliefs/statements/songfaith 4
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
SEASON of CREATION 2014
Sept. 7 – Creation 1 – “FOREST” Two Services Start Again 9:00 in the Chapel 10:30 in the Sanctuary. Nursery care available.
Sept. 14 – Creation 2 – “LAND” 9:00 in the Chapel 10:30 in the Sanctuary. Nursery care available.
Sept. 21 – Creation 3 – “WILDERNESS” Congregational Retreat Weekend 9:00 in the Chapel 10:30 in the Sanctuary. Nursery care available.
Sept. 28 – Creation 4 – “BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS” 9:00 in the Chapel. Pet free, aside from service/companion animals 10:30 in the Sanctuary. All Pets welcome! Come join the circle of life at this all-ages “cross-creaturely” celebration of worship, with treats for the animals and joy in abundance. Nursery care only.
COUNCIL NEWS by Kathy Magee, Chair of Council
I hope this summer has been a good one for you. How quickly the summer months go by! All that rain and cool weather made the sunshine and warmth that much more precious when it happened.
Your Council did not meet over the summer, though everyone was busy with their responsibilities and projects. Things don't stop for the summer at Harcourt! We are looking forward to gathering with the Chairs of committees for the annual Orientation and Planning meeting on September 17th, just prior to
5 our Council meeting. It is a chance to spend some time together renewing our focus and highlighting our priorities for the coming year.
I want to add my invitation to the information you have received about the Harcourt Retreat, September 19-21. The Christian Formation committee is providing us with a unique opportunity to come together as Harcourt's people of God. For some of us, the experience of a retreat is a familiar and valued one. For others of us, it will be a new and novel one. What does Retreat mean?
R - reflect, re-vision, renew
E - eat delicious local food prepared by someone else!
T - time to listen for the Spirit's breath
R - relax, rekindle, run around just for fun E - enjoy the beauty and serenity of Loyola House and the Ignatian Centre A - attend to what God is calling us to do and be T - take some time - for yourself and for our communal life
I look forward to seeing as many of you as are able to attend. It really will be wonderful. As we launch into our September activities, may we feel the continuous presence and love of God guiding us, challenging us and celebrating with us.
Yours in God's grace
CAROLINE HARCOURT WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP by Ruth Tatham
Monday, September 8th, Caroline Harcourt Women’s Fellowship meets in the Friendship Room at 11:45am. Start the autumn with a fresh new program and lots of friendship. Esther Devolin will be speaking on “Behind the Scenes in Pastoral Care in the Harcourt Community”. Bring your sandwich. All women welcome.
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PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT....
Concern Grows for Christian Family Being Held for Spying in China.
Chinese officials have reassured the family of a Canadian couple who are being held over allegations they stole China's state secrets that they are fine and being well looked after. Kevin and Julia Dawn Garratt have lived in China for decades as owners of a coffee shop called Peter's Coffee House in Dandong, on the border between China and North Korea. Kevin also works with an aid organization that provides assistance to orphanages and seniors homes in North Korea. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/kevin-and-julia-dawn-garratt-all-right-chinese-officials-tell- son-1.2728172
Canadian Society for the Study of Religion Announces Book Prize Winner.
Eldon Hay, a Professor Emeritus at Mount Allison University has won the 2014 Canadian Society for the Study of Religion book prize. His book entitled: The Covenanters in Canada: Reformed Presbyterianism from 1820 to 2012 examines the relationship between small religious movements and majority culture. http://www.kingscountynews.ca/Living/2014-07- 22/article-3808756/Book-that-looks-at-Kings-Countys-Convenanters-wins-Canadian-Society- for-the-Study-of-Religion-prize/1
Radio Host Book Highlights Women Who Have Made Important Strides in Religious Leadership.
In her latest book entitled: Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling (Seabury Books, 2010), Maureen Fiedler highlights some landmark achievements of women leaders in the world of religion that have slipped “under the radar” in the last forty to fifty years. Noting such achievements including the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, and the election of Dr. Ingrid Mattson as the first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America, Fielder asserts that it is time to recognize this trend. And the women who are “not only denominational and organizational leaders, but leading theologians and scripture scholars, prolific writers in the field of spirituality, prominent activists for social justice, peace and ecological sanity, leaders in forging positive interfaith
7 relations and prominent journalists in religious media”. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865607942/Women-break-the-stained-glass-ceiling-to- lead-religious-groups.html
Canada’s Tallest Man in Film About David and Goliath.
Canada’s tallest man is Jerry Sokoloski, of Etobicoke and he has just landed a title role of Goliath in a new Hollywood epic entitled: David and Goliath, due to be released in spring 2015. Jerry is 7 ft 7 inches tall and wears size 25 shoes. http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2014/08/21/canadas-tallest-man-hits-the-big-time
Call For New Brunswick Law Society To Review Trinity Western Accreditation.
The Law Society of New Brunswick will hold a special meeting next month to discuss its controversial decision to accredit Trinity Western University's new faith-based law program. In June, the council of the law society voted 14-5 to accredit Trinity Western’s program. The Law School plans to start its program in 2016. The Law Society of Upper Canada in Ontario voted against approving the law school in April, meanwhile law societies in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut have decided to accept Trinity Western's graduates. Trinity Western University is a private Christian university located in British Columbia. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/n-b- law-society-will-review-trinity-western-accreditation-1.2744240
Student Suspended for Saying ‘Bless You’.
A student from Dyer County High School in west Tennessee was placed on in-school suspension because she blurted out the polite retort “Bless you” after a fellow student sneezed in class. After being reprimanded by her teacher for introducing religion into a secular classroom, Kendra Turner insisted that the US Constitution guarantees her freedom of religion, at which point she was marched down to the Principal’s office. http://www.ecanadanow.com/curiosity/2014/08/22/high-school-student-kendra-turner- suspended-for-saying-bless-you-to-classmate-who-sneezed/
NEW TO HARCOURT???
We are so pleased that you’re here!! Please give the Church office a call at (519) 824-4177 so we can make your visit to Harcourt a great one...
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SPACES FOR WORSHIP: INTERESTING READING
1. Stocker, A. (2013). Does Where We Worship Matter? Christianity Today, August 2013. http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2013/august/does-where- we-worship-matter.html?paging=off 2. Estes, Douglas (2009). SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World. Zondervan 3. Lafler, M. (2012). Worship Space Theology. http://bibledude.net/worship- space-theology/ 4. Taguiam, Sarah (2013). Rising Rents have Immigrant Churches on the Move in Toronto. Toronto Star, May 26, 2013. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/26/rising_rents_have_immigrant_church es_on_the_move_in_toronto.html 5. Buckner, Brandon (2011). Redeeming The Internet" Collide Magazine 15; pp 24- 25. http://brandonbuckner.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/redeemingtheinternet.pdf 6. Wynne-Jones, Jonathan (2010). Church Minister to Tweet Holy Communion to the Faithful. Telegraph, July 24, 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7908263/Church-minister-to- tweet-Holy-Communion-to-the-faithful.html
COMMITTEE AND GROUP NEWS
PROPERTY COMMITTEE by Ben Fear Harcourt's Celebration Garden was the setting for a lovely early summer soiree when members and friend gathered to celebrate the third of five super full moons occurring in 2014. It was a lovely evening in the garden and those in attendance were treated to a fashion show of the latest in T shirts. Following 89 minutes of Torticultural activity light refreshments were served in the gardens of the neighbouring Lowe estate Some of the less bashful attendees posed for a photo by Marg Bates.
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HARCOURT COMMUNAL GARDEN UPDATE by Peter Gill
What an interesting summer of weather we are having as of mid-August – highs in the mid- teens and lows close to single digits!
Produce growing has had its challenges and its rewards thanks to the unusual weather so far. This is the fourth year of the garden and the first where we have not had tomatoes to deliver by the third week of August. Nevertheless we have many on the vines so we should be picking good quantities by the end of the month.
On the other hand we have had a fabulous crop of lettuce so far, just over 50kg with much more to come. Cucumbers, zucchini have also been prolific. Overall, our supply of fresh, organic produce to Chalmers Community Services Centre is 197kg which is our best yield to date since the garden was started.
The herb garden just outside the preschool has given us a very nice mixture of herbs which have been much appreciated by Chalmers guests, as well as a strong crop of rhubarb. Check out the herb garden and you will see our newly-installed series of four rain barrels (which are full but unused to date!) supplied at no charge by the city.
As always, the success of the garden is wholly due to the dedicated team of volunteers who pick, weed, stake and maintain every week. A big thank-you to all of them.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION COMMITTEE: OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FALL by Andre Auger
Part of the commitment of the Christian Formation Committee is to provide Harcourt each season with a range of small groups addressing some aspect of our growth in faith. This Fall, we are proud to announce five small groups:
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“Our Images of God” Thursdays, from Oct 30 to Dec 4 7 – 9:30 PM Room 202-203 Facilitator: Bernard McNamee
“The Enneagram as a Spiritual Practice” Wednesdays, from Oct 15 to Nov 5 7 – 9:30 PM Room 202-203 April Burrows, (Certified Enneagram trainer)
“First Light – Borg/Crossan on Jesus” (series) Saturdays, from Sept 27 to Nov 8 10:30 – 12 noon Friendship Room/Chapel Facilitator: Andre Auger (DVD
“An Introduction to Poverty” Mondays, from Oct 20 to Nov 17 7 – 9:00 PM Friendship Room/Chapel Facilitator: Diana Sterenberg (Director, Chalmers CSC)
“Writing as a Spiritual Practice” Tuesday, Oct 7 to 28 7 – 8:00 PM Friendship Room Facilitator: Lisa Browning
While there is no cost for these, it is important to register. To do so, contact Marion Auger at [email protected]
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VALUABLE BOOKS MISSING IN ACTION! by Janet Webster (our library sleuth) The following books are missing from the Harcourt Library. If you have ever borrowed a book, please check your shelves to see if you have any of our books hiding on them. There is no penalty -- simply put them in the Return Slot.
A Seven Day Journey With Thomas Merton A Workbook on Biblical Stewardship Don’t Shoot the Horse Doubts & Loves Encounters with Fear, Faith and God Gifts From the Heart Heart Yoga Life After Death Made for Goodness Quilt of Belonging Repacking Your Bags The Culture of Disbelief The Great Emergence Through the Narrow Gate
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SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMITTEE by Andre Auger
Have you visited www.spiritualpractice.ca? This is a website designed especially with Harcourt members in mind (open to all, of course), as part of Spiritual Life's commitment to fostering a deepening of our relationship with God. It's a massive website, with something for people at all stages of spiritual growth, from the beginner to the experienced meditator. It's easy to use and offers a wide range of external links.
At the moment, I am adding a major section on “conscious ageing” or ageing as a spiritual practice. (Not that any of us are ageing, mind you, but, just in case!). You can access the website through the link on Harcourt's own web pages, or simply by typing www.spiritualpractice.ca
If you have any comments or questions, or suggestions, please contact me at [email protected]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Warning: Rant of the day! Going to church today reminded me of this...
About a month ago, while sitting up on stage with the choir, I noticed a new face in the congregation, a young man in his early 30's.
Normally, after the service Ken and I speed home because we figure we've been there long enough, what with the choir rehearsal before the service. But this day a) someone had announced there was lemonade in the greeting area, and b) Ken was taking a long time to pack up, so I went out to the greeting area for a drink.
I realized, when I glanced around, everyone had joined this or that small chatting group, talking to people they knew. The young man I'd seen stood all by himself. He'd stuck around for the lemonade so he obviously would have liked to have people welcome him to Harcourt. Nobody was talking to him when I came down. I collected my lemonade, then looked for him again. He'd disappeared, but I knew he'd had a cup of lemonade in his hand so I he must still be in the building. I went searching for him. I found him in the half-lit lower hall by the gym,
13 looking at the LGBTQA bulletin board. We had a short chat. It turned out he'd just moved to Guelph on his own. His wife and kids were coming to join him the following week.
He and his family would probably have been a nice addition to the congregation. Unfortunately, I suspect they went looking for a new more welcoming church somewhere else.
I've seen half a dozen new young-ish people in the congregation in the past few months. They never seem to return. I wonder if they all got the unintended cold shoulder from us. I'm hoping, in the future, if I see someone new out there in the seats, I'll remember to stay for coffee and invite them down. I haven't been good about that in the past. But I think others need to be aware of how we're falling down in this department as well. The trouble is, by the time I return from dropping my music in the choir room, the newcomer is likely to be gone. Someone sitting near him/her needs to invite him down for coffee, make like a limpet and stick to him at least until someone else starts talking to him. If he and his family had stayed, they might have invited other young families they knew to join us. And then they, in turn might have welcomed more young families. But we basically ignored him.
What's that buzzword people use so much these days? Mindfulness. We need to be more mindful of new people around us in the pews.
I just thought I'd mention it so someone might come up with an idea to fix the situation.
Alice Carey
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WOOF, WOOF! WHINNY...CHIRP...MEOW!
That’s animal-speak for an invitation to you and your pet(s) to our
5th Annual Blessing of the Animals
on Sunday, September 28
at 10:30 a.m.
Join in a joyful, all-ages worship celebration of our human relationship with all living things.
While Harcourt’s 9:00 service will be “pet-free” that day, aside from service dogs who are always welcome, both services once again will affirm the richness of our connection with creatures outside of our species and remind us of the responsibilities we have in caring for creation. Following the pet- inclusive 10:30 service, there will be treats and certificates for the animals and an opportunity for humans and animals alike to share in some good conversation!
If a pet will be accompanying you to the 10:30 service, we remind you to gently restrain it according to its species, both for its own sense of calm and comfort and that of the people with whom it will share a pew. If you don’t have a pet in your family at this time (and can’t beg or borrow one!), feel free to bring along a favourite stuffed animal or a photo of a beloved former animal companion.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, September 28 at 10:30 a.m.!
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COMMUNITY
A NAME FROM THE PAST by Jim Ball
By the time you read this article, four months will have passed since we held our Affirming Ministry celebrations last May. Our morning worship services were enriched by the presence of the Rainbow Chorus and by special guest speaker, Sarah Chown. Sarah is a young woman who works locally here in Guelph with and for people at risk.
Chown is a famous name in the history of the creation of the United Church of Canada. In the years leading up to the founding of our denomination in 1925, Dr. Samuel Chown was the superintendent of the Methodist Church of Canada. Methodists comprised the largest group of Protestants in the country, larger even than the Presbyterian Church that would join in the new union. While many anticipated positively the ministry possibilities of a new, bigger, stronger, and more integrated Protestant church, there were others who were concerned about equity among the members within the new union, and, in particular, about the disproportionate power the majority Methodists would wield in the new governance structure. Sheer numerical strength suggested that the United Church would just be the Methodist church by a new name, with the majority of members continuing to vote along traditional denominational lines.
At the time of union, almost one-fifth of the Canadian population was associated with the new denomination. Its moral voice and potential socio-political influence was considered significant and consequently engendered much discussion in the public arena. Which values and causes the church would champion, and how these things would be articulated and embodied were matters that were carefully watched by newspapers, sister denominations, members of government and average Canadians.
The position of moderator represented the most obvious vehicle through which the new Church might promote its commitment to unity and equality. Whoever was first elected to serve in this role would have the important task of acting to dispel any lingering partisan concerns. Samuel Chown was considered the leading candidate to become the first Moderator given the numerical strength of the Methodists in the new denomination. But, in what has been described as a surprise move, “Dr. Chown graciously stepped aside in favour of George C. Pidgeon, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church and principal spokesperson for the united Presbyterians.” Chown did so “in the hopes that (Dr. Pidgeon’s election) would 16 strengthen the resolve of the Presbyterians who had chosen to join the new Church.” (Ken Gallinger).
In the founding act of union, our ancestors, inspired by Chown’s decision, made it clear that the United Church of Canada would model a way of life that was not the product of mere majority rule. A unity worthy of the name would necessarily need to value, include, stand with, and empower, minority voices within it. Standing with the marginal became a critical component of United Church identity and witness – one that was immediately attacked when the new church began to speak of the need to include, equip and call women for ordained ministry. Our ancestors in the faith understood that there was no centre worth holding in the new denomination if this holding continued to keep marginal those members who were a minority. In the years since union the UCC has experienced heated debates about many topics. But on the matter of where and with whom the Church should stand, it has most often sided with those persons and groups most at risk. This is core United Church of Canada DNA, and it was made manifest all those years ago in the simple but profound act of Samuel Chown.
Young Sarah is, as best we can reckon, the great, great grandniece of Dr. Chown. At the time of her visit she possessed only a vague sense that her family had “something to do with the United Church.” She had little else in the way of strong memory. As she spoke, I was struck by the content of her message and the character by which she delivered it. For she spoke with vulnerability and courage about her own life journey, her desire to continue to learn about and build relationship with others, especially those different than herself, and her discovery about a piece of her own personal identity that placed her within the circle of one of the many at-risk communities we are called to love and support.
Some ninety years after Dr. Chown modeled a way forward for the United Church of Canada, another Chown was calling us at Harcourt forward, inviting us to reach for a deeper life of learning and solidarity with the marginal. As I sat and listened, remembering the example of her ancestor, I wondered if it was possible for a character gene to be passed down from one generation to another. For clearly Dr. Chown’s “character-DNA” still stirred in her, and through her was touching us afresh, helping us remember who we have always been in the United Church and are continually called to be: people for and with others.
While Harcourt’s decision to become officially an Affirming congregation is relatively recent, the affirming values and practices of our life are not. The DNA of it was present when our denomination began. It has been present in much that we as church have said and done down
17 all the years since. I suspect and trust it shall be present in us as we go forward: remembering and including and equipping and serving and being with and receiving from all who belong to a minority - who feel marginalized and at risk.
Fifty years after church union Canada Post issued a stamp in honour of Dr. Chown. Today, Sarah shares her life and values through email, text, twitter, facebook and in person. No stamps are needed. None are required to demonstrate courage and commitment and uncompromising compassion. These qualities are alive in her. By grace may they always be alive in us. For we all still have so far to go. Thankfully, there is strength and resource for the journey, to be found in ourselves and in the abiding witness of the ancestors and their descendants.
WE WELCOME A NEW E-COMM CO-ORDINATOR ! Nick Swan has recently been hired for Office and Technical Support at Harcourt and he brings the gifts of skill and experience to the position. Nick has a diploma in radio broadcasting from Fanshawe College. He has worked as a teaching assistant in the University of Guelph Theatre Studies Department where he was responsible for teaching classes in sound, lighting and video. He has also worked as a sound designer/operator for productions at Guelph Little Theatre. Nick has also had several years of experience running live sound for weekly worship services, as well as recording and copying of audio for services at Epworth United Church in Essex County where his s father was the minister. A warm welcome to Harcourt, Nick!
RAINBOW CHORUS ENTERS ITS TWENTY-FIRST SEASON
In our 20th season in 2013-14 we took part in many community events such as the Scotia Bank Walk for Aids, Victims of Crime Awareness, Rainbow Coalition Conference for GBLT youth of Wellington County and self produced two concerts as well as taking part in the Canadian GBLT Choral Festival "Unison" in Ottawa.
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This season promises to contain another variety filled program. We have community events scheduled as well as sharing concerts with the Hamilton Gay Men's Chorus in January. Our " Rainbows Across Africa" Concert on January 31 at 7:30pm will feature the HGMC and new aspects of the Rainbow Chorus as well as songs to inspire and energize you.
We continue to be guided by our Music Director, Annetta Whetham and accompanist, Alison MacNeill.
For further information contact Brenda Eckhardt, RCWW Chair at 519-323-1008.
BIBLE STUDY by Jim Ball
The Bible Study Group which has traditionally met on Friday mornings successfully held book studies in February and May of this year. The model proved helpful, and it was proposed by participants that it continue. As we approach the Fall, another study is being planned for October, at a time and day of the week to be determined based on the commitments of those persons interested in participating. It is anticipated that a second book study will take place in May of 2015. The first of the proposed books, entitled The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics, was written by biblical scholar Ched Myers. The second was penned by an associate of his. Each is short, accessible and sure to challenge assumptions and stretch understandings. To signal your interest in participating or to learn more about these books, please contact Jim at 519-824-4177.
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This pay-what-you-can event has raised funds that are destined to help support two of our youth who are interested in joining TWO COUNTRIES ONE WORLD (TCOW) 2015 in a trip to Nicaragua.
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SATURDAY NIGHT SUPPER by Jill Gill and Heather Allan, SNS Coordinators
th Please mark September 13 on your calendar as Harcourt’s next opportunity to provide and serve Saturday Night Supper at Royal City Evangelical Church, 50 Quebec Street. We will require twelve volunteers to serve the meal, as well as many folks to provide the food for those in need in downtown Guelph. The menu will include pasta casserole (recipe provided), Caesar salad, rolls, pickles, cheese, assorted fruit pies, vanilla ice cream, milk, juice and coffee. Cash donations for food purchases will also be gratefully received.
The sign-up sheet has been placed on the table in the Greeting Place for you to indicate where you’d like to help. Volunteers and food should be at the church (backdoor entrance), at 50 Quebec Street by 5 p.m. Servers will be needed until approximately 8 p.m.
Your continued commitment to this worthwhile outreach project is greatly appreciated.
SIGN UP GENIUS by Dylan Brennemen
Sign Up Genius is a website that allows users with an exceptional stewardship management system. Users can create flexible signups for any events or tasks that they may have! People can choose to have reminder emails and/or texts sent out to remind them of events and any tasks that they have signed up for. This website easily integrates with social media & websites to allow promotion of events to ensure that the desired outcomes of the event are met. For a demonstrational sign up go to www.signupgenius.com/findasignup. Type in my email address: [email protected] and enter the captcha. You can then view a demo that I have created if Harcourt were having a bake sale! We would love to hear your comments and feedback and if you are so inclined you can provide them to the email address above.
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SUMMER STUDENT – ONE CALL AWAY! by Dylan Brennemen
I am pleased to have spent my second summer at Harcourt as the Summer Student. I am returning to U of G in the fall where I am going into my third year of my double major in International Development & Political Science. I will also be working at Ontario One Call – The call before you dig centre – I can't tell you how many people have called after the thought! I have enjoyed my time at Harcourt and it has been great to get more familiar with the congregation. I'm looking forward to remaining involved at Harcourt and assisting Anne in the office whenever the situation arises.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Harcourt's quilting group have been hard at work making a beautiful quilt that serves as an example of Harcourt's involvement with humanitarian aid. The blocks on the quilt sold individually as a fundraiser for educational projects in Uganda. We are lucky to have such wonderful people such as this group who put the time and effort into coordinating this event and made this vision a reality. Donations can be made on an ongoing basis and can easily be contributed on September 14 & 21. Members of the quilting group include Anne, Ruth Ann, Carol, Jill and Julia.
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UPDATE ON UGANDA by Norma Fear
Education in Uganda has always been unpredictable and so we have had a few surprises this year that are giving us some concern. The student who is finishing his Law requirements in Nairobi has had to move three times because of the unrest there. Fortunately things appear to have quieted down and by the end of December he will have finished both his courses and the equivalent to articling, and be ready to go to work.
The two students finishing their degree courses at the Islamic University have had another semester added and so will not finish until the end of November -- we did not believe it until we had a letter from the Dean informing us that this additional time was required by all the students taking their courses. Also the student taking the Auto Repair course is in his final semester, while two students will complete their courses by the end of this month - one finishing her degree in Business Administration and Accounting and one finishing her Diploma in Nursing.
Mary Musuya, who had completed her Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management before finding that she was HIV positive, is unable to find employment in that field because of her present physical condition She is completing a course in Counseling. She will be able to find employment counseling other HIV patients.
Two students will be continuing into 2015, one doing her Diploma Course in Child Study and one her degree in Education. Both girls have sponsors who can arrange their assistance through the Rotary Club.
We thought that we would have a lighter load financially this year, so we added to our list two girls in secondary school who are finishing their final year (Sr. 6) and we will continue to give them some help in the hope that they will be able to find assistance from someone in Uganda and go on to take a Diploma Course in their chosen subjects . They are both currently receiving some assistance in addition to what we give them.
As the year progresses we realize more and more how sensible it is for us to finish this project at the end of this year. Education expenses continue to increase rapidly as our energy decreases.
We are very thankful and appreciative for the help from the members of Harcourt United Church who should be aware that there are young Ugandans who revere that name and regularly thank God for your love and concern. We are particularly appreciative of the treasurers who have so willingly taken charge of your donations and transferred them to our
23 bank in Mbale when requested. We know that without the donations from many members of the congregation we would not have been able to sponsor the number of students that we have.
SABBATICAL COORDINATING TEAM UPDATE by Lorraine Holding
In the June Herald, you read some refresher questions and answers from the Sabbatical Coordinating Team. We continue our planning task with hopefulness and energy. We expect that Harcourt will build on our 2013 success during Jim’s sabbatical, with a similar enthusiasm for active congregational participation during Wendy’s sabbatical in 2015. We will continue to provide updates through the coming months.
WHAT IS THE SABBATICAL COORDINATING TEAM?
The ad hoc Sabbatical Coordinating Team includes representatives from some key committees. Our task is to develop a plan for appropriate coverage of ministerial duties and to support Jim during Wendy’s sabbatical. Our target date to complete the plan is late October.
Team members include: Lorraine Holding (Chair); Andre Auger (Christian Formation; Spiritual Life); Esther Devolin (Pastoral Care); Bill Lord (Spiritual Life; Voluntary Associate Minister); Gay Slinger (Worship); Sandra Welch (Ministry & Personnel).
WHEN IS WENDY’S SABBATICAL?
Wendy will take her sabbatical from February 1 to April 30, 2015, preceded by her annual week of study leave at the Epiphany Conference in Victoria and a week of vacation. She is discerning her plans and will share some tidbits with the congregation this fall … around the theme of “joy”.
HOW CAN LAY LEADERS GET INVOLVED?
There are opportunities for lay leaders to participate in worship planning. This is our call for individuals, couples or small groups to be liturgical leaders during Sunday worship services. Jim has identified the worship themes and lectionary readings for January to May. You will work with Jim or a guest preacher, and Alison, to plan “your” Sunday. “Planning and Leading Worship at Harcourt”, a guide prepared by Wendy, is an excellent resource to assist you. Please contact any member of the Team to discuss your interest and availability.
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WILL THERE BE GUEST PREACHERS?
Yes. We are in the process of inviting some guests who will speak on Sundays when Jim is providing liturgical leadership, supporting the new “Manna” gatherings for children, youth and young families, or on scheduled leave.
WILL THERE BE SOMEONE TO PROVIDE A “MINISTRY OF COMPANIONSHIP & PRESENCE”?
Yes. We are very pleased to announce that Elizabeth Eberhart-Moffat and Peter Moffat have agreed to return for part of the time. While they are away during March, Roy Holton (a retired Minister and new member in Harcourt’s Choir) will provide this important support. These folks will work up to ten hours/week to support Jim and the congregation with pastoral care assistance.
LAST CALL FOR THE HARCOURT CONGREGATIONAL RETREAT! by Andre Auger
We will accept registrations until Sunday Sept 7. By then we must let the Loyola House staff know how many we are going to be. This will be an opportunity for some quiet prayer time with God, as well as a chance to work in small groups around the theme of “Designing a Toolbox for the Wilderness.”
Harcourt's Transition Team will be helping us address the challenges of being church in these times of turmoil. If you are interested in the future of Harcourt, as well as in your own spiritual journey, you will find this a useful weekend. There will be some brief presentations, plenty of time to engage in silent prayerful reflection, leisure time, as well as community-building opportunities.
Times again: Friday Sept 19, 4:30PM (before supper) to Sunday Sept 21, 1:30PM (after lunch). Accommodations are all in single rooms. The subsidized cost is $130 per person. Please register with the Harcourt Office.
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AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO TAKE PERSONAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE by Peter Jackson
As Mardi Tindal remarked while Moderator of our Church, climate change is one of the most urgent moral challenges in human history.1 As a congregation, Harcourt already takes its carbon footprint seriously, and an opportunity is coming soon for us to take renewed action as individuals as well.
Later this fall, Project Neutral and eMerge Guelph will launch a new program to enable households to shrink their carbon and resource footprint. Following a presentation by eMerge Guelph last February, Council found its programs to be well aligned with Harcourt’s mission and vision of stewardship, and gave its blessing to our moving forward in partnership with them.
In essence, the Project Neutral program enables households to measure their ecological footprint (for energy, transportation, food, water and waste), and receive both a comparison to average footprints and specific suggestions on how to shrink their own footprint. The program is well supported by the city, who see this as a helpful plank in attaining the Guelph community energy plan targets, and by suppliers such as Union Gas and Guelph Hydro.
The principal interface will be an online questionnaire (though a paper version will also be available), where a participant enters household information. One field will invite the participant to select from a list the community of which he or she is part (and through whose efforts his or her participation came about). Harcourt will be one of the communities listed, and we’ll be able to get a running count of Harcourt participation as things go along.
The folk at Project Neutral are currently updating and customizing the program for Guelph. More information about how to participate will be communicated in future issues of the Herald. If you’d like to know more, contact Peter Jackson.
WHAT’S YOUR GAME??? THE SETTLERS OF CATAN by Henk Dykman
This board game is growing in popularity with young and older people, witness the stacks of game boxes for sale at "Toys are us" and the Bookshelf. Two groups of mainly Harcourt folk have played it regularly during the spring of this year. One every second and
1 Open letter to Canadians, January 2010 26 fourth Thursday afternoon of the month from 1:00 - 4:00 and the other every first and third Tuesday evening of the month from 7:00-9:30.
There are many varieties of the game and at the moment we are playing a combination of the fog islands (from the Seafarers of Catan) and fisherman of Catan (from the Traders and Barbarians). We have been having a lot of fun. The evening group is pretty well full with a maximum of 5 players; but there are openings in the afternoon group. If you are interested in playing this game or just finding out how it works, I would be interested in a Catan "open house" on Saturday September 13 in the Friendship room at Harcourt to explain and play an introductory game with you. We'll start at 7:00 p.m. I hope to see you there.
YOUTH
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CALLING ALL YOUTH! by Suzanne and Lisette
Alas, a new school year is upon us, but that means that YOUTH GROUP is BACK! If you are in grade 5 and above, please join us Friday September 12th for our very first meeting of the year. We will be playing games at the church, running around and being our crazy selves! We meet in the gym at 7pm until 9pm. We look forward to seeing our old friends and some new faces.
Unfortunately, our plans for a High School only Group have fallen through. Lisette and Suzanne will try to plan some special events for High Schoolers only, but for now we will try to be one big happy family!
We will be relying on parents to help us out with snacks again, and we will be reaching out to plan for that very soon. We had a very successful 2013-2014 year, and we are looking forward to seeing what this year can bring! Bring a friend and see you Friday nights! (our contact info is available through the church office)
THE COMMON HOUSE FLY
Did you know that the house fly is mentioned in the bible?
Isaiah 7:18 “In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.”
Exodus 8:22 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land.” Who loves them? Entemologists. The common housefly has a maximum flying speed of five miles per hour… even though its wings beat 20 thousand times per minute. Each female common housefly lays about
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9,000 eggs in her life time. It is interesting to note that flies are only active in the daytime, and they rest at night in places such as the corners of rooms, ceiling hangings, cellars, and barns, where they can survive the coldest winters by hibernating. On the negative side, flies are often the carriers of diseases such as typhoid, cholera, salmonellosis, dysentery, tuberculosis and other diseases. Some strains of house fly have become immune to common insecticides. Although many fly species have a very negative image, an easily overlooked fact is that they are also very important as pollinators of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Any flying insect that travels from flower to flower for pollen will propagate plants. Some fly species even feed on flower pollen and nectar just as bees do. At least 550 varieties of flowering plants are known to be regularly pollinated by one fly species alone. Research has found that flies are a leading pollinator of 87 out of 115 leading food crops worldwide. The fly population is also an important food source for hummingbirds, purple martins, sparrows and other birds. No wonder God whistled for the fly!
MANNA FOR CHILDREN By Andre Auger
We launch “Manna” on Sunday Sept 7 at 10:30 in the Friendship Room! “Manna” is a whole new way of worshipping, learning and being community. It is being designed for young families, for kids, for youth, for the 30-somethings, for the young-at-heart, for seekers, for those who no longer find much nourishment in traditional worship styles. “Manna” is designed to be all ages inclusive, designed to have something for kids and youth, and something specific for adults as well. It will demonstrate a preferential option for activity and experiencing over talk. It will be grounded in a progressive theological spirit in its understandings of, and engagements with, Christian Scripture and Tradition. It will be a legitimate expression of Harcourt “church” and “worship,” respecting the different needs within the congregation. There will be yoga and other movement-related experiences, as well as cooking and gardening and story-telling, and fellowship, and music, and rituals and time for community- building, as well as time for reflection and sharing. It will follow the Liturgical Year, and will build on the weekly handouts we have been preparing for parents since last Advent.
Such an undertaking requires time and talent. So “calling all thespians, craftspeople, artists, musicians, cooks, story-tellers! “Manna” could use you! A team is presently designing the content of each Sunday, and would welcome those interested to share their talents once in a while. Contact any member of the “Manna” Planning Team:
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Merrill Pierce ([email protected]) , Suzanne Webster ([email protected]), or Laura Hofer ([email protected]).
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING! THE DEFIBRILLATOR – A WELCOME SAFETY FEATURE IN THE CHURCH
Did you know? Harcourt has an AED Automated External Defibrillator (AED) which is a device that is used to get a heart back to its natural rhythms by delivering an electrical shock to the heart during a cardiac arrest.
Where is it stored? Our AED is easily accessed in the cabinet near the Lucy Booth in the Greeting Area (Narthex). Look for the sign on the outside of the cabinet.
Want to learn more?
Easy-to-follow steps from the Heart & Stroke Foundation
If you witness someone having a cardiac arrest:
1. Yell for help
o If there are people around, tell someone to call 9-1-1 (or your emergency response number) and get an AED (if one is available).
o If you are alone, call 9-1-1 and get an AED (if one is available).
2. Check breathing
o If the person isn't breathing or is only gasping, give CPR.
3. Push hard and push fast
o Use an AED as soon as it arrives by turning it on and following the prompts.
o Keep pushing until the person starts to breathe or move or someone with more advanced medical training takes over.
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MEN’S BREAKFAST GROUP by Ross McKenzie
Next meeting: Wednesday, September 10, 2014. Bill Lord will be leading this meeting. Bruce and Lorraine Macpherson will be our speakers. They will be speaking about “Update-Nyondo Primary School Project in Uganda,
Africa”. All men are welcome to attend and we invite you to bring a friend or a neighbour who would enjoy this meeting. Coffee will be ready at 7:15
with breakfast to follow sharp at 7:30.
LGBTQA (“A” is for ally!) POTLUCK by Stan Buston
Save the date! October 5 Potluck dinner at 5:30pm!
Harcourt’s LGBTQA Committee is hosting an “all are invited” potluck dinner for fun and connection and building community. If you have appreciated the Rainbow Chorus, support social justice initiatives for the LGBTQ community or would simply like to join in the food and camaraderie please mark your calendar for October 5th 5:30pm. More information will follow. If you have questions, please contact Julie Ashley ([email protected]; 519-8411924) or Stan Bunston ([email protected]; 226-8213769)
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DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
Please find a list of Harcourt's forms of communication as follows.
Form of Who to Contact Due Dates Communication Facebook Alice Carey - ASAP [email protected] GUM Calendar Anne Purkis - ASAP [email protected] Harcourt E-Weekly Anne Purkis - Thursdays at Noon [email protected] Harcourt Herald Gill Joseph - 20th of each month [email protected] Harcourt Website Anne Purkis - ASAP [email protected] Life & Works Anne Purkis - Wednesdays at 4pm [email protected]
Please be very clear about where you would like the info posted. Not sure? Ask Anne for assistance. Be concise or be edited. We reserve the right to edit as needed.
Not receiving the Harcourt E-weekly update & congregational news? Send an email to Anne and ask to be added to the email group. You can "unsubscribe" at anytime by emailing Anne.
Friendly reminder for congregation members to take the time to welcome new faces at Harcourt. Taking the time to introduce yourself to individuals can foster new relationships that encourage active participation and meaningful growth of Harcourt's congregation and the broader Guelph community. For those of you who are newer to Harcourt, take the time to introduce yourself to a new person. Everyone is welcome to join in fellowship following the service in the gym for coffee and tea.
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ANNOUCEMENTS
Passings:
Doris (Driver) Singleton - passed away unexpectedly on June 16, 2014 at the age of 83. Doris worked as a nurse and airline stewardess until her marriage to Alan Singleton in 1959. She was an active member of The Rotary Centre, Board member for the Canadian Diabetes Association, volunteer with MADD and involved with many other organizations. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Guelph Memorial Gardens or Charity of choice.
Helen Walters - passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the Guelph General Hospital on Monday, July 14, 2014 at the age of 74. Beloved wife of Delmer for over 54 years. Loved mother of David Walters (Janice) and Suzanne Boudreau (Larry) all of Guelph and many other family members and friends. Memorial contributions to the Lung Association or to Hospice Wellington would be appreciated.
Margaret (Taylor) MacKenzie - passed away peacefully at Guelph General Hospital on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, in her 94th year. Beloved wife of the late Don MacKenzie (1999). Margaret will be fondly remembered by her siblings- in-law, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. A tree will be planted in memory of Margaret in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest, University of Guelph Arboretum. Dedication service, Sunday, September 21st at 2:30 pm.
Lillian (Kiloh) Davidson - passed away peacefully in Guelph on July 31, 2014, in her 89th year. Lillian grew up in Lansing, on the outskirts of Toronto. She left school early to work at the Income Tax Department. She was a graduate of Victoria College and the School of Social Work at University of Toronto. During the 1950s she worked in Kirkland Lake for the Children's Aid Society and in Toronto for the Neighbourhood Workers Association (later Family Services). She married Alex Davidson in 1959 and moved to the family farm, located first in Agincourt and later in Stouffville. In lieu of flowers, donations to Harcourt Memorial United 33
Church, the Children's Aid Society or a charity of your choice would be gratefully received. A tree will be planted in her memory in the Wall- Custance Memorial Forest, University of Guelph Arboretum. Dedication service, Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 2:30 pm.
Peggy Marie Knapp, age 86 passed away peacefully at Cedarcroft Place, Stratford on August 13, 2014. Peggy was born in Milverton, Ontario daughter of the late Gordon and Margaret Smith. Beloved wife of the late Wallace (Wally) Knapp who predeceased her April 16, 2009. Peggy was active in church and community. She is best known for her contributions to the Woman's Institute, as an active member for over 50 years, assuming leadership roles at the branch, district, area, provincial, national and international levels. She was appointed by Order in Council as a public interest representative from 1981-1990 to the Ontario Veterinary Association. Peggy was an Honourary Governor of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. From 1989 to 1998 she served as a representative of the FWIO to the Royal's Board of Directors, and from 1991-1998 was a member of the Executive and Agriculture Administration Committee. Peggy is a 1998 inductee in the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. She is also the recipient of an Honourary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Guelph. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Stanley Knapp 4-H Endowment Fund (www.4-hontario.ca) or the Federated Women's Institute of Ontario (www.fwio.on.ca) through the funeral home. 519.271.7411 www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com
Weddings
Lisa Armstrong and Jamie Mooser, June 2, 2014
Cathy Dean and John Phelps, June 21, 2014
Anniversary Celebrations:
Cathy and Bill Lord's fiftieth wedding anniversary was celebrated at Harcourt recently.
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Other Announcements:
AV Volunteer Training: Would you like to help run Video or Sound on Sundays? Learn a new skill? Training times available September 2 or 3, 1pm. We're always happy to have more "hands on board"! Contact Nick Swan, [email protected] for more information. Office Support Needed (and appreciated): Anne is looking for a few people to assist in the office one or two Fridays a month. Tasks will include answering the phone, greeting folks who come in to the office, filing, mailings and other small tasks as needed. No computer work required! Contact Anne at 519.824.4177 or [email protected]. Guelph United Ministries (GUM) T-shirts: The GUM Communication Committee has given Harcourt, for free, 60 T-shirts in varying sizes, as they have done for all the other Guelph United Churches. Sizes are: Youth 10 – 12 and 16 – 18 (yellow) & Unisex M, L and XL (white). Please pick up a T-shirt from the Office (Tuesday – Friday) or at church on Sunday. The quality is great (pre-shrunk cotton).Take T-shirts for the family or friends. Great for team/Harcourt events!! If we haven't your favourite choice we can likely get it for you. It is suggested that you may provide a donation to Chalmers Community Centre for their family support programme. What a gift for us all to share in!! September 19 to 21: Harcourt Retreat at Loyola House The cost is $130. Registration forms are available in the Gathering Space. Accommodations are limited, so sign up early! August 14 to September 11: Mindstretch is on a summer break until September 18 The Chancel Guild is looking for fabric that might be used for hangings, particularly to represent the colours of the church seasons. Saris in bright colours would be particularly welcome. Please contact Janet Webster or Ann Middleton if you have anything of interest. Check out the Five Oaks Book Club and many other programs for spiritual enrichment. www.fiveoaks.on.ca Thank you Harcourt! I just cannot express enough appreciation for the going away gift the congregation has given me. I had no expectations and was flabbergasted at the beautiful cake and cards and gift certificates everyone donated towards my retirement. I am also very grateful for the prayers and thoughts and cards from the congregation as I recover from my heart attack. I hope to be back in full swing shortly, and you will likely see Elizabeth and I in the AV booth and out and about the church soon. Jerry Daminato Harcourt Retreat at Loyola House September 19 to 21. The cost is $130. Registration forms are available in the Gathering Space. Accommodations are limited, so sign up early!
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Dying with Dignity is striving to show there is nothing to fear and everything to be gained by completing your own Advance Care Plan. On Sept. 28, 2014 we will provide a hands-on Advance Care Planning seminar at Grand River Unitarian Congregation, 299 Sydney St. S., Kitchener, so each participant can be sure they have their own Care Plan which meets their future needs. Time: 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. All are welcome! Please register in advance with Janice at [email protected]. , or phone 1-800-495-6156, as spaces are limited. For more information visit http://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/chapters/ontario-and-quebec/grand-river Sep 4, 7:30pm: Choir practice resumes Sep 16, 7:00pm: Handbells group resumes Sep 5, 7:30pm: Flute choir resumes Mark your calendars!! Wednesday, October 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the Dublin St. United Church Sanctuary. The Care Team of Dublin St. United Church invites you to a viewing of the documentary "Smiling at Death: A Closer Look at Dying", shown earlier this year to a sold-out house at the Bookshelf. It tackles a sensitive topic with insightful interviews of people who were with someone at the moment of their death. This 45- minute documentary offers a new perspective and a positive outlook on a subject that has long been avoided or sidestepped. The viewing of this documentary helps to create a safe place to explore one's own feelings about death and dying. The director, Alberta Nye, will be present to host a question and answer session afterwards. Tickets will soon be available through Trinity, Harcourt, Three Willows and Dublin. Advance tickets $10. At the door $15. For further information, call Emmy at (519) 821-1744.
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BEHIND THE SCENES This month we explore the topic of spaces for worship. First, a piece about church space written by Dave Hume our Chair of Harcourt’s Property Committee. Second, a piece about how the Mormon Church offers cyberspace as a new place of worship.
THOUGHTS ON SPACE AT HARCOURT By Dave Hume
Having space in a church is a two-edged sword. The more you have the more things you could use it for. However, the more you have, the more it costs to heat it, light it, and provide services for it. My personal feeling is that we do not have a dire need for a lot more space at Harcourt. Right now, I think there are two priorities that are away ahead of adding a lot more space. One is to build one or more washrooms on the same level as the sanctuary. The second one is to fix the windows in the building beyond the sanctuary. Some of those windows have been in place since 1961 and they are costing us huge amounts in heating bills. Take a close look at the windows as you walk from the parking lot to the main entrance. Each column of windows runs from near ground level up to the second storey. The windows themselves are double-paned but have long since ceased to be airtight between the panes. The real problem, however, is that there is essentially no insulation in all the columns in the space between the windows. That was a flaw in the original design. Fixing it is made more difficult because the insulation that exists is asbestos. If we start to fix the problem, we likely will have to do the whole job at the same time. The Property Committee has had contractors come and look at the problem and they have presented quotes that were considered too high, so we have not moved forward on this problem. I raise this issue because I believe the work needs to be done and there will need to be a fund-raising effort to address both of the items above. My opinion on adding space is that there has to be a clearly defined need for the additional space. We don’t need additional space for Church School and we don’t need additional space for Services of Worship. A number of discussions have been held about using Harcourt as a Community Centre for the area surrounding the Church but that idea does not seem to be generating much traction. In summary, my opinion is we should be looking after the space that we have. The only additional space that is a pressing need would be those washrooms on the sanctuary level.
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HOOK OF MORMON: INSIDE THE CHURCH’S ONLINE-ONLY MISSIONARY ARMY By Bianca Bosker The Huffington Post Posted 04.11.2014 Used with permission Until three years ago, Aubert L’Espérance had no idea who Mormons were or what they believed. All he knew was that he liked messing with them. To be fair, L’Espérance, then 15, was clueless about most religions. The preppy-chic Québécois had never been to church, grew up agnostic verging on atheist and assumed “Mormon” was just another name for the Amish when he first stumbled on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints online. He’d been browsing his favorite timewaster -- the Art of Trolling, a website less holy, more holy sh**. And there, between funny snapshots of misspelled signs, he discovered a new religion and an addictive pastime: pranking the missionaries manning the official “Chat with a Mormon” homepage. Hoping to attract converts, the church invites people to come online and message anonymously with missionaries who can answer “whatever questions you may have about any Christian topic.” L’Espérance, like thousands of other Internet trolls, abused it spectacularly, logging on with a fake persona and bombarding the Mormons for hours with nonsense questions. But then, L’Espérance’s hoaxing gave way to something that surprised even him: a genuine curiosity in a group he says he’d assumed was “just some sort of tribe” living in “really remote parts of the universe.” Less than a year after first fooling around with Mormon missionaries, L’Espérance was baptized. Ryan Tucker, a missionary who helped convert him in the church’s chatroom, hailed it as a journey “from troll to testimony.” "Those chats were so amazing," says L'Espérance. "Before I even knew much about the church, I really felt its power immediately." The teenager’s unlikely route to baptism helps explain why the white-haired patriarchs of the Mormon church stunned their followers last summer by lifting a ban barring missionaries from social media. During a worldwide broadcast in June, the church leaders heralded a new era of redemption through screens. All 84,000 of the church’s missionaries would eventually
38 be able to proselytize over the web using a previously forbidden arsenal of media, including blogs, email, text messages, Skype and even Facebook. Along with their in-person preaching, missionaries can now use social networks to check in on potential converts, or woo new ones with status updates about the Heavenly Father. “The principles missionaries have always been taught actually just work better online,” says Gideon Burton, a professor at Brigham Young University who has advised the church on its Internet missionary work. “It’s going to be a lot more efficient.” For Mormons, this about-face on social media was a radical change, as startling as if the church had dropped its ban on beer. Until the June announcement, the Internet had been off- limits to missionaries to shield them from “worldly entertainment,” like the Times and Twitter, that could distract them from their religious calling. The missionaries, who can serve from age 18, could go online just once a week, and then only to blog about their faith or email their family. Phone calls home were permitted just twice a year. The same tools recently eschewed as slippery slopes to temptation have now been sanctioned by the church to convey the most sacred of messages and fulfill one of the holiest of Mormon duties. In what marks a new phase in the evolution of one of the fastest-growing religions in the world, which has doubled in size since the 90s, the Mormon church is doing for religion what Amazon did for stuff: embracing the web to make shopping for a new faith easy, convenient and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Despite its conservative reputation, the church has actually been an early adopter of any tech that might deliver baptisms. Just as it did nearly 200 years ago, when the church pioneered mass-market distribution of its Bibles by printing a half-million texts, and a century ago, when it released a feature film on the Book of Mormon, now it is pinning its hopes on the marketing muscle of a technology with even broader reach: the web. In an age of Internet-enabled instant gratification, the church is betting the demand for instant salvation can’t be far behind. The shift on social media actually began over five years ago, in 2008, with a quiet experiment at the Referral Center Mission in Provo, Utah. The first online-only mission -- and the official headquarters of “Chat with a Mormon” -- launched as a call center-type operation set up to answer basic questions about the church and accommodate injured or disabled missionaries who’d have difficulty marching through neighborhoods. Believing that accepting a new faith would be far too profound a revelation for mere chatrooms, the church instructed the inaugural Internet missionary to funnel potential converts to local missions, which could take over offline. Wrong move, they discovered. People like L’Espérance preferred the safety of a screenname to the awkwardness of lectures from two strangers in suits. Even within a church legendary for adding converts with machine-like efficiency, the Internet-only mission has been an outlier. Whereas traditional Mormon missionaries convert, on average, six people during their 18- to 24-month service, the online apostles in Provo have averaged around 30 converts per missionary per year, says Burton. And these people stick around. Ninety-five percent of the Internet converts have kept active, a retention rate more 39 than triple the norm. “It’s unheard of,” says Burton. “[The Referral Center Mission] was equal to the highest-baptizing missions that are out there.” Damning influences be damned: Church leaders realized these so-called “Facebook missionaries” were getting results too impressive to ignore.
Tracting, or sending missionaries house to house, has since the 1830s been a pillar of the church’s expansion that helped it grow to over 15 million members. In the past few decades, however, the number of converts has shown a concerning drop, from a peak of 331,000 a year in 1990 to just a little over 272,000 in 2012, according to official church records. Sometime between the car phone and the iPhone 5, people stopped opening their doors to the itinerant pairs of neatly dressed proselytizers. Plunging missionaries into the very epicenter of worldly entertainment looks like the best shot at fixing a problem that otherwise may only grow worse. “Now, many people are involved in the busyness of their lives. They hurry here and there, and they are often less willing to allow complete strangers to enter their homes, uninvited, to share a message of the restored gospel,” lamented Elder L. Tom Perry, a 91-year- old member of the church’s top leadership body, when he introduced the digital strategy. “Their main point of contact with others, even with close friends, is often via the Internet. The very nature of missionary work, therefore, must change if the Lord is to accomplish His work.” This e-proselytizing not only marks a change in the machinery of the church, but also suggests a rewiring of our own instincts. As the Mormon church has learned in the course of its experiment, we’d rather discuss life’s most intimate topics through the impersonal anonymity of the screen. “[W]e could knock on their door and they’d never let us in,” says Emilee Cluff, a missionary who served between 2011 and 2012, of her efforts to proselytize. “But they’d accept our friend request on Facebook all the time.” Members of the Mormon church believe they’ve been blessed with the “gift of tongues,” an uncanny talent for languages that allows them to preach the Gospel anywhere, to anyone. Tucker, a square-jawed 21-year-old from Syracuse, Utah, will tell you he used this gift to be a more effective missionary. Only, in his case, his “tongue” was the language of email, texting and instant messaging. Between June 2011 and July 2013, Tucker served at the Referral Center Mission, joining the ranks of dozens of other college-age men who’ve been tapped for the church’s online-only service. He received little initial training -- "they just turned the missionaries loose,” says Burton -- and Tucker had to continually improvise a strategy for making himself and his faith seem friendly through the sometimes sterile medium of typed messages.
The youngest of six children in a devout Mormon household, Tucker, who has muscular dystrophy, had been looking forward to his mission for as long as he could remember. And yet when he received his call to serve in Provo, he was devastated. The church’s forays into online evangelism were then still largely unknown beyond the innermost circle of the church elite. From what Tucker could glean, he figured he would be put to work filling orders for copies of 40 the Book of Mormon. But after the mandatory two weeks of missionary training, Tucker realized he’d be counseling more people each day than most missionaries meet in a week, chatting privately online with potential converts as far off as Albania and Ghana for 11 hours a day, six days at a stretch. Tucker would set up Skype- or Facebook-based appointments to tutor prospects in the key principles of his faith. (The church requires these “investigators,” as they are known, to be taught four lessons covering such topics as “the plan of salvation” before they can be baptized.) Most of the time, however, he was juggling two, three or even five chats at a time with anyone who signed on to “Chat with a Mormon.” He’d answer questions about polygamy, take abuse from argumentative atheists and tell people about going to church. “At the end of most days,” he says, “the number one feeling was exhaustion.”
In the lulls between chats, Tucker used his Facebook profile and personal blog to post digital breadcrumbs like Bible verses or church videos that might lead people his way. (“How did you see the Lord's hand in your life recently? This is a legitimate question -- I want answers!”) The church discourages online tracting -- approaching people at random with messages about the Gospel -- so while Tucker’s friends were trudging through neighborhoods searching for sympathetic ears, the missionaries in Provo just had to sit back and wait for people to come to them. Which they did, in droves. Of the thousand-odd strangers who log on to “Chat with a Mormon” each day, slightly more than half have a genuine interest in learning more about the religion, according to missionaries who have served in Provo. This leads to more baptizing with less effort: Missionaries can now put their legwork aside and focus on reeling in a self-selected cohort curious enough to reach out directly. What’s more, the Facebook missionaries also get an all- access pass into neighborhoods their traditional counterparts have struggled to touch. “This kind of reversed the entire arrangement with how missionaries work: Rather than us knocking on peoples' doors, they were knocking on our door,” says Burton. “People are much more reachable who would otherwise be out of reach -- people in gated communities, remote areas or areas of the world where the church is not allowed to proselytize. We’ve had converts in Asia and other places where the church is not formally recognized, but where people have found the church online.” “Chat with a Mormon” asks only for a first name, and the anonymity has emboldened people of all ages to sign on for reasons both spiritual and sacrilegious. Chatters come to find, mock, scold, convert, question and berate the missionaries, as well as to confess sins, air doubts and seek advice. A missionary who served in Provo recalls messaging with people so lonely, they sat through weeks of the missionaries’ lessons, only to return, under a different name, hoping to be taught again "because it gave them someone who cared about them." Even though the pseudonyms attract Bart Simpson-esque trolls, they also bring people who can indulge a vague interest in the church without the headache or embarrassment of inviting
41 gangly teenagers into their living rooms. The online missionaries have also tapped into a hidden constituency: members of the church who experience crises of faith that they’re too ashamed of taking up with their fellow believers. "I think one of the best things about the chat is the anonymity a person has," says Tyson Boardman, the first-ever Internet missionary. "They're able to be completely open with us about any questions they might have reservations asking a person at church. Because of that, we were able to get down to a lot of people's primary concerns." A survey of people converted by the Internet evangelists found that 60 percent "preferred having online discussions during the conversion process,"according a 2010 story in LDS Living magazine. One college-age convert used "Chat with a Mormon" to ask questions anonymously and ensure her Mormon friends weren’t twisting their answers to tell her what they thought she wanted to hear. Michael Johnston, a 20-year-old from Oklahoma who was baptized in 2010 after chatting with Referral Center missionaries, liked the safety of knowing he could quickly exit the chat any time he got uncomfortable. “On the Internet, if something were to happen, I could just blame it on an Internet error or say, 'Oh, my computer crashed.' I didn’t necessarily have to fully commit to talking with them,” says Johnston. “If I hadn’t had Mormon.org, I don’t feel like I would even be a member of the church.”
From 11 a.m. through 10 p.m., Tucker worked side-by-side with five to 30 other young men in a utilitarian room with the industrial carpeting, low ceilings, fluorescent lights and gray cubicles of a car dealership. (Female missionaries also field chats in Provo, though none serve full-time there.) Tucker and his partner took each chat together as a pair, and would monitor each other’s screens for any illicit tweeting or Poking. Slip-ups do happen, even among the saintly. A “sister” who served in a California mission -- one of a handful that tested the combination of traditional tracting and online follow-ups that will soon be standard -- says a few young men were caught using Facebook to flirt with girls they’d met on their neighborhood rounds. It’s known as the “flirt to convert,” and, though the peccadillo pre-dates social media, it’ll get missionaries kicked off their Facebook accounts. Since the online missionaries operate a click away from sin at all times, Tucker and his fellow proselytizers had to put up with extra chaperoning by Referral Center Mission staffers who reviewed each message going in and out of the Provo office. This was “a point of frustration for us because we always felt like we were watched,” says Tucker. He remembers being chastised for sympathizing with a skeptic to whom Tucker had admitted he had personally struggled with the same point of dogma before coming to accept it. “One of the leaders came back and said, ‘I don’t think it’s good to say you’ve questioned a point of doctrine,’” Tucker says. “I personally think it makes us more reliable to say we’re not just uncritically accepting this, and that we are thinking through this.”
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“Chat with a Mormon” missionaries don’t stick to a set script, but do quickly steer conversations toward the virtues of their faith. A pair of proselytizers will begin with low- pressure banter -- they introduce themselves, ask the visitor if she has a question -- then try to use her query to initiate a chat about her beliefs. "My companion is typing up a response," a missionary might say. "But while you wait, why don't you tell me what brought you toMormon.org?" As they go, they’ll test chatters’ sincerity and try to weed out the trolls by giving “micro-commitments,” such as an article to read. If someone can’t be bothered to click the link, the missionaries assume she isn’t serious and politely wrap up the chat. Tucker also obsessively analyzed the snippets of text onscreen for clues about each visitor’s receptivity to the Word. He says with help from his "gift of tongues," he could tell if something was amiss just by a subtle switch in punctuation -- from exclamation marks to ellipses -- or by the length of time it took for a chatted reply. He and other missionaries found smiley face emoticons, paired with references to “peace,” “comfort” and “enlightenment,” were good hints their pupils had been moved by the Holy Spirit, meaning they believed the teachings about the Gospel to be true. “It became fairly easy to recognize people who were less than serious. The hard part was not treating them as such,” says Tucker. “The second we say, ‘This person’s a troll,’ is the second that we give up on helping them.” This person’s a troll, Tucker figured when he first spoke with L’Espérance. It was the fall of 2011 when L’Espérance, then 16, logged on to “Chat with a Mormon” and, by chance, was paired with Tucker in a chatroom. It was eight months after the peak of L’Espérance’s trolling, and L’Espérance confessed to Tucker that he’d messed around with the missionaries before. Still, he insisted he was back now to learn about their faith. For real. L’Espérance’s older brother was then recovering from a near-fatal car crash, and L’Espérance, who’d replaced pranks with prayers in the wake of the accident, had sworn to no particular god or faith that he would join a church if his brother pulled through. Now he felt he owed it to the missionaries to at least hear them out after all the hours he’d harassed them. Tucker, not entirely convinced, shrugged off L’Espérance with a vague suggestion to read the Book of Mormon. To Tucker’s surprise, L’Espérance actually did. The next time the Canadian returned to Mormon.org, the two scheduled a time for L’Espérance’s first lesson on Skype. Each chat session opened with a prayer, then Tucker and his companion would guide L'Espérance through the tenets of his faith using church websites, online Prezi slideshows and short, church-approved YouTube videos. Tucker might dive into the intricacies of church history or explain the Mormon take on "the character of God." Every part of the conversion process -- save attending church and entering the baptismal waters -- could elapse over instant messaging. L’Espérance saw immediate benefits to confining any and all conversion talk to his computer. For one thing, he didn’t have to involve his parents, agnostics who looked askance at religion. After L’Espérance ordered a copy of the Book of Mormon, he discovered with some dismay that it came with a pair of missionaries who showed up at his doorstep one evening.
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L’Espérance refused to invite them in, worrying it would disturb his family. So instead, the shivering missionaries spent 30 minutes huddled with L’Espérance on the porch of his house, narrating the life of Joseph Smith Jr. in the chill of the November night. “If you could possibly imagine the worst circumstances for a missionary lesson, those would be the circumstances,” recalls L’Espérance. Yet on the Internet, Tucker was never an inconvenience. L’Espérance could message the missionary any time he saw Tucker’s screenname pop up on Skype and the two would have daily, informal chats, even between their official lessons, undisturbed by disapproving parents, intrusive siblings or the need for formality. Missionaries in turn see such talks as a chance to forge stronger bonds with their acolytes and prove Mormons aren't “robots” -- a concern expressed by more than a few missionaries. “We understood our job was to teach him, yeah, but also to be his friend and help him,” says Tucker. With missionaries in the U.K., Mexico and New Zealand now helping man the "Chat with a Mormon" service, anyone can instantly reach a missionary whenever the urge strikes, and in a two-dimensional format many already know and love. The church can even take advantage of people's "rabbit hole" indulgence online -- a tendency to get lost in an endless progression of sites and Google searches that crop up when someone explores a random topic that catches their fancy. Liza Morong, for example, went online one evening after seeing the irreverent "Book of Mormon" musical. The 21-year-old visited Mormon.org, purely to "see just how insane they were," she wrote later. She impulsively signed on to “Chat with a Mormon” to "destroy everything those missionaries were 'told' to believe," but ended up sending a Facebook friend request to the missionary she talked to, then casually messaging about his faith. Three months later, Morong was baptized.
Even after L’Espérance received his parents’ blessing to invite the two missionaries into their home, he still saved the more delicate topics about the Mormon church for Skype. He especially welcomed the privacy of the screen when it came to one of the church’s most challenging commandments, and one nearest to the hearts of 16-year-old boys: the law of chastity, which forbids sex before marriage and same-sex intercourse. “To be very blunt: You don’t really want to discuss things [like this] with people you don’t know, in person,” says L’Espérance. “It’s a little bit hard looking someone in the eyes and telling them you have problems living the commandments with regard to chastity. And in another regard, it’s a little bit tough talking about those things out loud when your family is around. It was easier online because you don't need to actually speak certain things,” L’Espérance adds. “It’s more of an impersonal thing when you're online.” More impersonal, but more honest. The two missionaries who’d been teaching L’Espérance offline were the first to learn that he’d decided to convert. But L’Espérance turned to Tucker for help with the full-on crisis that followed L’Espérance’s baptism that December. “Overwhelmed with horrible feelings” about his decision to convert, L’Espérance debated expunging his name from church records just
44 moments after taking his vow. He rushed home, where he says he “cried my life out,” and refused to speak to anyone. "I felt like I needed to reject everything that I’d received," he says. In an earlier age, L’Espérance might never have addressed his doubts and slowly faded away from the church, like the 70 percent of all converts who fail to stay active after their baptisms. Instead, L'Espérance logged on to Skype to share his breakdown with Tucker, who said he was sorry and told L’Espérance to pray. The new convert followed Tucker’s advice. He says he later felt “an overwhelming sense of peace” about his decision. Today, L’Espérance’s entire Facebook persona seems to have become a tribute to his faith. The church actively encourages its members to engage in their own, informal Internet missionary work by using social media to talk about their beliefs to their friends. "Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord -- not just to communicate quickly with your friends,” David A. Bednar, a member of the church's second-highest governing body, said in 2011. “The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation.” On Facebook, a beaming photo of L’Espérance -- Book of Mormon in hand -- sits over a string of posts about “God’s power” and “brethren in testimony.” His online nickname is “AubertBelieves.” And this spring, L’Espérance will be fulfilling his God-given responsibility to spread the Word as he sets out on his own mission. In July of last year, as Tucker’s mission was coming to an end, L’Espérance decided to fly from Quebec to Salt Lake City to surprise Tucker on the very first day he came home from his service. The two had never met in person, but it seemed to L’Espérance that a deep bond had grown over the months they’d spent messaging about intimate topics and his deepest doubts. Tucker had learned the most personal things about L’Espérance, and had guided him to the most important decision in L’Espérance’s life. If they could be so close over the Internet, imagine the kindred spirits they’d be when they finally met in real life. After his 8 1/2-hour flight from Canada and two nights in Salt Lake, L’Espérance went to the church where he knew Tucker would be speaking at a Sacrament meeting. L’Espérance went up to introduce himself as soon as Tucker finished his talk. The reunion wasn’t quite what L’Espérance had hoped for. “I expected him to react more strongly, but it was like, ‘Oh, it’s cool you’re here,’” L’Espérance says, laughing dismissively. “Obviously he was excited about coming home, but I don’t think he understood everything that my presence implied -- my coming over, and all the planning and the scheduling. That’s cool, you know. That’s not his approach.” Real life may have brought them face-to-face, but in that moment it lacked the intimacy of the Internet, with its seamless harmony and easy honesty. The gathering of people paled next to the merging of pixels.
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Harcourt Calendar – September 2014 Updated August 12, 2014–www.harcourtuc.ca for most up-to-date information
Monday September 1 Wednesday September 10 Labour Day Holiday – Church Closed 9:30am Lightshine Singers [F] 1:30pm Tai Chi [F] Tuesday September 2 6:45pm Beavers [G] 11:30am Staff & Admin Meetings 7:00pm Rainbow Chorus Rehearsal [S] 7:00pm Handbell Choir [M] 7:00pm Ministry & Personnel Committee [L]
Wednesday September 3 7:00pm Property Committee [C]
1:30pm Tai Chi [F] Thursday September 11 5:30pm Scouts Registration [G] 6:30pm Zumba [G] 7:00pm Spiritual Life Committee [C] 7:30pm Choir Practice [M] 7:00pm Rainbow Chorus Rehearsal [S] Friday September 12 Thursday September 4 7:00pm Youth Group 6:00pm Preschool Orientation [G] 7:30pm Flute Choir [M] 7:30pm Choir Practice [M] Saturday September 13 Friday September 5 6:00pm Saturday Night Suppers 7:30pm Flute Choir [M] Sunday September 14 – Creation 2 “Land” Sunday September 7 – Creation 1 “Forest” 9:00am Worship [C] 9:00am Worship [C] 10:30am Worship [S] 10:30am Worship [S] Nursery Care and “Manna” Nursery Care and “Manna” 1:30pm Little Kickers [G] 1:30pm Little Kickers [G] Monday September 15 Monday September 8 1:30pm Prayer Shawl Group [202] 11:00am Caroline Harcourt Women’s 6:45pm Women’s Spirituality [C] Fellowship [F] 7:00pm Scouts [G] 1:30pm Prayer Shawl Group [202] 7:00pm Scouts [G] Tuesday September 16 11:30am Staff & Admin Meetings Tuesday September 9 11:30am Stroke Recovery Lunch [F] 11:30am Staff & Admin Meetings 6:45pm Cubs [G] 5pm Stroke Recovery Student Orientation [F] 7:00pm Handbell Choir [M] 6:30pm Communications Committee [L] 6:45pm Cubs [G] 7:00pm Handbell Choir [M] 7:00pm Worship Committee [C] 7:30pm Finance Committee [O]
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Wednesday September 17 Wednesday September 24 9:30am Lightshine Singers [F] 9:30am Lightshine Singers [F] 1:00pm Still Point Worship [C] 1:00pm Still Point Worship [C] 1:30pm Tai Chi [F] 1:30pm Tai Chi [F] 5:30pm Pride and Prejudice [202] 2:00pm Adult Christian Formation Committee 6:30pm Guides [F] 6:30pm Guides 6:45pm Beavers [G] 6:45pm Beavers [G] 6:45pm Orientation for Chairs and Council [C] 7:00pm Rainbow Chorus Rehearsal [S] 7:00pm Council Meeting [C] 7:00pm Rainbow Chorus Rehearsal [S] Thursday September 25 7:45am Mindstretch [F] Thursday September 18 10:00am GUM Pastoral Care [F] 7:45am Mindstretch [F] 6:30pm Zumba [G] 6:30pm Zumba [G] 7:30pm Choir Practice [M] 7:00pm Scouting Committee Meeting [F] 7:30pm Choir Practice [M] Friday September 26 7:00pm Youth Group Friday September 19 7:30pm Flute Choir [M] Weekend Retreat at Loyola House 7:30pm Flute Choir [M] Sunday September 28 – Creation 4 “Blessing of the Animals” Saturday September 20 9:00am Worship [C] Weekend Retreat at Loyola House 10:30am Worship [S] – All Pets Welcome! Nursery Care Sunday September 21—Creation 3 “Wilderness” Monday September 29 Weekend Retreat at Loyola House 1:30pm Prayer Shawl Group [202] 9:00am Worship [C] 7:00pm Scouts 10:30am Worship [S] Nursery Care and “Manna” Tuesday September 30 1:30pm Little Kickers [G] 11:30am Staff & Admin Meetings 6:45pm Cubs [G] Monday September 22 7:00pm Handbell Choir [M] 1:30pm Prayer Shawl Group [202] 7:00pm Scouts
Tuesday September 23 11:30am Staff & Admin Meetings 6:45pm Cubs [G] 7:00pm Handbell Choir [M]
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