Kindredspirit Connection
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Open doors, The Open hearts, Kindred Spirit Open minds... Connec tion Wesley-Knox United Church • 91 Askin Street, London, Ontario N6C 1E7 • 673-4803 • www.wesleyknox.org Easter and Spring 2013 From Rev. Tracy Crick-Butler t won’t be long before, once again, we sing with joy on Easter Sunday, March 31, at 7 am and at Igather in our sanctuary on Easter Sunday to 10:30 am, when wonderful music and new life will fill the air! rejoice and sing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” Our many faith journeys will continue in April and May. and “Hallelujah!” I imagine many of you have On Sunday, April 21, our Wesley-Knox youth will lead an a fairly clear picture of this in your mind. You energetic, faith-filled worship service. On Sunday, April 28, know the energy, excitement and joy we will our Junior Choir will present its 2013 musical, Oh, Jonah! On experience as we worship and celebrate new life in Christ. Friday, April 12, the women of our church will gather to learn Some will wear new outfits, colours of spring will surround and enjoy one another’s company at their annual retreat, this us, and the buzz of too much chocolate will be in the air! year called Praying in 3D. On Sunday, April 12, we will Easter is a wonderfully joyous time in the life of any welcome new members. On Saturday, April 20, the Senior congregation. It is a time of hope, a time when we, as Choir will host its Annual Turkey Supper. On Wednesday, May Christians, proclaim that love is stronger than fear, life is 1, at a special workshop, our Stewardship Committee will stronger than death. help us explore leadership. On Saturday, May 11, UCW will At Wesley-Knox, we are an Easter people—a people who host a tea, and on Sunday, June 2, we will celebrate as we believe in new life, love and hope. And there are so many confirm four of our young people. There will also be an signs of new life in our church community. The energy, environmental worship service in May. excitement and commitment I see on a constant basis is This list of worship services and events does not include all a wonder to me. Possibilities for new ministry continually the incredible music that is offered to us week after week, the blossom before us. New life is all around! life-giving children’s and youth programs we offer, the So, come and embrace the new life that is before us. movies, our study group, and our women’s groups, men’s Become involved. Fill your spirit with God’s Spirit. Meet new group and meals that we serve to those in need. We are an people, discover more about yourself and your faith, and active, engaged congregation, doing God’s work. And there reach out into the community. is a place for everyone here. Join our communion celebration on Palm Sunday, March Easter people, let’s embrace the life that is before us! Let’s 24, when we reflect on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Share in welcome one another—and new people too. Let’s continue the Last Supper at our Maundy Thursday Potluck, March 28. to listen to how God is calling us to be the Church in this Recall Jesus’ crucifixion at the South London Good Friday place. Let’s all experience Christ’s presence in the work and Service, 10:30 am at Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church. witness of this congregation. Christ is Risen! Hallelujah! Join our young people for the 7 pm Good Friday Swell. Then —Rev. Tracy Crick-Butler Easter If they should offer to contest I got me flowers to strew Thy way. With Thy arising, they presume. I got me boughs off many a tree. Can there be any day but this, But Thou wast up by break of day Though many sunnes to shine And brought Thy sweets along endeavour? with Thee. We count three hundred, but The sunne arising in the East, we miss. Though he give light, and the East There is but One, and that One ever. perfume, George Herbert (1593 –1633) From the Music Department The musical life of Wesley-Knox continues to involve many people in many ways. First, I want to sincerely thank all who covered for me in January while I was in South Sudan. These include Bill and Eva Bettger (Margo’s brother and sister-in-law and Matt’s uncle and aunt), Neil Eadie, Kennedy Kimber-Johnson, Marilynne McNeil, Karen Pincombe, Brian Ratcliffe, Shawn Spicer and Richard Yake. Thank you, all of you, for taking such good care of the music program in my absence! Since I have come back, we have had several exciting performances. On Saturday, February 23, the Junior Girls’ Choir sang O Canada at the London Lightning’s Basketball Game. I was so proud of them. They sounded like angels! There was also much fun that night as many choir and Wesley-Knox families stayed to enjoy the game that followed, rooting for the home team which won! Then, on Sudan Sunday, February 24, the entire Junior Choir sang a Swahili anthem to help us celebrate the work of the CAS S–Wesley-Knox mission team. The choir sang the very anthem that we taught to over 300 children in South Sudan who also loved to sing it. What a neat connection with our congregation and our children! Also on this Sunday, Matt Hahn joined the African drumming group to give our service an authentic African sound! Then, on March 1, Mysterium, assisted by Matt’s fine drumming, performed a snappy 45-minute set at the annual L’Arche Banquet at the London Hellenic Centre. Over 550 people were on hand to hear them. Mysterium values this community partnership and always looks forward to sharing its vocal talents to help L’Arche with its good work.. Now the calendar is clear for the Junior Choir to rehearse for its April 28 musical, Oh, Jonah! by Pote and McCann. Also in April, Mysterium and the Wesley-Knox Primary Choir will be rehearsing to compete in the London Kiwanis Music Festival. The Senior Choir continues to inspire us (I know they inspire me!) week after week at our worship services. It’s a circle of love that happens every Thursday evening and every Sunday morning. Choir members are also preparing for their Annual Turkey Dinner, which they will host on Saturday, April 21. Don’t forget to buy your tickets early for the very best turkey dinner with all the trimmings that you can find anywhere! Blessings throughout this Lenten season and always! —Karen Schuessler, director of music From our Sunday School Director As March began, we finished up our rotation on the United Church of Canada Song a Faith . The highlight of this unit was making and selling M&S Bean Soup Mix. Through this project, our children raised just over $170 for the United Church of Canada M&S fund. Later in March, we met the halfway point in our Lenten journey, “Reflections from a School Lunch Box”, and shifted to a four-week exploration of baptism using lessons that drew on science, storytelling and art. One lesson even connected excerpts from J. R. R Tolkien’s The Hobbit to Jesus’ journey after his baptism. Our scriptural focus for all this was Matthew 3:1-17 and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22. If your family was away for a portion of March, please take some time to share this scripture with your child or grandchild. Also, revisit your own baptism story and talk about what baptism means in your family and our church community. And if your child or children were not baptized, share that story too. For many reasons, not every family chooses baptism. Most Sundays, the grade 7-8 class, when they are not tucked away in their library space, can often sbe potted in Wesley- Knox hallways and stairwells with laptops and handheld devices. They are usually researching—gathering information and downloading Bible verses—and carrying out lively discussions. As our baptism lessons finish up, we will be even closer to our June 2 Confirmation Service at which four of our young people will make a public declaration of their faith and their continuing desire to grow in faith On Sunday, February 10, confirmation classes at Wesley-Knox began with a “meet-and-greet breakfast” before church. In addition to four young people from Wesley-Knox, we were delighted to have two young people from Calvary United Church join us. Including parents, siblings and faith partners we hosted over 24 at this morning meal. Faith partners are a new addition to the confirmation process at Wesley-Knox. They are adult members of the congregation who have accepted the task of walking with a young person through his or her confirmation process. They are working hard to get to know their charges, sharing their faith, and praying for him or her throughout this process. YouthQuest continues to meet regularly every Sunday in the Chapel. They reaped much benefit from the Sudan team being home, spending several Sundays before the Sudan service connecting with team members, hearing about their experiences and asking questions. Two advance notices: Plan to take part in W-K Family Camp, Friday, June 21 –Sunday, June 23, Pearce-Williams Christian Centre, Iona. Also note that, on the week of July 15, Wesley-Knox will offer a full-day Vacation Bible School for children 2 in grades SK –6.