This week we are embarking on the “I Am” sermon series which is going to be a series of reflections on the things Jesus claimed to be. Examining and reflecting on the proclomations that Jesus made about his identity are important to understand the significance of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. In addition, we are able to wonder about what it means to think about Jesus using his own words and self identification.
This week our focus is “I am the light of the world”. We are going to be thinking about what the implications are of acknowledging Jesus as the light of the world. Furthermore, what can we see and feel when taking to heart Jesus’ statement in the Gospel according to John. I encourage you to think about what it means to look upon the world (people, creatures and all) when the light of Christ lights them up.
Peace,
Rev. Eric
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Candle Lighter: Devin C
Reader: Kerri L
Prayer Leader: Eric P
Power Point: Kelly S
Sound Tech: Joseph K
Children’s Ministry: Kim C, Allison M
Count: Stuart and Jo A, Eloise W
Hospitality: Denise L & Jim M, Louise & Nils N,
Margaret C, Roberta S, Louise M,
Jeremy and Janet F and family
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We are introducing a new service running monthly. The service will include a meal, a story (this month it will be a godly play story), a reflection time, as well as prayer and, of course, music. There will be child care offered for children under three and this service will take place in the lower hall. It is a service for families, for seniors and for everyone in between. Our hope is that you will come to be refreshed, regenerated and wondering more about how you fit into God’s great world. January 26 5:30-6:30. Come hungry.
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We are currently looking for folks who would like to read Scripture, lead the prayers of the People and to assist with serving communion. The way in which you may sign up is through SignUp.com. Please see the instructions below:
To sign up for the Reader and Prayer Leader ministries, please click on the link below.
https://signup.com/go/dKZCuxi
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Sign ups? Have you ever wanted to help but not sure how? There are several opportunities on a Sunday morning to help with service and hospitality and teaching. Speak to Sheri or Eric to find out more. If you have other skills or some spare time other than Sundays, please sign up in the Narthex so we may reach out when skill specific jobs come up - and they do. Thank you!
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Games night tonight! Tea and Hot Chocolate will be available to keep spirits warm. All are welcome.
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Games night is a go! Come tonight to be with your church community and have some healthy competition. Bring your favourite games and a good sense of competitive spirit. There will be hot chocolate and hot tea to warm up from the cold. All are welcome - Lower hall 6:30 - 8:00 pm
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WHEN: Monday, January 27/20
TIME: 11:45am
WHERE: SWISS CHALET RESTAURANT
5658 Signal Hill Centre T3H 3P8
(Located east of Signal Hill Library and Super Store, it’s next door to TD Bank)
** Please could you confirm attendance to Birdie Archer or to Pat Blair (thanks Pat) at:
Birdie: 403 249 0291
Pat: 403 249 7377
If you would like to attend but need a ride please let Birdie or Pat know and they’ll help you out. Please call Birdie if you would like more details about lunch and/or Swiss Chalet.
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Thank you so very much for your very generous support for the Gift Card project this past Christmas. The congregation's donations of $1177.50 to Brenda's House will allow the families, who call this nearby shelter home, to access some recreational activities throughout the year. The Gift Cards you donated with a value of $1770.00 will supplement the very limited resources for food and other necessities of the women and the children who, after fleeing domestic abuse, live and are helped to heal at the Sonshine Centre. Your gifts, made in 2019, will allow families whose lives are challenging every day find some happiness and hope in 2020 because of your kindness.
The Outreach Committee would like to thank the entire congregation for their support of these and other projects this past year whether it was by prayer, material givings or the casual word of encouragement - YOU make a difference in the lives of others.
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Why Reconciliation?
Tue. 21 January 2020
6:00 - 8:00 pm
The Women's Centre Of Calgary
39 4 Street NE
This event is free for anyone self-identifying as a woman
Facilitated by Tonya Crowchild, this workshop will open a discussion on:
Why reconciliation?
- To build relationships; awareness, education and understanding; the importance of history of Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island; residential schools, colonization and TRC calls to action; trauma and intergenerational trauma; who was impacted
- What are we doing to learn about reconciliation?
- Challenge your assumptions; learn something new on Indigenous culture; moving forward
Register on EventBrite
Woodcliff United Church: Lunch and Learn
Sunday, February 23
Film: The Sacred Relationship explores how reconciling the relationship between Aboriginal people and the rest of Canada can lead to healthier water. Water is sacred in Indigenous culture- it is in ceremony and it gives life. Elders from around Alberta teach that water must be respected because “what we do to water we do to ourselves”.
Please join the Outreach Committee for this lunch and learn as we continue on the Journey for Common Ground.
Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society’s 2nd Annual Indigenous Art Exhibit
January 7, 14, 21 - Window Galleries. Arts Commons
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This week in Sunday School we begin a lesson series on exploring the 7 'I am' statements made by Jesus. We will look at their corresponding meanings and what they mean for kids today. we will do this through art, science and active games - as well as story. While there are 7 weeks of this series - you do not need to attend all weeks to appreciate the importance of these lessons.
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The youth of Woodcliff wrote a note to the United Church of Canada last week calling for action from our church community - you can see it in last week's Messenger. We heard back from the executive assistant to the moderator and they have, in turn, reached out to the Uniting Church in Australia. They have not received specific asks at the time of writing this update. The youth have decided to direct donated funds to the Uniting Church of Australia - to assist with disaster support. If you wish to send your donation with theirs, you can donate directly through Woodcliff marked 'Australia Relief'. Thank you for your support.
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Sign up to volunteer for children's ministry or candle lighting here:
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Gifts with vision: It is with extreme gratitude we share with you the list of gifts purchased by the children and youth with funds provided from the Outreach Committee. The youth voted on their selections and the children where able to fund all of their collaborative choices - what a fun and educational process!
- Safe spaced for youth at risk - $70
- Backpacks and school supplies $60
- Farming sustainability $130
- Wasauksing food bank $100
- warm winter gear $40
- hot meals, Canada $30
- Send a kid to camp - $100
- Aid for displaced international $100
- Keep connected $75
- Food for the North $50
- Off to a Good Start $30
- Spiritual care for Seniors $75
- Plant an Olive Tree $25
- Removing the Education barrier $25
- Eight hot meals $15
- Wesley C. Smith $50
- Send a kid to camp, supplies $25
To make you own selections visit the gifts with vision website, or pick up a catalogue in the Narthex.
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While walking on the street one night in a small town in Canada, Scott Jones, a gay musician, is attacked and paralyzed from the waist down; what follows is a brave and fragile journey of healing and the transformation of a young man’s life. From the first raw moments in the hospital to a disquieting trip back to the place he was attacked, Scott is constantly faced with the choice of losing himself in waves of grief or embracing love over fear. Directed by Laura Marie Wayne, and filmed over three years by Scott’s close friend, Love, Scott is an intimate and visually evocative window into queer experience, set against a stunning score by Sigur Rós.
Laura Marie Wayne grew up in Wildwood and attended Wildwood Elementary School in the ‘80’s. Who knew that she would become the director of a documentary film that had its North American premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in April 2018 and was shown at the Calgary Film Festival that same year!
Laura had been studying documentary film production in Cuba in 2013 when she learned that her friend Scott had been seriously assaulted in Nova Scotia. Laura flew immediately to be at his hospital bedside and while she was with him, Scott suggested that she do a documentary about what had happened to him. It took Laura three years.
Now a National Film Board documentary, Woodcliff United Church is thrilled to have the opportunity to show this movie.
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WOODCLIFF DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP
If you are a caregiver for someone suffering memory loss and need a safe, confidential circle to share your experiences and obtain information, our support group is for you. We meet on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at Woodcliff United Church. Open to all, no charge, no registration required.
For more information, please contact the church office. Next gathering is January 21, 2020.
WOODCLIFF PRAYER CHAIN
To have names placed on the confidential Prayer Chain List please contact the prayer chain at wucprayerchain@gmail.com or 403-246-9384. Next meeting: January 12 after worship.
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
Pick up a request form at the Church to arrange for a prayer shawl presentation.
CARD MINISTRY
Contact the church office to help us acknowledge the life situations of our congregants.
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EASING PAST ILLS: TATAMAGOUCHE
It’s a beautiful spring day in Nova Scotia, and at Tatamagouche Centre people are scrambling through the underbrush looking for special plants—plants to settle a tummy ache or headache, or plants to help ease many of life’s daily ills.
Under the careful watch of Judy Bernard-Googoo, a Mi’kmaq healer, everyone is learning a few of the basics from centuries of Mi’kmaq traditional healing. Judy learned it from her mother, as did her mother before her. Now, Judy wants to share her knowledge with others. “We are all one people,” she says.
At Tatamagouche, mending the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is a high priority. By openly sharing their traditions and learning together about the plants and herbs that are the basis of traditional Mi’kmaq healing, which creates a window into Mi’kmaq culture, they will build bridges of understanding.
“Everything is done with respect. You have to respect the plant, take only what you need, and always give thanks to the Creator for providing these healing medicines,” explains Judy. “You have to be careful; there are a lot of plants that can hurt you. It’s like going to the drugstore—you have to make sure you choose the right medicine. That’s the knowledge I have that I want to share.”
Your gifts to Mission & Service help support programs at education centres that bring people in communities together to learn.
If Mission & Service giving is already a regular part of your life, thank you so much! If you have not given, please join me in making Mission & Service giving a regular part of your life of faith. Loving our neighbour is at the heart of our Mission & Service.
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