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Greetings friends in Christ,
 
This Sunday (June 2nd), is National Pride Sunday. I thought I would offer some resources and insight into Woodcliff's own Affirming Committee and some wording from Affirm United. The Affirming process is about trying to ensure that as a church, we can celebrate the whole people of God. Not just able bodied, those with good hearing, straight folks... But folks who are often not thought of. We strive to celebrate the beautiful diversity of all of God's children. 
 
"Being an Affirming Ministry is not merely about welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Words like welcoming or inclusion suggest those on the inside have the power to choose to accept those on the outside. This makes it sound like an act of charity to welcome those who are different or marginalized. However, it is not our place to welcome anyone because church is not a private club and we are not the gatekeepers. As soon as one new person comes through the doors, the community becomes a new community.
 
Jesus’ parable of the great dinner (Matthew 22:1–14) reminds us that the true host of our faith community is the Risen Christ. In Jesus’ parable, the guests who have been invited fail to show up, so the host goes to the streets and back alleys of town to fill the banquet hall. In the church, by God’s grace, everyone is already included in the celebration. When we participate in Christ’s church, we accept an invitation to which others, including LGBT folk, have already been welcomed. By showing up, we agree to sit at table together. By accepting the welcome offered to each one of us as individuals, we encounter God’s inclusive love for humankind in all its wonderful diversity."
 
PS. Feel free to chat with myself, Myrl or Janet if you have any questions or would like further resources!
Blessings,
Rev. Eric
To all of you in the Woodcliff United Church Community:
Thank you again for another year's support of the Ujamaa Grandmas Fabric and Yarn Sale. Your generosity in letting us use your facility for four days makes the sale possible. We appreciate the significant impact this makes on the church's activities and thank you for the changes you've made in your schedule's as well.
We had another successful sale with remarkable results taking in $53,000.00.
This will allow us to make a significant contribution to our African Grandmothers through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Some of the projects have had additional challenges from the severe flooding in several countries in Africa. Each dollar we can send is appreciated. Thank you for making everything possible!
Sincerely,
Ujamaa Grandmas and The Fabric Sale Committee
This Sunday is the wind up of the CANstruction month. Thank you to all who have embraced the joy and fun of teamwork and community building. Our hope is to share our bounty with those around us and share the love God has for all his people by being in the community. We have had the special privilege of seeing what Woodcliff CAN (see what I did there) do when we work together. We have seen scouts and neighbours and cubs and strangers join the congregation in dropping food in our colourful boxes. This Sunday we will come together and have some good fun building structures before donating the cans. Our engineers have been drawing, prepping, counting and planning and I am sure you will not want to miss out in the fun as a helper, a sign maker a cheering squad member or even a coffee sipping observer of the celebration.  we hope you can stay after church and see what many small cans can do when they work together.

Some info on why we support The Calgary Food Bank: It is the first line of emergency food support for families and individuals facing crisis. Once the food emergency is addressed, they refer clients to our proven partner agencies. Through deep collaboration and food support to other charitable organizations they can address the root causes of food insecurity and work with our community to fight hunger. Together, we fight hunger and its root causes because no one should go hungry. 
Hash tag? pound sign? Whats the difference? Please come to learn more about the power of social media and how it impacts our culture. Also learn about how Woodcliff is using social media and what you can do to be a part of it. 
Bring a tablet or smartphone if you are able but not required. 
Please join us to help sew squares together on Friday June 7 at 1:00pm in the Edworthy Lounge. Please note the change of day for this week only! Thank you! If you have any questions please contact Mary Anne Christie at al.maryanne@shaw.ca or at 403-246-8409.
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 June 4, 2019 .

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. 

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.
 
STAFF RECOGNITION
The Ministry and Personnel Committee is requesting Woodcliff members to make contributions to an “employee gift bank”.
Donated gifts  will be presented to individual staff members, by their M&P Liaison, in recognition of their service to our faith community.
Examples could include: gift cards, Stampeders tickets, works of art, chocolate, a plant etc.
If you’d like more information or can support this request, please contact Brian Plesuk plesuk@shaw.ca or 403 242-8263.

A HEALTH CRISIS

In the Kalpakkam area of Tamil Nadu province, India, the local fishing community is dealing with a very different threat than the one it faced with the 2005 tsunami. A nuclear power plant became a death trap during the tsunami, with several workers drowning within its walls. No one knows how many died for sure, as the government never released a number.

Today, some villages believe the nuclear plant is still connected with death and destruction. They say that people go fishing and suddenly die afterwards from a lack of blood circulation. Rates of cancer, birth defects, infertility, and autoimmune and neurological diseases have increased, affecting young and old alike.

Mission & Service partner the Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation works in the region to help affected families, often paying medical costs. For those families where the primary breadwinner has prematurely died or been incapacitated, the foundation helps with finding employment, school costs, and other day-to-day expenses.

The Department of Atomic Energy says that the rates of radiation are too low to cause a health effect. Local doctor, Dr. Pugazhendhi, who runs a local clinic with the foundation’s assistance, has seen an increase in illness and believes radiation plays a part in this increase.

The Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation trains the local community about its rights and how to organize to collectively and defend their rights to clean air, water, and land.

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.

For more Minutes for Mission resources, see our photo collection and video playlistDownload the video here.

CALGARY WEST CHRISTIAN WOMEN’S CLUB
Tuesday, June 14, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Westgate Community Hall 4943 – 8 Ave. SW
Freda Murfin shares her lovely handiwork
Speaker – Cathy Mogus of Richmond, B.C.- “Living with Integrity in an Unethical World”
$8 for bottomless coffee and goodies - Info Call Lois Tetley 403 249 3994
5010 Spruce Drive SW T3C 3B2
403-249-3121
NEED AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE BULLETIN, MESSENGER OR POWERPOINT? email the office at 
office@woodcliffunited.com

wucprayerchain@gmail.com
woodcliffkids@gmail.com
youthwuc@gmail.com

Please add us in your address book.
Find more information about the wider Church at:
Chinook Winds Region: https://albertanorthwestconference.ca/
Alberta & Northwest Conference: www.anwconf.com
The United Church of Canada: www.united-church.ca
Wondercafe2 http://wondercafe2.ca/index.php

© 2019 WOODCLIFF UNITED, All rights reserved.


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5010 Spruce Drive SW

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Woodcliff United Church · 5010 Spruce Drive SW · Calgary, AB T3C 3B2 · Canada

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